Variety (Jun 1945)

30 RADIO FCCs Durr, Others Wonder Whether Radio Knows What the People Want More hard-hitting radio that pulls f no punches and is not afraid to of- fend people was prescribed as good for the industry in a speech last week by FCC Commissioner Clifford J. Durr. , ; y % . '■■ Durr was one of a number of speakers Saturday (23), who ad- dressed a radio panel at a confer- ence on employment problems in the postwar world, convened at the Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y., by the Inde- pendent Citizens' Committee of the Arts, Sciences and Professions. Picking at Procter & Gamble pro- grams specifically as the kind de- signed on the principle of "never to ofl'end a single listener," Durr ques- tioned whether that principle is good radio and declared: "The problem lies in- what we do not hear. Cen- sorship by overloading the air with programs which sell goods, to the exclusion of programs which no not, may be as effective as a complete denial of access to the air, or censor- ship by blue pencil," ' Durr recalled that, only a few years ago, the late Alexander Wooll- cott was considered "offensive" radiowise by making uncompli- mentary remarks about Hitler and Mussolini. He pointed to Norman Corwin's recent V-E show, "On a Note of Triumph," as the kind of challenging radio which should be given more air time. ' The FCC""commissioner tore into arguments about middle commer- cials, cow-catchers, hitch-hikers as time-wasters that don't touch the vital issues. He called for "a free . radio—free from economic domina- tion and overweaning greeds"; and for "a competitive radio—that com- petes for. the quality and sincerity of programs, as well as for listener ratings." "What Would They Like?" Three other discussants on the panel attacked present listener meas- urement practices as inadequate and umevealing of the real tastes of lis- teners. The three, who combined on one paper read at. the morning ses- sion, were Peter Lyon, prex of the Radio Writers Guild;. Anton M. Leader, veepee of the Radio Direc- tors Guild; and George Heller, executive secretary of AFRA. Heller read the trio's paper which declared' that, "replies on which lis- tener surveys are based, do not come from the broadest possible cross-sec- tion of the population, but from a rather limited group." Crosley and Hooperatings, said Heller, show preferences only for existing mate- rial on the air, but do not indicate what unexplored material the audi- ences might like to hear if given the chance. In the discussion, Lyon suggested that nets and ad agencies get to- gether to Finance a scheme for send- ing writer-director teams into the sticks: to develop new radio talent. Leader: pointed out that most of- the good radio directors came from other media, and asked that radio develop its own talents all along the line. In another paper, Robert Swezey, Mutual's veepee-general manager, told the conference that radio, as an industry, had grown so fast that it may -have failed to grasp its: full social responsibility. Swezey said, however, that radio has begun .to • show social cbn.scipus.ness, and asked that all strata cooperate with broad- casters in developing "the kind of . radio which the people have a right to expect:" Exclusive Chi Trio Chicago, June 26. This story doesn't make much sense, but neither does the new- ly-founded West of Canal Street Broadcasting Assn., which was founded here recently. \ Nobody can be a member of the tyro outfit except the found- ers, who are Glenn Snyder, sta- tion manager and veepee of WLS:. Ralph Atlass, prez of WIND; and Gene Dyer, prez of WAIT. They are, respectively, prez. veepee and secretary-treas- urer of WCSBA, and the reason they don't want any other mem- bers messing around is because they want to keep it exclusive. The reason they are so trucu- lent about being exclusive is be- cause they all had their begin- nings in stations west of the Loop, which'Canal Street cuts off from Chi's West Side, which they in turn claim sets them apart from the riffraff! Trinity as a result turned down Mark- Woods, prez of tHe Blue Network, for mem- bership last week, claiming there's no more room for any- more officers, which Wood want- ed to be, whereupon the latter beat a hasty retreat to his office in N. Y. in a high dudgeon, which WCSBA members de- scribed to acquaintances in . the Wrigley Restaurant as somewhat, resembling models they've seen of the 1946 Buick, only roomier. ED EAST and POLLY Toole over the 9 a.m. (R.W.T.) spot on NBC—Const-to-Coast—In Feb, At end of firsi 33 wwks their "Fun and Folly" Show has tripled the Hooper. Few personal appearance dates available. MAX RICHARD 1776 Broadway . New York Centennial Series For Cedar Rapids • Cedar Rapids, June 26. "Centennial Harvest." series of public service programs celebrating Iowa's 100-year mark to be broad- cast over WSiT, beginning Sept. 8, is being developed in a Radio Work- shop conducted by Jean .Stout Brown under the auspices of the Cedar Rapids Radio Council. Fifty representatives of Council organizations, who attend the six morning workshops, are creating ideas, writing, casting, and getting ready for production programs for fall. Each organization is develop- ing a program to tie in with the series. The American Association o( University Women will dramatize the history of Iowa colleges; Boy Scouts will tell the legends of Iowa rivers; Junior League will sponsor an Indian play for children. Inter- views with old settlers, the story of Grant Wood, historical dramatiza- tions, factual quizzes about Iowa, and personality sketches—all are be- ing developed for fall production. Pearl Bennett Broxam, WMT public service director, is producing the shows. Accent is on the listener in each weekly session. Douglas Grant, WMT program director, conducts listener-analysis tests to point up the reasons for program preferences. Radio As Force For Unity—Kobak Minneapolis. June 26. Radio must play a larger part in spreading "education" which can be the only foundation for a sound and lasting peace, according to Edgar Kobak, Mutual president, here to meet with representatives of the 30 stations in North Central Broadcast- ing System, Mutual' affiliate in Min- nesota, North and,^ South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa,. Montana and Mich- igan. People need to become better in- formed and more cooperative," he said. "There must be the same unity among the United Nations to build and preserve peace as there was to fight a war, and it's radio responsi- bility to bring the program of edu- cation to the people;" Speaking at a dinner for the radio executives at the Hotel Nicollet, Ko- bak expressed enthusiasm over ra- dio's future and said that Mutual is determined the public's habit of lis- tening to news broadcasts shall not slump with the war's end. "Although wartime excitement of news will be off. it will devolve upon the networks to keep public in- terest in peacetime hews keyed high." said Kobak. "Mutual already is working on this." The employment of Lt. Col. A. A. Schechter, former public relations officer for Gen. MacArthur, is in the above connection, according to Ko- bak. Schechter, he said, will give particular attention to planning post- war programs of news and special events. Still in its swaddling clothes, radio has unlimited ■■ possibilities, in Ko- bak's opinion. Television, he pre- dicted, will be the greatest means of education and entertainment ever developed. One big task for radio is to make education "painless—easy to take." he said. TOBIN, VELOTTA SPLIT JOHNSTONE'S DUTIES Resignation of G. W. "Johnny" Johnstone as director of news and special events at ABC (Blue) was followed by a division of respon- sibility at the web with Dick Tobin. ex-N. Y. Herald-Trib staffer, named to head up the news division, and Tommy Velotta designated as special events. The overall operation, as in "the past, will conic under supervision of veepee Bob Kintner. John Madi- gan has been named news editor. Johnstone, in town last week to confer with network execs, returned to San. Francisco (where lie's been heading up web's coverage of the United Nations conference) Saturday (23). Windup of the conference this week terminates Johnstone's tenure. His future, plans have not been di- vulged. EUGENE CARR TO HEAD BRUSH-MOORE RADIO - Washington, June 26. Eugene Cany on loan to the Treas ury as chief of War Finance's radio section since Feb., 1945, has re signed his position as assistant to the president of WJR. Detroit WGAR. Cleveland and KMPC. Los Angeles, to' become executive in charge of radio for the Brush-Moore Newspapers, Inc., owners of half-a dozen newspapers in Ohio and WHBC. Canton, and WPAY, Ports- mouth. . Appointment of C arl ' indicates Brush-More; is planning to expand its radio- activities. Wednesday, June 27. 19 IS Carroll Carroll's Dissenting Note .' '-:/:.■ Hollywood, June 20. Editor, Variety": I liked that box in your is,sue of June 13. The one that quotes Fred Allen as saying. "Radio is still in its infancy and is a problem child"; and Eddie Cantor's contention that "Radio has grown up and can afford to adventure," . ■• '' I disagree with both my friends. I don't think radio is still in its infancy. Nor do J-think it's grown up. I agree "it's a problem" be- cause anything so gigantic is hard to understand. But to say that "it can now adventure" is to deny the tremendous amount of adventurous thinking that has constantly distinguished this sprawling scapegoat. Radio today, as it has always been, is entirely the product of the men who control it. They are not all great men. They are not all wise men. Frequently advanced thinking is destroyed by well-meaning fools, jealous malcontents and malicious opportunists. Fortunately the medium is so .enormous, and so strong that no matter what it does it finds a sympathetic audience. And no matter how strenuously at- tacked, it is able to survive. , I can't find myself in agreement with Eddie Cantor,-that big business is not constantly casting around for new radio talent. This contention ' prevails in many quarters merely because business does its talent pros- pecting in such a way as not to interrupt success. When the DuPonts and Standard Oil (to use Eddie's examples) experiment to And new materials, they do not discard what is tried and true till they find bet- ter. , The DuPonts did not abandon the celluloid formulae when they decided to experiment with plastics. Standard did not discontinue making gasoline to try for synthetic rubber. The experiments went on simultaneously with the work. In radio new elements are constantly being added to old programs. Think of the shows that have come out of Fibber McGee and Molly . .. Chase and Sanborn . the Kra^t Music Hall. Henry Aldrich did not get born' in half-hour form. He was an experiment on the Kate Smith Hour. Ed Gardner was the result of CBS' summer tryouts. Out of the stooges insulting their bosses (which Eddie hates and so do I) we find the materials of stardom. . Nobody can tell me that Eddie Anderson couldn't carry his own show. Frances Lang ford, who weekly insulted Hope, is filling in for Edgar Bergen this summer and doing a fine job. Although I doubt if Charlie McCarthy will ever leave Bergen. Experimentation goes on constantly. Tommy Dorsey, a sideman in almost every radio orchestra when Cantor was with RubinofT, has come up through having his own fine combination to being, today, one of the finest masters of ceremonies on the air. He's headed for the time When the trombone, if he chooses, can be only an Incident in his entertaining. In spite of the Cantor contention, there's no shortage of experiment- ing, nor courage in radio. It's just—well, as the Commodore of tha Staten Island Ferry Lines once actually said to me of the New York Skyline—"It all came about so sort of sudden and gradual we didn't notice it." ,- ' ./ /. And, as Fred Allen points out. most of it is the work of "tired little men who create for the medium." Most of them are weary and many of them are small . . . but Fred, none are "tired little men" . , . if you get my distinction. And I think you do, and are sympathetic to it, or you wouldn't have rushed to their defense so handsomely. The Allen analysis, putting the future of radio on the shoulders of the writers, should be engraved on the inside of every comedy derby in the world. And in case a group of inferior writers takes this to be their certificate of enrollment in the Society of Supermen, no radio performer, comedy or otherwise, ever got to be a star unless he had incubating within himself the peculiar stuff that makes stars act the way they do and become the people they are; Carroll Carroll. GIL GIBBONS LEAVES WESTER, BUBECK IN Chicago. June 26. Gil- Gibbons, on the Carl Wester production staff for the past five years during which he has had a hand in directing all of the Irna Phillips-General Mills strips, has re- signed effective July 2, and will be succeeded by Harry Bubeck. Gib- bons is striking out for himself and has organized a production agency, activities of which will include the making of transcriptions for local station use. - With the change Herb Futran goes back to directing "Woman: in White," which he also writes, and Bubeck will put .on "Today's Chil- dren." . . 1 '■■ LaRoche Tackles Cantor, Allen; Sees Nets Doing Okay by Talent ABC (BLUE) GETS WTHT The Hartford, Conn., Times sta- tion. WTHT, becomes an ABC (Blue) affiliate Dec. 1 with Mutual latching onto the 5,000-watter, WHDT, Yankee network-owned out- let in that city. New Blue . station operates with 230-watts oh 1230 kc. Nora Martin Checks Off Cantor Show in Fall While Nora Martin is continuing on the Eddie C ant Q>' summer. re- placement show, she will not return to the comedian's fall program, after being two years with him. Monica Lewis, whom Cantor has been auditioning, and who made a Boston benefit junket this weekend with him, may be the new songs- tress. . 7 •' MBS Has the Dough And The Will to Hypo Its Programs, Says Carlin Editor, "Variety": Here is our reaction to your edi- torial, "Bad Radio Showmanship," and our suggestions on ways to im- prove the situation you describe in these words: "Only making it tougher and tougher to spot a new idea or a new personality on the air/' : ■ . Our reaction.is to recall our recent programming record, which proves. I believe, even better than any pro-- testations from lis that we realize and take seriously our responsibility to program in the interests of our listeners—not only for today but for the future, - ; .As for suggestions, we have been acting on our own suggestions. We have not been "running a mile from newness" but. oh the contrary, acting on the belief that programming for the future means finding hew ideas and new talent and giving them their Opportunity on the air. we have been making room on our schedule for new shows.' /:•.'• As you well know, we have not been content with putting on new shows in the old tested categories; nor with getting new talent to do the old types of shows. We have been looking for and have put on some shows with new ideas, new ap- proaches and twists. To the best of our ability-we are using good new showmanship. "Queen For a Day" is an example of what we mean; for here is a Cin- derella-come-to-town show which is new and has caught on fast, "Be- tween Us Girls" has its new twist in that it puts a lone male into a pane) (Continued oi. oage 40j ♦ By CHESTER J. LnROCHE (Vice-Chairman' of American Broad- casting Co.) I think we all agree that "Vari- ety," Fred Allen and Eddie Cantor, in calling for new radio talent, hava touched upon one of the vital prob- lems in radio today. Certainly those of us who have watched radio grow have become increasingly aware of the talent problem. If new talent is to be found, and tested and proved, the job has to be undertaken either by the advertiser or the network. Look first at the advertiser's prob- lem: He is faced with realistic con-, siderations. He not only as to think about his show,' but his sales and his position in the industry as well. If he gambles on new talent and new ideas and loses—he is out not only his investment in the show, but (and this is even more important to him* he has lost out in the volume of his sales, and perhaps •jeopardised 'bU competitive position. This does not mean, however, that advertisers can't experiment. Those with variety shows have a great op- portunity to. test talent—and they frequently take advantage of it. The Aldrich Family started as an experi- mental dramatization in the Kate Smith hour, Ginny Simms came lip thropgh her work on the Kay Kyscr programs. The Great Gildersleeve was first a successful character with Fibber McGee, and then blossomed out into his. own (and this pattern has been followed numerous'times*. The advantage of having aii ad- vertiser' use an established show, for experimentation lies, of course, in the vast audience to -which new tal- ent, is immediately exposed. It doesn't take long to tell whether tal- ent is good or bad when you have a ready audience waiting to judge. But, of course, this does not—and cannot—supply all the new talent that's needed, Radio consumes such - (Continued on page 40)