Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

Another Man Supplanted by the Machine Thomas in The Detroit News RADIO LOSES ON CAMPAIGN Conflicts With Popular Commercial Periods Kill Profits And Bring Protests From Listeners Broadcasters Run For Political Jobs Brinkley and Shuler Among Long List of Candidates MORE THAN ordinary interest attaches to the forthcoming national elections from the broadcasters' point of view, inasmuch as practical broadcasters are among those seeking election to Congress. In the state campaigns, at least one practical broadcaster is seeking a gubernatorial post. Seeking election to the Senate is Henry Field, owner of KFNF, Shenandoah, la., who won the Republican nomination from Senator Brookhart. In the Iowa race, Field is opposed not only by the Democratic candidate but by Senator Brookhart, running as an independent. Shuler is Independent ALSO SEEKING election to the Senate is the Rev. Robert P. Shuler, former operator of KGEF, Los Angeles, who is running as an independent dry in opposition to William G. McAdoo, Democratic nominee, and Tallant Tubbs, Republican candidate. Shuler, whose station was ruled off the air by the Radio Commission, ran in both Republican and Democratic primaries and though defeated for nomination, polled such a large vote that he is giving the regular party leaders plenty of cause for worry. Seeking election to the House is Dr. Frank Elliott, former manager of WHO-WOC, Des MoinesDavenport, and a former president of the NAB. As Republican nominee in rhe Davenport district, he is given an excellent chance to win. Seeking reelection is H. I. Shott, publisher of various West Virginia newspapers, one of which, the Bluefield Telegraph, operates WHIS. In Kansas, Dr. John R. Brinkley, who built XER in Mexico after the Commission deprived him of his license for KFKB, Milford (now KFBI, Abilene), is reported making a strong independent race for the governorship. Radio Incumbents REP. RALPH A. HORR, Seattle, will return to Congress next December as a lame duck, having been defeated in the Republican primaries. He formerly was receiver for the Northwest Broadcasting Co., and introduced variout radio bills at the last session. Also eliminated in the primaries was Rep. Ewin Davis, of Tennessee, Democratic chairman of the House committee in charge of radio, whose place may be taken by Rep. Lehlbach of New Jersey. Republican, or Rep. Bland of Virginia, Democrat, providing they are reelected and depending upon which party gets control of the House. Senators Couzens of Michigan, Capper of Kansas and Cohen of Georgia, other members closely identified with radio, are not up for reelection. Senator Couzens, however, may lose the chairmanship of the Senate committee in charge of radio if the Democrats gain control of the upper house. FAR FROM BEING a source of profitable revenues for radio, as a whole, the current presidential campaign, although the candidates' speeches and those of their spokesmen are being paid for, is often causing networks and stations a dead loss. More than that, the constant setting aside of highly popular commercial features has led to a veritable storm of protest from many thousands of radio listeners who apparently like their musical and variety programs better than they do the outpourings of the politicians. The losses to networks and most stations are occasioned by the fact that contracted sponsors must relinquish their time in favor of political addresses which are often scheduled almost at the eleventh hour and which, especially in the case of the presidential candidates, have almost invariably run beyond schedule. Rebates must be given the sponsors, and the contracted artists must be paid by the broadcasters. Some stations, however, definitely are profiting from the campaign, particularly through the use of their facilities for local political broadcasts. Only One Protest THE PARTIES, of course, are paying for the political time they use, and there have been few if any recriminations on the score of favoritism toward one party or another. Only one outburst against radio has been heard during this campaign, and it came from the radio-baiting National Committee on Education by Radio, the group seeking 15 per cent of the wave lengths for educational purposes. In a letter addressed to members of Congress and rushed into the public prints, Joy Elmer Morgan, of the National Education Association, chairman of the committee, charged that candidates were not being given a full and impartial public hearing. Inquiry developed that this complaint was based on the fact that the Coolidge speech for Hoover and one by a Senator were not heard over Washington stations. Fault Laid to Parties THE FACTS are that the Republicans and Democrats, through their radio departments, are booking the stations they want and paying for them less agency discounts though the handling is direct. They usually select the outlets where the electorates mean most to them. Indeed, Washington has been included on most of the hookups in spite of the fact that the District of Columbia vote is negligible, the regular residents there having no franchise. If there have been omissions, and if some of the radio bookings have been ill-advised, the fault may be attributed directly to the radio managers of the major parties, few of whom are experienced radio men. Orrin Dunlap, Jr., (Continued on page 33) Use of A. A. A. A. Rate Cards Urged Few Stations Adopt Standard Forms, NAB Group Told TO AVOID having their rate cards consigned at once to the copious waste-baskets of agency executives, radio stations are urged to prepare them in conformity with the standard rate card form prescribed by the American Association of Advertising Agencies, which last year drew up the form along the lines of the standards prescribed for publications. That few stations, however, are adhering to the standard form, was pointed out at a joint meeting of the NAB commercial section and officials of the A.A.A.A. in New York Oct. 17. According to A.A.A.A. officials, the prescribed standard rate card furnishes the logical order of exact information that agencies and advertisers want. Their instructions to stations for preparing the rate card are here repeated for the convenience of station executives: "The card should be exactly 6 x 3% inches in size. "Bristol board, weight 140 lbs. is recommended for stock. "A single card, like the sample (obtainable from the A.A.A.A., 420 Lexington Ave., New York) or a double card can be used. In printing a double card (four pages) allow a strip of blank space, one-quarter inch deep, in the exact location where the fold occurs. "The double form should be printed on a card 6x7 inches, and folded across through the middle. The first page should be printed on the lower half of the card, so that the fold appears immediately above the name of the station. "The numbers and letters should always be used to indicate the divisions and sections as illustrated on the sample card. If there is no information to be given under a certain heading, the numbers and letters should not be omitted, but should be inserted and left blank, in order that the arrangement scheme will be preserved. "Promotional and general advertising matter should not be printed on the rate card, but when sent to an agency should be separate. "It is desirable that rate cards prepared under the Standard Rate Card system be serially numbered, the first card issued being Card No. 1, the second card (at some later date) No. 2, etc. This will be an aid to the agency in determining whether it has received all the rate cards as issued. "The type on the back should be placed so as to 'tumble,' that is, so that when the card is turned bottom over top, the reading will be continuous. "Print in one line across the bottom of the card, in italics, 'Prepared in conformity with Standard Rate Card of American Association of Advertising Agencies,' and have a heavy full length rule immediately above this line of type." Haven for Ideas WILLING to "try anything once," WINS, New York, has opened a program laboratory at which any idea, no matter how fantastic, will be given a trial, providing it is an original idea. Suggestions must first be submitted to Program Director John McCormick in writing. Page 12 BROADCASTING • November 1, 1932