Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

The Other Fellow's Viewpoint . . . c T T H I S O U COUPON BROADCASTING, Inc. Nati onal Press Bldg. WASHINGTON, D. C. I don't want to miss a single copyof Broadcasting. Please enter my subscription (or one year at $3.00. Name Address □ Check Bill me □ BROAD^IsTING NATL PRESS BLDG.. WASHINGTON. D. C. THE NEWS M^SAZINE OF THE FIFTH ESTATfc 100Watt Station Pays (Continued from page 13) perience will be of value to other small station owners. But I do know that the experiences of KGFJ at least have demonstrated to us that a little station can make money and at the same time provide worth while programs even in a large metropolis where competition is keen." The 25-year-old station owner does not spend all his time at his own transmitter. But, like the letter carrier who goes for a walk on a Sunday, he has radio as a hobby. He has a 500-watt short wave transmitter located in Duke Hancock's house. A remote line runs to Ben's home and they can transmit from either point on their W60G. The station was in constant communication with the Byrd party at the South Pole. He has a power cruiser called "The Broadcaster" on which is located W6GY, a portable outfit. It is used on the cruiser or on his high-powered automobile when they are stationary, that is, when the boat is anchored or the car is motionless. When away from home he transmits from W6GY to W60G. So radio is a part and parcel of young McGlashan's everyday life. Perhaps his experience and his "ten commandments" would be just as well suited to small stations everywhere whether located in Maine or Florida, in Oregon or Michigan. "The Radio Fan" NEW YORK CITY'S newest program paper, announced as taking "a leaf from the newspaper fight on radio," is the Radio Fan, first issue of which appeared Feb. 21. It has an attractive tabloid format and is published by L. A. Nixon, with J. L. McGoldrick as managing editor, at 1265 Broadway. PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY JANSKY and BAILEY Consulting Radio Engineers Commercial Coverage Surveys Allocation Engineering Station and Studio Installations Engineering Management National Press Bldg. Wash., D. C. T. A. M. CRAVEN Consulting Radio Engineer Allocation Engineering Commercial Coverage Surveys Antenna Installations Complete Engineering Surveys National Press Building, Washington, D. C. EDGAR H. FELIX 202 Beechwood Road Ridge wood, N. J. Field Intensity Surveys Allocation and Station Management Problems Transcriptions To the Editor of Broadcasting: The electrical transcription survey for which Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn are responsible (reviewed in the February 15 issue of this publication) is a painstaking and praiseworthy piece of work and, in my opinion, congratulations are in order. They are hereby tendered. The conclusions drawn by the report are irresistible, but, curiously enough, the premises from which those conclusions are drawn, are incomplete. The survey lists five general classifications of advantages in favor of electrical transcriptions, presumably as against chain broadcasts. But the list does not include three very definite and important advantages which are certainly just as important as those which it does list. One is that this method of broadcast enables the advertiser to overcome the handicap of geographical time-changes. While this is important at any time, it is especially important when applied to the ever-growing number of morning broadcasts. A nation-wide chain advertiser who is fortunate enough to secure the hour of 10:30 a. m. in New York, is so unfortunate as to have his message broadcast on the Pacific Coast at 7:30 a. m. and, during the operation of daylight saving, which does not apply on the coast, at 6:30! Faced with a situation such as this, the advertiser, if he insists on "going chain," is faced with two alternatives; one is to pass up his western broadcasts and use some other means of reaching that vast market, and the other is to broadcast his message twice — a la Amos 'n' Andy and a few others — of course at considerably increased expense. Because an electrically transcribed program is an individual release by each individual station, the most desirable available time can be scheduled in each locality. Another important entry omitted from the credit side of the transcription account in the B.B.D.O. Survey is based on the obvious fact that any telephone hook-up must of necessity be a mixture of strong and weak stations. With three major chains having an outlet in every important market area, there can be no possibility of each chain using the dominant station in any given area. Even a casual study of the lists of stations affiliated with the various chains demon CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Classified advertisements in Broadcasting cost 7c per word for each insertion. Cash must accompany order. Forms close 28th and 13th of month preceding issue. For Sale Owner's 100% interest in Radio Station ; 100 watts ; very reasonable. Address Box 11, c/o Broadcasting. strates this point beyond cavil Chain "A" may release its pro grams over the dominant statioi in the Pittsburgh area, but th Chain "B" station dominates ii • Philadelphia, while the Chain "C station dominates in Cleveland. N< chain — not even a broadcasting 1 chain — is any stronger than it: weakest link. The very fact tha there are three chains, predicate: beyond argument that in some ter \ ritory each chain is using the thirc station in point of popularity. By the electrical transcriptior method, the advertiser is enable' to schedule the dominant statior in each territory he wishes to react | and, what is equally important, tc | stay out of those territories which' he does not wish to reach. The enforced use of arbitrary groups oil stations is as illogical and anachronistic as compelling an advertiser to use all the Scripps-Howard or Hearst newspapers, just be-; cause he can profitably use two oi three of them! There is one other advantage which is of equal importance at least, with any of the others. And that is the tremendous factor of "staggered" broadcasts. On any reasonably sized schedule of stations, it is possible for the electrically transcribed program to be released in every major marketing area, four, five, six, or seven times a week without any greater expenditure than is involved in one nation-wide broadcast. This is indeed making one dollar do the work of several. Almost every transcription program is released in this way (there have been a few notable exceptions, which, however, were mainly "stunts") which in itself is sufficient proof, if any were needed, of its definite advantage over the chains' necessarily simultaneous releases at all points. Percy B. Brown, Brown & Hart, Inc., New York City. Feb. 17, 1932. Second Hollywood News Disk Set in Production "RADIO News Reel of Hollywood," spotted on about 30 stations throughout the country, has gone into production for the second set of 26 transcriptions. The first 26 were done last spring on the First National-Warner Brothers lot. The entire 52 weekly transcriptions will run on the original station schedule, according to reports from the New York office of Batten, Barton, Durstine and Osborn, Inc., handling the account for the recent merger of Standard Oil of New York and Vacuum Oil Co. The series attempts to portray actual life in picture studios. Commercial announcements are made only at the start and finish of the 15-minute feature. The series is woven around assignments of a newspaper reporter. Each transcription opens in the news office and fades into the Hollywood locale. Scenes are laid in the lots, on location, production units, in cutting room, with scouting parties, and in the casts are George Arliss, John Barrymore, Richard Barthlemess and other stars. Page 30 BROADCASTING • March 1, 1932