Money for Musicians

While the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled last week that Bandsman Fred Waring and other musicians who make phonograph records have the sole right to determine where and for how much money their discs may be broadcast, in Manhattan a formula drawn up by representatives of some 250 U. S. broadcasting stations promised both more money and more work for musicians who play directly over the radio. President Joseph N. Weber of the American Federation of Musicians had threatened a music strike if broadcasters did not hire enough new musicians to bring total expenditures for radio music from $1,500,000 to $5,000,000 a year (TIME, Aug. 9 et ante). As members of the National Association of Broadcasters, the 250 station representatives last week agreed in principle to President Weber's demands, offered to hire 3,000 more musicians than at present and, for two years at least, spend $3,000,000 on music each year. President Weber was thought likely to accept the offer.

Of 700 U. S. radio stations, about 100 are too small (charging $1 per minute or less for time on the air) to interest the A. F. of M.; some 350 are independent stations which have declined to deal collectively with President Weber; the rest are affiliates of the three networks which will bear the whole burden of increasing musicians' pay. These, in addition to what they now spend for music, will be obliged under the N. A. B. plan to find the extra $1,500,000 for Joe Weber's men by chipping in, in proportion to their financial resources. Each must earmark for music next year the equivalent of 5.49% of gross income during the year which ended last August 31. How the additional musicians are to be allocated among the stations remains to be determined by the N. A. B. To help the poorest broadcasters pay their new quotas, National Broadcasting Co. and Columbia Broadcasting System will put up $200,000. NBC's total music expenditures will rise by about $750,000 a year, CBS's by $400,000, Mutual System's by $85,000.

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