Variety (Dec 1939)

Wednesday, December 6, 1939 RADIO VARIETY S7 MORE COMMENT ON DAYTIME Apropos last week's etory In •VABiEiy anent growing criticism within the radio trade that an tm- balanced daytime schedule (all dra- matic serials and weepers) was a matter of concern to broadcasters further comment is appended: JOHN GHUN, WOW •True, there is considerable talk »bout too many script shows on the Dir. The problem is one between network and agencies. Too many script shows in any radio day will have tendency to cut audience ap- preciation over period of time. Al.so to many of them sound so much Blilic result is bound to narrow au- dience and is definitely poor pro- gramminc. •Believe problem is to find pro- gram which wiU do as good a job e.' scripts at no great increase in cost.' JOHN SHEPAED, 3D, WNAC •While 1 agree with you this looks like poor program balance. Never- theless, on all surveys which wc have made they all seem to have a bifi audience, a considerable portion of which is lost usually when you go into a musical program follow- ini; lhe.se. Therefore, it seems lis- tener.": want these serial dramas or ■what have you. There has been no particular re- cent increase in these on the red network because for several yeais they have used about all available daytime hours for this type of show.* HAERY STONE, WSM •With 16 serials each day have long since lost program balance. While Ihink situation extremely bad am nevertheless 'grateful for sale of daytime periods and believe public reaction which now is being felt will eventually correct situa- lion." DICK RICHARDS' SENTIMENT Makes Arrangements Tbat 'Mother's Album' Continues Always en WJK Detroit, Dec. 5. "Mother's Album,' 15-minule Sun- day noon program, which is just starting its ninth year over WJR here, may be America's lone en- dowed broadcast. Duncan Moore, station's special events man, is in charge and reads poetry in front of piano, violin and 'cello music. Program is endowed and person- ally paid for by George A. (Dick) Richards, prez of WJR, WGAR (Cleveland) and KMPC, Beverly Hills, Cal., in memory of his mother, Mrs. Stella R. Richards, for 'mothers everywhere.' Richards, who's been convalescing for past two years in California, set aside sufficient sum of money so that program will be carried on indefinitely and to insure that program wouldn't be cancelled for any reason by his own station. 'Album' was repeated at midnight last .spring on Richards' 50th birth- day, Richards being in California. 'GIVE, BABY, GIVE' BOUBTFUL TO NBC NBC last week held up the clear- ance of the tune, 'Give, Baby, Give,' pending further study of the song's lyrics and consideration of the title itself. Song is a current rider in the Mills Music, Inc., catalog. Later .scrutiny of the number's verses led the network to the con- clusion that there was nothing in them that could be deemed objccr tionabic, but there was still the question whether the title might xtrikc some listeners as suggestive. Gladys Shelly did the lyrics. SnoDsor Own Spieler Denver, Dec. 5. Frtd Davis Furniture Co. has UtVfn ihtr local sponsorsiu'p of the 'Show of the Week.' Mutual network co-op program. Davis, head of the firm, will per- Minally make the commercials. RADIO STATION Radio ttation WWJ w» not only Ihc /I'rtI ttation ia Amcr- but it h«t BMinUiacd it< |w«tion at Ih* litU tlotlon in luluKr intemt in Delroiliimc it will citablithed, —« fact proven by every lurvcy that has ever been nudel (y Oimtd md Optraud hy 'ij^ Nof/en«( llepreienfaflvfi 6eo. P. HoUtn^bery Co. ■/•w fit. CUc«t«, ]•« FrMtlM*. MtUit* OBOLEE SEEKS CA6NEY Hollywood, Dec. 5. Dalton Triimbo war shocker, 'Johnny Get His Gun," is to be pro- duced by Arch Oboler Dec. 16 for NBC sustaining. James Cagney is wanted for the lead since John Garfield had to pass it up due to Lux commitment. Sidestep Nag Issue i QuestiOfl: What Ncxl 111 Tclc? Washington, Dec. 5. Federal authorities are still passing around the hot potato which represents question of legality of radio station reports on horse racing. Neither the Justice Department nor the FCC seems willing to tackle the deli- cate question whether flashes on the results and pay off fig- ures are 'in the public interest' or part of a 'lottery.' Sensitiveness is beginning to be laughable. RUTHRAUFF & RYAN STRENGTHENS SEATTLE Seattle, Dec. 5. F. G. Mullins, vice-president of the Izzard agency, has disposed of his in- terest in order to assume manage- ment of the Ruthrauff & Ryan agency branch in Seattle. R & R is out to strengthen itself in Northwest and go after some larger accounts that have developed in .this area recently. Mullins has been handling most of radio accounts with Izzard since he moved in but has also developed handling of food, auto, perishable fruit and marketing while ih the offices. FCC Report Analyzed — Industry Seemingly Ex- pected to Take Initiative Washington, Dec. 5. Next move in framing a licensing policy and acceptable allocation plan for television transmitters is up to the industry, which generally ap- peared encouraged by the FCC com- mittee's report recommending 'lim- ited' commercial use of video facili- ties. While agreeing that some of the proposed rules and formulas might be improved, the commish group is waiting for reaction and helpful criticism before pressing for a decision on its numerous recomr mendations for carrying the art into its second' developmental phase. Document is considered an implied invitation for experimeinters to come forward with any alternatives they may have, except on the matter of keeping restrictions against profit making. Even though the document did not agree with the position taken by- RCA on the matter of selling time, most parties were inclined to sub- scribe to the implication that the li- censees should not be entitled to make profits from their facilities until more is knoNvn, particularly about the economic consequences. The lawyers generally go along on the idea that the effect of video op- eration on newspapers, magazines and motion pictures should be meas- ured more definitely before air curbs are remove!. Clarifying Careful analysis of the report tended to remove much of the be- wilderment caused by apparent in- consistencies in the rules, especially on the matter of commercialization. Especially the remark that 'while no regulation constituting an artificial barrier to natural economic processes can retard scientific progress for any length of time, it (committee) Is of the opinion that the public interest can best be served by eliminating any television regulation which has any possibility of interference with proper business economic processes." John Bteston, research engine", for WHO, Des Moines, tM. itlttK i t ^ a new electrical signalling deyiM lor the use of spotters in broadcasting football games. Local advertisers know the best way to cover focaf markets. Their choice of a radio station points the wpy for AU. radio advertisers who wont to cover the same market. 1 We knew that Boston advertisers prefer WEEI over eve^ other major station. In an effort to determine the exact extent of their preference, we have made another of our practical down-to-earth studies. The schedules of the three major Boston stations were checked and tabulated ever/ minute of every day from station sign-on to midnight during the week of October 15. Every spot announcement, every participation, each minute of station time was listened to, listed and analyzed and again the verdict was overwhelming. WEEI hodt 34% MORE local advertisers THAN THE OTHER TWO MAJOR BOSTON STATIONS COMBINED 120% MORE local advertisers using program time THAN THE OTHER TWO MAJOR BOSTON STATIONS COMblNED These advertisers who know Boston best bought 34% 0 MORE program time on WEEI than on the other two major Boston stations combined. Their overwhelming preference mirrors WEEI't dominant popularity among one million New Engbnd radio families living in 32 counties that stretch from the Canadian border to Cape Cod...a popularity built and held by brilliant CBS shows plus a roster of top-flight local programs. The details of this study will be off the press shortly. Shall we reserve a copy for you? 590 KIIOCYGIES • 5,000 WATTS (DAY) WEEMIOSTOI Operated by the Columbia Broadcasting System. Represented by .. 1 RADIO SAIES: NEW YORK • CHICAGO • DHROIT • SAN FRANCISCO • lOS ANGEIES