Variety (December 1950)

26 RADIO Wedneeday^ December 6, 1950 BilSEBALL MOGULS DEBATING AM-TV FUTURE ALLIANCES AT FLORIDA MEET St. Petersburg, Dec. 5. An unprecedented proposal for an outright ban on all broadcasts and telecasts of all professional baseball games wiU be debated by. officials representing 441 minor league clubs when the National Association of Professional Base-^ ball Leagues convenes here, tomor- row in the first of-.basebairs an- nual winter meetings. The bpxoffice drain of unlimited radio broadcasts and TV baseball programs is the primary topic be- fore the convention of basebalTs smaller leagues. Major league spokesmen, as well, promise that the “air ache”- of 1950 will attract their most vocal attention when the American and National leagues •follow the minors in joint session here Dec. 9. Nothing as drastic as abolition of all broadcasts and telecasts is contemplated by major league,own- e]'s whose pre-meeting discussions have centered on proposals to cUr- S. Charles Back to N. y. Perry Charles, fornaerly of WHN, the Loew-owned N. Y, Indie (now WMGM), and ex-Metro publicist, is back In New York negotiating for a radio-TV deal. For the .past year Charles has been doing a disk jockey show in South Dakota and built up a two-hour “Saturday Night Dance” stanza into the top-rating puller of the Dakotas. Deficit for ’49-’50 Toronto, Dec. 5. Canadian Broadcasting Corp,, in Engineer in 60-Hr. Stint Pittsburgh, Dec. 5. Three announcers and two en- gineers at WKJF, the towii’s only FM station, Were maroOhed there • for five days last week during the big snow. Ralph Weithorn, Dick Jessen, Irving Kravitz, Joe Fabian and Walter Carr had their first full meal in 120 hours when Nornia El- pern, head of publicity, beat a path to the door and brought eggs, fruit, bread and milk. The five men were cooped up when the storm blanked their iso Hubbell Robinson, Jr. Progront Veeptt at CBS dtfails why Show Business Is Sound Business an tdltorlol ftafura tn tha - forthcoming 45th Anniversary Number • of . P^niETY New pact won last week from the transcription companies by the lated hilltop Outpost high up on I American Federation of Radio Ar- Mt. Washington,, and they had nothing until help arrived but cof- fee, canned music arid soup. Miss i tists will substantially boost talent costs in the waxer field. In some categories sccales have been hiked Elpern finally managed to drive ; Jhore than 100%, according ,to tail both radio and TV broadcasts ! its annual report, cites an operat- j within a quarter of a mile of! AFRA national executive secretary that blanketed the nation in the ; ing deficit of $243..747 for the 1949-1 WKJF and neighbors helped her Fi’ank Reel. past season. As the major leagues ^ 50 fiscal year, this topping the ■ shovel a path the rest of the way, In Class A transcriptions (open- clubs control and operate most of * $43,000 deficit chalked up by the I Oh the sixth day, relief an- ehders and custom built platters) the minors, they will dictate ac- State-operated radio system for the • nouncers and engineers, who were j talent will be paid at the live com- tion of the Nationar Association, j previous fiscal year. Though com- snowbound in their homes in vari-i mercial rate, which represents an The indicated major leanie solu- ■ ^^^cial revenues have increased, ous parts of the city> finally I increase of roughly i()%. For spot tion is to seek relief from the j reached them. Department of Justice ruling that i all radio department cate Ask AssL Sec. Of TV/Tif.'hopT RpHnrp pn^iiieer for virtually ■ord’e?cd"thr big “leagues ' Preliminary expenses ; kQv! Mutual autlet \ere, finally in the past season to give pemis-■setting up of Sion for their games to be broad- television stations by the CBG got home last week after a siege of nearly 60 hours marooned by snow, without any food for more than 24 of them. He w'as stuck at in Toronto and Montreal as the first units in the CBC development of television in Canada as an aux- iliary national service. License fees for the year ($2.50 to each Canadian set-owner for every radio set in the home, motor car or launch) totalled $5,481,488; , - . . , j-ecame commercial program revenue, $ 2 ,-; piioUt Became announcements, scales have been upped by 1009^. Additionally, spots may be re-used for only 13 weeks, contrasted with 26 weeks in the Washington, Pec. 5. An Asst. Secretary for Commu- nications would be established in the State Dept, if a recommenda-^ tion made last week by Sen. Ernest W. McFarland (R., Ariz.l, member of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, is carried out. ' In a letter to Dr. Irvin L. Stewi* art, chairman of the President'a Communications Policy Board, Sen. McFarland said he hoped the board would make such a recommenda- tion in its forthcoming report to the White House. The PCPB was established to formulate an overall communications policy in the Gov- ernment, particularly with regard to the use of radio frequencies by federal agencies. It was requested to give special attention to the pos- sibility Of making more channels available for commercial use. Sen. McFarland told Dr. Stew- art he felt sure the board has be- come convinced that communica- tions are sufficiently important to merit the fulltime attention “of an experienced and thoroughly com- petent individual with authority enough to deal with his field at the very highest levels. “So long as we adopt the precept of State Dept, leadership and con- trol on all matters involving rela- tions with other countries,” the cast to all sectors of the nation. Tbe D. J. big stick was a threat to declare baseball a monopoly be- cause of agreements limiting the broadcasts to favored stations in the major league territory. In Us zeal to assure the fans In the provinces of major league broadcasts, the D. J. destroyed lo- cal interest in the minor league towns upon which the professi^al j^^d press services totalled $8.030,-1 program thaL six bu Ido s i Vk^coVinll cfr'nofiir'Q . ic ^‘1 .wpTp f^lappn at niR- tn previous code. I For the library services, which j Senator added, “we must strength- ... .... .,JAFRA sought to bring to parity I en the Dept.;s leaders^ the transmitter from Saturday with the other transcription pro-; trol by making possible for it to morning to late Monday, and had i ducers, scales have been doubled. | give to communications the time, only his dog for company during Ih the category of nine or more i attention and competence tliafcom- the ordeal ■ voices the tilt is even steeper, go-j uiunications deserve, and at the Gama Qoriara’c! i^g from $18.50 lo $50. In all the ; same time see to it that Avhoever y- j library service categories an hour i heads this division has both the known in a baseball structure, is erected. The spectre of similar unlimited TV emptying the minor league parks has not yet come into focus in the big league vision that is fixed on the immediate financial horror of unlimited radio broadcasts. Saigh’s Note of Caution One major league club—the Bos- ton Braves—has found TV a suf- ficient threat, however, to slash its 1951 telecast program by fourth. Presidents of the two St. Louis clubs warned of the immi- nent dangers of TV in. pre-conven- tion staternents. Said Fred Saigh, president of the Cardinals: “At least 1 hope TV is barred. (Continued on page 40) VJ>. FOR SACKS SEEN END TO CK RETURN RUMORS Elevation of Manie Sacks to a veepeeship by RCA will probably put a quietus to recent reports that he’s been listening to CBS blan- one-! dishments to woo him back into rehearsal time has been I authority and expert knowledge fo ming, engineering, administration I urogram that six bulldozers Union also made gams on other i*^veicst. were Xed at his disposal terms. On spots no doubling will McFarland reitepted his recom- reach .the engineer. But by the j be permitted. On longer programs. ‘b time they began to pour in, Sedore ' no. more than two performers will, ot State Dean Acheson. ! had been fed by a resident of the | allowed to double for a half- ; district and rescued by a shovel i hour sho\y and no more than three ' squad. His long vigil began when l^i^^^ permitted to double on an ^ he was the only one of four en-i gineers who could reach the trans- mitter at the height of the storm. Knovving it might last awhile, he- armed himself with some Sound effects men ai’e moved up fronv $9 to $14 for the first hour, with $11.70 for additional hours. No more auditions will be per- CBS Auditions One-Hour Musical Audience Show Originating From Camps CBS last week auditioned a big one-hour musical-audience partici- pation show, which will be beamed over the network from a different Army encampment each week. With the exception of NBC’s Sunday evening “Big Show,” it’s one of the rare instances of a network splurging for a 60-minute musical attraction. v CBS show, called ‘‘Top Your Ser- geant,” will have a girl emcee, comedienne J^an Carroll, who will work with the camp GIs as par- ticipants. There will be a different name band each week as the pror gram circuits all the nation’s GI camps as originating points. Tex Berieke orch was used for the au- dition platter, \Vhich was made at Camp pix, N. J. Lou Malemed is producer. Show will be pitched up for sponsorship. Puts Community Chest In Sight of 1.A. Goal Hollywood, Dec, 5. him. With no relief able to get to j "as set for group singers. 11.^ " CAX1jI1V^.V& ax YVACAA kJV/AAAVr 1 . . . f « ' • J. ' ‘i-Y X " A. canned soup and other food, it! nyWed Lor spots rtvithout payment . _ ran out a day before help reached i 9^-^ ^ minimum call of, ,■ Hailed by Community Chest of- = CG+fa,- ficlals BS thc grcatcst sioglc COtt- trihution by show business in the history of local charities, KFWB’s 24 hours of unbroken entertain- ment to spur the workers in the the Columbia fold. Although oflicially designated as , transmitter, he w<*ked around , dire^or of aitists relatums foi the ; clock for the entire period, ex- [ /.!■■ • i, • nACn IMCiUlADI AI been on top of'rthe” tilent pleturl i whn^the vvafofflhe ' HOSP. MEMORIAL for the subsidiary NBC radio-TV. "ff" ®‘btipn was oil the operation as well. During his ten-' ure since checking out of CBS- Columbia Records, NBC has reas- serted itself into the top-budgeted talent picture. As a “staff vicepresident,” Sacks will work closely with board chair- man, Brig-Gen- David "Sarnoff and prexy Frank M. Folsom. He worked so well that Kt^V didn’t miss a minute of time. | If it hadn’t been for Sedore, the ; station would have been marooned,! too. NLRB Orders Elections In Buffalo, Greensboro Washington* Dec. 5. | Elections to determine whether technicians at WFMY-TV and WFMY-FM in Greensboro, N. C,, and WWOL in Buffalo, N. Y., de- sire to be represented for purposes of collective bargaining by the Na- tional Assn, of Broadcast Engi- neers and Technicians (NABET), were ordered last week by the National Labor Relatiohs Board. SFT FOR II fill I IN IR field is being credited with making OLl rVA J.J. U1LL111, attainment of the year’s Omaha, Dec. 5. j quota, which for a time seemed Radio Council of this city has | doomed to failure. It marked the presented a memorial to St. Jo-1 first all-out venture of Harry Mai- . : ^ - ! scpli’s hospital here to honor the ! zlish to aid charity since he took I late John J. Gillin, Jr., former over ownership of the station. MUTUAL WRAPS UP TWO | IfR AFT ? AI F<J IN THl i... two floor-type , commercials and regular programs AAm I uALLiJ 111 l/Ill blood pressure machines to the r 6 am Tuesdav through to Chicago, Dec. 5. j was ^ b Chicaco radio network sales I which was one of Ins favoiite; ^^d bring to his microphones the unicago laaio neiwoiK saies ; chanties. Citation said, in part: greatest arrav of talont activity, which got its big faU push- , "His youth coincided With the ad-, fo appear on one continuous show. ! off with the Mars Candy purchase 1 vent of radio, and before he died, I In all, 65 top names from all ' of four ABC shows, continues to ' ■ k,.1!v uL®**:*^* ' branches of show 1 Usiness. column- ' ■ - ‘''«.\'*‘^“l‘*y|ists and sports figures put on an with which he was assomated had! reached maturity by every terion.*' gain momentum. Latest sale was registered last week by Mutual, which wrapped up Kraft to spon- sot two segments of “Queen For a Day” and “Bobby Benson Show.” Food company is picking up 11:30 to 11:45 a.rn. EST portions of “Queen” on Tuesdays and Thurs- days and the“Benson” airer 5:55 to ^ ; act and made personal pleas to the ' field ^.vprkers to put forth a little extra effort. Contributions topped any previous day of the campaign. WOV’s Rome Erpansion ; BSS Constantly expanding program son” airer 5:55 to ! to 6 a.m. and had a steady l„ , ton, Irt., it/ir Jif ' <" woi;, K,V. it,- i FOR PHILCO INT’L Philadelphia, Dec. 5. Two top echelon shifts at Philco International Cprp, saw Frederich ' Agency is J. Walter Thompson. examiner recommended t h a t | j^n 2 quired to reinstate four technicians to their jobs and stop interfering with efforts of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ! (AFL) to organize the engineers at; the station. HadacoFs l-Shot LeBlahc Corp., maker.s of Hada- . Willard named veepee in charge ^ supplement which has i f sales and F. Lerov ’Sherman ^ staging old-fashioned “medi-: J of sales and F. Leroy Sherman . , ,, ... . . , , , named v.p. in charge of foreign : operations. j bought the full Mutual web for a ; Radcliffe L. Romeyn, who ^vas i ^2 at 9-9:30 p. m. vice president in charge of sales, j Time will be used to air portions ' IS now veepee and executive assi.st- of a teslimdnial dinner for Sen. * ant to the president. Dempster Me- Dudley J. LeBlanc, head of the Intosh. Romeyn^ will be in charge company, which is being tossed in Of product development and liaison Hollywood with pic stars slated to With the company’s pi‘oduction and be pFe.scnt. Agency is Majestic, engineering clepaj’tipenls. • f m I of Houston, 1 Frank White fresidenf of the Mutual Broad- casting System cites Radioes Contribution to Hante Town America one of the many byline fedtures in the forthcoming 45th Anniversary Number of P^^IETY tion, stepping up production activ- ity there and moving to larger quarters, (WQV-Rome studios have become a sort of unofficial head- quarters for Italian-Aniericans vis- ! itihg Rome.) I Gurrently four U. S.-slanted com- I mercial shows originate in the I Rome studios^ with additional ones I now in preparatioh. New quarters I will also accommodate the offices of George Gueto & Co., WOV com- I mercial reps in Italy, night shift with him. At the Chest's quota rally to cel- ebrate close of the campaign* Mai- zlish will be presented with a scroll for his contribution to the drive, , HRS. HORTON AS NBC VP. Schlitz Renews ‘Ivy^ Hollywood, Dec. 5, ^ Schlitz renewed“Halls of Ivy” ' for another 26 weeks on an ad- I justed budget. Sponsor asked NBC, ■ package owher with Nat Wolfe, producer, and Don Quiiin, script chief, for a reduction Election of Mrs. Douglas Horton as a member of the board of direc- tors of NBC last week is seen tied in with the web^s overall public relations bid. Mrs. Horton, former w^artime commander of the Waves, is vice-president of the Federal Couhcil of Churehes of Christ in America and former president of Wellesley College. Appointment represents a two- time “first,” Mrs. Horton being the a reduction from the , $0,000 package price because of j first feitime on the board and the Die show’s low ratiijg. | first outsider. l i