Variety (Apr 1949)

t8 RADIO* Wednesday, April 6, 1949 Mpls. Food Show Flop Blamed On Ifhiz Quiz'; Evorybody Sued for 94G Minneapolis, April 5. ' Continental Convention & Show Management of Minneapolis, which lost $51,829 on an eight-day Na- tional Food Show in the local Auditorium last fall, has filed a $94,609 damage suit against ABC network, Minnesota Broadcasting Corp., operator of WTCN, the ABC outlet here, the Olian Advertising Co., and Paul F. Beich Candy Co. It alleges the loss resulted from a radio quiz show broadcast on opening night. Complaint states that for such a show it is customary to pro- vide "audience-appealing enter- tainment." Accordingly! the Olian Advertising Co. arranged to record the coast-to-coast "Whiz Quiz," sponsored by Beich, for subsC'^ quent broadcast over the radio net- work facilities. ■ ■ The audience participation show -at the Food Show, conducted by ijuizmaster Johnny Olsen, went on as scheduled and was "under hiS: : immediate control." It is alleged that Olsen told patrons to move into reserved seats and, despite ushers' efforts, the- audience did stampede into the reserved section "without authority, tickets or pay- ing for same." A "near-riot con- dition" resulted from Olsen's ac- tion and the promoter was forced to discontinue reserved seat tickets and to make refunds to reserved seat holders,' according to the com- plaint. It is further charged that Olsen's action created ''unfavorable and ■ pernicious news items" which were promptly broadcast and published, causing a decrease in patronage of the show. Further efforts to sejl reserved seats ''met with resistance and complete failure,' 'it is al- leged; Also, the publicity "gave ; the public, an impression of sus- picion as to the food show's value, the merit' of entertainment of- : fered, and a corresponding exces- cessive charge for admission," ac- cording to the complaint. For each of the 18 performances, 2,538 of the 5,B5f available seats were reserved at a special price of $2.40 each. Net return from the sale would have been $34,512, which sum was wholly lost, save for $2,262.50, the complaint states. The Impression giv^n the public, according to the complaint, re- sulted in a loss of attendance and ' a loss of 'general admission fees. 'Lux' Leads the Rest Lux Division of Lever Bros, has set up its own Hooper charts for the. edification of the executive branch, of the , Lever family. As a result, the Lever "Lux Radio Theatre" Monday night show on CBS consistently winds up in the No. 1 spot—so far as LB is concerned. : "Here's how LB reasons it: For : several seasons Lux,. Jack Benny and Walter Winchell have been competing for the top ' Hooper spot. But in ar- riving at the WW and Benny national rating, Hooper adds both the original broadcast and the repeat show on the Coast, whereas the Lux rating is measured in terms of the one broadcast. : Lever contends that, on the basis of a one broadcast tally. Lux is the week-in-week-out No, 1 champ. It has charts to' prove it.^ : Aggressive Showman HUGH TERRY KLZ's Hugh, Terry Is one : of the industry's best-known , managers; regional NAB director. District No. 14; a director of BMB and for nine years tlie man who's Itept KLZ out front.-' '■'. . KLZ; Denver, KWK,KWGDLink In St. bins Deal St. Louis, April 5. One of the biggest radio deals in the midwest was clinched yes- terday (Mon.) when the St. Louis Globe-Democrat Publishing Co., owner and operator of KWGD,, bought an interest in KWK, local Mutual outlet, and combined the attivities of the two stations. KWGD, which began operation last Dec; 19, went off the air at 10 p.m. (Mon.). KWK will move its quar- ters to the downtown station and the combine will henceforth be known as KWK and KWK-FM. KWGD will drop its application to the FCC for a tele permit and aid KWK: in its application for a simi- lar permit., If granted, KWK will be the second tele station in St. Louis. Under the terms of the deal KWK will be known as KWK, Inc., instead of Thomas Pat- rick, Inc. The new station will be managed by the present KWK staff, Robert T. Convey,-prez,; Ray E. Dady, v.p, and station director; V. E, Carmichael, v.p. and com- mercial manager, and John W.; Tinnea, asst. station manager. NBCMovii^Ooser Toward Purchase OfRichards'KMPC Hollywood, April S. The chances are ^better than «veii that KMPC will either be an NBC affiliate or owned and operated by the network next year, what Frank Mullen sees in crystal ball and NBC's Sid Strotz finds no dissent on his ouija board. Mullen and Strotz have been hobnobbing privately and publicly of late and they're not talking about the rain in Peru. Said Mul- len: "It looks like a . deal." Quoth Strotz: ''If the price is right we'll buy." He left just enough open- ing for eavesdroppers to put to- gether, "if it isn't we'll affiliate." Since going to 50,000 watts last year the price tag was upped to $3,000,000. NBC wants to deal oh a much lower figure. Contract with Earle C. Anthony | for KFI runs out at end of the year after a long association that can't be called pleasant. "Dick"' Richards is getting out of radio —actively, that is—and Mullen, an NBC'ite of many years, would rather swing the KMPC deal towards his old alma mater; KBC is the only net without its own L.A. station and it has proven pretty rough at times. D.C/S Longhair WQQW In Throes of Reorg; Control Goes to Ro^cari Washington, April 5. Washington's classical music sta- tion, WQQW, which experienced some tough going in its early days when it tried to hold down com- mercials to one minute in a quar- ter-hour segment, filed an applica- tion with the FCC last week to re- organize its corporate structure. Under the plan, whi«h involves a new issue of common stock, con- trol of the station is transferred to a group headed by M. ^Robert Rogers, general manager, who ac- quires the largest single holding. Other large subscribers ar^ Pier- son Underwood, program dirfectbr; , Irwin Geiger, attorney; Jesse I. -pj,at>g I Miller, attorney, and Morris Rod'- I man, who continues as president I of the corporation. Hooper s Top 15 and Ae Opposition (March 30) Program Walter Winchell Lux Radio Theatre Hooperatinr ..., 27.5 24.7 Total Network Compe- tition Fibber & Molly 23.4 Talent Scouts 23.4 Jac^ ..Benny 22.3 My Frieiid Irma 21,6 Bob Hope 21.5 Stot> the Mu^c 20.2 Duffy's Tavern 18.3 People Are Funny 17.8 Inner Sanctum 16.8 Mr. District Attorney . 16.2 Amos 'n' Andy 16.2 Crime Photographer . 16.0 Bing Crosby ........ 15.7 Suspense ..■..;.;»......; 15.7 Sponsored Network Competition Helen Hayes 5.8 Gabriel Heatter 4.5 Fishing & Hunting Club 2.0 Johns-ManviUe News .. 2.3 Telephone Hour 6.4 Dr. I.Q 8.2 Erwin D. Canham ..... 2^4 ; Johns-ManviUe .... • 2.3 Railroad Hour 6,2 Henry J. Taylor 2,8 Sherlock Holmes ...... 5.9 Voice of Firestone,.;.. 6.7 Horace Heidt 8.6 Arthur Gaeth 2.0 American Forum 2.6 Contented Program ,... 5.2 Town Meeting ........ 4.4 We, the People 9.5 Gabriel Heatter 6.9 Sam Spade 10.1 Lum and Abner .... w'..' 7.0 Fred Allen 10.8 Milton Berle . 9.1 County Fair 7.0 Gabriel Heatter . ^...5.0 (No sponsored network program) 16.0 12.4 ai 17.1 16.8 10.4 18.6 2Q.5 20.4 Railroad Hour ........ 6.2 Straight Arrow ....... 4.5 Cavalcade of America.. 6.4 Groucho Marx ........ 14i4 Harvest of . Stars .....;. 5.1 Johns-ManviUe ........ 2.3 Carnegie Hall ........ 3.0 Mayor of the Town.... 5.0 Phil Harris-Alice Faye,12.8 Jo Stafford 3.9 Johns-ManviUe vf.;.... 2.3 Sealtest Variety Show. . 6.8 Big Story 11.8 Gabriel Heatter ....... 3.2 Music HaU ; .11.2 m 21.8 20.8 15.5 18.6 17.8 Rogers said the reorganization guarantees the "long-term stabili- ty' 'of the station. Under the proposed plan of re- organization, all original stock- holders continue to participate in the new company but their shares no longer carry, voting rights. Stop Scrapping, Kobak Tells AM-FM; Time to Start Constructive Selling Maj Buddy Clark in Hospital, Carnation Subs Are Set Hollywood, April 5. Buddy Clark, singing star of the Carnation show, is in Cedar of Lebanon hospital for major .sur- gery, which wiU keep him off the air for three weeks. Bob Crosby and Eileen Wilson will sub for the first two weeks. LEVYS STICK AROUND PENDING SUCCESSORS Philadelphia, April 5. Dr. Leon Levy, president and general manager of WGAU, and his brother Isaac D, Levy, veepee and general counsel for the station, will continue in charge, until their successors are named. In February, the Levys an- nounced their plans to retire, ef- fective April: 1. ■ At the annual meeting of the Board of Directors of WCAU, Inc., of which both Levys are members, they were re- named to their respective posts. Three WCAU departmental htads were elected to vice-presi- dencies at the meeting. They are: Alex Rosenman, v-p in charge of sales; John G. Leitch, v-p in charge of engineering, and Joseph T: Connolly, v-p in charge of pro- grams. I Jo.seph Tinney, v-p and assistant I general manager, and G. Bennett 1 Larson, v-p in charge of television, ! were re-elected, as. were William IL. McLean, Jr., treasurer, and ' Richard W. Slocum, secretary. Reversing a Trend Detroit, April 5. Radio has been feeding video many shows, but songstress Dee Parker will reverse the trend on a network-wide basis. - Her new show, "Speaking of Songs," will be heard over ABC each Sunday afternooni beginning April 24. Show is based, ih part, on her ''Rehearsal Call,'* which WXYZ-TV began feeding to ABC's eastern video web on March 20. "Rehearsal Call'' is telecast Sun- day evenings. In both shows, Phil Brestoff (her husband) and his orchestra give her support. To AVCO-Or NottoAVCO; FCC on Pan jestic's SOOG Salt • Vs. Ex-Prexy Tracey Chicago, April 5. ' Trustees of the Majestic Radio and Television Corp. have filed suit against Eugene A. Tracey to recover $500,000 he allegedly took While company president. Majestic is' being reorganized under super- vision of U. S. district court. Trus- tees told Judge PhiUp Sullivan that negotiations were underway to sell the company. Suit alleges Tracey netted money through "excessive salaries" and unlawful use of options to buy 4!ommon stock. Nielsen s Top 20 (Feb, 26) Cur. Prev. Cur. Rank Bank Program Rating 1 1 Lux Radio Theatre 32.7 2 2 Jack Benny 30.3 3 3 Fibber & Molly .....28.0 4 5 Amos 'n' Andy 28.0 5 4 Talent Scouts , ,i.-i. , 27.4 8 , . Sam Spade . J 4 .. 26.2 7 , 6 Walter Winchell i . . . 256 8 7 Bob Hope 24.6 9 10 My Friend Irma 24.4 10 15 Mr. Keen 24.0 11 11 Mystery Theatre 23.3 12 22 People Are Funny ^.. 23.2 13 12 Stop the Music (4th qtr.) 22.9 14 19 Mr. District Attorney , 22.4 15 46 "The Fat Man" 22.3 16 14 Ford Theatre 22 2 17/ 18 Mr. and Mrs. North 22^1 18 17 FBI in Peace and War ......... 21.8 19 20 This Is Your FBI 2I.6 20 27 Dennis Day 21.6 .:]'■'■■:. '■'■^y:' ■"^'■"■'t,v^'-^^^''::'Ki' Points Change. —1.4 —0.2 —1.5 -fO.3 —1.8 -1-1.4 —0.9 —1.6 -fO.2 -f 0.1 —0.3 -f 1.9 -f 0.8 -fO.9 ■ -1-4.4:^ —1.1 -1-0.3 —0.3 -fO.2 -1-2.0 Washington, April 5s Federal Communications Com-1 mission proposal to i-equire local 1 advertising of broadcast applica-1 tions, as a substitute for AVCO I bidding system, was criticized yes- terday (Mon.) by Raytheon Mfg. Co., holder of a television permit in Boston, as ineffective. FCC has proposed that applications for new stations, changes in frequency or power, or transfers: be advertiseu either in local newspapers or both in newspapers and via radio. , Raytheon told the Commission that local notices would not meet the purpose FCC intended since distant areas which might be af- fected by possible interference of new stations or changes in facili- ties would not be reached. It sug- gested instead that the notices be 4- The FM Assn. held its first sales clinic in New York Friday (1), touting that "FM is crowding AM for radio broadcasting leadership," but the FM'ers apparently^ were ■ dealing more with hopes and po-V tentialities than facts and actuali* ties.. .v.. Speeches boosted the advantages; of the medium, but lobby talks with station brass revealed that the FM outlets are for the most part': in the red, and feeling, the pinch. ^ Ed Kobak, MBS prez, told the parley that Mutual has 160 FM af- filiates and that at night they. cover a larger area better than the ; web's AM stations. "That means,''. Kobak explained, "we could reach more people with FM than AM— if the people had FM sets. Much of FM's strength lies in AM's weak- nesses. For instance, FM coverage, is the same day or night, while AM night coverage is greatly reduced." i FM'ers should stop battling AM'ers," the MBS exec said, "and instead should join them, to help; the sale of AM-FM sets. MiUions . of people still get poor reception- and FM is the only means available to guarantee good reception. Now is the time to sell FM in sections where reception is poor. Stop argu- , ing and start constructive selling."; He was echoed by Maj. E. H. Arm.strong, FM inventor, who said, "we've licked the engineering problems. Our real trouble is that we haven't got the people to listen to FM." He added that many inex- (Continued on page 38) D.C. Web Stations Now 100% FM Washington, April 5. All four network stations here were duplicating programs on FM for the first time last week as ter. The Commission has set May 4 as the deadline for filing comments on its proposal to abolish AVCO CBS by the Washington Post, took over WINX-FM and changed its I call letters to WTOP-FM. The Po.st recently, sold WINX to Wil- liam Banks of Philadelphia, owner . of WHAT, but transferred the FM <P««»:»»_» \xr D k\. I auxiliary,to WTOP. Approval of rortia S Wax ISreather 1 the transfer two weeks ago by the NBC, which has relaxed its ban FCC made possible the WTOP-FM operation. Under its previous CBS owner- ship, WTOP lacked an FM affili- ate, the network having failed to file when frequencies were first assigned in Washington in 1946. However, the web later obtained a conditional FM grant but was de- '' (Continued on pa^e 39) on transcriptions, has given"Por tia Faces Life" the green light to record for three weeks during the summer. Episodes of the soaper win be waxed during the spring, so that the cast can take a breather for the dog days. "Portia" is sponsored by Gen- eral Foods, via Benton & Bowles.