Variety (May 1946)

S2 RADIO Wednesday, May IS, 1946 Rolled Up By Luce; Hutchens Lament Two ex-radioilcs spoke up about* llu'ir former love within the last I week. One is Henry K. Luoe.'lwho re- ••• ccnlly divested himself Of his li'a * ■' juiciest in the ABC net. The other ■ is John K. Hulchens, a member, of j the N. Y. Times book review section, ! who was that newspaper's radio edi-.! tor from 1941 to 1944. Luce's piece, an editorial in Life ' Mag 1131. was of course' not wrillen ' by him personally. But anyone who knows anything about the Time-| Life-Fortune empire +;nows that! nothing ot major importance hap- '; pens accidentally on any Luce sheet. !. So the editorial may be taken as Luce's radio credo. In substance. Life blames the: en- tire radio/trade for failure'.'.to ex-." pcrimenl. Tor timidity in the develop-. ] ■lent of new formats, for slicking; to old formulae because they happen , lo have paid off.. The editorial! touches only lightly on the FCC : Blue Book, the commission '.itself , coming in for a whack or (wo as [ being among those wlio have abdi- ] caled their .responsibility,' lo the; public. Neatly, the editorial quotes the following: "The use of radio channels is justified only if there is a public benefit." And it's not the TCC. currently attacked as "red" ' by the,Hearst and McCormick press. ; which expressed that fundamental view. Those are the words of-Her- bert Hoover. Life thinks, along with Charles. A. Siepmann, that FM may indeed offer radio its •'second chance." The editorial even offers' a solid sug- gestion: That radio's top entertain- ers, "who are much more disposed to experiment than men who pay their salaries." join the parade atid gel into station ownership, along with labor unions., universities, co- operatives, and other FM bidders including community and regional groups. "The stars." says Life, "have the money and also the. lax.-incen- tive to go into station ownership in a serious, way. And nobody, has more to gain than they from the rescue of radio. Except, of course, the American public." That's a very interesting sugges- tion.. Is it merely an editorialist's fillip'.' Or is there in the idea a hint of some Luce plan for a new type of radio operation'.' Hulchens did his piece in the Saturday Review of Literature .4t. Because that longhair sheet is known to be planning the launching of a radio department. Hutchens"- article may be looked upon'as the maga- zines first serious venture into ra- dii) .criticism. r Now and then, over the years. SRL has -run articles on radio: but more often than nol. these considered the radio material only after it had been published in hook form. In other words, radio wasiH worth talking about if it was oh 'Continued on pate 441 '20 Questions' Has Sponsor "20 Questions." Mutual game quiz program, has been sold to Ronsoh Art Metal Works, make's of Ronson lighter, for S2-week, spread over full net starting July H. Deal set through Cecil and Presbrey. Airer, heard Saturday 8-8:30 p^m., just finished its first 13-week cycle as suslainer. WOR; N.. Y. web out- let, claimed 121.000"letters received on program from Feb. 8 lo May 3, for greatest fan mail pull station has had in 11 years: . Herb Polesie is producer. Bill' Slater is enicee, with panel including Fred Vahde- veler. Florence Rinard. Bobby McGuire and Polesie. WIND (Chi) Spat Shapes Up as Initial Test Of 'Get PetrikY Legislation Chicago, May 14. First test of the effectiveness of the recently enacted Lea .aiiti- Petrillo) bill is in the works here, wilh two members of Radio Broad- casting Engineers Local 1220. Intel- national Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (AFL) fired by WIND op- erator Ralph Atlass on Monday 1131. Electricians were bounced when they dfdn't show up lo throw the switch when the slatioii went. oil the air at 6 a.m. Monday. They are Pres- ton Flower and Bill Butler. Engineer at the Gary. Ind.. transmitter, how- ever, stayed on the job. announcing he was pulling out of. the union .be- cause he believes- management is right and that the union is taking the wrong stance in the dispute. As a result. WIND was off the air from 6 to 9 a.m. Monday. Station execs were at the studio control board j when it went back on. i Spal began Sunday night, when ' unionists insisted thai WIND, a B John L. Again Takes Rap Stars and producers vif several of the big comedy shown originat- ing from New York, including the Fred Allen show, were re- portedly miffed this week by the turn in the mine strikesituation which ruled out the possibility of an overall New York shut- down of theatres. They had hoped Iheir studios would be closed to audiences, so they coiild try otlt new comedy approaches without facing a pub- . lie. FtC-AVCO Rule In Effect on 2 Washington,; May 14; ' FCC put its AVCO rule into ef- fect on two fronts last week, exer- cising to the full its authority .under' the regulation governing sales of:sth- tions. 1. It ordered a consolidated hear- ing—the (list under the rule—for two bidders seeking to purchase Sta- tion WBRK. Pitlsfleld. Mass. S. In another "first." it chose be- tween two bidders, without ..'a' hear- ing^ awarding KROY. Sacramento, to the Harm Co.."'first bidder." In the field, and nixing I lie application of the Luther Gibson Broadcasting Co! Luther Gibson, who was tinned down, is owner of three California dailies. In the WBRK ease, FCC an- nounced il was unable to decide which of the two applicants—Leon Podolsky, a radio engineer: or the Western, Massachusetts Broadcasting Co.—was the. belter qualified on the basis of wrillen information, and so called for a public hearing. Sales ticket is $15(1.0(10. Monroe England, owner of WBRK. first contracted to sell to Western station, hire CBS engineers as stand- ; Massachusetts, owned by the pub-' bvs for their own engineers in an ". llsl,els of Ihe •"Berkshire Evening 8:30 to 9 p.m. broadcast of "North- "Eagle." Pillsfield's only daily paper, western 'University Playshop" from Deal also includes a conditional CBS-WBBM studios. Ralph Atlass. K la nl r °»' »'" FM arflliate. wilh insufficient studio space at.i During Ihe 80-day period of ad- WIND. had made, arrangements with verlising ihe sale, after Podolsky his brother. Les Atlass. of CBS. to entered his competitive bid, the use IVBBM's facilities for the. broad- newspaper attempted unsuccessfully to withdraw its offer. The paper has Radio, Video Join Detroit Jubilee. All Four Nets Involved in Program KOMO's 50G Studio Seattle, May M. Con/s(ruction.is slated to begin liiis week on'a $50,000, two-story studio on ihe north fringe of Seattle's metropolitan business district by KOMO, NBC affiliate for Seattle and I he Puget' Sound lervi lory. . Construction has been approved by the Civilian Production' Admin- istration and is in. compliance with an FCC ruling requiring KOMO to discontinue use of its present studio facilities. Facilities for both FM broadcasting and possible television are included in the plaits. Canadian Government Spends $430,989 For Sponsored Air Shows HEDDA HOPPER SEEKING NEW SPONSOR IN FALL Hedda Hopper concludes her ether pact wilh Armour on .June 3 and will negotiate for new sponsor for fall. When .columnist-originally made deal with Fooie. Cone ■& Bclding agency her program, aired over CBS and it was nol until start of it that she learned lime had been preempted for her. with result that last October when win lei-, shows re- sumed she was shunted over to ABC. During her ride on CBS her Hoopcratings had hovered between 1 and 11. in a-'quarter-hour niche which fetched her lo-easlern ears- al 7:15 p.m. Her ABC time has been Mondays al 11:15 p.m.. and her rating has curled down to around 4. Miss Hooper flics lo England oil June 10 for first, visit lo . Isles in decade. After six-week visit, columnist re- (wrns here. Cast Inasmuch as A slatioii contracts wilh unionists-' call for slandbys. while B station pacts don'l.. Ralph Atlass insisted slandbys weren't re- quired, even though broadcast was actually being, made from an A sta- tion. However, union's business agent. B. J. Krusel. advised Flower and Buller not lo show up for work Monday morning because Atlass wouldn't hire slandbys. as a result of which Allass handed the men Iheir notice. Studio switches, meanwhile, are bein.g operated by WIND execs, with transmitter engineers staying al their posts in defiance of their union officials, who told Vaisikty. thai the men are "strikebreaker lass' stance is that he'll be operating" in violation of the Lea bill if he goes along with the union's fentherbed- ding gimmick. an application on file, with Ihe com- mission for a new station in the town' but signed a contract lo buy ■WBRK in order to gel on the air sooner. * . Proposed Gen. Mills Hour Switch From Chi to H wood Stymied by Court Action Chicago. May 14. Plans to move Ihe Carl Westcr- Irna Phillips Genera! Mills Hour lo Hollywood as a unit look a jolting And At- , lasl we<;k w «s revealed thai '.an injunction had been handed : down. effective May 1. restraining r.Wester or Miss Phillips rrom taking 'any action with the "Guiding Light" show, one of the quartet of pro- grams. j Order was part of filial decree, « > maiwii wiwKti www ■ . y...» ha »ded down in circuit court, which i LATEST P.BIMfB;ss&a*£ J 'SS London. May 14. i lion head, for NBC's central division I British Broadcasting Corp/s latest and was the result ot several mouths headache is decision of Musicians' spent in litigation between Carlson . Union to stop BBC's wartime ar- and Miss Phillips. Under the judg- rangement for music played on pro- j ment. Carlson receives 50'; of ! *' anls b y members from being used -'Guiding Light" earnings since )»36 on repeat-programs. I the year it began. Total, currently Musicians pay for such repeats : in ch'ancery for settlement Is ex- averages five dollars, . with union peeled to run in the neighborhood 0 r strenuously opposing this, claiming , $250,000. ' . ' Detroit, May )4, " With , the ABC net ■" snapping up the exclusive television privileges for the Auto Golden Jubilee, .May 29-June 9, tfBC, Mutual and CBS arc moving in to share in the pub- licizing of the^grealest show Detroit has ever staged. Topping a three-hour', show at blympia Arena on June 1 will be a special one-hour show by the Fred Waring organization which will be broadcast coasl-tbrcoasl on an hour donated by the NBC. The show.will be aired 10-11 p.m.. iRST) over 174 outlets. Wariog's writer Joe Thompson is in town gathering material for the special broadcast. Waring demanded and received., permission lo run trie show in his own way. pick his own guest stars. The Waring outfit will fly into Detroit a few hours before the show in special planes, and le- turn to New York immediately after the curtain. Paul Mowrey. chief of (he ABC television division, revealed, that Ottawa, May 14. ' features of the Jubilee will be filmed Sec. of Stale Paul Martin told the j-by ABC cameramen and then rushed House of Commons it costs live fed-' east tor television broadcasts from era! government annually $430.9811.50 . New ""York; Schenectady. Washing- to sponsor'radio programs. I loii and Philadelphia. Topping the list of government-■ ' ril « half-hour television special sponsored airer* are two backed by '. feature will begin With dedication Ihe federal Wartime Prices. and ceremonies and the illumination of Trade Board: "George's Wife." a i'he transportation statue by, appli- soaper-type show 'coring-" S4.43l.781 cation of atomic energy, released weekly mired dailyi, and a French- from the University of'Michigan, 30 language program. "Le Melairie miles away. Raiic'ourl" at $1,787-05 weekly. Bolhi Other Shows, shows air ration, rental and oilier' Among the .oilierradio.-show* which WPTB .information in plugs as well , will originate in Detroit during (he, as script. i Jubilee are the following: . 'Dept. of Veterans Affairs pays The General Electric "House $965 a week to air "The Johnny Parly" will originate in. Music Hall Home Show." and $600 a week 'for here each arterneon May 27-31. "A Ceux Qui Revicnnenl." as well : "America's Town Meeting of the as $100 a week tor the Greg Clark Air", will celebrate ..its llth year on gabber show. The three airers are. Ihe air on May 28 from .Masonic designed lo put ex-service personnel Temple. straight on rehabilitation mailers Two programs are slated tor Fri- and a Hairs in general. day. May 31: "People Are Funny.". Labor Dept. spends a weekly and a special Golden Jubilee, Iribule $4114.42 for' an employment program.! over'the entire NBC network, eman- tilled"The People Ask." National j aling from the,studios of WW.I. Health and Welfare. Dept. pays. On June 1. W.IR will send-''a nothing, for its '"National Health special musical program to 118 CBS Notes" spots, and Trade and Com- stations. Three programs are lined up for ! Sunday. June 2. "Harvest of Stars," : featuring Jan Pee ice leads off in the j afternoon: followed by Texaco'* • "Star Theatre" and "Quiz Kids." Monday, June 3, will find . the ireslone Hour" in Masonic Tern- In addition, three shows which After a. lot ■ of. behiiuUlhe-scenes ordinarily . originate in Detroit will, squabbling, some of it reportedly' present special Golden Jubilee pro- concerning M-Ct's refusal lo let Melin ■ grams. These are Ford Sunday Kve- stars appear on the show, a new; ning Hour. Gus Hitenschen's all- formal is being sought for Ihe string orchestra, and Detroit Orches- Squibb-spoiisored "Academy Award tra Hour. Thealre" on CBS. merce also gels airers on liadc in- formation gratis, reported Martin. Oscar Acting Up, So Squibb Plans Switch pfj; Changeover, it Come down to having special scripts prepared for Ihe show instead of using adaptations of films previously kudosed by Ihe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Despite 10-year deal made for the show by Die Academy, it is under- stood latter has been having troubles wilh film producers' lack of coop- eration in Ihe venture. This list of radio shows is expected is believed, will lo he expanded. K&E Pitching Ford's Hiatus Show for Keeps UNION BAN ON REPEATS WHN Gets New Booker, Lit Guild Vs. B. of M. It's now "Books on Trial" vs.—Au- Thornburgh's N.Y. Huddle On New Coast Annex Hollywood. May 14. Don Thoriiburgh leaves for New- York May 22. to confer wilh heads of all CBS-owned slalinns.assembly- ing there. Veepec in charge of CBS western division will talk over final plans' for local building annex to house ' new studios mid offices to h built '■ on current parking lot. that such action' by the BBC is caus- ing a difficulty in finding work for members, returning from war serv- ice. BBC's variety dept. is responsible lor 240 programs weekly, of which half al least, nol including General Decision, in which petition to ap- peal to supreme court was denied and which slated that "Ihe cred- ibility of the defendant (Miss Phil- lips) is impeached"Was originally ^nade in January by the apellate Overseas Service broadcasts, are re- : 5 our j '^i' 1 ""! "o circuit court p C! ,l x _ 'of f.mal action. . If the show in (pies- BBC's Irouble is not so much n„ | "'f e forced lo . emaiti in Chi- Hollywood. May 14. Keiiyou &• Eckhardl hopes il can induce Ford Motors to keep the show- groomed as summer replacement for Symphony Hour continuing i"lo winter with consequent scrapping of longhaired musicale. Agency be- lieves fast-paced, bright-faced pro- gram will lure more listeners. K tt E thor Meets Critic." with lhe,Lilerary . f u \ ** Mn * ^''"1*"*'° Guild pilled against the Book of the j U ^ °" bol,a,f of Month Club. weather show. Having lost of the B-of-M "Au- l^^'Vj'"^ ^lu^A thor" show: which moves over to ^ »» 30 and ...eludes Alfied WQXR next'week. WHN. N. Y.. has P" k «-,, Lee . . <5ip ^ snared the new Literarv Guild J ovch - P ,l « w *' kly . ,,ld ' B ";? "Books" show, which lees'off next " al ' >*» k *' ,.Music used will, be Mondav .201 in the spot being V a-' sllesse<l a » •>*»'« wo, k " f A " , « ,rM - ,, ' n cale<l by "Author." . composers only. SlerliiiL' North, literary ed of the i . ~ wnu a „^rrrH^^Th\ «f Against the Admirals" gets the No. . Radio commitlee of Writers Board. 1 kickaround. CBS Program Surgery rediiclion. in payments of repeals. cago by Carlson, the solid General bul'lackof sludio space which is not | Mills 'lour, consisting „f --Mhs.- aVailable were Ihe repeals not made 1 l,ll ' riKl,> - " w "'"«" While." "To- . use of. <!ay s Children.'' as well as "Guiding Union has .given BBC (ill May 31 ; Ll « lu " «'ould probably be forced to .0 decide its. rulu.-e inlehlions after bl '<" ilk hecWise of li.me differential which 1 hey will not allow any of belwei-tt Chi and Hollywood. Iheir members lo take pari in re-| Current Wester-Phillips plans call corded perlormaiices. Such action for the first of l.he shows,. "Mas- will have big elferl on such lop ' uuerade." lo begin; airing fjom NBC shows as "ITMA" and "Music llall." /oast studios somclime early in June. w-hich until now has had no Coast ■ rep. will have two writers repre- senting' its anti-discrimination and . pro-tolerance effort's in ' Hollywood i now. . Hollywood. May 14. ; Don Quinn and Carroll Carroll. CBS has'-called a special discussion joined Hie commfUee last week and clinjc for all heads of alfilialed s(«- have agreed |o act as Coast '•'P' 5 - lions for June 3 lo S lo fine-comi) ... ... _' ■- present Coast, prograinming and op- ' • • . , eralions, 'especially Tor imminenl i P«t Stanton Gets Go-AlttaO summer. 1 . Phil.-ulelphia. May 14. Event will be supervised by local : . Pat Slaulon, viee-piexy of WDAS. CBS Urasshals. w-ilh the -assistance yesterday iMon. 1 got aii okay .from of easl'ei n net execs. The schedule ' the FCC to erect a new. station ■ in is slill in skeleton form, hut ii's Philly, .still known that department heads. | The outlet will be permilled lo producers and researchers will sil operate between sunrise and sunset: in on luncheons aild meetings to be with 10 kilowatts power at 1530 kilo- held. I cycles.