Variety (May 1946)

40 RABIO Wednesday, May 22, 1946 From the Production Centres ♦»«♦<♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦«♦♦♦♦«♦♦♦«♦♦♦<«»««♦♦«♦♦♦ IIS NEW YORK CITY . . . Norman Corwin will be kudosed by the radio division of Independent Citizens' Committee of Arts, Sciences St Professions Tues. (28) at the Barbizon-Plaza. prior to his leaving on .round-the-world-trip. Ed Levin, ex-radio editor 61 PM. parentcd with a baby boy last Friday ... .Benson Inge of Ted Bates agency to Chicago for a week in connection with John J. Anthony promotion Hi Brown's "Inner Sanctum" copped five offers within a few days after Lipton Tea scrapped it for "Vox Pop." Some of the boys betting it'll wind up in Schick Razor's lap... .Among 30 outstanding N. Y. women honored by Women's. City Club of New York at its 30th anni reception last week were: Eleanor Sanger, for her musical programming on WQXR, "bringing the best in music to the. listening pub- lic"; Jane Evans, for her story-telling program, "Let's Listen To si Story," on WMCA; "a step forward in radio's contribution to children's programs"; Helen Sioussat, director of radio talks dept., CBS, and Iris Barry, curator of Muscunvof Modern Art's film library. Charlotte Lawrence, Bill Smith, Mary Michael and Grant Richards new to "Lora Lawton" serial Dorothy Sands and Doris Rich added to "Barry Cameron'"... Lyle Sudrow joins "The Romance of Helen Trent" players, while Richard Gordon is added to "Stella Dallas"... .Wife of George Cran- dall, CBS press chief, recovering from third degree burns of the foot sus- tained while mixing chemicals at the Crandall upstate farm last week ... Charles Collingwood. and bride (Louise Albrittoh) back from quickie honeymoon to Ithaca (his Saturday night CBS show cut trip short) and setting up home at Hampshire House... Canadian radio writer Fletcher Markle due in N. Y. June 9 to take in Old Vic Barbara Bbothe checked out of CBS script writing division this week after a four-year network association.. . .Laurence Olivier does a guest shot on CBS "Radio Reader's Digest" on June 2, but it's strictly ah interview, his network dramatics being exclusived for the Workshop series... .James Monks has joined cast of "Perry Mason." . Pearl Wolf, who was Doug Coulter's gal Friday at CBS is resigning from the network this Friday (24). She was with CBS for eight years, last four as Coulter's secy... .Woody Klose, ex-head of daytime radio for Y St R has joined Frank Cooper Associates as a partner and takes over as head man in N.Y. office. Klose wrote and produced the recent "Mommy and the Men" CBS strip show....jess Barnes, Mutual veepee in charge of sales, now on trip through midwest,., winding up at Indianapolis May 30 for MBS broad- cast of the auto races. .. .Mike Jablons back at his Mutual publicity desk after turndown last week by Army Bill Ramsey, P & G's radio exec, in artd out of New York on a four-day quickie and back to Cincinnati, where he becomes a grandpa any day now.:..Looks like tolerance can pay off after all, as witness the new rating on Mutual's "Superman".. . .Maurice Gosfield into cast of "Dick Tracy". .. .Radio actor Steve Chase is playing a saint in the new Kollmar legit production, "Windy City"?...Vic Perry, who makes a living by making pickpocketing an entertainment, is ( nego- tiating with ABC television dept. for "Crime Doesn't'Pay" video series. ... Lew Fisher, WINS staff gabber, narrating Paramount newsreels.... Donald Buka signed for lead on ABC's "My True Story" Thursday (23).... —■ i » : ; ■ : Josef Dine taking over trade desk In NBC flackery under Sid Eiges, while Bob Davis is upped to overall publicity head for WEAF Second son born to Charles Baltin, WHOM program director, who's doing well.... Louis G. Cowan productions ballyhooing its "Murder At Midnight" platters via ads in New Yorker mag Flacks Jo Ranson and Dick Pack, of WHN and WOR, N. Y., respectively, who co-authored book about vocational opportunities in radio, notified of election to honorary membership in the International Mark Twain Society... .Tony Moran, son of Young St Rubi- i cam's Joe Moran, and Mrs. Moran (Thelma Ritter), proclaimed a ftve- ' letter man and given citation for leadership in Kew Forest, Forest Hills, school, making him, at age of nine, the youngest student ever to receive honor. ! That long-talked-about establishment of a radio dept. in the Saturday i Review of Literature comes to a head with the SRL issue of June 8. Start- I ing that date, radio dept. will alternate every other week with music dept, 1 and in fall will run full time. Name of radio editor being kept secret. Hit.: LOU CLAYTON UNITED BEXALL DBCO CO. Frtd»j—CBS—IS p.m. DST MBS' Weekly Army Salvo Washington, May 21. A hew Army Ground Forces radio series, "Division Diary," saluting a different Army division each week and featuring the 80-piece U. S. Army band, takes to the air May 31, on a coast-to-coast Mutual hookup. Program will be heard each Friday, from 11:30 to 12 (noon), e.s.t., orig- inating from Fort Myer, Va: Debut program will salute the 1st Infantry Division; oldest in the Army and first into Germany in both World Wars. IN HOLLYWOOD ... CBS" irfts first spadeful of dirt on its Mt. Wilson television site this week for planned September precm... .NAB's 15th district, comprising northern California and Nevada, conventioned at Reno, May 14-16. . ..Dwight E. Johnson trade-pressing for NBC's flackery William Walker out of Army and into KOA, Denver, as assistant production director.. . .Jack Van Nos- trand, headman of Ruthrauff Si Ryan's N. Y. radio department, here for huddles with local agency execs on fall shows, and now enroute back home Russ Johnston, v-p of McCahn-Erickson, will fly back to homeoffice in Vultce PT-13 he purchased here. Goes first week of June after completing biz. .. .William Horseby, of Pacific National Advertisers, talking with ABC officials on Fisher Flouring Mills account... .Marvin Hcdricks an addition to operations staff pf ABC....KNX, CBS owned outlet, auditioning disk jockeys with eye to some new show that's being hush-hushed. . Station won't discuss matter said to involve diplomacy, policy and ultimate big brass sanction. G. A. Richards, owner of KMPC. slays in Detroit until. mid-June reor- ganizing WJR, following resignation of Leo Fitzpatrick, g.m. Richards heavily interested in. WJR and WGAR, Cleveland... .Kevin Sweeney, of Fletcher Kiley Productions, off to cast on seven-week trip of lining up ABC's New England net carrying of Sunrise Salute and Housewives Pro- tective League programs... .Sydney Gay lor, general sales manager of Don Lee, back from two weeks east. .. .Proposed new indie, KSFV, refused call letters and busy hunting new. tag for San Fernando Valley* outlet now before FCC. KFOX, Long Beach, has dropped its objection to newcomer, satisfied ripples won't cross:.. .Allen JameSj scripting, and Michel Per- riere, of AFRS, composing original music for a "Hopalong Cassidy" radio series which would star Bill Boyd Roosevelt hotel selected as site for' forthcoming AFRA convention, August 23-25. Some 60 delegates will attend, with hostel furniViing rooms for majority and caucus-reception space....A. H. Saxton, western division engineer for NBC, conferring with visiting eastern blueprinters on final touches of net's new wing now under construction.. Studios are being re-lettered to conform to additions in annex, which it's planned to open Sept. 1... KOLO, Reno, now 156th outlet in CBS chain. 1,000-watter joins net July 21 oh optional basis. ITS CHICAGO .... . Fahey Flynn rejoined WBBM announcing staff last week after four years in the Army Jane Lippold of Dutlon-Lippold, radio publicists, and Hardy Hotter of the American Can Co., were married in Milwaukee last week Carl Simonson, publicity trade editor of WBBM, has resigned to join Theodore Sills Co. as an assistant account exec... .John Thompson of NBC central division news staff, left Sunday (18) for San Francisco to become manager of news and special events department for KPO....Paul Barnes does hangup job of narrator on ABC's new' sustainer, the "Esquire Sports Review"... .Mary Hartline, "Teen Town" bandleader, seriously ill at Evanston hospital with polio....Don Marcotte, musical director for NBC central division, and Jose Bethancourt, marimba-maestro, hit the jackpot when their hew tune, "Sueno Flamenco," was snapped up by publishers after an initial airing last week... .John J. Anthony in town for week of programs....George Clark,'Mutual midwest salesman, to Minneapolis on business. • ■ Clifton Utley, NBC commentator, will receive honorary degree of hu- mane letters from Illinois College June 16 Johnny Coons has his right wrist in a cast as a result of attack of arthritis... .Harry Elders recently appointed to board of directors of large Chi insurance agency... .Ad Hult, veepee and general manager of Mutual's central division, back from a two- week vacation. —— : : MW Hearing On Sans Fireworks First two days of FCC hearings on WNBW (N. Y.) application forV renewal of its license and power boost' frorn^ 10,000w to 50,000w failed to develop the promised hot fight between opposing forces. Opening Monday (20) with J. Fred Johnson presiding, inquiry was fea- tured by a string of WNEW "char- acter witnesses" whose concerted testimony was a chorus of praise for the station's cooperation in pub- lic service. Fireworks are anticipat- ed when Arde Bulova, controlling stockholder, takes the stand follow- ing his return from Switzerland in the near future. Chief target of opponents to the license renewal was Harold La fount, veepee general manager of WNEw| who took the stand yesterday (21)! He withstood a round-robin of cross-examination from' Vincent Welch, FCC counsel; John Sirica, attorney for the Paulist Fathers; and Charles B. McGroddy, repre- senting station minority stockhold- er Richard E. O'Dea. , Despite an earned surplus of $467,038 whidh the station garnered by the end of '45. no. dividends have ever been declared because the stockholders wanted the cash to be used in the form of expanded pub- lic service, Lafount testified. In de- fending the construction plans of WNEW which were attacked as fi- nancially unsourld, Lafount said that estimated expenditures of $872,- 000 on studio and transmission equipment would be met by annual profits in the range of $150,000, a loan from Bulova for approximately $300,000 at low interest, and liquid assets of $425,000. Included among other station wit- nesses were Bern ice , Judis, station manager: Ted Cott, program direc- tor; Harry Levin, former OWI sta- tion relations dire'etor; and Victor O. Perls, chairman of the American Legion's radio committee. Hearings breather will now be taken. Vor>eW " ^ s ore O * incM^ ° Abel- be r5 < IATSE's Demands On WNYC for Extra Pay Cues Web Headaches A quarrel that developed last week between the New York City-owned Station WNYC and the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees may mushroom into a major headache next season for every network. IATSE, which has jurisdiction over all stage hands in New York, suddenly ordered the New York City Center to pay each stage hand $8.12 per performance extra whenever the on-slage proceedings are broadcast. Since WNYC was broadcasting the N.Y.C. Center Opera, it meant no more airing. The station, being non- commercial, couldn't afford the $8.12 per-man-per-broadcast nut. According to city officials, Mayor William O'Dwyer's labor reps were told plainly by IATSE officials that "we're not interested in philan- thropy; .we have been squeezed out of jobs by broadcasting networks and stations which have taken over theatres that no longer need stage hands, and we want to get back at radio." Cue to further trouble lay in fact that all the networks may find them- selves in trouble next season, if IA should try to organize the stage ; hands- employed in theatres used as 'studios. The $8.12 per would cer- tainly affect the broadcasts from the Metropolitan Oppra House over ABC, if the IA officials go through on the precedent established in the case of WNYC. Cincinnati—Sgt. Charles W. "Bill" Robbins is back before WCKY microphones' after duty in the Pa- cific and Japan, He takfcs up the late night newscast position on the L. B. Wilson station. GOING...! To Po9« SO LAST0DAY5 mm Ik M .atin QUARTER NEW YORK CITY More Thanks, LOU WALTERS It wa> swell working for you! Pertonal Mw w gw: HEM WIIN looked Tbroaqh FREDERICK IROS.