Variety (Dec 1940)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

gpartanbutr, S. C—Hillis Bell, ioriheriy with KHBG, Okmulgee; Okla.i KOME, Tulsa, and pthet sta- tions, iias goined WSi»A-WORD cQrrt< Jnercial department hei'ie.^ s : , iMoiatrtal. — Jimmy, Gbdljehere, . feilesifnan ot GFCF, ; Montreal, has Jpirifed the Royal Canadian Air rbrce. '— V.' .^.y Bchenectady, 14. Y.-^Xprnmy Mar- tlh, announcer arid script wiriter at WGV, sixicfi Ma^ch, 1938; joins WIS; Golumbus, 5. C. ; ' Sail trahciscb Leie Mci*endon, :iorriierly - of XFUL, JCLOT^ Murry Brophy nouncer, iiito charge of production and • copy departments and hired back Ed Wegman from WHEN as head spieler. ■; San AhtonioJ^Jerry ■ Pecht, for- merly ..with WBAL,; Baltimore, now: program director of KABG hiere. . Russel /De .Bees, of Dallas^ mvxU take, over a microphone shift. ' .;e1 Paso;'Texa»^-:lSav^d;;yaile,: for-- nier production manager and chief announcer: here for 'KROD. has; re- signed to ..join, the ann at KOA, Denver, - ..^.'V \ Fort Worth—John Hopkins, T^xas; H State Network announcer, called to Hollywood, Dec; 3. Ill health has forced Murry Brophy to quit his post as eixec vice prez and general manager of Columbia Man- agement of California. Duties will be taken over by ; Donald Thorn- burgh, CBS coast head: Bfophy head- ed the outfit here for year and, a half, succeeding Art Rush. • Several weeks ago Brophy took a header down the stairs in the Man- agement building and spent some time in a hospital. He will pass sev- eral months on .a ranch in Arizona. W«clii<^0dftX« December 4, 1940 Lee Bristol Is Interviewed KWKH and KOIL has joined KROWj active duty with the Headquarters productibri ; staff; replacing . ' John 144th Infantry, United Moore. • States Army and. reported for. duty on: Friday 22,- . : . ./^ Fort Worth—Tom Hudson formerly chief atmouncer ifor the Texas State NetWdirk here has. left to join staff of • WMCAv New York. . ' Kansas > CHy;-^James. Monroe is San Francisco.—J. E. Morgan; un^l recently production manager of KSFO, is new head, of. the radio de- partment; at the Samuel Gompers Trade School, herie. Giving iristruc- KOMO. Monroe joined .toe staff as Announcer , early last summer, and previously was . connected; with KCKN, Kansas City, Kansas, . Chicafi^Ed Roach joins the local ■b1«3 staff of WBBM. For four years h« nyas radio director- 6f the Chi- cago office of the Bozell & Jacobs agency. (Qastonta; N. C—Pat McSwain, formerly with Wilby-kincey theatres in North and South Carolina, has Joined WGNC, Gastonia, N. C, as manager. . ' \. NashTille—William Round, Jr., has . Joined the staff of WSIX as news- taster,; replacing Jartes McMurray, who has gone to Jacksonville, Fla;, «s commentator for WMBR. Round wa» formerly connected with. WSM M a dramatic artist. Birnilnffham.—Latest addition to WAPI announcing staff is Bob Mann, specialist' in : sports and college events. ^ :^ .Mel Venter has been named new production ■ manager of KFRC. Jiiji McCardle has been app^ninted chief engineer "replacing . Ernest Under wood, nay.iil reservist called to active duty in Washington, D. C. . New Tork—Marjorie Souders, for merly with McCann-EricksOh, iand Jameson Cainpaigne, previously in the sales department of Yardley & Co., have joined ' the Cornpton agency as radio corhmercial writers. ■ Lynchburg, .Va.—Homer Kbrnrrian haa joined staff of WSLS, Roanoke, 48 an engineer. Salt Lake Cityw-r-Socs N. Vratis, recently national . advertising: man- ager for the tntermouritain hetwbrk, • moves across the street to, KUTA . where he will take over duties ?s ac^ • tount executive. ; WGN's Lecture s FlndUy, O.—A. J. Odgers, opera tor in charge of WPGG of the Ohio Highway Patrpl, will be a radio en- gineer at WENA, Detroit, .which be- gins operations about Dec.. 1.; v. Toledo.—Frank Mcintosh,. former gales manager for Western Electric in San Francisco, is coming to Toledo as assistant to George Storer and J. Harold Ryan, president and vice president, respectively, of the Fort mdustry .do., radio station operators. Chicago, Dec. 3. Since its inception a few months ago the. WGN Talent Division headed by Noel Gers'on has jumped from a list Of zero to some -100 performers^ spielers and entertainers. \.y On the list lined up by Gerson are Bob Elson, -Virginia Clark,. Elrher Layden. Capt. E. D, G. Heme, Mrs. Ruth DeYoung Kohler, Quin ,Ryari. Harry Stuhldreher, Arch Ward, Eleanor Nangle, Rea Seeger, Bob Becker, Cecil Smith.. Clifton Utley, Margaret Ayer Barnes, Harley Mc Nair and Maude, !51y, the last two be- ng famed in the ■scientific laiid medi cal lecture world. . WGN Talent Division his been booking lecture dates for .these''peo- ple.jV partieulaTly sportscaster ' Bob, Elson, for whom the WGN bureau las been getting as many as.^iO. speaking engagements a month. Has had Elson jumping all ovfer the mid-: west, with some of the towns even too small to be on the map. Atlantic City, Dec. 3. Leaders of the Congress of Indus trial Organizations, which closed its' convention here last week were gratified at the action of the Colum- bia Broadcasting System in granting its hew president;; Philip Murray, free time on a coast-to-coast hookup for his inaugural address the .:same night he was; elected. Whether. the offer came because; of John L; Lewis' blast -against radio's 'unfair dis- crimination . against labor' was ,.not, known here. But at any rate-GIO- officials believe that at liast radio hcii< begun to realize th/e importance of the labor movement. . The hookup,. Which included 78 stations, was irrariged by Joseph Miller, labor represchtative of the National Associatipn of Broadcasters and originated from WBAB. Atlantic. City. Murray's speech was aired 9;45. to 10 pirn. On a 15-riiinute period' sliced from a Kay Kyseri siistaincr. Miller pointed out that by cutting into the Kyser program the. broad- casters had. built up a tremendpus audience before Murray. • started to speak. . It is the first tiirne in radio history' that a labor leader has been granted free time on a network on the Valu- able period preceding 10 p.ni.; - cording to Miller. : ' ^ ^ • Lewis' attaick on the broadcasters .was hung on the N.A.B.. Code, can- cellation of a CIO broadcast by KYA, Sari Francisco; He urged that the Federal Coriiniunications , .law: be amended to p'reverit such 'discrimina tion.' ■■ ■ {Rarest of radio rlhenomena it the radio aponsor tuho toill publiclv dij- cuss radio propram. Tftey locfc the doon and jiui sealing wax in the key,' holes ordinarily. It's not so much tHat they're afraid of newspapermen. It's other business men that radio sponsors don't trust. Because it is fairly uniqwe Variety reprints herctoith the text of Grfxhom McNamee interuieioi vieuiing Lee Bristol pri Mort Lewis' 'Behind the News' over NBC, Sunday (1).! ■• "'^V -[.■: ' ' [.■■■ ■ ■■ • \ _ :. 1: ■: ..'Grahkm McNaibiea . ' ^■ ■ No prdgrarh could pretend to give you the behind the mike picture of radio without devoting some attention to the man whb pays and pays and pays for the radio program you listen to—^the sponsor, Heaven bless him. So this afternoon we have as our guest, a real-live sponisor. His outfit sponsors the *Mr. District Attorney' program among others. He: is going to tell us just ho^y and why .the sponsors buy the programs you ■ listen to. Introducing the' vice-president:in charge ■ of advertising of the Bristol- - Meyers Company, a regular fellah, a swell guy and a grand talker—Lee Bristol. . . . Lee, after that build-up, the least you can .do is buy pur . pro- grams—but, we'll skip that. $erioOsly,: what does a sponsor look for ' buying a program. ' ^ :'■ ■< - Lee Bristol :; y. ■ ;/ Graham, he buys a program for two purposes arid they go hand in hand; to . put his sales message across and seU ■ his product and . to please the pub- lic—^because if; he doesn't please the public he'll never fcell his product. ,/. : Graham McBlIame.e'..'^ .y''^ ■ ■ . •In other, words, he can't buy a prpgrain -jUst to please himself? / .Leo Bristol y : , ..^ He certainly can't. He's got to look iat the whole thing from the publics viewpoint. ■••:../ • y y ^ ^ ^ ^'^^y ■. ^ - Graham McNamee l- Exactly how do you go about buying a show. ' Lee Bristol . , Well, the first thihg we do is to see what programs are available. We know what programs are available for resale, that is, programs which have been sponsored and are of proven popularity but which now can .be. bought; We also consider gew programs which are being offered for sale by the networks, and by private radio producers, and by pur advertising agency. • ..' .J'l.-. ' . ' >' \ Graham MoNamee Once you have a list of the programs you can buy What else .do you have to consider.? ': ■ y ' y'- '^y 'y-'" y ^' ^- ' ^ ' '^ ... : .;Lee .Bristol-'/ ■. Well, Graham, you have to consider the time available oil the networks, because that would influence .the type- of show you'd have. The hour at which, people tune ;in influences the type of eritertainmen willing to hear—daytime serials, isppt news, comedy shows, dance bands or what have you. ■^ : y- ': ;.' ■ . ' Graham McNamee - What do you consider Jim Cochran, script writer and assistant on production at WSPD, Toledo, has .left to take a nine months' training course under an Army flying cadet scholarship, re- porting-at Parks Air College, East St Loiais, 111. • Baftalo — Roy Black, of WEBR copy staff, is away, training as re- ' serve with U. S.: S. T.usca'lopisa.; Sta; tion moved up Peter Krug, chief art KGKO's Draftee Salute Fort Worth, Dec, 3. KGKO herie' held a going-away party for. 56 local draftees recently with a half-hour broadcast direct froni this city's busiest street inter- section. Frank Mills,: KGKO chief announcer, handled the show and in- terviewed the soon-to-be soldiers. - Local press made, much ado over the affair and included radio credits.. Summer Quarton*s Gala Event for DaugKter . ■ • Cedar Rapids, la., Dec. 3. Suniner Quartpn, general manager of WMT, made the marriage -of his daughter, Elizabeth, Nov. 23 the big "local social event of '.the season. He tossed a reception at the Cedar Rap- ids Country Cliib for 600 tiersons and brbuglit in Gus Arnheim's band at a reputed cost, of $800 to furnish the dance music.' Arnhe'im was on his way to a nitery • stand in Milwau- kee. \ : _ ^. The' groom "was ..William Sandoe Jordan, a local lawyer. Okay San Diego Station ACETATE Recordings Processed and In Caniada Vertical or Lateral Also line '. Recording of the highest ... Quality d.: Uv:S. Qliehts Compo Company Limited, Lachine, Montreal, Canada. Transcription headquarters ■ Tot Canada. ■ : • ■ Washington, Dec. 3. ; Final green light for coristruciion of a transnjitter at San Diego, Calif., Was given the Worcester Bi-dadcas.ti- ing Corp. 'Wednesday (27) by the Federal ^.\Cbmmunieaii6ris: - Commis- sion. •. .' Adequate proof of authority to is- sue its capital stock must be given by the company,.. however,,:;before the papers are' delivered. Station will be operated on 1420 kc. with 250 watts. ••' ■■" ■: ^: ■ '.': ■. Well, let's say that any time is available to you. next? ..: y v. -. ,^ v '■■'"■ y : ■ . . Lee: Bristol ^ V-.■■ ■ Well, there, are two types of program that you might decide, uppn--<)ne is .the program with a clpse connection betvyeeri the show arid the product by which I rnean that the Encyclopedia Britannica might sponsor a pro- gram such as *Inforrriation, Please' pr if you. had arii.^ airplane for popular consumption you might sporisor a program about airplane pioneers. 'This is: so that when people thought of the title of your program they would think of your product; . Biit on the other hand, .Grahiami yoU might have a: pro- gram, of eritirely loose construction, whicii, can fit any product and which you might use if you're advertising two disimilar products ori'the same show. . ■.'.;■.'. :.''v-.-. •■ - -^yyy- " ■ ' .' : ■ r '. Graham McNamee . Is there any way td guarantee that 'tlie progra buy will be a popu- lar one? ■ - ^■ ' . \ ^ . ; ^' /: . '. '^ .' y Lee Bristol ^- ] No. Of course, if .tiie stat. of youir show or the prPgram itself is an es- tablished one then you have a/pretty good, idea that, what you buy will meet with favor. You also hSve to corisider popular trends arid you follow thpse trends>3 much as possible. By. which I mean, Graharii, that if qu^^^^ shows are ■ the ?trend,. you might buy a quiz ishdw..: And if people; ar • showirig: a marked preference for dramatic shows you might liuy one of; thpiie, '. y\ ' ■.■■.:." . ■'■■ "•, ' ' Graham MqMfamee ; . Does your orgariizat^pn buy only established talent? ' Lee Bristol No, Graharri. We might buy a program on some small station which is niaking a local serisatiort because we could get it for little money arid the question of price must always be considered; If a sponsor can. buy a pro- grarii for less money, and he thinks the' program will do a good jobi he'll sometimes take a chance even though the program has not been tried put ori a big network. '.[, ■: .' ' \: Graham AleNamee How do you buy a program that has never appeared on the radio, but hais 0ust.been put together on the ciiance.t : Lee Bristol. " In .a case like that, if we like the show and by 'we.M mean those in charge of btiyir/g radio programs for. Bristol-J^eyers, we try it put on a typical audience which might be made up our employees to see if they like it. : If they do iike .it; w.e niight give the p^^ on a large iociil statibri to see how it goes. : H a network; : ■ . ■ .■ ' •- ' . Graham McNamee : Well, all i can say, Lee, Is that if you're lobkirig fOr a darn gpod radio program, for 6ne of your products, 1 heard: a terrific one last Sunday, called 'Behind the Mike*. VLave you ever heard it? Lee Bristol No. ey at KEPY . V ■•. - .Spokane, bee. 3. ! •' -Hugh M.. Feeley, ;formerly . .with Free & Peters, in Chicago, and more , recently in his. oy/n radio representa- tive: business in Seattle, representing Mutual stations in the Pacific Noiihi west, : iff ;nbw itii KFPY . cbmtnerGial staff in Spokane. ■: ■ '■ Lowell S. Hawlcy, who formerly headed the KFPY contiriuity depart-" ment, has gone to Los Angeles to join staff of Art Baker, producer, .Hal'Thpriias, who has been alTiliai ed with numerous; stations in :the Northwest,, including KPQ, Wenat- chee, arid KGIR, Butte, Montana, has been added to the announcing staifY of KFPY. ^ MAKES BUSINESS SMAP ' OUT OF It