Broadcasting (July - Dec 1936)

DONALD SCHOLEFIELD SHAW HAVING worked on both sides of the fence, so to speak, Donald Scholefield Shaw knows practically all of the answers to the questions that daily arise in the consideration of radio as a medium by advertisers and agencies. After nearly four years as a member of the NBC sales staff, preceded by more than a decade of agency experience, Don last spring returned to agency work as assistant to the president of McCann-Erickson Inc., major New York agency, and forthwith was placed in charge of all of its radio activities. That he was destined to leave his mark on radio advertising progress, no one who knows his work in the past doubted from the day NBC reluctantly accepted his resignation as its eastern sales manager. Just appointed to the AAAA radio committee headed by Charles F. Gannon, radio director of Arthur Kudner Inc., Don Shaw as head of McCann Erickson's radio activities is in charge of such programs, all on NBC, as Twin Stars, for the National Biscuit Co.; Death Valley Days, for Pacific Coast Borax Co.; Mystery Chef, for Regional Advertisers (also on spot) ; and the newly resumed and highly popular Standard Symphony series sponsored by Standard Oil Co. of California on a Pacific Coast network of NBC largely for reception in the schools. Under him also comes the Langendorf Pictorial, sponsored on the same western network by Langendorf United Bakeries. Don is one of the most likeable men in the broadcasting business. Today, his name is still mentioned with highest respect at NBC where from late 1932 until April 1 of this year he was with the sales department, the final year as eastern sales manager. He is liked not only because of a charming personal manner but because the men working with him always found him tolerant of their views, eager to hear new ideas, quick to adopt them if deemed feasible. A native New Yorker, born Sept. 18, 1898, at 38 Don finds himself like so many others in the broadcasting field often referred to as one of youthful radio's bright young men. But brightness is implemented by real ability and by a peculiar knack for the business of broadcasting — a knack which H. K. McCann, president of the McCann Erickson Co., recognized after only a few contacts, leading to his selection for his present important post. That ability may come, of course, from the happy combination of paternal Scotch and maternal Dutch ancestry. His father, a native of Glasgow, was owner and headmaster of the Hamilton Institute for Boys, where Don received his early schooling. Upon graduation from Brown University in 1920, he immediately went into the advertising field, joining Larcher Horton Co., Providence agency, in the art department. After a year there, New York beckoned and he went into the George L. Dyer agency, now defunct, in a general capacity. In 1923 he joined the Biow Co. as assistant art director, then was made art director. He was in the advertising: department of the Vacuum Oil Co. for three years, then with Williams & Savior, another New York agency, and then did merchandising for a big manufacturing concern before becoming a partner in the agency of Cleveland & Shaw. His own venture into agency ownership went by the wayside with the 1929-30 business collapse, but shortly afterward he met M. H. Aylesworth, then NBC president, and Roy Witmer, then vice president in charge of eastern sales, now general sales mana.eer of the network. He persuaded them that they should have more salesmen if they expected to sell radio time and keep their clients sold. Impressed by the zealous young man. Aylesworth and Witmer agreed to give him carte blanche in the organization and administration of the selling force. How well he succeeded, everyone in radio knows: by the end of his second year with NBC he was handling; all sales activities in one department with a staff of 24 men as against 10 when he started. During his three years with NBC. the network's annual sales volume PERSONAL NOTES FRED WEBER, general manager of Mutual Broadcasting System, and Miss Ruth Betz of the CBS press department were married in New York Oct. 10. They are spending their honeymoon at Virginia Beach. D. E. KEXDRICK, vice president of WIRE, Indianapolis, has announced the promotion of L. L. Jacquier as station manager and Jack Stillwell as production manager. Mr. Jacquier, formerly manager of KTSA, San Antonio, has been with WIRE in a commercial capacity for nearly two years. Mr. Stillwell, formerly with WXAX. Yankton, S. D., and KTSA, joined WIRE on Sept. 1. DONALD FLAMM, president of WMCA, New York, and head of Inter-City Group, will be honored at a tribute dinner to be held Nov. 14 by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Infants Home of Brooklyn. Alfred J. MeCosker, president of WOR, Newark, is chairman of the honorary committee and Harry Hershfield is treasurer. CLARK BRANION, formerly with Detroit newspapers and WXYZ, and onetime executive secretary to former Mayor Bowles of Detroit, has been appointed local sales manager of WJR, Detroit, succeeding Owen F. Uridge, who has joined the staff of Radio Sales Inc., CBS spot sales subsidiary. HARRY BARD, former national advertising manager of the Sr. Paul Daily News, Arthur H. Croghan, formerly national sales manager of WDGY, Minneapolis, and Robert Kennedy, formerly of the staff of WJMS. Ironwood, Mich., have joined the sales staff of WMIN, new St. Paul local. Roberta Wessel, formerly of WDGY, has been named office manager. RANDY RYAN, formerly with "WIBW, Topeka, is now managing KMMJ, Clay Center, Neb., recently purchased by family interests headed by Don Searle, WIBW manager. PAUL HODGES and William Sisson have joined the sales staff of WNBR, Memphis. JACK MERRILL has joined the sales staff of WMC, Memphis, and Robert M. Gray, former Memphis reporter, has been named publicity director. RALPH A. SAYRES, sales director of KYW, Philadelphia, has been named chairman of the radio committee of the Poor Richard Club. Philadelphia. J. N. HINCHEY. formerly commercial manager of WCBA. Allentown. Pa., has joined the sales staff of KYW, Philadelphia. VERNON C. BAILEY, formerly of Louisville, has joined the sales staff of WSAZ, Huntington. W. Va. went up from $25,000,000 to §31,000,000. One of his cherished possessions today is a group picture of these 24 men, with the signature of each affixed, which hangs on the wall of his office. Equally cherished is a similar memento signed by NBC's 35 page boys. As eastern sales manager, he was associated with practically every account booked by the eastern divisionEvery big heavyweight prizefight broadcast that wras sponsored on the network was sold by him personally. Don Shaw admits of only one hobby — radio. He plays golf after a fashion, but isn't very serious about the game. He was married in 1923, and resides with Mrs. Shaw and their three children — ■ Florence, 12; Donald, 10; Reid, 6 — at Bronxville, N. Y. S. W. FULLER, former program manager and production director of KGB, San Diego, has been promoted to station manager, filling the vacancy created by the transfer of Roger K. Huston to the Los Angeles staff of KHJ as sales manager. Mr. Fuller's assistant will be Don J. Donnelly, as manager of the sales department. GLADSTONE MURRAY, general manager of the new Canadian Radio Corp., arrived in Canada Oct. 8 prepared to take over his new job Nov. 2. Mrs. Murray and their two children Ian, 9 and Anne, 7, arrived with the new Canadian radio chieftain. RAY F LEMMING, former advertisingmanager of the St. Louis branch of Kroger Grocery Co., has joined the sales force of KMOX, St. Louis. Paul Phillips has been promoted from assistant continuity editor to editorial director, succeeding John Clark, who left to continue his radio activities in the East. Phillips has spent several vears as a radio writer, coming to KMOX from WMCA, New York. Don Ownbey, formerly of WBBM, Chicago, has joined the staff as newswriter. PHILLIP MERCER, formerly with Critehfield & Co. and Erwin, Wasey & Co. in Minneapolis, has been put in charge of sales promotion at WLS. Chieago. ROBERT SCHMID, MBS sales promotion manager, and Miss Jarrett Wells will be married in St, Bartholomew's Church, New York, on Oct. 17. Honeymoon will be spent in Bermuda. ARTHUR E. LEWIS, formerly of WJAS, Pittsburgh. WTAX, Springfield, 111., and WROK, Rockford, HI., has joined the sales staff of WMXN, Fairmont, W. Va. WILBER JAMES McEDWARDS, formerly in the advertising department of Nu-Enamel Co., has replaced John Sandberg in NBC's Chicago sales promotion department, following Sandberg's transfer to local sales in Chicago. WILLIAM D. PABST, of the exploitation and production departments of KFRC, San Francisco, has been ■ made assistant station manager, Tom Breneman, manager, announced. He is the son of Fred Pabst, general manager of the Don Lee organization in northern California. JOHN J. GILLIN Jr., manager of WOW, Omaha, and Mrs. Gillin are the parents of a son, born Sept. 27 at St. Joseph Hospital, Omaha. He was named John Gillin III. ARTHUR McDONALD. recently appointed sales manager of KEHE, Los Angeles, and Mrs. McDonald on Sept. 21 became the parents of a son, born in the Cedar of Lebanon hospital in Hollywood. BERNE W ILK INS, formerly of WEVD, New York, and Thomas Harkins, of Philadelphia stations, have joined the sales staff of WNEW, Newark. GORDON JENKINS has joined the sales staff of KOMO-KJR. Seattle. He was formerly employed by the Pioneer Printing Co., Seattle. JOHN E. ROBERTS, vice president of Maryland Press Association and secretary of the Certified Press Association, has joined the sales staff of WBAL, Baltimore. For the last three years he was Baltimore manager of Western Newspaper Unio'n. DR WILLIAM H. VOELLER. of Conquest Alliance Co. Inc., left New York Oct. 10 for a flying trip to Hollvwood. where he will supervise the production of several Conquest recorded programs. GEORGE H. BUCHER has been elected executive vice president of Westinghouse E. & M. Co., with headquarters at Pittsburgh, having been raised from a vice presidency. JOHN M. HEYER, sales manager of W9XBY. Kansas City, and Mrs. Heyer are the parents of a 7 lb. son, born Sept. 21. BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising October 15, 1936 • Page 51