Variety (May 1946)

Wednesday, May 15, 1946 Radio Came Through For Red Cross With 846 Coast-Coast Shows Despite the end of the war, the American Red Cross 1946 fund cam- MiK'i for $100,000,000 received co- operation from the broadcasters that completely eclipsed the radio cover- Age given to the agency during the war years, according to Basil O'Con- nor chairman of the American Red Cross. More than 846 national net- work programs featured the Red Cross during the month of March, as compared with 590 programs during the 1945 drive, with an estimate that every radio listener in the country heard a fund message an average of 33 limes. Figures do not include local station participation in the air- ing of straight, dramatized ancf spot announcements which were distrib- uted nationally by the NAB for the Hcd Cross. Highlights of the radio campaign were Ih'e address of President Tru- man, carried by all four networks on the. drivels opening day, Feb. 24; Katharine Cornell's third radio ap- pearance on Mutual; Helen Hayes' series of three programs on CBS; Cardinal Spellman's appeal over NBC: and the broadcast of Metropoli- tan Opera on the ABC network with all intermissions devoted to the Red Cross. Television also took part in the drive, with CBS producing a spe- cian show featuring Mrs. William Stevenson, former Red Cross over- teas director. ° The Radio campaign was man- aged by F, Bourne Rulhrauff, direc- tor of national publicity for the American Red Cross, who has since left to return to the Rulhrauff '& Ryan agency. Burt McMdrtie, for- mer CBS commercial program chief, handled the network contacts, with Harris Kirk, also formerly with CBS, and Loretto Larson, former Chicago radio executive, heading up special features. Ex-GI, USO Talent In New Variety Package New half-hour musical variety thow has been readied by' Young and Shubcrt, Inc., and sample pro- gram is being waxed for the trade. Show, tentatively titled "Haven't We Met," will utilize both USO-Camp Shows and ex-GI talent, with talent changed weekly. Firm has an "in" on such talent, Col. Marvin Young having headed the entertainment branch of Army Special Services during the war. thus being in charge both of GI shows and of the approval and rout- ing of all USO-Camp Shows' talent. Maj. John Shubcrt succeeded Col. Young to that job., . Firm has complete list of per- formers, compiled from records made during the war, with record of their actual popularity with GI audi- ences, both domestic and overseas. KABC Shifts to 50,000 W. On Green Light From FCC San Antonio, May 14. With a green light from the FCC, KABC shifted last week to 680 kifocyclcs and increased its power from 250 watts to 50,000 watts day and 10,000 watts night. KABC be- comes the sixth Texas station to operate with 50,000 watts. The day- time power is the maximum now permitted by the FCC.' R. Early Willson Is pre?, of the Alamo Broadcasting Co., owner and operator of the station. Charles W. Balthrope is station mgr. Other dept. heads include Bill Michaels, asst. mgr.; Francis Riley, transmitter chief; Paul Wolf, studio chief; George T. Case, program director; W. Poundstone Jackson, promotion and merchandise mtr. and J. K. Taylor, chief accounl;c)l. MBS Sports Aim HigK Mutual is now auditioning a new sportshow for several prospective clients. Half-hour one-a-week pro- gram. "Sports Stadium of the Air," features highlights of leading sports events of the week, taken from ac- tual transcriptions of those events. Bill Slater is likely emcee. Top name guests from sports world will be featured. Program is baby of Abe Schech- lci 'p v.p. in charge of special events. St, I.ouis—Wendell Campbell, gen- *!'■">I manager of KMOX. convales- Cl "fi in St. Mary's hospital following appendectomy. P^RIETY RADIO 39 SCB MEET CALLED BY PREXY BOB REYNOLDS All Southern California Broad- casters will be called to a meeting, this wr-ck by Bob Reynolds, prexy. Confab, which will embrace net as well as indie managements, is being held to settle several questions long under SBC consideration. With ar- rival o[ Bill Ryan, manager of KFI and head of 16th district of National Assn. of Broadcasters, from Wash- ington, meet is expected to be called before week is out. Matters to be taken up are elec- tion of officers for the SCB, the es- tablishment of a Radio Council com- posed of lay as well as industry persons, the proposed shuttering of SCB's downtown i L. A.) office and the formulation of <■ State associa- tion of broadcasters under the NAB. RWG Mulls Agent Setup Hollywood, May 14. Radio Writers Guild met May 11 to discuss agent relations. All writers represented by percenters were urged to attend so a complete pic- ture of client-agent relations could be drawn. Screen.Writers Guild as- sisted in furnishing F. Hugh Herbert to address the group and discuss SWG's plans along similar lines. Exact purpose of the meeting was not divulged. However, it's known that the union is interested in es- tablishing a code of fair practices, following a survey of its membership to ascertain abuses, complaints, etc. Seidel-Knapp Parlay Pushes Two Packages Ted V. Seidel and Bert Knapp have formed the Ted-Bert Enter- prises, Inc., as a new package house. Duo pushing a variety package, "Happiness Hotel," which stars Rose Marie and features comic Paul Regan, Bess Mycrson ("Miss Amer- ica"), singer Buddy Boylan, and D'Arlega and his all femme oreh. Knapp handles the announcing. Second package, quizzer framed for audience participation called "Spin the Bottle," is currentfy being readied. NCAC Folds Chi Radio HDQ Albany, May 14. Chi office of the radio dept. of National Concert and Artists Corp. has been dissolved, due to lack of business. Long under directorship of Sam Harrington, who started the organization for NBC, NCAC's radio dept. at one time was billing better than $500,000 a year in radio dales for concert artists. Reason given for dissolution of the division was falling off in biz during the past three years due to lack of Chicago originations in net- work radio. Staff at one time num- bered over 25 people, but was down to a quarter of that. Lecture and concert booking divisions will con- tinue to maintain offices here as before. Harrington, meanwhile, ex- pects to go to N. Y. shortly to open his own office. L A. Indies Face IBEW Walkout, Union Seeks Pay Hike of 22-45% Hollywood, May 14. A strike again threatens the 12 local indie stations here confronted with wage demands of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Managements recently concluded negotiations with American Federa- tion of Radio Actors that bor- dered closely on being a walkout of spielers. Now, due to counter-offer- ing of an 18V4c per hour increase to unions' requested 22 to 45% pay hike, the spectre looms again. Dean Johnson, attorney repping Southern California Broadcasters, has reported that stations cannot af- ford anything more; Roy Tindall. union rep, says his original demand was carefully considered and will not be reversed. He turned counter- offer to a vote and engineers con- cerned voted unanimously to reject the broadcasters offer, he states. SO, unless another meeting of opposing sides develops a change of altitude, it's likely the.union' will yank the technicians and leave stations seri- ously crippled. Union is asking that stations be put in three classifications. Increases asked are: $2.25 per hour from $1.60 for class one, $1.44 to $2.00 for class two, and $1.44 to $1.75 for class three. Broadcasters offer $1.91 per hour on three top stations, and $1.70 on re- maining nine stations. Management counter-offer also covers other provisions of the unions proposed new contract. All clauses have been tempered some, though both sides agree that those poinls will be quickly handled once the money issue is settled. Union, acl- ually, won't talk anything but coin and will let all other considerations, lay until that's settled. CARTER JOINS l&N Schenectady, May 14. Maj. Arthur Carter, onetime com- mentator on a Sunday night pro- gram over WSNY, Schenectady, while serving as major of Amster- dam, has joined Leighton & Nelson as account exec. Carter was recently discharged from the Army after three years of service. He served with the AMG in Africa and Italy, bring chief executive for some time of a 300,000-population Italian city. Carter, often heard on political broadcasts over WGY, had Hie Leighton Si Nelson agency bring professional talent from the area and from N. Y. to Amsterdam for an annual free holiday party in the high school. 99 la^la^la^la^la^la^l^lMMi^k^^^^^^^^^ Gertrude . I J»cl» on ' ar «k World ^ , etl I- rl«hl. V* n M»n »l« ,n ; nr. C "'" " wLIB expresses the gratitvde eff the world's starving peoples te these HOTABLES WHO RAISED THEIR voices "lESt M'M^'M ®8i They struck a mighty blow against starvation when they threw the magic of their voices, the power of their ideas, the weight of their support behind the Emergency Food Collection Campaign. AH day long on Sunday May 5th, from early morning to • night, they took their places before the microphones of wLIB—statemen and ambassadors—congressmen and government officials, .actors and actresses, writers and educators- dislocating their busy programs to take up the cause of all humanity. "Lest Millions. Die" was a dramatic appeal launched by Station wLIB to rally public support to the task of feeding the world's starving millions. Left lo right, Chart** Poletti, James A. Faciei', Waller J. Slraub. Thanks for its success Is due io large measure to these public-spirited citizens eff "One World" wLIB ' 1190 on your dial Dorc"w 5 I>j:V'», C^.'-s" T Z T»o:W r . V.:c Chairman Jackson Loicjhtar, President The program of "LEST MILLIONS DIE" 7:J0 7:40 a.m. SAM BOAL, Foreign Correspond, enr, speaking from Londoni "Food Situation, in England.'* 8:30—8:45 a.m. HELEN GAHAGAN DOUGLAS, Congresxional Representative from California, "That the Hungry May Live." (Repealed at 2:4) p.m.)- 9:}0-r-9:4S a.m. GEORGE SCHUYLER and LARRY FULLER,. "Famine in South Africa." 10:JO—10:45 a.m. DUSAN BRKISH, Minister of Jus- tice, Peoples Republic of Croatia, Member of the Human Rights Com- mission, United Nations. 10:45—11:00 a.m. DR. OSCAR LANGE, Polish Am- bassador to the U. S., Polish Dele. gal« lo the UN, "Stacving People Know No Peace." 11:15—11:30 a~.m. DOMINIC J. MARCELLO. Vi.-,. President, American Relief for Iiaty, "Food Crisis in Italy." 1 1:45—1 1:55 a.m. FRANCIS LEDERER, ''Empty Cup- boards in Cxecboslovakia." 12:3(1—12:45 p.m. NOEL TOY, CARLTON YOUNG, DR. Y. C. YANG, President. Suchow University, "Empty Rice Bowls of China." • 1:00—1:15 p.m. NICHOLAS J. LELY. Minister in Charge of Greek Information, "Fam. inc Stalks the Greek Landscape." 2:00—2:15 p.m. • FIORELLO H. LaGUARDIA, Di- ' rector Genecal of UNRRA. 2:30—2:45 p.m. MR. aqd MRS. LEO SWA1M, JR.. "We Live Like Starving Europeans." 3:30—4:00 p.m. COURTNEY C. BROWN, Special Assistant to President's Emergency Famine Committee. HAROLD WESTON, Director, Food for Freedom.. DR. J. MAX WEIS, Director of the Liberty Forum. * Liberty Forum. "Why World Fam- ine?" 4:15—4:J0 p.m. RUTH HUSSEY, "Food, the Se«l of World Freedom." 5:00—5:15 p.m. GERTRUDE LAWRENCE, 'The World We Foiight to Win." 5:30—5:45 p.m. SIRDAR ]. J. SINGH, President of India League of America, "India's Starving Millions.' 1 5.-45—6:00 p.m. WALTER F. STRAUB, Director of Enieiccncy Food Program for the Department of Agriculture, "Fight- ing Famine Overseas on the United Slates Homefront." 6:15—6:30 p.m. DR. EARL FREDERICK ADAMS. Executive Director of the ProteM.vu Council of New York, "Churches Unite for World Relief." 6:J(I—6.45 p , m _ JAMES A. FARLEY, "Hungers Challenge, 7:00—7:15 p.m. CHARLES POLETTI, former Gov- ernor of New York. 7:15—7:30 p.m. BILL MAULDIN, TROUP MAT- HEWS. "Tho Veteran Looks at ihr World Today." —8:00 p.m. MELVYN DOUGLAS. JACKSON LlilGHTER. Chairman, Food for Fiicndship Committee, "Our Neigh- bors Starve." 8:00—8:15. p.m. JIM BOLES, ATHENA LORDI=. ELLEN MAHAR, cast. "The Prom. ■ *c,'' dramatic sketch presented by the American Theater Wing. 8:30—8:45 p.m. ESTELLE M. STERNBERG ER. Commentator, "This Humane Atomic Age."