WOR‐TV, Channel 9, which began a nightly half‐hour news cast on Monday, dismissed its theater and arts critic, Joel Crothers, five hours before he was to deliver his first review.

Mr. Crothers, a working actor, was ordered not to make a scheduled air performance on Tuesday evening by WOR.‐TV's general manager, Michael Mc Cormick.

Mr. McCormick said that while he did not question Mr. Crothers's integrity or ability, he believed that to have a professional actor review actors, producers and angels with whom he might have professional contact could create a conflict of interest and “our journalistic integrity would be questioned.”

When it was announced several months ago that Mr. Crothers was to be Channel 9's critic, the fact that he was working actor with an “inside” knowledge of the theater was given is one of the reasons for his hiring.

But Mr. McCormick and WOR‐TV's news director, Lem Tucker, agree that the question has gnawed at them constantly.

Mr. McCormick said that when Mr. Crothers's name and qualifications were first brought to him “I seriously questioned the desirability of our placing a gentleman with his occupation and background in a major medium to critique the medium he could occupy.”

Mr. Tucker said that Mr. McCormick had come to him and said that it looked like conflict of interest.” I disagreed and the subject was dropped,” Mr. Tucker went on. “It was brought up two other times. I disagreed and it was dropped. Monday night we promoted Joel for the Tuesday show. Tuesday afternoon Mr. McCormick came to the office and again went into the conflict of interest. said that knowing. Joel as I did I felt we ought to put him on a few times to see if he compromised himself or the station.”

He said Mr. McCormick disagreed, and gave Mr. Tucker a “direct order, citing that he wanted us to be above suspicion.”

Mr. Crothers was slightly bitter. The 29‐year‐old actor, who is appearing in the WCBS daytime serial “Secret Storm,” said: “I won't starve. And I'm healthy in the head.”

He added, however, that he had turned down several readings for Broadway shows be cause of his WOR‐TV commitment “and if there's anything to be angry about, that's it.”

He said that WOR was “foolish to think that as a working actor I would be subject to pressure. I just don't work that way.”

He suggested wryly that “I probably set a new record for getting fired.” Tuesday's review was to have been of “Hay Fever” followed last night by “Two By Two.”