Variety (Apr 1949)

Wednesday^ April 6, 1949 Radio Reviews Continued from page 33 ; well balanced show. As a result, the dullness and dryness of most discussion groups is lacking. Only subjects of political and contem- porary interest are utilized. Mod- erator helps things along by pick-, ing pro and on opponents who are | not only authorities in their fields but also nimble on the wit, thus keeping the pace moving at a good rate of speed. BETTY & GEORGE With the B|ichael$^ guests 30 Mins.. MbA. tA Fri.. 11:30 a.m. GRAND CASH MARKETS WROW, Albany • Homey program, featuring an-1 nouncer George Michael and wife,, . suffers from an overdose of ad- vertising. Effect may be more deleterious if, as reported, the first segment also goes under sponsor- ship. Show recently was expanded from 15 to 30 minutes, after it had demonstrated listening pull. At- mosphere is as authentically do- mestic as any of the kind in radio, with the Michaels' young twin sons and a dog on the premises and with not infrequent interruptions by doorbell or telephone ringing. Couple emerge from these broads casts as happy, high-spirited and undefstanding. Michael is an ex- perienced radio man: Mrs. Michael has had no previous air experi- encci she holds the advantages and disadvantages which go with that background. They chat about children, dogs (on which Michael is an expert) and domestic affairs, chiefly, be- fore talking with guests. Latter are both of the "name" and "non- name" variety in the area. : The Michaels integrate them- selves smartly with the- andiencer thanks to George's easy style of speech and Betty's friendly, un- assuming manner. Her voice could be modulated a little. Jaco. THE ADVENTURES OF FRANK RACE With Tom Collins Writer: Buckley Aneell Producer-director: Joel Murcott 30 Mins.; Sat., 10 p.m. WINS, New York This transcribed mystery-ad- venture aircr might have resulted in better listening if the script had not been so confusing. Sus- picions as to: who was behind an insurance fraud centered on sev- eral individuals. All these people at various times attempted to,rub out investigator Tom Collins. How- ever, writer Buckley Angell never firmly established the relationships of the suspects with the actual fraud committer. Thesping was relatively gopd with Collins, a vet radio'actor, standing odt ^s the private gum- shoer who was hired to track down the disappearances of two Victory ships. From a production stand- point '•Adventures of Frank Race" was fairly well done. One fight scene was especially well staged. But the quality of this series will have to improve if it expects to compete with brisker mystery stuff on the nets. Gilb* M.G-M— 'On an Island with Yau" THK CjUIEI. show BVery Friday Mite, 8:3» E.S.T. Mgt.: LOU CLAYTON THE LAND OF MAKE-BELIEVE With Zel DcCyr; Dick Sugar, an- nouncer Producer-Director: Miss DeCyr Organist: Harry Anik 15 Mins.; Sat. (2) 3:30 p.m. Sustaining WEVD. New York A talented young performer, Zel DeCyr does a competent job with this story telling session. The tales are simple; the show caught dealt with a little fir tree which longed to leave the forest, had a brief heyday as a Christmas at- traction and then was burned. There was little moralizing, while the plot was straight forward and understandable to a youngster. In the course of the narration. Miss DeCyr took the parts of half a dozen characters, playing them expressively. She catches mdods well and projects the feelings be- hind the words. Interesting pro- duction detail is that organ con- tinuously plays during the broad- cast, adding a lyrical quality. Bril. , ADVENTURES WITH STAMPS j With Ernest A. Kehr, participants; ' Dick Bradley, announcer 1 Director: Steve White I Producer: Henry Morgenthau, 3d 15 Mins.; Fri., 9 p.m. Sustaining WNEW. New York This new stanza qn WNEW, N.Y;; is strictly in the groove for the upr coming philatelists and. by the saiiie 'token will have' to depend upon that type of audience for any pull it achieves. , . „ . Sparked by Ernest A. Kehr, au- thor-of several authoritative tomes on philately and conductor of a stamp column in the N. Y. Herald Tribune, the 15-minute stanza is reputedly a climax of an hours session in the studio, when view- ers and participants may involve in off-the-record discussions, swap stamps and what-have-you. Initial session caught Friday (l) was given over to a history of the new postage stamp of the Israeli government and a closeup explana- tion by Lt. Issiah Rappaport, re- cently returned from that country, on previous movement of mail. There were also hints as to remov- ing and salvaging stamps for the collectors. Its limited appeal ,will likely keep it in the public service domain. Edba. SPORTS DOUBLE-HEADER With Rosalind Maranis, Jimmy Finnegan, Jim Walton, anr nouncer; Jack Crutcher Bench- warmers (5) Producer; Bill Loder - . Writer: Jimmy Finnegan 15 Mins., Mon.-thru-Fri., 5:15 p.m. FEHR BREWING CO. WHAS, Louisville iSmithi McClure & Benson) This is sort of a daily roundup of sport news, late flashes, inter- larded with musical numbers by the Jack Crutcher .instrumental combo and vocal numbers by Rosar lind Marquis, staff thrush, Fcmme warbler alternates on shows with Bill Pickett, baritone. % Show opened with a fast orch number, "Back Home In Indiana." This was followed by a Marquis vocal, "Be It Ever So Humble," written by Joe Staskus, local com-, poser, which looks to have possi- bilities and might catch on. Miss MarquiS: also gave sultry voiced treatment to "Love Me Or Leave Me," while the Crutcher boys got in the rhythm groove with "Oh, Look At Me Now" and "Boo Hoo." Jimmy Finnegan, sports director who writes the show, also gave the commentary, and delivered a fast, authoritative, resume of .the sport highlights; big noise locally of^ course being the tournament play of the Wildcasts, University of Kentucky topflight basketball team, Jim Walton did a persuasive selling job for his suds sponsor. Alto- gether, a briskly moving session which had the participants ex- changing banter in a friendly, breezy way. Hold. WARNING EDITORS • RADIO STATION MANAGERS THEATER MANAGERS • BOOKING AGENTS tmmtha J |||| GRAND OLE OPRY There are persons fraudulently claiming to represent the WSM Grand Ole Opry now booking shows throughout the country. Some of these persons ac- tually present shows made up of acts never heard over WSM —others advertise shows that never appear. Beware of them! Two Federal Courts have ruled that the title "Grand Ole Opry" is the exclusive property of WSM, and unauthorized use is illegal. Genuine Opry acts are the only ones who may use this title. Don't allow the people of your city to be misled or disappointed through fraudulent advertising. All acts of the WSM Grand Ole Opry are handled by legitimate, honest bookers, and all bookings are cleared through one central office—^the WSM Artists Service Bureau. ' When in doubt as to the authenticity of any act or booker claiming to represent WSM or the WSM Grand Ole Opry, write or phone — 6-7181 — JAMES R.* DENNY ( Uf ^ AM Manager, { WW 9 Iwl Artists Service Bureau ( NASHVILLE 3, TENN. Richards Continued from page 29 Club complaint. Hundreds of let* ters and postcards have poured into the agency, the overwhelming majority expressing outrage that Richards should be permitted to operate radio stations, and: demand- ing that FCC take action. Mahy letters have come from veterans, who assert they fought a war to banish the prejudices which have been charged against Richards. A number of letters refer dis- paragingly to the designation of Richards' outlets as "Goodwill" stations. Several regarded the stations as a "danger" or a "men- ace" or "a travesty on everything we have grown to Joiow and love In this country." But other letters came from In- fluential citizens or organizations Tillow RadioMn Ohio Hospitals Answer To What the Dr. Ordered Fremont, O,. April 5. Hospitals throughout the coun- try ate eyeing the new central radio system recently installed in Memorial Hospital, Fremont. The system eliminates the bedside radio, and patients may now tune in without annoying others. All ; beds In the hospital have been equipped, and the receivpr tunes In three major broadcasting systems and the local PM station, and is placed under the patient's pillow. By pulling a cord, the patient may have his choice of the four outlets. The system was in- ' stalled by a Cleveland firm oh a rental basis, and becomes the prop- Stop Scrapping S Conbnued trom page 28 Sa pensive FM sets are now on the market and cited a new Zenith model which will sell for $39.95. He concluded his address with tape recorded airchecks contrasting AM reception with static-free FM. Incomplete Information Part of the reason for ■ the foundering of many FM operations was discussed by Linnea Nelson, chief time buyer of; J. Walter Thompson. Miss Nelson' pointed out that although there are ,700 FM'ers on the air, only 326 are listed in "Standard Hate and Data." Of these, she said, half duplicate AM programs and the others give only sketchy, incom- plete information. Some say "rates on request,'' "consult manage- ment," "rates not determined" or "see network listing." Talking up the medium's story, FMA prexy William E. Ware said that 721 FM statioTis" ~can now reach a potential audience of 100,- 000,000. Everett L. Dillard, head of the Continental FM Network, said that AMronly . receiver produc- tion dropped last year by more than a fourth from Its '47 level, while FM sets increased by 35% over '47. Since the war 3,000,000 FM sets have been produced* he said. Dn Millard C. Faught pointed: to a solution of- the: FM coin problem in attracting new bankroUers, de- claring that if . radio would do the same kind of ad job for looalbusi- ness ' that has enabled 10,000 local newspapers to prosper, radio could increase its revenue by millions of dollars. who went to the support of Rich ards. Outstanding among these was a letter dated last Feb. 23 from Sen. Arthur Vanderberg of Michigan to FCC Chairman Wayne Coy. Stating that he knew the "nature of the charges" against Richards and that he knew Rich- ards "has beeil wrong in some of his internal activities," the Sena- tor asked to be "acquitted" of any Idea of interference. Vandenberg Cites 'Fair Play' "My interest," said Vandenberg, "is in WJR as an institution . . . I think I Jsnow whereof I speak when I assert that WJR has rightly earned the public confidence by a record of constant, impartial, wn- prejudiced public service which is a model of radio operation. "Regardless of what may have been Mr. Richards' personal pre- dilections, I venture to say: that WJR has come as close to a con- stant record of 'broadcasting fair play' as can be found in this coun- try. I respectfully urge the im- portance of preserving WJR in this character." From the Michigan Regional Of- fice of the National Conference of Christians and Jews came a letter saying that "so, far as our knowl- edge goes" WJR "has a clean bill of health." Lt. Gov. Knight of California wrote Coy on March 1 that he was "not familiar with the nature of ■the complaint" and was "most hap- py to make this wholly unsolicited and wholly voluntary statement." Knight said he has known Rich- ards for 10 years; that he is a good citizen and "the unremitting foe of Communism or other false for- eign ideologies inimical to Ameri- can democracy," He declared that stations KMPG did a good job dur- ing the war,"always presenting both I sides of any controversial issue." i Gov. Frank J. Lausche of Ohio i also submitted a testimonial on be- .' half of the Richards station In ! Cleveland, WGAR. erty of the hospital in four years if it has a 40% usage in that time. Other hospitals in Ohio simi- larly equipped include the Huron Road and Grace hospitals. Cleve- land, and Aultman hospital, Can- ton. Colored Marltet Continued from page 29 "Afternoon Swing Session" is pitched toward a Negro audience. Heard daily from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., it reaches housewives and teen- agers, with: Phil Gordon featured as "Dr. Jive." "The strip has 10 ad- vertisers, largely retail outlets but including some national accounts^ Selvin Donneson, WWRL, sales topper, points out that the station supplies bankrollers with merchan- dizing aids, including lists :of : pharmacies, groceries and other re- tail outlets in Negro residential areas. In addition, it provides sur- veys on preferences for various products among Negro buyers. WMCA, N, Y., also has a suc- cessful show. featuring Symphony Sid, who recently was given an ad- ditional half-hour daily. Symphony Sid was formerly heard on both the WHOM and WWRL programs. San: Antonio :—^ This week the Kallison Trading Post will begin its 13th year of broadcasting over KTSA. Program is heard six mornings a week starting at 7 a.m. and originates in the department store with Perry, Kallison as ''The Old Trader." St. Louis—Harry Renfro, Public ' Relations Director of KXOK, has been elected Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, down- ■. town St. Louis Post 6516. Be will ( serve for one year. i 'Fascinating i , . different." Paul Danif, Poit, N«w York •^:'1IIHfflllllKB|if'^- - For Ivory Flakm CBS, Mon. thru Fri. 2:45.4 PiM. With JOHN K, M. MeCAFFEHY WHtten and Dlrvcted :bj ' ADDISON SMITH WDEL WILMINGTON OEIA. WGAL LANCASTER PENNA. WKBO MARRISBURa PENNA. WRAW READING PENNA. Schenectady—WSNY announced the Esso Dealers of Schenectady and vicinity: have purchased a heavy schedule of broadcasts. This is believed to be the first coop- erative effort: by Individual service stations in this part of the coun- try. It was arranged through the cooperative efforts of Roger Kelso, Schenectady rep of Esso; WSNY, and the Esso Dealers themselves. Initial schedule callii for a total of 48 broadcasts per week. WORK YORK PENNA. WEST EASTON PENNA. STEINMAN STATIONS Cl^ir R. McCollough, Monoging Dirtclor •.p».....afcK ROBERT MEEKER ASSOCIATES Chicago Son Franclica New York toi Angelei