Radio daily (Jan-Mar 1938)

VOL. 3. NO. 38 NEW YORK, N. Y.. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24. 1938 FIVE CENTS McNinch Opposes Burdensome Tax FINCH FACSIMILE GETS SIGHT-SOUND LICENSE The first FCC experimental license for the broadcasting of sound and facsimile simultaneously has been granted to the Finch Telecommunications Laboratories Inc. Broadcasts will be aired on the 35.6 megacycle band with 1 kw. power. The audio broadcast will (Continued on Page 2) NBC Starts Transcribing "The Lone Ranger" Series NBC Thesaurus starts this week with first of a series of 26 recordings of “The Lone Ranger,” King-Trendle feature originating in studios of WXYZ, Detroit. Deal has been made j whereby the show, now heard on many stations as a live talent pro( Continued on Page 2) New Transmitter Lines Being Installed by NBC NBC is installing new 10 kilocycles lines from its studio to the WEAF transmitter at Bellmore, L. I. Lines are of the high fidelity type and will improve the quality of the WEAF signal. After the WEAF job is completed, same thing will be done with the WJZ lines to Bound Brook, N. J. Kyser to New York Chicago — “Kay Kyser’s Musical Klass” on Mutual for American Tobacco will move to New York end of March for closer supervision by bosses. Kyser’s contract with Blackhawk restaurant running until June will be abrogated. Kyser will probably play one nighters in and about New York for some time after he goes east. Four-Point Jamboree Tuscola, 111. — WDZ, which has studios in five towns, puts on a Sunday show called "Four Studio Jamboree" aired from four studios at the same time. Show is run with scripts, as artists from the different studios exchange gags and songs, with same effect as if show were coming from one studio. George Losey writes and produces. Boston Ranks Fifth Boston — As a program-originating city for NBC, Boston now ranks fifth, outstripping many cities of larger population. It is topped only by New York, Hollywood, Chicago and Philadelphia. Average is 16 network shows weekly, with some weeks as many as 21, being fed by WBZ-WBZA. FCC Chairman Seeks More Reaction From Broadcasters Before Taking Stand on Proposed Wattage Levy $50,000 PRIZE CONTEST AUGMENTS NEHI PROGRAM Nehi, which starts “Royal Crown Revue” over NBC-Blue on March 11, will simultaneously start a $50,000 consumer prize contest which win run for 25 weeks. Contestants are required to write 25-word letters on the subject “I like Royal Crown cola best because....” (Continued on Page 3) CENTRAL CASTING BUREAU BEING SET UP IN CHICAGO Anti-Ascap Measure Advances in Canada Chicago— As the radio dramatic center of the nation, this city will shortly have a Radio Central Casting Bureau, patterned after the Hollywood casting bureau, with headquarters in Mather Tower and operated by A. N. Elyot, formerly with Don Lee Artists Bureau, Hollywood, and Margaret Patterson, production manager of the defunct Insull Affiliated Broadcasting Co. Agencies, production directors and performers are reported believing the bureau will alleviate some of the (Continued on Page 3) Toronto — Ascap’s representative in Canada, the Performing Right Society, is dealt its severest blow yet in a bill which was given its final reading by unanimous vote in House of Commons yesterday and now goes to the Senate. Measure provides that no performing right fees can be collected from hotel keepers or merchants who turn on radio programs for benefit of their friends and patrons. Lambert Pharmacal Show Going on Mutual Network Lambert Pharmacal on March 22 at 9:30-9:45 p.m. will start a new series of “True Detective” programs on three MBS stations fWOR, WGN, WLW). Effective with daylight saving, eight mid-west and eastern stations will be added to the network. This is the first Lambert show to ( Continued on Page 2) KCKN Sales Up 44% Kansas City, Kan. — Marking the sixteenth consecutive monthly increase, KCKN commercial sales for January were 44 per cent higher than same month last year. Geo. Ross Managing KWG Stockton, Cal. — George Ross, former production manager of KMJ, Fresno, has been appointed manager of McClatchy’s KWG here, succeeding Bernard Cooney, resigned, it is announced by Howard Lane, g.m. of California Radio System. League is Formed to Conduct National Referenda by Radio New Pepsodent Program For Pacific Coast Group Chicago — Pepsodent has bought the serial “Career Woman,” by Ted Sherdman, for five Pacific Coast NBC-Red Stations (KPO, KFI, KGW, KHQ, KOMO), starting March 21 at 3: 15 p.m. Lord & Thomas agency is handling. By GEORGE W. MEHRTENS Washington Bureau, RADIO DAILY Washington — FCC Chairman Frank R. McNinch has “no desire to see the radio industry taxed out of existence,” and although he feels that the broadcasting field could contribute something, he is not inclined to go into such a plan until he has “more reaction from the broadcasters themselves on the subject,” he told RADIO DAILY in a special interview yesterday. Despite reports printed in some newspapers, McNinch does not favor the wattage tax bill sponsored by Rep. John J. Boylan. Declaring that he had never seen the Boylan measure, much less favoring it, the FCC chairman pointed out that when he said some fair system of taxing radio stations could be worked out he meant that some method might be evolved out of taxing licensees, but that such a plan would take considerable thought. He said some quarters had misunderstood him on the Boylan bill. Hearings on the Boylan measure will not be held for “at least three weeks,” according to Congressman Thompson, chairman of the House Ways and Means Sub-committee, which will consider the measure. Well informed sources add that any legislation of this type is extremely unlikely at this time. The bill, though introduced at the first session of the present Congress by Boylan, was conceived by FCC Commissioner George Henry Payne, who some months ago released a detailed plan for taxing stations $1 per watt. Many ( Continued on Page 2) Chicago — George Washington League for conducting national referenda by radio has been formed here, with L. S. McLeod, former Stewart-Warner executive, as president-founder. League hopes to set up nationwide mechanism for guidance of President and Congress on emergency questions. View is that, (Continued on Page 2) Local Fiddlers Out Norfolk — WTAR was upheld in its musicians' local controversy when Examiner Henry Clifton backed up Henry Cowles Whitehead, station's musical director, also the audition board, in declaring local fiddlers were unsuited for position as first violinist. Whitehead has gone to Philadelphia and New York for a suitable man.