No Strike

A strike of performers on U. S. commercial radio programs would be something.

With the Crosbys, Bennys, Bergens and the rest of the 7,000 organized radio players of high and low degree on picket lines, broadcasting would become a drone of studio standbys, spielers, canned music.

The collapse of the greatest free show on earth might result in increased church attendance, a higher national birth rate; it might produce a crime wave or simply a vaster U. S. boredom. Last week the U.S. missed such a national crisis by a narrow squeak.

For a month the threat of a nation-wide strike against sponsored programs, with the promised support of some 20,000 radio musicians, directors, engineers, station help, has had the broadcasting business mightily worried. The issue: failure of ad agencies which produce almost all commercial radio shows to sign "a Code of Fair Practice" drawn up by the American Federation of Radio Artists, an A. F. of L. affiliate.

Of A. F. R. A.'s 7,000 members, mighty few draw down Hollywood-style money, but 85% average between $600 and 2,000 a year. Reason: radio actors, like play actors, spend considerable time "at liberty."

Last year, on behalf of its members employed on sustaining programs at NBC, CBS and some major independent stations, A. F. R. A. negotiated contracts establishing uniform wage scales and working conditions. But when it sought to drive a similar bargain with the producers of sponsored programs it struck a snag. The union sought a minimum of $15 per 15-minute broadcast, with $6 an hour rehearsal pay. For most programs and most actors this would add up to about $25 per 15-minute broadcast. The American Association of Advertising Agencies, to which most of the producers belong, offered a flat $15, rehearsals included. Late last month A. F. R. A.'s 7,000 members authorized their executive committee to call strikes against producers refusing to sign the A. F. R.A. code.

The strike deadline was understood to be weekend before last, but just before the zero hour a high-powered committee of the heads of seven of the biggest agencies, representing the purchasers of some 70% of commercial network radio time, dropped in on A. F. R. A. to talk things over.

For 30 hours straight the argument went on in a Manhattan hotel room. At the finish, A. F. R. A. came out with practically all it asked for. The only radio trade group which did not vote to support the strike were the writers. Their timidity thus lost them the sympathy of their colleagues and jeopardized their opportunity of getting help from the actors, et al., if and when they try to better their lot some day.

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