Variety (Feb 1948)

FRESH AIR FILLS RADIO LISTS KOMO Takes Writers Out of Coma Seattle, Feb. 10. W^iteiis with a plea on their lips for "room to think" have been answered literally by Wally Fisher, owner of KOMO, NBC's affiliate Iti' Seattle- Not only will they have privacy but quarters to be known as "the thinklni! room," designed and executed by psychology pro- .fcsSor* at University of Washington^ Formal opening is set for Jan. 22 and writers along the Coast, in radio and' other pursuits, have been bid to inspect the haven'of thinkers. ' Among the devices to stimulate thinking in solitude are soft shaded ! lighting of any desirable tint, xnood music and films, both kodochrome slides^and gallopers, fresh cut flowers and the. aroma of sweet scents. ■■ ■ Any of these can be turned on or ofE at the thinker's discretion. If a writer is'working on a South Sea story he can be engulfed in waves or rest peacefully under a cocoanut palm.. Whatever his mood there VUl be synthetic reporductions at his beck and call. ' Fisher, who also owns the Fisher Milling Go'., is hopeful that KOMO's "thinking room" will be a haven of call by writers all over ■.the country* Hollywood's radio and film writers will be given the Grade A treatment and naifie -authors get the works. For the literati ' who want to get away from it all and do some deep thinking for the great Americaa'novel to snake out of their typewriters, KOMO's :"thinking room" should be their port of eall. Get in'your reservations early, plea.se. FM Asai Makes Appeal J^snn to FCC Regard AT&fs '%-High' Rates Washington, Feb. 10. f The I'M Assn. made a second ap^ peal to the FCC here yesterday (9) In protest to the '"sky-high" rates proposed by the American Tele- phone & Telegraph Go. for 15,000 cycle lines for FM networks. The FM'ers, who have already claimed the phone company is dis- criminating against them by giving television a free ride on its coaxial cable and denying them the same privilege, declared yesterday that duplexing of facsimile broadcasts by IFM stations will be virtually impos-' siblc under the phone company's charges for 15,000 cycle lines. FCC has called a heaicing March 15 look- ing toward adoption of standards for commercial fax transmissions. A T & T has proposed a rate of 28c per airline mile for occasional use of its 15,000 cycle lines between New York and Washington—a, rate described by FMA director Bill Bailey as approximately double that charged AM broadcasters for ordi- nary 5,000 cycle network lines. The FMA letter to FCC declared; ^'The proposed (A T & T) tariff would prohibit the simultaneous (Continued on page 34) Elmo Roper's CBS Show CBS has pacted public opinion pollster Elmo fioper to do a 15-min- utp commentary on the web Sun"- days at 2;4S pan. starting .next weekend (15). Stanza is Roper's first regular air berth. Under the title, "'Where the Peo- ple Stand," the opinion pulse^^taker will report each week on a particu- lar poll he has taken, giving an an- alysis of it and background facts on the subject Initialer will be on aid to Europe. NAB VS. PetriUo: Udd That Uik' Blue Bo(^ on Mat FuBeacoaCase Washington, Feb. 10. FGC's controversial Blue Book wBl be hauled on the mat again before the XT. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, as the result pf a suit filed here last week by attorneys for the Bay State Bea- con Co. of Brockton, Mass. Firm of Segal, Smith & Hennes- sey, counsel for Beacon, went to court to protest FCC's denial of its bid for a local-watter in Brockton. One of the reasons given by the (Continued on page Si) Choice of the. nation's radio edi- tors-critics for the week ending Feb. 6, in their Quality Rating partici- pation (see boxscore on this page) is the most revealing and significant todaie. In contrast to the "week-in-week- out Hooper and Nielsen reprise of the time-worn favorites based on quantitative polling, the newest Quality Rating list has projected into Top 15 prominence programs that have been gaining increasing coast-to-coast stature for their origi- nality, scripting, handling of com- mercials and musical treatment. ■That Amos 'n' Andy retains its No. 1 hold will probably not come as a surprise to the trade in view, of the recognized overall eftective- nes.s of the script and performance iru projecting a warmth into the A&A show. Ozzie & Harriet has moved into the No. 5 spot—ragain recognition, based on the critics' evaluation breakdown, of script and perform- ance. 'CBS' Is Up There Newest entrant in the Big League sweepstakes, in No. 15 position, is the "CBS Is There" Sunday after- noon sustainer, in which CBS uti- lizes the on-the-spot coverage tech- nique to recount top historical events. Originality and script were the two prime factors in the editors' spotlighting of the show. Big factor in Henry Morgan set- tling in the' No. 8 position was the editors' cognizance of commercials and originality, while Percy Faith's emergence in the Top 15 is based both on qualitative musical treat- ment and Coca-Cola's painless treatment of commercials. Senator WUte s IHness Dimnung Chances of New Radio Legislation It Always Happens! Pittsburgh, Feb. 10. On one of his many KDKA programs, Ed Schaughencyi vet- eran staflier, read a poem about safe driving, and obeying the traffic rules. Fifteen minutes later, while driving home, he was nabbed by a cop at the south end of the Liberty Tubes because his car was without a new Pennsylvania state inspection sticker. AFRA-WOWOSlalemate Fort Wayne, Feb. 10. Negotiations between the Ameri- can Federation of Radio Artists, AFL, and WOWO, Fort Wayne, still are stalled on the shop clause of their .contract. The national board of AFRA re- quested that WOWO allow the is- sue to be submitted to arbitration, but J. B.' Conley, head of Westing- house Radio Stations, Inc., an- nounced that WQWQ would refuse to arbitrate. it Cues For *Opie,' 'Zane Grey Minor flurry of mid-season pro- gram axings developed this week, with ABC's "Opie Gates Show" and Mutual's '■'Zane Grey Show'' getting exit cues. Additionally, possibilities arose that ABC would yank "Explor- ing the Unknown" and ''Child's World." although webbers said both shows would be retained if new time slots could be opened up for them in the next month. The net wants the 7-8 Sunday seg- ment, now occupied by the two sus- tainers. for the Detroit Symphony's "Sunday Evening Hour" in order to open up the latter's current 8-9 Sun- day time for the new Harry Salter show, "Stop the Music," which the web wants, to preem in March. A full>-scale sales pitch, a la the one which ; successfully snared four quarter-hour sponsors -for Paul Whiteman's platter' show, has been (Continued , on page 34) WGAR Ups Carl Geoi^e Cleveland. Feb. 10. Carl E. George has been-named & veepee of WGAR and at the same time maintains his npsition as as- sistant station general manager. Appointment was. announced by John Patt, veepee and general man- ager, following a meeting of all G. A. Richards station execs on the Coast. At the same time, Paitt discliised the; station made wd spent the larg- est monies in its history during 1947; that the current year will see largest appropriation for pul]}ic service pro- gramming, and that new rates go into effect July 1. Washington, Feb. 10. NAB employer-employee commit- tee, in session here yesterday (9), passed a strongly worded resolution praising the work of the All In- dustry Committee, but declaring many labor-music problems are yet tO: be solved. The resolution con- i eluded that it was "more important: than ever'" for the industry group ' to continue its work. ' Implication seen in the reSWMtiOn is that the bi-oadcasters are ex- tremely anxious to see the industry front versus James C. PetriUo held ; intact, with no element breaking | •Off to .go its own way in the fight, • The industj-y committee had a ' meeting scheduled at the Waldorf j in New York thi^ afternoon (Tues.) Sweeney Quits as Wiley Aide in Beef With Drake Hollywood, Feb. 10. Fletcher Wiley's assistant g.m. 1 Kevin Sweeney, resigned last week When Wiley failed to back him in a heef with Galen Drake, Wiley's east- ern operative in the recently pur^ chased CBS subsidiary. His exit i from the $15,000 annual position was said to be anything but smooth, though neither side will di.scuss it at length while a settlement jjends. . Bad blood is stated to have existed between Drake and Sweeney for some tinlfe. according to insiders. And Wiley declares that Sweeney was engaged in outside activities that conflicted with the Wiley opera- RADIO EDITORS QUALITY RATING ■WEEK OF JAN. 31-FEB. 6) As Qonipiled Exclusively for Variety by Dick Mansfield. Freelance Resecacher (A composite evaluation of programs by the nation's leading radio editorSi rated upon the jollow- ing points: Script, Performance, Production, Advertising^ Music, Originality. Rating system allows for a possible high of 30 points, as follows: Oiitsmnding, AA or 30; A plus or 25—Exceltenty A or 22; B plus or 19—Good, B or 16; Foir, C or 13; Poor, D tfr 10.) Amos 'n Andy 22.0 Fibber and Molly 21.4 Bing Crosby 21.0 Fred Allen , ... 20.3 Ozzie and Harrief 20.0 Jack Benny 19.5 7: Lux Radio Theatre 19.3 8. Henry Morgan .. . 19.0 I. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 9. Edgar Bergen 18.5 10. Percy Faifh-Coca-Colo 18.3 11. Jimmie Durante ... ... 18.1 12. Daffy's Tavern 18.0 13. Walter Winchell 17.5 14. Godfrey's Talent Scouts. .... 17.2 15. CBS Is There I7;0 EDITORS' RECOMMENDED LISTENING Studio One CBS Candid Microphone .'•.ABC Fred Waring NBC Suspense CBS Washington, Feb. 10. Prolonged illness o£ Sen. Wallace White is generally regarded here as dimming the chances of getting new radio legislation through the Con* gress: before the recess.- However, Senate Interstate. Commerce Com* mittee spokesmen say the idea hai definitely not been abandoned and some form of bill may be pushed with or without active participation of author White, Other observers point out that some changes would have to be made in the pre-sertt draft if it is to win blessing of acting Commerce committee chairman Charles Tobey (B., N. H.). Tobey, strong foe cf any- thing that looks like monopoly, is not likely to go for any dilution of the anti-trust laws as they apply to broadcasters—a provision now in- corporated in the revised White bill —tliese sources olaim. Sen. White is improving rapidly and may be able to leave Bethesda hospital soon. However, his office said it was unlikely he would be back on the Hill for some time yet. Some industry men are reportedly pushing a new short-form amend* ment of the present radio statute on ; the House side. This. would tie FCC's hands on programming mat- ters and. incidentally, make upcom- ing political contests more palatable to broadcasters by giving theta specific protection on libel suits. FCC Sends Memo Meanwhile, an FCC memorandum on tlie proposed White Radio bill, generally agreeing with the legis- lation but vigorously oppo.sing'any division of the Commission bench or restrictions on the post-government activities of FCC employees, waa forwarded to the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee by Commis- sion Chairman Wayne Coy last Fri- day (6). FCC brief is still under wraps since neither Senator White nor To- bey are around to authorize its re- lease. It was understood the Com- mission goes along with White's rec- ommendations governing political broadcasts, including specific legisla- tion exempting liability o% licensees for libelous statements. . Commis- sion has already taken the bit in it» teeth, regardless of the fate Of thte: White - bill, and ruled that Congress always intended licensees shcnld be so exempt. Commission's biggest quarrel with the bill hits at its provisions on hearings, appeals and intra-FCC handling of •r&dio cases, FCC men claim some of these provisions would . endlessly prolong contested cases, cause complete reorganization at present agency procedures. CBS Reyamps EduclDhrisHNi A major reshuffle in CBS's educa- tional department has quietly taken place in the appointment of Werner Michel to the new post of director of opinion and educational broadcasts, Working under CBS director of edu- cation Bob Hudson, Michel will re- place Leon Levine as producer of four of the five "School of the Air" programs including "Liberty Eoad," "Gateways of Music," "Tales of Ad- venture" aiid "March of Science," in : addition to handling production on practically all other educational shows. Levine has also been appointed to newly created post o£ director of dis- cussion programs. In new capacity, he'll take charge of all forum and opinion programs and retain produ- cership of the "Opinion, Please^ series on the Columbia School. Ac- cording to Davidson Taylor, CBS vice-prexy. Michel's appointment signalized intention of CBS to give a new treatment to educational ■shows where dramatic, musical or variety techniques were demanded. Michel, after joining CBS in 194B. worked as director on several "School of the Air" shows.