Variety (May 1946)

SB BABIt Wednesday, May 22, 1946 Inside Staff-Radio The N. Y. Herald Tribune has launched its radio department with John Crosby in charge. He does a daily column. On May 17 Crosby was con- cerned with the late, afternoon children's programs. Not that they were so bad, mind you, he was merely deploring that the Armstrongs and Tracys keen youngsters' away from books. -..'.'■ This is a vote in disagreement. A few other radio columnists have touched on this subject occasionally—as fine an understatement as this page has offered in an issue or two. But what Crosby failed to clarify was his definition of children according to their years. Radio commentators on dailies seldom mention the possibility that these same programs might stimulate a youngster's interest in reading. All right, what they read would likely be wild and wooly now. Yet the books they pick-would improve later, . The main point is that the columnists who moan and groan the most about these things (if they're on the level and 1 not just using it as a filler) never appear to have-noticed American youth with one ear focused on the radio while pouring over their homework as if they were Abe Lincoln on a cabin floor. Brother, that's concentration! So they may not grow up to be Lincolns, but the modern adventure show isn't going to make a moron of the average kid, cither. They're too smart. Demands of recently organized Radio Directors Guild will probably be presented to networks on Coast by first week of June. Though now busily engaged with New York and Chicago groups on affiliation plans, RDG in L. A. is eager to set ball rolling and will make its initial demands as soon as possible. Elections are also scheduled virtually upon return of prexy Paul Franklin from New York, but that .will not deter move gaining momentum. RDG already has an "in" at CBS, Hollywood, through taking over of directors formerly included in CBS' pact with American Federa- tion of Radio Artists. Committees at each net has made recommendations to RDG council. All that remains is to whip them into shape and lay them in laps of nets. Barry Gray has retitled his book, "Gall Through the Night" (nee "So You Wanna Be In Radio"), which Field is bringing out Oct. 15 at $2.50. Semi-autobiographical book of WOR's disk jockey has title, captions which tell the story of his all-night travail as maestro of Gray's "Varieties," the chapters being devoted to "The Belting Pot," "Pan Mail From Male Fans/' "The Green Years" and "The Green Gray," closeups on his ftoperoo at Greenwich Village Inn, bandleaders, guesters ("Blessed Is the Guest"), jocks and jukes, radio producers and engineers, etc. An assortment of personalities w(H do brief prefaces, the following hav- ing promised or delivered: Winchell. Sinatra, Berle, Leo Lindy, Jessel, Margaret Whiting, Paul Douglas, Jo Stafford, Edgar Kobak, Norman Liv- ingston, Martin Block, Lopez, Ben GraUer, Spivak, et al. Gardner will air from Las Vegas, where he'll attend Heltdorado celebra- tion, and script will have Nevada town background, working in dodge of "Archie" inheriting ginmill there. Gardner personally pitched to Young & Rubicam to take show there and inject local flavor and agency obtained Bristol-Meyers' permission to do so. Rolf Kaltenborn, on political science teaching staff at Yale, and H. V.'s son, has an article in June issue of American Mercury on "Is Radio Po- litically Impartial?" Kaltenborn claims radio is not; that/ Democrats at present dominate radio; that more time is given to the party in power than the one out, and that "the tendency of broadcasters to surrender their scruples and yleid to the excitement of the hour poses a real threat to the democratic process." "The issue," says Kaltenborn. "isn't one.primarily of free speech on the air; it concerns equal access to the radio facilities of this country." NBC and its affiliated outlet, KFI, got their wires crossed on coverage of Preakness race from Baltimore. KFI advertised carrying of entire race from '2 until 2:15 p.m. AH listeners got at 2 p,m. was a Bromo-Seltzer blurb that station really needed to help explain error. Seems race started at 1:45, and while entire net carried event. KFI didn't cut in until quarter hour later. Unalert personnel attending broadcast at KFI didn't even give results, except to describe usual aftermath of "now they're coming back to stalls," description of field after race, etc- Pickup of portion of Red Skellon's broadcast of May 14 by United _Press turned into something of a letdown. Newscrvicc latched on to section of serio-comic poem, authored by Skellon, which dealt with juvenile delin- quency. Satire pointed up all mean and nasty things kids could do to become expert at delinquency. That's the portion of the wire U.P. flashed over its lines—without further explanation or amplification. Skclton was tabbed "radio's top delinquent," and added were few-lines of . poem, sans explanation. Service men and civilians, experienced radio directors, working with Armed Forces Radio Service in Hollywood, are burning over "slight" and "politics" they see in introduction of film directors to AFRS programming in handling of film personalities. AFRS hamsters are wondering why, at this late date in its activities, AFRS here dreamed up the innovation. Regulars had been considered plenty competent for four years or .more. Filmsters don't need special handling, it's complained, nor docs idea make for any closer cooperation from always willing film industry. What's the motive, they wondPr? Radio stations around the country are reacting favorably to use of special material sent around by the Emergency Food Collection.- Kit contains 15 and 30-second spot announcements, dramatic human interest stories, and special appeals by celebs. Among celebs disked by the campaign are Ralph Bellamy, .Ingrid Berg- man, Ralph Morgan, Helen Hayes, Walter Huston, Lily Pons. Raymond Massey, Cary Grant, Mary Pickford, Tallulah Bankhead, Irving. Berlin, Sonja Henie and Gracie Fields. In addition, network shows have been set by radio director Harry C. Levin and hjs assistant, Martin Seifert. Coast- to-Coast shows will air during the height of the campaign, June 3-15. For first time in its seven years on ozone, "Duffy's Tavern" will use story locale other than N. Y. saloon on broadcast FrL (24). On that date Ed In current issue of its Bulletin, Radio Writers Guild of Hollywood takes a poke at present'day radio programming. In agreement with FCC's re- cently published Blue Book, Guild members are quoted as opining that industry should "write and produce better shows." FCC ukase was aired at RWG's general membership meeting. Result was membership asking that FCC's Charles Denny be commended for his report. Broadcasters on Coast had hoped for support from unions, and are understood to have tacitly encouraged a different stand. Understanding is that broadcasters had gone so far as'to ask for resolutions blasting Denny's denouncement. Los Angeles Times is surveying the coverage and circulation of local net and independent stations through its own public relations department. Ed Brandt, department head, has stated checkup is purely for "our own information," and has denied any secret motive. Paper seemed particu- larly eager for comparisons between NBC-affiliated KFI. and indie, KMPC, respectively powered at 50,000 and 10,000 watts. KMPC is associated with Times in news programming and has applied for 50.000 watts with Federal Communications Commission. Times is one of eight applying for television licenses here; —^i^^—♦ ■ ■ "Wake Up New York" is a tarefully planned show that rates high among early morning programs. From 7:00 fo ^ ^ ^ -> *<% * | 8:3.0. every weekday morning, it is y^^iW^%wmrX doing a great job tor participating sponsors. A tew spots are available. felpt M. W»I.O~«! Ili mi i • M. I tm*m Ca, K«1 U». Miami Finds Formula: One Way to Play, Put Competitors to Work Miami, May 21. Competitors will become co-work- ers in Miami Wednesday (22)- when WQAM staff members will leave their home base to man the controls of WKAT on Miami Beach. To allow the entire staff of WKAT to enjoy a station picnic and boat ride to- gether, WQAM will send a com- plete crew to handle all of latter's programs, business, and engineering for the entire day. WQAM'S veteran night an- nouncers, Walt Svehla and Phil Kel- leher. whose voices have been'asso- ciated'with WQAM for over 15 years, will take over the announcing chores at WKAT. Russell Bennett and Jim Rayfield, engineers from WQAM .will handle ditto at Miami Beach, also working at the beach station for the day will be WQAM's traffic manager and program director. What confusion of the kilocycles will result, no one can foretell, but WKAT'S crews will take over the WQAM works soon, so that WQAM employees, too, can have an outing. Mass. Education DepL Creates Radio Division Boston, May 21. Commissioner John J. Desmond, Jr., of the Mass. Dept. ot Education, yes- terday (20) announced the creation of an Office of Radio in Education within his dept. He also named Kel- sey B. Sweatt. editor of the "Mass. Educational News," as director of the new division. The dept.'s new office will serve in an advisory capacity to the public schools, suggesting existing pro- grams which have educational value, and encouraging teachers in the classroom to utilize these programs. For the past 16 months, the Mass. Dept. of Education has' cooperated with WBZ and WBZA in developing the "Listen and Learn", series for school listening, Monday through Friday, 9:15-9:30 a.m. WCAU *Back Door'Idea Hit by Stern, Leyys; Aver Hecord' Is Buyer Philadelphia, May 21. Published reports that the recent sale of WCAU to the Philly Record were in reality a case of thc^Levy brothers taking over the newspaper, instead of the reverse, were denied this week by J. David Stern, Record publisher, and , Leon Levy, WCAU prexy. There ain't no "back door sale" in the $6,000,000 deal in which the local 50,000 watt CBS outlet was acquired by the Record, say Stern and the Levys, Both maintained that the deal was a clear-out sale with neither Dr. Levy nor his brother, I, D. Levy, WCAU vice-prexy, having acquired one share of Record stock nor con- templating buying any. Said Stern in a formal statement: . "Subject to approval by FCC, the Courier-Post of Camden, N. J., has an agreement to buy all of the stock of WCAU Broadcasting Co. All the stock of the Courier-Post Co. is owned by the executives of that company and of the Philadelphia ' Record or their immediate families. "Courier-Post Co. owns 92% of the slock of the Philadelphia Record Co, When transfer of title is com- pleted,; this radio outlet will be known' as 'WCAU, the Philadelphia Record Station.' "Neither Dr. Leon Levy nor Mr.- Isaac D. Levy nor any other person connected with WCAU has ever owned any stock in- the Courier- Post Co. or the Philadelphia Record Co. Nor have they any agreement to buy any such stock in the future, nor is . such a transaction contem- plated." FIN LEY'S MUSICAL 'FLIGHT' Larry Finlcy is producing an open end transcription show, "Flight with Music" with Marion Hutton, Nat Brusilov orch and Herb Shel- don as regulars. Variety show will take on musical travelog format. It's also planned to use guests. Among those set are Bob Eberly, iMills Bros., Miguclito Valdes and Desi Arnaz. Recording of series is being done by World Broadcasting. KWTO SPRINGFIELD, MO. FOB TAYSTEE BREAD NEW NEW YORK omCI 475 ma Amm uaaftc Kdnricfc,' Kama* Gly */-M».