Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

TECHNICIANS AT MADRID— A group of engineers and technical advisors with the American delegation at the International Radio Conference now in session at the Spanish capital. Left to right they are H. G. Walls, Department of Commerce; Loyd A. Briggs, RCA Communications, Inc.; Dr. J. H. Dellinger, Bureau of Standards; Col. Samuel Reber, RCA, and W. G. H. Finch, American Radio News Corp. XER Gets 500 kw. Grant (Continued from page 6) WOR Amplifying System Proves Paying Sideline THE PUBLIC address system business recently developed by WOR, Newark, is proving to be a lucrative source of additional income. According to Jack Poppele, WOR chief engineer, who supervises the public address work, the station has an average of one public address system contract a day. Rentals average $100 to $500 apiece, he said. The WOR public address apparatus is largely used by political and social clubs at rallies. At times, the equipment is rented together with time on WOR. The station supplies its own operators and also staff announcers and talent when requested. Several jobs can be handled simultaneously. In addition to renting the amplifying apparatus, the WOR engineering staff also makes permanent installations. This phase of WOR's activity is handled entirely by the engineering staff even to the point of obtaining contracts. Radio Star Poll Started By Springfield Sponsor TAKING its cue from the current Literary Digest presidential poll, the United-American Bosch Corp., Springfield, Mass., (radio receivers) has undertaken a nation-wide radio star popularity poll to determine the country's seven leading radio stars. The ballots will be distributed through newspapers, radio stations and stores in a comprehensive tie-in with the company's advertising campaign, which is handled by Cecil, Warwick & Cecil, New York agency. The balloting begins Oct. 16 and ends at midnight Dec. 4, and the company proposes to conduct it annually. Ninety-three prizes totalling $10,000 are also to be offered to the public as part of the merchandising tie-in. The stars are to be grouped in the following classifications: announcer, comedian, dramatic actor or actress, instrumentalist, orchestra leader, singer and general performer. Voters may express their preference in each classification. Clear All Wires A THINLY veiled satire on the war-radio experiences of Floyd Gibbons is one of Broadway's current stage successes. Produced by Herman Shumlin, its title is "Clear All Wires" and is based on a Chicago newspaper correspondent's experiences in Russia. Bella and Samuel Spewack are the authors. The stage cast was featured in a special radio adaptation of the play over the NBC-WEAF network Oct. 2. Inquiry Into Advertising Costs Started by Group FOLLOWING a series of conversations between advertisers, publishers and advertising agencies concerning their joint interest in all factors relating to the cost of advertising, a program of investigation of certain of these factors has been formulated. A joint committee to direct this investigation has been formed, consisting of R. R. Deupree, president, Procter & Gamble Co., representing advertisers, Lee W. Maxwell, president, Crowell Publishing Co., representing publishers, and A. W. Erickson, chairman of the board, McCann-Erickson, Inc., representing advertising agencies. This committee has appointed James W. Young, professor of Business History in the School of Business, University of Chicago, to make an independent, impartial investigation and report on the subjects under consideration. Mr. Young's first study will be of advertising agency compensation. Display Calls CALL LETTER name plates, heretofore largely confined to microphone stands in use at broadcast stations and for news-reel cameras, will hereafter be used on all microphone stands manufactured by the Universal Microphone Co., Inglewood, Cal. It is expected that amateurs, public address systems, remote control points and others will generally use the call letters on their stands. away, might also suffer, the degree of interference depending upon the geographical separation. Since the channels proposed to be used do not have the 10 kc. separation deemed necessary and since they virtually would be preempted, engineers said that the allocations are scientifically wrong and defy all engineering standards. Other Stations Affected STATIONS 15 kilocycles away from the 655 kc. channel include KFI, Los Angeles, with 50 kw., WOI, Ames, la., with 5 kw. experimental daytime and WAIU, Columbus, O., with 500 watts, limited time, all on 640 kc. and on 670 kc, WMAQ, Chicago, with 5 kw. Fifteen kilocycles away from the 735 kc. channel are WGN, Chicago, on 720 kc. with 25 kw., and WJR, Detroit on 750 kc. with 10 kw. Antiquated receivers in the areas close to these adjacent channels may be blanketed by the strengthened XER, in the opinion of engineers. Modern sets of good selectivity, however, they felt, will not be affected on the 15 kc. line under ordinary conditions. Immediately following the disclosure of the Mexican action, informal notification was sent to the American delegation attending the International Radio Conference now in session at Madrid. Mexico is not a party to the agreement between the United States and Canada, modified last May, by which these two nations arrange the distribution of broadcasting waves to avoid interference. Mexico Suggests Settlement THE MEXICAN delegation at Madrid, however, at the very outset of the conference, Sept. 3, made overtures to the American delegation regarding an amicable settlement of their allocation controversies. Mexico has been preempting channels more or less indiscriminately, because it is not bound by any agreement, usually assigning stations to channels in between those used by American and Canadian stations. Whether the Madrid conference will consider the latest Mexican move with regard to XER, of course, is problematical. In any event, it is regarded as certain that diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Mexico will take place. It was recalled that the State Department caused a furore by communicating with the Mexican authorities after the Brinkley station had been licensed and that Brinkley subsequently was reported to have divested himself of his stock ownership, presumably through a phantom company. Last February, Senator Dill (Dem.) of Washington, introduced a resolution calling for an inquiry into the North American wave length situation, with particular reference to Mexico. Tax is Tripled THE ORDER granting XER the new authority was signed by Miguel M. Acosta, Minister of Communications and Public Works. It specifies that the station must pay a daily tax of about $15 (35 pesos) while using 500 kw., as compared to its present rate of about $5 (11.50 pesos). The order specified that the 735 and 655 kc. channels should be used. It bore date of Aug. 18, but it was not revealed publicly until its discovery in Washington in the form of a diplomatic communication. It is believed that W. E. Branch, engineer of Fort Worth, Tex., who installed the 75 kw. XER, will direct its projected increased output. Whether a new transmitter will be installed, or whether stages will be added to the present unit is not known. Retail Advertising (Continued from page 5) supreme disregard for any logic, the next minute they infer that they are working for some little feed store and do all their buying at the five and dime stores. We haven't done this program really well yet, but it is beginning to demonstrate to us that the public wants to find out the facts about business in sugar-coated pills, that the public wants to be told with a laugh rather than a sob about the particular merits oi any business. If a man can chuckle over th< chatter of a couple of colored boy; trying to run up huge bills in i store where no one, from the Pres ident to the last office boy, can sa? "charge it" for so much as fiv< cents worth of merchandise, it' more likely to make him remembe the cash policy than any amoun of solemn mouthing about th_ great virtues of staying solvenJ on a cash basis. mODfflllKD w ■rtsnogorr for TE?T., PROGRAMS To give the Advertiser MAXIMUM COVERAGE, from New Western Electric Dynamic Microphones to the Newest Accomplishment of the Bell Laboratories in Broadcast Transmitters, KMBC Equipment is Modernized To give the Advertiser MAXIMUM CIRCULATION, from Creation and Production of Programs to the Ef Msa^r -fective Merchandising Thereof, M&$r^' ~ ■ § KMBC is Departmental!)* Modernized. KMB C of KANSAS CITY Page 24 BROADCASTING • October 15, 193: