Evening star., 1951-03-14
On the Air
All at Once
FIoriun Is
"A Busy Man
By Horry Macarthur

L Va IA ~ w 90 14OU o1" oJo O11dC'
After giving up the bandleading
business he started his television
career with an appearance IN Ar
thur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. "
His top-notch violin technique
won him other guest appearances,
with Godfrey and Ken Murray,
and an offer from the Strand
Theater, which was looking for a
master of ceremonies.
This latter offer stopped Mr..
ZaBach for the moment, because,
as he knew better than anybody
else, he didn't know anything
about being a master of cere-
monies. So he went into the
Strand with trepidation and stayed
there 35 weeks. After he left
there, there were a few more TV
guest shots, but he was not being
overworked.
Then, suddenly, things hap
pened all at once. He got his own
weekly television show ,spon-
sored) in New York only, was
signed to make records for Decca.
signed a five-year TV pact with
CHS and found New York's Roxy
Theater making overtures in his
direction.
The weekly TV program was
launched last Saturday, the first
record (''The Hot Canary" and
"JalouSie'') is ready for release,
the Roxy overture was so attrac-
tive he starts there April 6, and
his first job under the CHS pact
probably will be a new fve-a-week
Steve Allen show.
This latter venture would be
part of a rumored CHS plan to get
more secure hold on the morn
ing audience. It is understood
that the network plans to televise
the last half-hour of Godfrey's
regular morning radio session, at
least experimentally. This would
be followed at 1880 by a half
hour Steve Allen TV program.
with Florian zaBach music. If
all of this happens the last week
OF March, don't be surprised.
X X X \
Confusion Reigns: If the ada
cent television and radio program
l1stings suddenly become mean
lngless at 6 o'clock tonight, don't
blame the listings or the stations
involved. 1t seemed likely yester-
day that recorded music and films
would replace familiar programs
after musicians walked out at 6
pm. today, as 1t appeared they
would do. Members of Local 802
in New York and Local At in
Hollywood have voted to do that,
if James c. Petrillo authorizes it.
At the time of writing there was
chaos around the Offices of the
networks program directors, since
they would not know until the
strike was called who would cross
picket lines. A Television Author
lty spokesman was reported to
have only mo comment" to say
when asked what the Tv perform
ers would do.
Logic, Where Art Thou?:
WEAM. independent once more
with no MBS afflliation, has de-
clared war. An announcement
from there reports that "WEAM's
Howard Stanley, who has the cid
fashioned idea that there is no
substitute for good programs. i
is going after Washington broad
casters that buy their audience
with the ring of a cash register.
So that WEAM will not lose even
temporarily any of its audience. D.. 4
the station has set UP an elab-
crate system, whereby it will moni-
tor 20 hours day all local sta
tions that lure listeners with gifts
and money"
The idea is that you will be free
to listen to WEAM without fore
going the possibility of winning
$100 because your Social Security
number is the right one. "WEAM
will listen. all day long for
you, relay the lucky digits hourly,
tell you where to pick up your
cash within "a hours. WEAM
will toss in an extra check of its
own for $3.50 as a reminder that
you don't have to bulge from 1890
on your dial to get rich" The
same will be done in the case of
other giveaways, with WEAM even
attempting to provide the proper
answer to jackpot questions.
This may be war, all right, but
if it is war against the giveaways,
this paper will fall up to the CELL
ing when you try to lay it on the
table. The question to be asked
OF Mr.. Stanley, who has the old
fashioned idea that there is no
substitute for good programs, is
this: If Station A is buying an
audience when it offers 500 for
the proper set Of digits on social
security card. what in blazes is
Station B doing when it tries
to lure the audience with Station
AS $100-plus-$13.90? If raising
the bid isn't buying an audience,
you name what it is.
Please, Local 8O2: Reason for
hoping that strike, if it comes
off, is settled by tomorrow night:
Colette Marchand, the Partisan
ballerina known as LES Legs"
is slated to appear tomorrow on
Star Revue" (WNBW-9 p,m).