Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

RADIO DAILY= Wednesday October 5, 1949 CHICAGO By HAL TATE THERE has been a heavy vacation exodus in these parts. Merritt R. Schoenfeld, president of Schoenfeld, Huber & Green, and Norman C. Green, Chicago manager of CrowellCollier Publishing Company are spending a week on a fishing trip at Walter Swanson's island in Lake of the Woods. The WBBM offices must be functioning with a skeleton staff — Marge Retzke of the continuity editing department is vacationing in Williamsburg, Va.; Ford Canfield, a staff musician is doing the same in New England; Joe Rumoro, guitar virtuoso, is off to the wilds of Wisconsin; and Bob Martin, of the WBBM-CBS sales promotion staff, has chosen Phoenix, Arizona as his two-week stamping ground. WGN is resuming the broadcasts of two of its most popular youth programs this week, "Citizens of Tomorrow" and "Youth Looks Up." It is estimated that during the past nine years, almost 400,000 young people have been heard on these programs. The first of the new "Citizens" shows, dedicated to the high school students of America, will salute DuSable High School, and will be heard Saturday, October 8 at 10:30 a.m. The first broadcast of the "Youth Looks Up" series this year will be heard Sunday, October 9 at 8:00 a.m. Philip Maxwell will again take the roles of "Principal of the Air" in the high school broadcast, and "Visiting Superintendent" in the Sunday school program. E. Sawyer (Si) Smith, a recent Northwestern University graduate, has been named assistant sales service manager at WBBM-CBS, replacing Paul Schlesinger who left the station to take over the position of time-buyer at the Tatham-Laird agency. On October 6, Danny Kaye, noted comedian of stage, screen and radio, will transcribe several Community Fund announcements to be used on the radio during the current campaign. Kaye, who will be here to launch the 1949 drive in Chicago, will record these short features in the WBBM studios. He is appearing currently at the B&K Chicago Theater. 1906 1949 FRENCH RESTAURANT LUNCHEON from $2.00 DINNER from $3.00 COCKTAIL BAR famous. ffAenck Candied, 15 East 52 nd St. AIR CONDITIONED Mainly About Manhattan. . . • • • AROUND TOWN: Just to add to the rating confusion, one rumor making the rounds in New York has Nielsen buying out Hooper and another has Hooper taking over Nielsen. . . . Watch for some NAB fireworks on the organization's policy to keep district meetings "off the record." It seems that some of the eastern broadcasters are not in accord with Judge Miller's policy. . . . Now that the FCC has nixed Crosley Broadcasting's attempt to buy Louisville's WHAS. Roberto Hope may make another stab. . . . Agencies hot on the trail for Bill (County Fair) Gernannt's "Joe & Ethel Turp" TV series. It might interest the lads to know that Damon Runyon himself would never allow anyone but Gernannt to have anything to do with the Turps, altho' plenty of other producers were after it. Seems that Damon loved the 'Gernannt touch' and his understanding of the Runyon characters. . . . Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis' click in the movies will not hurt their chances of latching on to a radio sponsor. (As a matter of fact, they're about to close a deal right now.) . . . Eastern Railroads have taken an option on Ted Granik's NBC simulcast, "American Forum of the Air," skedded ior an Oct. 30th preem. ft ft ft ft • • • LUX RADIO THEATRE celebrates its 15th ann'y Oct. 14th and the press dep't of J. Walter Thompson, both here and on the coast, haven't been forgetting it. They've been concentrating on a magazine campaign and have come up with two or more pages in the following: Look, Seventeen, Radio Mirror, Varsity, Movie Life, Silver Screen, Screenland, Movie Pix, Photoplay and others. How about that, as our good pal, Mel Allen, would give it. ft ft ft ft • • • JUST BREEZIN' ALONG: For our dough, they can call it Studio One-derful. . . . For showmanship and personality plus, we cheenully recommend you to Al Morgan's musical series out of Chicago via DuMont. . . . With "Break the Bank" shifting to NBC tonight, director Jack Rubin was called in by the station to audition the bells for the program. Seems they want the same effect as the bells used when program was on ABC. So now, instead of auditioning people, Rubin is auditioning bells. . . . Talk about your versatility, Jim Boles and Athena Lorde (Mr. & Missus in private life) have appeared together as a young honeymoon couple — father and daughter — brother and sister — 70 year old sweethearts — and a father and mother combo all in the past two weeks. . . . Frank Cooper now representing Coleman Jacoby and Arnold Rosen, a great writing combo, for radio and tele. . . . Leading Latin-American broadcasters will gather at the Waldorf next week for a board meeting of the Inter-American Ass'n of Broadcasters. Goar Mestre, of Cuba, and Don Emilio Azcarrage, of Mexico, among those expected to attend. . . . ft ft ft ft • • • IN ANSWER to her ad for a sec'y, Cathy Mastice (the gal in the middle of that Berle-Kirsten rhubarb) received a reply from one applicant who concluded: "Tve had 4 jobs in the past month and that proves bow much in demand I am." ft ft ft ft • • • WM. GARGAN is preparing a video series based on "Night Editor," which has long been a radio feature on »he CBS outlet in Los Angeles. He's negotiating with Hal Burdick who owns, writes and narrates the series. To lend authenticity to the TV version, Gargan will invite night editors throughout the country to submit an outline on the most exciting story they ever worked on. Those submitting suitable stories will be invited to come to N.Y. and appear on the program, where they'll be paid for both the story and their acting (?). SOUTHWEST THEATER OF THE AIR" is the first of the MGM transcriptions to find a sponsor on KXYZ, Houston. The hour-long drama, featuring a roster of MGM name talent, is slotted at 4: 00 p.m. each Sunday afternoon and was placed through John Paul Goodwin Agency for South Texas National Bank. What is probably the largest regularly scheduled western disc jockey show has made another "first" for KNUZ, Houston indie. "Rhythm Ranch" has a new approach in that it will consistently use more live recording talent than any previous Houston program. Each recording artist will emcee a 15-minute period in "Rhythm Ranch," which hits the air at 1:45 p.m. each Saturday, with chatter and news about their recent releases and bands while spinning their own records with the able assistance of KNUZ staffers Ken Grant and Buddy Covington. Already signed for "Rhythm Ranch" are Bennie Hess, Tiny Smith, Leon Payne, Ben Christian, Benny Leaders, Jimmy Short, Collie Cornpatch, Little Marge, Pete Hunter, Floyd Tillman, Hank Lochlin, Jerry Jericho, Jerry Irby, and Woody and Smitty. Terry Lee, commercial manager of KXYZ, Houston, is off on a whirlwind touT of the New York agencies. RhymalineTime.featuring emcee David Andrews, pianist Harry Jepks and KMBC-KFRMs celebrated Tune Chasers, is one of the Heart of America's favorite L morning broadcasts. Heard each weekday morning from 7:30 to 8:15, Rhymaline Time is a musical-comedy program that pulls more mail than any other current "Team" feature. Satisfied sponsors have included, among others, Katz Drug Company, Land -Sharp Motors, Jones Store, and Continental Pharmaceutical Corp. Contact us, or any Free & Peters "Colonel" for availabilities! Li KM BC of Kansas City KFRM for Rural Kansas