Variety (Oct 1947)

t6 RADIO Wednesday, October 29, 1947 Holocaust Coverage Gives listeners "A Bad Case of Radio-Schizophrenia By bob Mcdonough Portland, Me., Oct. 28. The $25,000,000 .forest .fire holo- caust which struck Maine last week •was given such terrific competitive coverage by radio stations in the urea that it may constitute an ex- pensive Object lesson in how not to handle a disaster, Commercial com- mitments were killed without cere- mony.Crews—from station manag- ers down through recipe-gabbers to the business dept. gals—took to the many firefronts for eyewitness stories. Engineers worked tricks in terms of calendar segments instead of hours without relief. And yet the net result to the general welfare must see the mercy elements of the radio-gathered food and clothing for the sufferers totted up against the confusion if not panic engendered in the minds of the average listener. They would be told one moment (between be-bop sides by the Har- monicats) that every reported blaze •was out of control, only to find that contradictory stories, made sensa- tional by other angles, were being offered by the first station's com- petitors. One outlet would advise him to stay put alongside his radio, another would appeal for his assist- ance in quelling a blaze three miles from his home, a third would reas- sure him that the nearby blaze was a false report but wouldn't his wife make sandwiches for distribution by the Red Cross, and the fourth, by the time he reached it across the dial, would be beseeching all listen- ers to lay off sandwich-making, but to rake leaves from the sides of their dwellings while contributing old brooms to a Legidri Post 85 miles away. Net result was a new disease, clubbed radio-schizophrenia, ; mani- fested by the more impressionable listeners running around like chick- ens who had "been recently axed, and induced by competitive news gathering at time of disaster. : If the NAB wishes to rise from the trivial to the important at this (Continued on page 35) . WAT Grabs Some Kudos For 'March of Progress'; 'Sinatra Day'Thurs. (30) •'.'•,• Paterson, N: J., Oct., 28, WPAT, : Paterson, N. J., has grabbed all the honors in the monthr Jong civic festivities centering around the theme • of ' Hoboken's "March of ■' Progress.-" Conceived, organized and directed by WPAT personnel in cooperation with the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce, the affair has turned into a firstrate promotion job for the community as •well as for the station. WPAT has managed to get a banner with its letters to be displayed from every public utility pole and lamppost and in the window, of every store and bank in the city. Big hoopla is Thursday (30) when Frank Sinatra is guest of honor for a "homecoming' 1 shindig, which will include a torchlight parade in Which he and his father, a captain in the Hoboken Fire Dept., will get top billing. Event will be aired by WPAT, with "Hoboken to go all out In welcoming home the singer. They'll even name a street after him. Divided into four weekly. events, the "March of Progress" opened •with Hoboken Civic Week in which the school system was the center of activity. Second week was de voted to the town merchants with a general 10% discount on all goods advertised in the dailies with prom- inent mention of WPAT. Third week was dedicated to transportation with participation of more than 35 rail road and steamship companies Windup event is industry week with most of the. manufacturing outfits in the area pitching in the civic drive. Dave Golden spearheaded WPAT promotion activity. Dinah-James Strictly A Biow Production Although idea for the new Dinah Shore-Harry James show for Philip Morris was projected by CBS, cued to the ciggie company's bid to reach a younger ^market, Milton Biow agency, rather than CBS, takes over production reins when program preems on Jan. 1. Show, tabbed Call for Music," will replace "It Pays To Be Ignorant" in the Friday- night CBS period. Milton Biow, agency president,, left for the Coast last Thursday (24) to. set a producer for the show. CBS is recommending that Larry Berns, of the network's Coast production^ staff, get the producer-writer assign- ment, which would mark a' reuniting of the Shore-Berns teamup. It's re- called that when the singer branched out into radio with her own 15- minute weekly show for Bristol- Myers, Berns produced the program for Young & Rubicam. While Miss Shore and James now look set for the new musical stanza, there's still a question whether Art Lund will wind up on the program. Biow agency head at the moment is primarily- concerned with setting the two principal segments. In addition there will be a novelty element, via the top recording quartet of the week. Biow will extend his stay on the Coast to Nov. 10, now that most of the agency shows are 'emanating from Hollywood. Delivers the News BOB PETRE KLZ does an exacting job of tailoring the news for the Denver area, then turns It over to veteran newscaster Bob'Petre to deliver it to listeners over the air. KLZ, DENVER. BBC Revamp In the forks London, Oct. 21. Sir William Haley, director gen- eral of the British Broadcasting Corp., is preparing a reorganization of his departmental chiefs. He has been, dissatisfied for some time with the clashes of star shows that fre,- quently occur between the three main BBC transmissions — Home, Light and Third/ Changes are ex- pected to be made in the variety^nd music divisions, including reshuffling variety director Michael Standing's sectipn. Norman Collins, controller of the Light Program and best-seller novelist, is likely to be promoted to controller of entertainment. This would give him overriding authority over the three main transmissions, enabling him to arrange better balance in the arrangement Of peak program times. Maurice Gorham, present con- troller of television, is -also down for an even higher appointment. If his new assignment is finally ap- proved, Cecil McGivern will prob- ably fill the television vacancy. McGivern recently returned to television from the J. Arthur Rank Organization. Another appointment expected is that of R. J. F. Hqwgill to the $15,000 a year post of BBC director of music. TROUT LIKELY TO LAND IN NBC JOB HATCHERY Negotiations are going on between Bob Trout and NBC, with likelihood that the CBS newsman will move over when he : . returns from his cruise in Bermuda waters. Just what spot Trout will occupy in NBC's heavily-laden schedule of commen- tators hasn't been determined as yet. Trout recently exited from the Campbell Soup cross-the-board ses- sion on CBS, when Ed Murrow took over the slot. Frisco Hoopla for KGO Fete With ABC's Noble, Kintner Due to Join In San Francisco, Oct. 28. There will be plenty of hoopla here Dec. 1, When KGO, the ABC owned-and-operated Frisco station, hits the 50,000-watt bigtime. Ed Noble, ABC boura chairman, is flying out, with likelihood of exec veepee Bob Kintner joining him for the full-day celebration, which will include a number of local origina- tions of coast-to-coast airers, includ- ing the Paul Whiteman show. There will be a historical dra- matic show, bas^d on San Francisco, with Gregory Peck starring. Charles Irvings 75G in 8-Show Network Parlay Signing of Charles Irving as direp- tor of the new "This Is Nora Drake" daytime serial ori NBC for Toni shampoo illustrates once more the fallacy of the frequently-heard claim that New fork radio is closed to new talent. Since coming to New York two years ago, Irving has be- come one of the top-income actors in radio and, with the "Nora Drake" assignment, now enters the direc- torial field.. ' * From his various acting commit- ments, Irving has an average week- ly income of about $1,500, on a 52- week basis. His "Nora Drake" stint will add an estimated. $200. The list of 'his regular acting assignments, with the approximate fees for each, includes the title role on "Young Dr. Malone," at $300; announcer on "Counterspy" and "Fat Man," at $200 each; character part . on "Willie Piper," at $250; narrator on "Explor- ing the Unknown," at $200; an- nouncer on the Ted Lewis open-end recorded series, at $250, and, when it originates in New York, announcer and actor. on the Henry Morgan show, at $300. . , './ Those assignments, including "Nora Drake," total $1,900. However, the Morgan show takes a summer hiatus and, since its return this fall, has, been originating from the Coast. On the other hand, Irving gets fre- quent calls for single-shot per-' formahces, for which he gets above- scale fees. So the $l,500-a-week estimate is, if anything, on the con- servative side. Under the circumstances, Irving is taking' a relatively unremunerative assignment in directing "Nora Drake," since his outside-the-studio •duties will require longer hours than would be necessary for an actor stint. The $200 fee obviously doesn't cover the assignment from a strictly financial standpoint. However, Irv- ing was a director as well as actor and announcer in Minneapolis and Chicago, and he has been anxious to get into the directing field in New York. He hopes, ultimately to work into the program package business. As his first property in the latter field, he has already made an audi- tion record of a 15-minute strip", "Solo in Crime," a one-man who- dunit which Procter & Gamble re- cently had under option. The Deep South Regrets- . Washington, Oct. 28. "Big Jim" Fblsom, Governor of Alabama, told the FCC today (Tues.) it was failing in its duty to the 1,704,000 persons in his state who are not now. getting good radio service after dark. The "Deep South," he ' charged, is subjected to "absenteeism" even in radio listening. „ Folsom urged the FCC either to break down some of the clear chan- nels and add a number qf regional stations throughout the southern states, or, as an alternative, to require some of the existing clear chan- nel stations to move to areas which are now inadequately served. Fol- som said the "Alabama radio audience is a bit weary of getting its culture, comedy and criticism from Hollywood,, New York and Chicago by way of an erratic skywave radio- signal." The Governor pointed to the wide discrepancy in program prefer- ences between rural folk in the South and elsewhere in the United States to make his point that Dixieland wants its own stations without the need to rely on Yankee arid other high-powered transmitters. The Governor's statement was filed 1 at the FCC Clear Channel hear- ings by.W. E. James, special counsel to Folsom, and former assistant to then FCC chairmen Paul A. Porter and Charles R. Denny, Jr. Liberal Party Buys 16 i Hours in N.Y. for Talks Liberal Party has bought. 16 quar- ter hour segments on six New York City outlets, including the four net- work flagship stations, for straight political talks. Early evening and Sunday after- noon time, representing an: outlay of $10,000, has been purchased, with series of, talks teeing off Monday (27) and continuing until Nov. 3. WMCA and WQXR are the two in- dies involved. Deals were set by Morris Novik as part of overall Liberal Party utilization of radio in forthcoming campaign. Scripters Vote On Pact In East Terms of the proposed minimum basic agreement between the Radio Writers Guild and the four net- works will be submitted to the for- mer's eastern membership at a meeting tonight (Wed.) at the Hol- land House, N. Y. The midwestern and Coast memberships will also vote on acceptance of the pact. As indicated last week-in Variety, the contract establishes the Guild as bargaining agent for scripters, calls for 90% Guild shop in the freelance and staff writer fields, covers the complex matter of own- ership of the various classifications of .rights, and sets up minimum fees. It is the first such agreement ever negotiated in the radio writing field, and climaxes years of effort by the Guild, many months of conferences and, extensive concessions by both groups. The agreement will almost .cer- tainly be accepted in toto_ by the Guild memberships, and Will then be signed by the organization and the networks. FCC Cancels Permit In Kentucky Case Due To Alan Dale Gets Own Show Allan Dale, singer, Who has been spotted on Mutual'/s "Block Party" and "Date Night" stanzas, gets his own weekly show on the web start- ing Friday (31), 8:15-8:30 p.m. Johnny Guarnieri's instrumental group will back him. John Daly in CBS Exit; 'Can't See Eye-to-Eye' John Daly is exiting CBS after 10 years with the web's news staff. He is expected only to stay around to narrate several more editions of "CBS Is Here," his only current as- signment. Meantime, he's negoti- ating with another network. < Daly, who formerly did the 11 o'clock news and in the past year has been on special assignments to Europe and Alaska for the net, says his exit stems from his increasing inability to see eye-to-eye with CBS news chiefs on various matters. Daly's checkout is the third among longtime CBS newsmen in recent months, William L. Shirer and Bob Trout having gone before. Nets 2-to-2 Vs. Clears'Campaign For 20 Stations Washington, Oct. 28. The networks are lined up two to two for and against campaign qf the Clear Channel Broadcasters Service to win 750 kw power for a minimum of 20. stations so located to provide all sections of the country with a choice of four network programs. With NBC and CBS supporting the regional stations'-vigorous opposition to the CCBS plan, it appears certain FCC will turn thumbs down on the request as now written. As tearing heads into its last-few days, it looks here as if clears will settle for status quo and be happy enough if FCC stops short of breaking down present clear channel assignments. FCC is trying for a decision by Jan. 1. The developments: 1. NBC and CBS will both try to prove there is little or no duplica- tion of their network shows at the present time. Under clears', plan, NBC would lose seven powerful af- (Continued on page 38) Washington, Oct. 28. The FCC took extreme action last week and cancelled out a construe tion permit issued 10.months ago to WWPN, Middlesboro, Ky. At the same time, the Commission rein stated a mutually-exclusive applica tion from the Cumberland Gap Broadcasting Co. which had been dismissed when WWPN got its grant Commission concluded that on basis of info now before it, it would never have issued a permit to the backers of WWPN. FCC said E. P. Nicholson and John Wallbrecht, partners in the radio operation, had "misrepresented" the circumstances which led to their filing a bid in Middlesboro and had not given true picture of their financing arrange-., ments. WGN Snubs Radio Week, Claiming Manufacturers Favor Other Ad Media Chicago, Oct. 28. Frank P. Schreiber, manager of WGN, disclosed last week that the station would not observe National Radio Week, but instead would con- duct its own ..'.'set owners' informa- tion campaign." In accounting for the defection he said that the net result of Radio Week "each year has been that radio manufacturers • are given thousands of dollars of free time during which the public is stimulated to buy their products. At the same time these manufacturers are spending thou- sands of dollars for paid advertising in other media. It just doesn't add up." Proponents of Radio Week point out that WGN, Mutual outlet, airs Philco's "Burl Ives Show" and Pilot Radio's "American Forum of the Air." WGN's campaign, which teed off Oct. 20 and continues several weeks, consists of 10 spots daily. Spots plug station's clear channel and urge pros- pective buyers to get sets that will pull in WGN. 'ELLERY QUEEN' TO GET ABC SUSTAINING RIDE "Ellery Queen" gets a new go on the kilocycles nevt month, this time on ABC. Whodunit, which Anacin moved over from CBS to NBC last summer but dropped in favor of "Hollywood Star Preview" will replace "Treasury Agent" in the 7:30 Thursday spot, starting Nov. 27. Web is angling hard for a sponsor wrapup ahead of the tee- off date. "Agent" will fade. "Ellery" will originate from the Coast, for the first time in its many years on the ether. Looks like an entirely new cast will go into the stanza. New title character hasn't even been picked. NBC SYNDICATE SETS RUNYON CYCLE OF 52 NBC Radio-Recording Division Monday (27) took wraps off the big- gest, most expensive syndicated show it has ever undertaken—a plattered series of 52 half-hour dramatizations of the late Damon Runyon's Broad- way stories, with Pat O'Brien as star. NBC pacted an exclusive deal with the Damon Runyon estate for the story rights. Damon Runyon Memorial Fund does not figure in the setup, but promotional tie-ins between the show and fund are naturally envisioned. Series, to be released early next spring, is being scripted by Tom Langan, R-R D staffer, with H. H. Wood, manager of the division's pro- gram dept., producing and directing. First airer has already been cut, based on "Princess O'Hara," with Wendy Barrie in the title role. Dramats will be offered on a syn- dicated basis for spot advertisers Over local stations. Immediate ob- jective, NBC said, will be to interest regional spot advertisers.