Broadcasting (Jan - June 1936)

Second Pacific Is Placed in Op Two Transcontinentals ! With the Present Basic FOLLOWING close upon the inaugural of its elaborate new Hollywood studios for the origination of national and regional programs, NBC on Jan. 1 is putting into operation a second Pacific Coast network and realigning its two basic networks into transcontinentals that will embrace the respective Pacific Coast groups. The new network, which will be known as the Pacific Blue Network, will consist of KECA, Los Angeles; KGO, San Francisco; KEX, Portland; KJR, Seattle; KGA, Spokane. All are new stations on the NBC; with the addition of KFSD, San Diego, they will not only form the new Pacific group but will be lined up with the NBC-WJZ (Blue) network for its transcontinental shows. Formerly KFSD was offered with KTAR, Phoenix, as a Pacific supplementary. Under the new arrangement the present NBC Pacific group of stations will continue as the PacificRed Network, being lined up with the basic NBC-WEAF (Red) network for transcontinental shows. These stations are KPO, San Francisco; KFI, Los Angeles; KGW, Portland; KOMO, Seattle; KHQ, Spokane. Revives Gold Network THE NEW Pacific Blue network thus is virtually a revival of the former Gold network, which NBC operated alongside its Orange network, as it was then known, the Orange designation having been dropped in favor of "Pacific" when the Gold was discontinued. Of the new Pacific Blue group, KECA is owned by Earle Anthony, who also owns KFI; KGO is owned by General Electric Co. but operated under management contract by NBC; KEX is owned by NBC but is operated under lease by the Po7-tland Oregonian, owner and operator of KGW; KJR is owned by NBC but operated under lease by Fisher's Blend Station Inc., o\vner and operator of KOMO; KGA is owned by NBC but operated under lease by Louis Wasmer Inc., ovraer and operator of KHQ. Stations KEX, KJR and KGA were acquired by NBC about four years ago when the old American Broadcasting Co., projected by Adolph Linden, went into bankruptcy. When NBC decided it could no longer maintain a second Pacific Coast network it leased the stations to the managements of its other affiliated stations. Two transcontinental networks, with various supplementary groups in between, are now being made available to NBC advertisers while the newly acquired A. T. & T. lines will assure both of Red and Blue sustainers. There is also a probability that later several of the stations now in the supplementary category, because they are strategically located, may be added to one or the other of the networks as basic though NBC has made no statement as to this eventuality. "This expansion to the Pacific Coast," said Richard C. Patterson Page 8 WTIC is Purchased by Cherry & Webb WPRO Owners Buy 50,000 Watt Station; May Shift to Boston A PURCHASE contract to acquire WTIC, Hartford, Conn. 50,000 watter, at approximately $675,000, has been consummated by Cherry & Webb, New England department store operators, and owners of WPRO, Providence, R. I. The station now is ovraed by the Travelers Life Insurance Co., of Hartford, and is an NBC-WEAF outlet. Coincident with the disclosure of the purchasing arrangement, which is regarded as tantamount to acquisition of the station subject to FCC approval, it was indicated that Cherry & Webb would seek to have the station removed to the Boston area. Should that eventuate, there is the possibility of an affiliation with CBS when that network's current contract with the Yankee Network expires Jan. 1, 1937. While definite information was lacking, it was learned that the purchase contract was signed Dec. 5 following by four days the acquisition by Cherry & Webb of an option to purchase. A down payment of $25,000, it is understood, has been made to Travelers. Possibility of Shift NEGOTIATIONS were completed by William Cherry, head of the department store organization, his son, William, Jr., and Paul Oury, manager of WPRO, with Daniel Read, secretary of Travelers. Conversations with CBS also have been had by the Cherry & Webb organization, it was indicated, contingent upon the move of WTIC to the Boston area. The present CBS outlet in Hartford is WDRC, regional station, while the Hartford Times holds a construction permit for a new 100 watter. Whether WTIC will transfer to CBS a year from now even if it should not move to the Boston market was regarded as problematical. While CBS is contracted with the Yankee Network for New England coverage until Jan. 1, 1927, CBS had entered into a contract with WHDH, Boston part-1;ime independent station, to begin CBS service on it when the Yankee contract expired. This option on WHDH as an outlet was for a two-and-one-half year period from Jan. 1. It was indicated that arrangements had been made to terminate this option, leaving the way open for CBS either to deal with Yankee on a renewal or to use WTIC and other New England outlets in lieu of the Sheoard service next year. John Shepard 3d, president of the Yankee Network, for several months has been using Mutual Broadcasting System service at intervals, as well as certain programs from the Inter-City Group keyed from WMCA, New York. Quaker Oats onNBC-WEAF QUAKER OATS Co., Chicago (cereals) will return to the NBCWEAF network Jan. 4 using 23 stations Saturdays, 5:30-6 p. m. Kaltenmyer's Kindergarten will be the talent and it will emanate from the NBC studios in Chicago. Lord & Thomas, Chicago, is the agency. BROADCASTING • January J, 1936 Coast Networli eration by NBC Now Made Available, Aligned Red and Blue Networks Jr., NBC executive vice president, "means that for the first time Far Western listeners will have full and regular access simultaneously to two complete program services of NBC through its two great networks." It will also mean, undoubtedly, that more NBC programs will emanate not only from Hollywood and San Francisco but from other cities on the Pacific Coast. First sponsors on the augmented NBC-WJZ network, it was learned, will be Woodbury's featuring the new Paul Whiteman program; National Ice Manufacturers, featuring Mary Pickford, and probably the new Ford Motor program with Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians. The Woodbury program makes its debut on Sunday, Jan. 5, 9:45-10:30 p. m., and the ice program on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 10-10:30 p. m., both EST. The Ford program begins Jan. 17, and is scheduled for Fridays, 9:30-10 p. m. EST. Rates for the Pacific Coast Blue network were quoted by NBC as follows . Frequency Power in in Hour Station Kilocycles Watts Rate KGO. San Francisco 790 7,500 $280 KECA. Los Angeles 1430 1.000 $280 KEX, Portland 1180 5,000 $160 KJR, Seattle 970 5 000 $200 KGA, Spokane 1470 5.000 $120 KFSD, San Diego 600 1,000 $120 CALL letters of WBSO, Mass., recently sold by the Roger Babson Organization to Boston interests, have been changed to WORL. Chevrolet Renews Again CHEVROLET MOTOR Co., Detroit, has renewed for a fourth 13-weeks its series over 346 stations, constituting the largest spot transcription series ever placed. Renewed on Dec. 26, the fourth group will begin Jan. 20 and round out a full year of transcription broadcasting. Placed through Campbell Ewald Co. Inc., Detroit, the programs have been transcribed by World Broadcasting System. They are 15minute programs scheduled thrice weekly. KNX Libel Suit Against Los Angeles Times Goes Into Concluding Stages HEARING of the $500,000 libel suit brought by KNX, Hollywood, against the Los Angeles Times was expected to close by Jan. 1, the session having begun Dec. 2 before a jury in California Superior Court with Judge J. T. B. Warne on the bench. An adjournment had been taken over Christmas. The alleged libel against KNX grew out of an editorial in the Times April 13, 1934, to the effect that KNX would not join the Press-Radio agreement. According to the plaintiff, the editorial, also broadcast over Times' affiliated stations, is alleged to have intimated that KNX was broadcasting false news, garbled and pirate news, and wholly inaccurate happenings. Ralph Trueblood, managing editor of the Times, testified that at no time had KNX garbled news, bi'oadcast incorrect news, stolen or pirated news and that statements in the editorial were not meant to be directed at KNX as KNX news was above criticism. Newspaper Syndicates Offering Comic Strips and Other Features to Radio THE ENTRY of two maior newspaper syndicates into the broadcasting field, offering specially prepared material for program purposes based on popular features running in newspapers throughout the countrv. was disclosed during the last fortnig-ht with the decisions 'if Kin" Features Syndicate and United Feature Syndicate to market in the radio field. King Features is a Hearst subsidiary and is the largest of all the feature syndicates. United Featui*e is affiliated with the Scripps Howard organization, which has interlocking relations with the United Press. Both Hearst's International News Service and the United Press already offer news to radio stations for sponsorship. The decision to sell or allocate radio rights to popular features was reached, it was learned, as a result of numerous inquiries coming voluntarily from advertising agencies seeking new material for their clients. For King Features, Joseph V. Connolly, president, who also heads INS, has appointed Fred Smith to head a special radio division to handle all radio business. Mr. Smith was assigned to look into the possibilities of establishing such an office last September. Since that time King Features has been slowly formulating its radio plans. From 1922 to 1928 Mr. Smith was with WLW, Cincinnati, and from 1928 to 1932 he was connected with Time Inc. in the development of its radio promotional plans which brought out the March of Time, writing the script. Grombach Productions Inc., New York, has been given a verbal agreement by United Features to handle all inquiries concerning the radio rights for any of their features. Jean Grombach, its head, said the United Features controls 126 features that appear in newspapers daily. Of these about 25 would make high class radio entertainment. Some could be used as complete radio programs while others could be used as serials. Mr. Grombach said that these features had a daily reading public of from 3,000,000 to 15,000,000. Three different advertising agencies are now discussing plans for adapting some of these United newspaper features to radio, he said. All Types of Features KING FEATURES has about 50 comic strips and many other features, such as advice to the lovelorn, gossip columns, Arthur Brisbane's Today, women's topics and special features. A resume of the King Feature comic strips that are being offered to radio follows: {Continued on page i9)