Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

6 RADIO DAILY Monday, October 10, 1949 THE WEEK IN RADIO Security, Growth Cited By AL JAEGGIN RADIO'S effectiveness as an advertising medium, its maturity as a big business and its future security in the face of other media were emphasized by four industry spokesmen on four different occasions during the week. Arthur C. Nielsen, president of the research firm of the same name, told the New York Council of the American Assn. of Advertising Agencies that "the danger to you, as I see it, is not so much that you may overlook the opportunities offered by television as that you may turn your backs on radio without justification." He cited the increase in radio homes in the number of hours of listening per home per day. Frank M. Headley, president of the National Association of Radio Station Representatives, told a meeting of the Alabama Broadcasters Association that the broadcast industry has reached maturity and should, therefore, put aside "child;sh things." He charged that the acceptance of P.I. and free time deals is unsound business and a sign of immaturity. He cited the need for better salesmanship on the grounds that radio as a medium is to a large extent still untried. Pa-kage n^odi^er Louis G. Cowan, in addressing the radio and television session of the 4-A annual Eastern Conference, declared that th" future of radio is secure, adding that "radio is a very big business which is not dying." Another optimistic appraisal of radio and its future was made by W C A U . Philadelphia, president Donald Thornburgh who pointed out to the New York REC meeting that radio will justify its rates for many years to come and that the medium will have a profitable year despite the inroads of television. One advertiser whose extensive use of radio has played a major role in its growth, Lever Brothers, will move its headquarters from Cambridge, Mass., to New York after construction of a 20-story Lever House has been completed. . . . Contrary to general belief, A & P has authorized the use of radio in its anti-trust campaign. . . . The Kellogg Co. bought a new audience participation show, "Mother Knows Best," on WCBS, New York. . . . Paramount's radio department, in a tie-up with Ry Krisp, purchased a new five-minute radio series, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, over 366 MBS stations. . . . Ludens, Inc., picked up the tab on a quarter-hour segment of "Sing It Again" on CBS. . . . Gillette Safety Razor Co's "World Series" coverage was carried by 740 AM and FM stations, including 520 Mutual outlets, 72 CBS stations, and stations in Mexico, Central and South America, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Cuba. Mainly About Manhattan. . . • • • THE CORRIDORS in the NBC quarters at Radio City were alive with rumors Friday on the significance of Joseph McConnell becoming president of the network and Niles Trammell being elected to the chairmanship of the board. Most of the dopesters interpret the change as meaning that McConnell will have the chore of retiring some network executives whose numbers are up under the web reorganization plan. Trammell, they say, has many old associates in the executive personnel and the role of dismissing some of them wouldn't come easy tor him. Executive changes are reported to take place within the next lew weeks. Trammell's elevation to the chairmanship of the board means that he'll be free to devote more time as the web's goodwill ambassador and No. 1 salesman. Cne of radio's most widely known and respected citizens, he'll have much to do with the policy making in his new duties. it it it it 9 • • THOSE CUTE YOUNGSTERS you've been seeing on the TV version of "Stop the Music" belong to members of Lou Cowan's staff. Barbara and Mary Beth Faber, aged 8 and 0 respectively, are the children of L. K. Faber, treas. of Louis G. Cowan, Inc., and H'arry Moses, 13, is the son of John Moses, one of Cowan's associates. Needless to say, there's no holding the proud parents. it it it it • • • JUST THAWTS: We'd like the Black Robe even more if they didn't accentuate the fact that it's merely a "re-enactment" of actual cases both before and after the program. Naturally, it's necessary to state the fact — but isn't once enough and that before the series unfolds? Once you've seen the show, you become so entranced that to hear that announcement at the close completely fractures the mood. It makes about as much sense as a film ending with the announcement: "Now don't forget, folks, what you've just seen was merely a movie." . . . From our observation post, it is just about as easy to square the circle as to successfully simulcast a program. Take "We the People," ior example. This program misses a heart-beat when it is forced to put on variety acts with big names for the benefit of television viewers. Ordinarily, the story behind the big name is too flimsy for the listener in Ohmygosh, la. We take our hats off to the excellent technical production as well as the masterful blending of loose ends by emcee Danny Seymour. But it's still a tough struggle. Maybe, in the case of "We, the People," a smash, dramatic human interest finale each week would save the situation. All we know is seeing is believing, but not enough people see on a national simulcast to uphold the radio Hooper at this time. V V V V • • • AROUND TOWN: Mutual overhauling program structure with concentration on stanzas that'll appeal to the rural Hooper bait. . . . Allen (Duke) Ducovny, one of radio and TV's more gifted directors, has joined Kenyon & Eckhardt's staff as a video producer. . . . Dennis Day planed out of H'wood after last night's Jack Benny program for Boston to headline the benefit show for Archbishop Cushing's hospital project at the Boston Garden this Wed. . . . Peggy Stone, New York station rep, back from Newport News, Va., with word that she's become a grandma for the second time. Another daughter was born to Peggy's daughter, Mrs. A. Beckhardt. . . . WHOM program chief, Chas. Baltin, upped to assistant gen'l manager. . . . Erskine Johnson teaming up with a photographer pal to produce TV films. . . . Phil Baker's wife, Irmgard, in from the coast to help him prepare his new teleshow, "Open Letter." . . . Carl King's definition of a B'way playboy: All he wants is love, liberty and the pursuit. . . . "It has come to our attention that the song, 'Wishing Star' published by Broadcast Music, Inc. which was in our confidential ACI Survey for the week ending September 29, 1949, was inadvertently omitted from the alphabetical list we sent you last Friday. "Since it may be too late to do anything about it this week, I hope you will find it convenient to run a correction about this in an early issue next week." Sincerely yours, John C. Peatman Office of Research, Inc. Youth Forum Over WQXR Presents Mrs. Roosevelt Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, chairman of the UN Commission on Human Rights, was speaker during first New York Times "Youth Forum" of the season, broadcast via transcription by WQXR, New York, on Saturday, Oct. 8, 10: 15-11 a.m. The broadcast originated from the auditorium of the General Assembly Building at Flushing Meadow, Queens, before 2,000 high school students. Dr. Benjamin A. Cohen, assistant secretary-general of the UN, opened the broadcast. EMCEES... and Beginners Want to go places in Radio, Television? You can do it better, faster and most effectively with the help of the famous FREEMANTEL System of Voice Control In your own home, only 15 minutes a day, you can now make your voice rich, vibrant and chock full of personality. Hundreds of stars of stage, screen, radio have won success with this amazing method. The cost is moderate, you can pay as you learn. Send for FREE Book.' Freemantel Voice Institute, Suite O, 113 West 57th St. RD. New York 19, N. Y. 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