Evening star., 1933-08-27

~ ROBABLY the noisest of all the
So-called infant induStrieS-what
with its glib announcers and
i blaring microphones-the 800 or
more broadcasting stations in
the United States today employ some
5000 regular full-time employees and
this year will have pay roll of nearly
s17,000,000. This represents growth
| in the dozen years since broadcastpg
! began. in 1921, from a mere handful of
amateurs and tinkerers who at first
| built radio stations without really know
| ing why and without suspecting the
| tremendous acceptance awaiting broad
cast entertainment.
The figures were revealed for the
| first time when the organised broad
casters began to prepare last week to
| formulate their industry code to submit
| to the National Recovery Administra-
| ton A survey of the entire broadcast
| ing industry was undertaken on behalf
of the National Association of Broad
| casters by DR.. Herman S. Hettinger,
| who is now in Washington during his
Summer leave from the faculty OF the
Wharton School of Finance of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania.
Surprise to Broadcasters.
The revelation of the size Of their
own industry was surprising to the
broadcasters themselves, as were the
pay roll figures, which only partially
tell the stony of radio economics. To
these figures must be added thousands
, of performers, largely paid. who appear
occasionally or regularly in radio per-
| formances. Being devoted to stations
alone. whether non-netWork or network
operated, the figures also leave out Of
| account the employees OF the national
network headquarters organizations,
transcription companies. agencies, etc,
which employ perhaps 5000 more per-
sons on a regular basis.
Thus the broadcasting industry's
regular pay roll would run above 10000
persons, probably receiving well over
$50 900, 900 in salaries and wages an
nually.
Leaving out Of account occasional or
! irregular employees and non-staf artists,
the radio stations Of the United States
reported an average weekly wage for all
| employees of s3372 and an average an
nual wage of sl,753, according to DR..
Hettingers survey. This compares with
an annual wage for all manufacturing
employees of about 81 $40 and for retail
employees of about sl.315, as shown by
the Department of Labor for 1880.
Have n. r. A. Spirit.
The broadcasters, accordingly. feel
that they will fall readily within the
basic code provisions. and are prepar-
ing to enter whole-heartedly into the
spirit Of N. R. A. Indeed, DR.. Het-
fingers survey showed only about 10
per cent of station staffs other than
technicians working more than 40
hours per week during the last week in
Il, TlN I4NN
the proportion of employees under the
stated minimum wage is 80 low in
the case Of all stations as to be almost
negligible"
Nevertheless. the broadcasting indus
try. now entering one of its most pros
porous eraS. expects to add from 1000
to l 500 more employees TO its pay rolls.
BY far the majority Of these will be
technicians. the ones who chiefly have
been working longer than 40 hours.
Whether announcers and production
men will be classified as artists or pro-
fessional men, and thus placed under
no hourly schedules, remains to be de-
cided by the industry.
The survey shows that announcers
salaries generally range from s48 a week
down to $40, with many of them doing
executive and production work also
Technicians' wages average $40 a week
to s21. depending upon the size of the
station. Staff musicians get from s48
to sl8.5o, depending upon the hours
worked.
Will Need to Draft Code.
Upon the basis of the survey. the
formulators of the code-the board of
directors of the National Association of
BroadcaSters-were to meet in Wash
ington this week to redraft a tentative
code already formed in New York last
week by Special Committee. Accept
ance Of the code by the stations VIII
enable them to secure their Blue Eagles
after the N. r. A. has tentatively rati-
ned 1t. Then it is proposed to carry
the code to the annual convention OF
the National Association of Broadcast
ers at White Sulphur Springs October
Bill, where the entire industry will be
given chance to voice its views ana
suggest changes preliminary to the
regular hearing before the N. R. A. in
Washington. at which all elements al
tected will be heard and the cooe nnary
framed by the N. r. A. for the Presl-
dents approval.