Broadcasting (July - Dec 1936)

Mr. Garbett Arthur Garbett of NBC Is Awarded Fellowship ARTHUR S. GARBETT, NBC western division educational director in San Francisco, nationally known for his work in the development of music appreciation, has been awarded a special grantin-aid fellowship by the Humanities Division of the Rockefeller Foundation to perfect his simplified system of teaching musical composition to children and adults. His method is being experimentally used in both the Oakland and San Francisco public schools. Award was made in recognition of Garbett's work in the field of musical education by radio through such programs as the Standard Symphony Hour and Standard School Broadcast, both sponsored over the NBC-Pacific red network by Standard Oil of California; the New World and other educational musical features. He will continue as head of the NBC western division educational department, but will devote a portion of his time, under the fellowship, to the development of this simplified approach to the study of melody-writing, harmony and song composition which he originated. A pentatonic, or five-note scale, is the basis of the method. The Other Fellow's Viewpoint . . . An Agency Corrects Us To the Editor of Broadcasting: We notice you list the Burns & Allen program as Wednesday 9:30 p. m. as originating from the West Coast. Please note this is broadcast, as it has been for the past year, 8:30 to 9 p. m. F. Wallis Armstrong Co.. Philadelphia, Pa. Oct. 2, 1936. One on Benny To the Editor of Broadcasting: I note in the latest issue of your magazine a short item concerning Jack Benny's propensity for kidding his sponsor. With the reading of the item I was reminded of my apprenticeship in radio as a page boy at Radio City. It was the custom of Jack Benny to introduce to his studio audience the cast of the program. This generally took place about five minutes before broadcast time. Of course the introductions were of a humorous nature as befitted the comedian. One of the page boys was always stationed just inside the door of the studio and Jack Benny would invariably include him in the introductions as "the Student Prince" (the uniforms of the pages made the appelation amusing). Of course the page would be the subject of the stinging laughter of the audience which was not only dis wow OMAHA "Covers the Nation's Bread Basket" 590 Kilo 5000 Watts John Gillin Jr., Mgr. John Blair Co., Representatives New York, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco WOW's service to women grows ! Latest addition is the Bond Bread cooking school conducted thrice weekly by Gladyse Miller Schulte, home service director of the General Baking Company. Miss Schulte is shown with Mr. Ralph Smith, manager of Bond's Omaha unit, at the initial broadcast from the advertiser's club room auditorium September 14. Modern homemakers listen to WOW more intently as this new service program is added to many already on the air over this station. Mrs. Modern goes WOW stronger than ever. concerting but also rather humiliating (who likes to be the butt of a joke?). I determined that even at the risk of my job I'd put a stop to it. Forthwith I saw to it that I was standing within the door at the time of the introductions. When Benny introduced me to the audience in the usual manner I waited until the laughter died down and said "thank you Mr. Cantor" . . . The "house came down" . . . Benny threw down his script and started after me . . . Don Wilson, his announcer, laughed till the tears ran down his face and was still laughing when the program went on the air. I didn't lose my job but I did start a regime of heckling the heckler. At every opportunity Jack Benny suffered from the subtle ridicule of the page staff. Dorian St. George, WLVA, Lynchburg, Va. Oct. 3, 1936 FHA Disc Series To the Editor of Broadcasting: I should like to express our appreciation for the article you gave our new series of transcriptions in the last issue of Broadcasting [Sept. 15]. As a result of that article, we have had a large number of requests for further information concerning the series. George T. Van der Hoef, Chief, Radio Section, Federal Housing Administration Washington, D. C. Oct. 2, 1936 Hammond Organ Cited HAMMOND CLOCK Co., Chicago, manufacturing Hammond electric musical instruments, is charged by the Federal Trade Commission with unfair competition in claims made for its instrument. Among representations allegedly made are that use of "The Hammond Organ" means "that real organ music of unbelievably beautiful quality is now possible in any home at an expense no greater than that of a good piano"; that the instrument "produces the entire range of tone coloring necessary for the rendition, without sacrifice, of the great works of classical organ literature," and that many organists agree the instrument is comparable to pipe organs costing $10,000. These and similar representations are false, according to the complaint, which charges that with the exception of the flute notes the respondent's instrument is not capable of producing faithfully the musical tones of a pipe organ necessary for the accurate, adequate rendition of the great compositions or organ music; that its tone is not an improvement over that of any modern organ of recognized merit, and that it is not comparable to a $10,000 pipe organ or to any pipe organ. THE Maxwell House Show Boat,, sponsored by General Foods Corp. for Maxwell House Coffee, celebrated its fourth consecutive year of NBC broadcasts during the program of Oct. 8. Plotting Spots (Continued from page 17) trickling into the home offk When only one station in a city to be used, the best plan for i concerned is for the client to alio his visiting agency representati to avoid field men, and inste; seek opinions from disinterest' parties. Of course, in using th method, the client must impo considerable confidence in the jud ment of the agency man, and tho agency men who are station blare most apt to justify this, sin they have a distinct advanta through training and experience. Agencies which have conside able spot billing are going to increasingly thankful for the m trend in the field, which is nt only to radio advertising, havii enjoyed much success in oth media. That is the use of mo than one station in a city. Statio and station 'reps' are beginni to shape sales arguments to age cies and clients along these lin< and they are obviously sound. Advertisers do buy more th one newspaper's circulation in prescribed area — therefore, w not more than one radio statio It is admitted that listening he its are a much more importa factor today than ever before a the advertiser, through his agen( should take advantage of the pci cies of stations in shaping the ty of program that would best car his message to the station's ty of audience. One station may noted for its novelty, news a sports broadcasts, while anotr may be widely known for rorepar rehearsed and cultivated sho^ Obviously the station's policy a its advice should never be ignor for station men are, or should just as anxious to promote a si cessful campaign as any clie and they should know their ty of potential listener. There i several broad rules that govt program selection on all statio but when it is possible to place spot that is, so to speak, 'rij down the listener's alley', why i capitalize on this? One final word to the aggress station official, which, in th lush radio days, is scarcely nec sary. The smart agency man v appreciate criticism and adv: and should want to know all S good and bad about his propo; i campaign, for it will save eve A body much grief in the long r JI Don't always "yes" the ageiU man. "Yes" may not be the ri^i answer. Remington Rand Disc* REMINGTON RAND Inc., falo, is placing a series of trJ scribed announcements throuf Armand S. Weill Co. Inc., wr produced the series. All announ1* ments are less than a minute, | lowing time for identification -A local Remington Rand offices f various cities. Promoted are sl noiseless typewriter, standard ty *■ writer and office supplies, witll girl's voice portraying Sciei i Modernism, Modern Secretary ; d Success following introduct y chimes. Credits are handled y George Hartrick, of WTAM, Cl< island, and Charles Lewis, t WBEN, Buffalo. Announceme s for the rest of the Remington R d line, also using allegorical cha; I ters, are being considered. * □N THE N. B.C. RED NETWORK Page 80 • October 15, 1936 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertisig