American Detroit Federation Musician Union
I think I have at last found a confirmed "first" radio music lesson. Joe Maddy is an arcane and obscure character in radio. In the text "Joe Maddy of Interlochen" I found the following passage:"Joe started giving music lessons by radio from Ann Arbor. Nineteen hundred thirty-one was a time long before educational programs on radio and television came into vogue. The University's Director of Broadcasting had first asked Joe to give lessons in music appreciation."In 1928 he began the National Music Camp in Interlochen Michigan. There, in 1932, Joe began teaching music classes by radio. By 1936 Joe was doing five shows a week. Four of these were from WJR at the University of Michigan over Station in Detroit. The fifth was at WMAQ in Chicago. His WMAQ gig continued for 3 years on the NBC Blue Network. Hundreds of thousands of people were listening and learning.
Then James Caesar Petrillo stomped all over it. Petrillo was the head of the American Federation of musicians. Petrillo threatened to organize a strike of all NBC musicians if the program continued. Joe knew Petrillo from his days as the head of the Chicago musicians Union. It was no idle threat. Joe of course had king-size balls and put together his own orchestra of students and scabs. He threatened to tell the world about Petrillo's maneuvers and his friends all counseled him to stand down.
Joe took even odds on the broadcast and steered clear of the loaded topic. Instead he tried to negotiate peace through the Louisville AFM. Petrillo intervened and at a closed door meeting Joe Maddy'd proposals for conduct which while initially well-received got a verdict of inaction. Ultimately NBC picked up the union tab. Eventually The FCC and the Department of Justice got involved, but just the same Joe and James would be at war for 14 years. More here.
Petrillo went after Joe because his orchestra, even though hosted by a school, made a profit. The justice department disagreed and said they fit the definition of a a non-profit educational institution. Petrillo was so pissed he extended the ban to all non-coms. He was way past winning the war. he had fixated on this single battle with Joe. Whatever greater goals Petrillo had set out with.. he had lost sight of them. Senate hearings began. Joe circulated pamphlets accusing Petrillo of being a fiat dictator. More here.
A bill was written by Senator Vandenbergn protecting the rights of the non-commercial license. The the Lea Act, then the Lea Act passed a legal challenge. then they had to go to the supreme court. Petrillo was furious. He kicked Joe out of the union. He banned AFM musicians from teaching at the school in Interlochen where Joe's program resided. It was a phyrric victory. the overt abuses of power unmade himself. Eventually the day came when Petrillo himself had to take the stand and defend his actions. The Supreme court upheld the Lea Act. In July of 1947 Petrillo finally consented to the law and lifted the ban.
1948, Maddy went to NBC seeking to resume the program but was rebuffed. Mutual Broadcasting had to such qualms. But after only a week Mutual backed out. Petrillo was still out there and Joe was still on the Union blackball list. In 1963 Maddy fully realized the dream when His School at Interlochen founded Interlochen Public Radio. WIAA 88.7 FM is still on the air today.
Maddy died in 1966. The National Music Camp is now known as the Interlochen Center for the Arts. He is audible by voice on a CD released by the Center in a farewell from May 11th 1937.
Jewlicious has signed up to be a participating organzation for the NYC protest organized by the Stand for Freedom in Iran Coalition.
Protests are planned in major cities against the Iranian dictators. Perhaps this is the year we can get him locked up for taking American hostages in Tehran.
NY hotel refuses to host Ahmadinejad
Helmsley Properties management cancels event scheduled to host Iranian president after being approached by United Against a Nuclear Iran organization. ‘Neither the Iranian Mission nor President Ahmadinejad is welcome at any Helmsley facility,’ says hotel spokesman
Protest list courtesy of StandWithUs & The Israel Project
NEW YORK:
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2009, Time: 12 p.m. (noon)
Location: Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 47th Street and 2nd Avenue, New York, NY
Contact: info@standforfreedominiran.org or 212-983- 4800 x 152
Web site: www.standforfreedominiran.org
LOS ANGELES:
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Location: The Federal Building on Wilshire and Veteran
Sponsoring organization: StandWithUs, Signs will be provided, tell your friends! Note: There are no bathrooms on this corner
WASHINGTON DC:
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2009
Time: 12 p.m. (noon)
Location: Farragut Square Park, 17th and K Streets
Contact: Arielle Farber at afarber@jcouncil.org or 301- 770-0881
Web site: www.jcouncil.org
DETROIT:
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2009
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus
28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334-3738
Sponsoring organization: Jewish Community Relations Council of Detroit
Contact: Allan Gale at gale@jfmd.org or 248-642- 2641; Robert Cohen at cohen@jfmd.org or 248-642- 2640
Web site: www.detroitjcrc.org
ST. LOUIS:
Stand for Freedom in Iran Rally
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2009
Time: 12 p.m. (noon)
Location: Jewish Federation, 12 Millstone Campus Dr., St. Louis, MO, 63146
Contact: Arlene Baer at abaer@jcrcstl.org or 314-442- 3871
Web site: www.jewishinstlouis.org
Special thanks to the Israel Project for helping us create this list. See below for sponsors of the NYC protest:
The Stand for Freedom in Iran coalition is led by:
Progressive American Iranian Committee
Jewish Community Relations Council of New York
UJA-Federation of New York
National Interagency Task Force on Iran
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union
New York City Central Labor Council: AFL-CIO
American Federation of Teachers
United Federation of Teachers
NAACP – New York Conference
New York Coalition of 100 Black Women
National Puerto Rican Coalition
100 Hispanic Women
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Partner Organizations Include:
18th of Tir Student Leaders
30 Years After
activistchat.com
AIPAC – American Israel Public Affairs Committee
Alliance of Iranian Women
America Israel Friendship League
American Association of Jews From the Former USSR
American Council for World Jewry
American Forum of Russian Jewry (AFRJ-RAJI)
American Jewish Committee
AMEINU
AMIT
American Sephardi Federation
Anti-Defamation League
Asociacion De Mujeres Progresistas
babalu
BangItOut.com
Bloggers United for Cuban Liberty
B’nai Brith International
Bnai Zion
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council USA
Center of Hope International
Chinese Community Relations Council
Community Security Service
Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
Congregation Beth Israel – West Side Jewish Center
Dor Chadash
East River Development Alliance
Emunah of America
Foundation for Democracy in Iran
Go Proud
Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America
Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion/New York School
Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life
HipHopRepublicans
HRCARI
International Rabbinic Fellowship
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
ISEF
Israel Cancer Research Fund
Jewish Community Relations Council of the UJA of Northern New Jersey
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jewish International Connection New York
Jewish Labor Committee
Jewish National Fund
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation – New York/New Jersey Region
Jewish Women’s Leadership Caucus of Brooklyn
JIDF
Justice Through Music
Korean American Association of Greater New York
Korean American Association of Long Island
Korean American Public Affairs Committee
Korean Community Empowerment Council
Log Cabin Republicans of New York
Manhattan Jewish Experience
MERCAZ USA
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Young Israel
National Jewish Democratic Council
New-York Assosiation of Holocaust Survivors, Inc
NY Divinity School
New York Persian Parade
New York Region of Hadassah
Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council
Orthodox Union
Pars TV
Pen Pal Program for Tolerance
Persian Radio
Planet Iran
Pragati
Queens Jewish Agencies Coalition
Queens Jewish Community Council
R Jeneration
Reform Party of Syria
Republican Jewish Coalition
Simon Wiesenthal Center
Stand With Us
Telos Press
The Council of Young Jewish Presidents
The Committee for Defense of Political Prisoners Iran
The David Project
The Frisch School
The Jewish Theological Seminary
The Union for Reform Judaism
Turkish American Community of New York
United Hebrew Trades-New York Jewish Labor Committee
United Jewish Communities
United Jewish Communities of MetroWest New Jersey
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
Uri L’Tzedek
Velvet Revolution
Westchester Jewish Conference
World Council of the Cedar Revolution
World Jewish Congress
Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future
YJLPAC
Zionist Organization of America
