Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

A FAST ONE — The only kind of mike that should be hearing the story being told by Harry Butcher, Washington director of CBS; next to him, left to right, are John J. Storey, manager, WTAG, Worcester; Charles W. Burton, manager, WEEI, Boston, and Bond P. Geddes, executive vice president, Radio Manufacturers Association. mote the success of broadcast advertising. "The committee recommends that member stations look with suspicion on any so-called 'free services' — such as 'educational talks,' 'institutes,' and other propaganda with which every station is now being deluged. While the material may be authentic and acceptable in itself, it nevertheless constitutes advertising copy for some enterprise, and should therefore be accepted only on a commercial basis. Income is the life blood of broadcasting stations — they should be self-supporting. "In the matter of station surveys, the committee is of the opinion that they may be of some value to the individual station, but that results obtained in any one locality do not indicate that the same results will hold true in other localities. In other words, the matter of station surveys is still one for individual stations to handle. "There is quite a discussion on the matter of paying a 15 per cent commission on talent as well as time charges, and while agencies seem to feel that nothing should be done which will give the advertiser the impression that the agency and the station are combining to increase his cost of talent, there nevertheless is the feeling, quite prevalent, that the securing of commercial broadcasts will be made somewhat easier if the agency knows it will get a 15 per cent commission on its entire expenditure. This is another question which will possibly be settled within the next year or two. One point, however, cannot be disguised and must be borne in mind by the broadcastei— that in the end it is the advertiser who pays. "The committee recommends that, where it is expedient or necessary to place a local dealer announcement immediately preceding or following a chain program, a rate should be set for that announcement— whether it be a spot rate or a full rate covering the time of the program to which it is connected. But the committee does not feel that there should be any objection to local announcements on transcriptions programs, where the program is sold at a general rate, and time for the announcement is included in the time sold. "The committee recommends that a transcription program which is made for a national client should carry the general rate, even if it is placed on the station by a local firm handling the national client's products. National vs Local Rates : "ATTENTION of members is once more called to the Standard Ques tionnaire form which was sent to the membership on April 27th. This form has the approval of both the NAB and A.A.A.A." Appointment of a new committee to work on the matter of agency and representative recognition also was recommended, with the suggestion that this committee be authorized to take whatever steps deemed necessary to set up at the office of the managing director in Washington, data of advertising agencies, station representatives or time brokers, so that this information can be given to any member station upon request. Substitution of the words "retail" and "general" in referring to double advertising rates instead of the terms which have been used in the past, "local" and "national," was urged. Along with this it recommends that simplified definition of advertising classifications adopted by the Newspaper Advertising Executives Association be used as a guide in determining whether or not a particular account should fall within the retail or general classification. The definition is as follows: "An advertiser shall be entitled to retail rates only when he sells direct to the consumer through one or more retail stores which he alone owns and controls. If the retailer named is also territory jobber, wholesaler or distributor, the advertising is not local retail copy. Retail rates apply to cooperative advertising confined strictly to a group of bona fide retail advertisers, provided the advertising is paid for by the merchants involved." (Continued on page 27) Convention Sidelights HALF-WAY around the world was the distance traveled by F. A. Osius, XCBL, located in the foreign settlement, Shanghai, China, to attend the NAB convention. Organized six months ago, his station already has 56 sponsored programs, and it is operated "by the American plan" even though owned by a British corporation. MANY conventioners visited the exhibit of the Consolidated Press Association at the Statler and learned about this pioneering news service for broadcasting stations. Telegraphic dispatches were picked up by printers used by the CPA in the broadcasting station service. The talking point was that of a "sustaining-commercial" program, wherein news matter may be offered the audience and at the same time be sold to a sponsor. PRESIDENT DAMM had raised his gavel to sound adjournment of the second day's session when Dr. Leon Levy, WCAU, Philadelphia, leaped to his feet. "Mr. President," said he, "I want to offer a resolution which seems to accord with the practice of all other conventions, namely, that the NAB go on record as favoring the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment." (Laughter and huzzas.) "There being no further business before the house," shouted President Damm, "the meeting stands adjourned." JOHN SHEPARD, 3rd, WNAC, Boston, may have won the golf trophy, but 'tis rumored the real golf champion is Fritz Morency, WTIC, Hartford. John shot an 87 in the championship competition, and Fritz was two strokes higher. There was a playoff, however, and it is reliably reported that the latter is carrying around a mortgage on the Yankee network. THE DETROIT Women's Advertising Club was host to a group o* convention attendants at a noonday luncheon Oct. 27. Addresses on radio in advertising and problems of broadcasting were delivered by Henry Bellows, CBS vice president; George Trendle, WXYZ, Detroit, and Herschell Hart, WWJ. AIRPLANES were popular modes of transportation to and from the convention. Among those flying their own ships were Joe Chambers, WLW. Cincinnati, and Harry Shaw, WMT, Waterloo, la. A. H. Stackpole, WHP, Harrisburg, Pa., was there without his plane, though he not only pilots his own craft but is the commissioner of aeronautics for Pennsylvania. William Foss, WCSH, Portland, Me., one of the oldest ex-Army aviators, came by train but flew his ship back East. THERE was a gathering of veteran announcers during the convention, and there was some merry reminiscing of the early days of a half dozen years or so ago by Lambdin Kay, "Voice of the South," of WSB, Atlanta; Leo Fitzpatrick, formerly the "Merry Old Chief" of Coon-Sanders Night Hawks, from WDAF, Kansas City; E. L. Tyson, long with WWJ, Detroit; Neal Tomy, well known for his "Red Apple Club" over the old WCX, Detroit, now radio editor of the Detroit Free Press and on the staff of WJR, and Quin Ryan, long famous for his sports broadcasts from WGN, Chicago. FATHER Charles E. Coughlin, of the Church of the Little Flower, Detroit, famed for his recent broadcasts over CBS and his current speaking over a widespread independent hookup, was an interested convention visitor. CONVENTION banquet talent came from the network and from local and nearby stations, with the Mills Brothers, latest CBS "finds" from Ohio, fairly taking the banqueteers by storm. The talent included Gene and Glenn and Ray Perkins, NBC; Doc Sherman and Doc Pratt, WMAQ, Chicago, and NBC; Pat Harrington, Helen Thomas Bucher and Walter Logan, WTAM, Cleveland; Arthur Tracy, CBS; Charlotte Meyers, WJR, Detroit; Wendell Hall, now on WJR, and Tony Cabooch, KMOX, St. Louis. Doc Hamp, WGAR, Cleveland, and Ray Perkins alternated as masters of ceremony. CHARLEY BURTON, WEEI, Boston, scored a "fishie" on the course of the NAB golf tournament. One of his drives fell into a water hazard filled with goldfish, and soon a dead goldfish was seen floating on the surface. INTERESTING news to the visiting broadcasters at Detroit was the announcement that the Detroit News, operating WWJ, had just decided to eliminate all extra editions on the forthcoming local elections, confining itself to its radio. W. S. Gilmore, managing editor, said that extras hereafter will only be issued to cover scat tered news reports like those of national elections. CESAR SAERCHINGER, London representative of CBS and the man who arranges that network's Sunday talks by notables from London and the European continent, delivered an altogether delightful talk at one of the open sessions on the difficulties he has experienced in persuading foreign celebrities to talk across the Atlantic to the American audience. WINDSOR, across the Detroit River in Ontario, was a Mecca for many thirsty visiting broadcasters, but the "wiseys" found Detroit speakies offering even better stuff and much better food. Thanks, Mr. Webb PHOTOGRAPHS in this issue were furnished through the courtesy of Jefferson Webb and the Detroit News. IN CONFERENCE — Left to right, Miss Vera Burke, Manager, WMT, Waterloo, la.; Frank M. Russell, Washington vice president, NBC; and Martin Campbell, assistant manager, WHAS, Louisville. Page 8 BROADCASTING • November I, 1931