Radio daily (Feb-Mar 1937)

Wednesday, March 31, 1937 RADIO DAILY 7 STATIONS STUDYING SUMMARY OF INDUSTRY Radio station execs and licensees around the country are studying copies of the speech made last week at Duke University by Irvin Stewart, vice-chairman of the FCC, address being entitled "The Public Control of Radio.' Stewart made a comprehensive survey of the entire picture of commercial broadcasting, television possibilities and all other matters that have occupied the FCC, members of Congress and educational institutions. On the matter of "transfer of licenses." Stewart said that there were two schools of thought, one being that a transaction concerning the license was merely between two individuals, and the other school could not see how an FCC license could be given a vested right status and a price put upon it. In this connection Stewart said in part: "There have been suggestions that, if the Commission does not explore its own powers to check sales of broadcast stations at inflated prices, Congress might recapture for the public the profit on the transfer of public property. The transfer of licenses at prices far in excess of the value of the physical equipment involved will sooner or later offer tempting field for the middleman." The FCC vice chairman touched on such phases as the "legal basis" upon which the FCC could proceed and the cardinal principle governing radio in the U. S.. also "administration,' mentioning the three agencies charged with the administration of the non-governmental radio, i. e., radio aside from army, navy, coast guard, etc. Amateur broadcasters (47,000 such licensees in U. S.) were treated at length, also the fact that 80 stations are licensed for the sole purpose of sending public press dispatches to foreign countries, and to points in the U. S. Television angles were well covered, especially the commercial possiblities and pitfalls regarding standardization and frequencies. On the question of "distribution of broadcasting facilities," the Commissionerindicated that the stations were most likely situated in the thickly populated areas to aid the advertiser rather than the general public . . . in fact three-fourths of the U. S. area had no primary service. "Chains" were set down as "another phenomena in the American broadcasting picture" . . . Stewart believed that it must be disconcerting to find the same choice of programs on the stations that came in best. "Newspaper control of stations" Manual for Mikomoii Chicago — Stan Thompson, operations manager for WBBM-CBS studios, has completed a 14-page manual tor announcers. ©ECU EST HAS -MUSIC JOE MARSALA and Ork have add I ment by the N. Y. Philharmonic Symed the Three Peppers, vocal and phony Society. Quincy Porter, music instrumental trio, to their thrice instructor, received honorable menweekly WHN broadcasts from the tion. Winnmg composition will be Hickory House, where Joe has been ' played by the orchestra on its presigned to a one year contract. miere broadcast of the 1937-38 season next October. Zinn Arthur and his WNEW band icill make music for the "White : Three new series of musical proHorse Ball" at the Astor. April 27. j grams are to be inaugurated over The "White Horse Inn" cast is ex W Q X R the week of April 4. A pected to turn out cn masse and \ 'cello series, featuring Paulo Gruppe proceeds will go to the Stage relief j begins on Monday. 6: 45-7 p.m. ElizaFund. ! beth Ashley, contralto, presents a weekly recital series beginning Tuesday, 6-6:45 p.m. The American Pianists' Series, which includes programs by eight young American pianists during the course of the month, will feature Edna Bockstein, of the Juilliard Graduate School of Music. April 10 at 3-3:30 p.m. and will be continued on every Wednesday evening and Saturday afternoon thereafter. Gladys Swarthout's first program in her new NBC-Red Network Con j cert Series, to be aired Sunday April 4, 10-10:30 p.m., will include "Ben[ demeers' Stream," an Irish folk song arranged by Gatty, Ralph Grainger's "Thunder Over Paradise" and Greig's "Ich Liebe Dich." Swarthout and Chapman will sing two duets. The Perole String Quartet will introduce a new "Piano Quintette in \ A Minor" on its WOR Sunday broadcast at 12 noon. The composer, Henri Hadley, will be at the piano. Bill Livingston, who authored ditty "Having a Wonderful Time," inspired by the stage production of that name, has placed the song with Max Mayer of Paull-Pioneer. Ben Edwards, former professional manager of Isham Jones Music, has been added to Miller Music. Bob Lee, after two weeks as professional manager of Isham Jones Music, has resigned to go with Sam Fox. Michael Mells, who recently opened at the Top Hat Hotel and Restaurant, Union City, N. J., with a snappy and tuneful aggregation, has been featured as an ace trumpeter over a period of ten years, playing solos on many commercials. Until September last, Mell loas with NBC. Gardner Reid, 24 year old student of the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, received the $1,000 prize of The American Composer's contest on Sunday, accordmg to announce Josef Cherniavsky and his ork will air a medley called "Parade of Movie Hits' in the Musical Camera program over the NBC-Red April 4, 4:305 p.m. The ditties are culled from the most popular pix showing at first-run houses of Broadway. Gladys Miller, who is in charge of the music library of KOMO-KJR. handles more than 70,000 pieces of music. The library of the Seattle station is adjudged one of the best in the West. Miss Miller manipulates more than 1560 musical selections a year. was also considered as being in the public eye. Advertising, said Stewart, brought the most complaints, and the "commission's powers in this field are not well defined and they have never been thoroughly explored." However he felt that the rising tide of prosperity for the broadcasters might easily simplify the question of objectionable advertising. Programs were readily admitted to be about out of the jurisdiction of the FCC, which could order certain standards of equipment, but hardly be in a position to state that standards of program quality could be regulated. Probably one question which the FCC would not attempt to do anything about, in the opinion of Stewart. Censorship and Education brought the address to a conclusion, both items being treated at great length, more or less a resume of the situation. Woodbury Announces $100,000 Contest (Continued from Page 1) submit the best ending for the sentence, "I like Woodbury's soap best for my skin because . . ." Contest will run for ten weeks and prizes will be awarded weekly. A total of 100 Longine diamond wrist watches, 10 each week, five to consumers submitting the best letters, and equal number to the dealer selling the soap to the winner. No limit has been placed on the number of entries filed, but each letter must be accompanied by wrappers from three cakes of Woodbury soap. All mail will be addressed directly to the sponsor. Contest is similar to the one Procter & Gamble ran earlier this year which polled over 4,000,000 entries. NBC ORCHESTRA BUILDING FOR TOSCANINI CONCERTS (Continued from Page 1) concerts himself with the orchestra, probably five before Toscanini and five after the 10 by the noted maestro. Starting date is still undetermined beyond the fact that they will begin in the fall. Thus, Toscanini will actually be guest conductor, with Rodzinski permanent baton wielder. Rodzinski will continue, however, to lead the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, and of course continue his present series with the New York Philharmonic. President Lenox R. Lohr of NBC told RADIO DAILY that neither the 10 scheduled broadcasts of Toscanini nor those of Rodzinski would be offered to sponsors, but later a night or afternoon series apart from the 20 scheduled concerts could be bought commercially with Rodzinski as conductor. Lohr did not see what was to prevent an affiliated station selling spot announcements before or after the non-sponsored concerts, but hardly believed an outlet would jeopardize its good will by so foolhardy a stunt as working in announcement at any part of these concerts which will run "without a stopwatch" and not be restricted to one hour. Starting date and day of the week still depend on the setup of the network on its time sold. Whether or not the outside or additional concerts go commercial, it is conceded that NBC will have built one of the best symphony orchestras in the country and add considerable strength to its listening audience. Guest conductors may fill in on occasion probably after the Rodzinski series following Toscanini. K. K. Hansen Joining Comer Agency as V.-P. (Continued from Page 1) Russell C. Comer Advertising Co. Ad agency, which has offices in Kansas City and Chicago, and recently opened offices here at 11 West 42nd St. Rockwell-O'Keefe, as an account, will go over to Comer with Hansen, who has been with the former since its organization. Thus Hansen will continue to handle the concern's advertising. Hansen has an advertising and show business background apart from the Rockwell-O'Keefe association. At the Rainbow Grill Emery Deutsch and His Orchestra Unusual, Romantic Music Management Rockwell-O'Keefe, Inc. Radio City. New York and Hollywood