Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

Five New England Stations Form Net; Goes on Air Soon WTIC, WEEI, WCSH, WTAG And WJAR Enrolled FORMATION of a second New England broadcasting network, with sponsored and sustaining programs, to start shortly after Aug. 1, is announced by the New England Network. At the start five of the leading stations in New England will comprise the network, namely, WTIC, Hartford, 50 kw.; WEEI, Boston, 1 kw.; WCSH, Portland, 1 kw. night and 2.5 kw. day; WTAG, Worcester, 500 watts, and WJAR, Providence, 500 watts. All of these stations are members of the NBC-WEAF network, though their new project is independent of that affiliation. Either WTIC, Hartford, or WEEI, Boston, or both, will be the key stations of the New England System. Prime movers in the plans for forming this network were Paul W. Morency, manager of WTIC, formerly field service manager of the NAB and now vice-president and director of the NAB, and Charles W. Burton, manager of WEEI. The plans were drawn up in conferences during recent months with Henry Rines, owner of WCSH; John J. Storey, manager of WTAG, and Joseph S. Gettler, director of WJAR. An informal organization will precede incorporation and election of officers, accounts being asked to contact WTIC or the nearest station for coverage details and rates. New York and Boston talent will be made available and the program-building staffs of each of the stations will be at hand to help advertisers and agencies. "With the advent of the New England Network," said a spokesman for the new organization, "programs can be heard in every New England home that has a receiving set. We can furnish coverage of every nook and corner of urban and rural New England. This is an area with a population of more than 8,000,000 with incomes far higher than the average and with proved responsiveness to radio messages." Launching New England Network Second Log Supplement Released by Commission A SECOND supplement to the official broadcasting station log of Jan. 1, 1932, containing alterations and corrections of listings up to July 1, has been just published by the Radio Commission. It may be procured from the Commission under title of Mimeograph No. 6954. Three changes in call letter assignments were announced by the newly created Division of Field Operations of the Commission for the two weeks which began July 11. WRBQ, Greenville, Miss., was changed to WKFI, and KGMP, Elk City, Okla., was changed to KASA. The new station authorized for Hagerstown, Md., licensed to A. V. Tidmore, was assigned call letters WJEJ. Mr. Burton Mr. Morency Mr. Storey R. G. Dun & Co. Sees Better Prospects For Broadcasters in Advertising Field Radio Proving Year Round Medium Which Pays in Sales; Industry, Past Gold Rush Stage, Held Healthy PROSPECTS for the broadcaster infant stage in terms of industrial in the highly competitive field of life," it now contributes more than advertising "now seem brighter $500,000,000 annually to the na than they have been for many tional wealth, the survey brings years,'-' according to a special sur out. vey of the radio industry just re It also "pays out each year leased by the research department around $350,000,000 for operating of R. G. Dun & Co. expenses and provides entertain"Despite the many adverse in ment and instruction for nearly fluences, radio broadcasting has 17,000,000 homes scattered from been somewhat better during the Maine to California. For enterlast few months, due to the will tamers alone, broadcasting staingness of many advertisers, na tions will spend about $40,000,000 tional and local, to give the audi during the current year." We advertising medium at least a g gtation Lfat trial, the Dun report states. instead of losing renewal accounts, THE SURVEY brings out that or being unable to acquire new there are 1,423 broadcasting staones, many broadcasters report tions in the world, of which 607 business on the increase, particu are in the United States and its larly those situated strategically possessions. It carries the followfor serving favorable markets. ing list of the number of stations in each state: Year-Round Medium New York 52 California 4<J "THIS INCREASE was rather un Pennsylvania 40 expected during the summer, but Texa*15 ~ 34 it appears that the radio is prov i^'s Z~ ~~I 26 ing itself an efficacious advertising Washington 22 medium throughout the entire year. Ohio 20 It is just as valuable for the ex Michigan 19 ploitation of summer merchandise Missouri 19 as it is for calling attention to win Indiana 16 ter articles. Wisconsin 16 "Just a few years ago newspa jj^adS^I^ZIZIII^" U pers, magazines, and billboards Tennessee _ ' 13 were the recognized advertising Colorado 13 media. Today many firms have Oregon 13 discontinued such forms of adver Virginia : 12 tising and are using the radio ex Oklahoma 12 clusively. In many instances, this Nebraska 11 change has resulted in greater in «eofgia ° . , , , & Louisiana 10 creases in sales. Other firms are Arkansas 9 using the radio to supplement their Florida 9 printed advertising. Nearly every Minnesota 9 article advertised in print can se South Dakota 9 cure added marketing stimulus by Alabama _ 8 use of the radio, and many of the Mississippi 7 new accounts now being closed by North Carolina ^ broadcasters are from long-estab N^D^ta""""^^:: 6 lished print advertisers. Idaho _ 6 "That radio advertising pays Montana 6 may be judged by the record of the Maine 5 National Broadcasting Company, Rhode Island 5 which in 1927 received from adver Vermont 5 tisers for station time alone $3, Kentucky __ 5 760,010. In 1928 the National Sa^Urnd8™! I 5 Broadcasting Company and the Connecticut 4 Columbia Broadcasting System re Soufh Carolina 3 ported an income for time of $10, New Mexico 3 252,497. This fisrure jumped to Utah 3 $18,729,571 by 1929, and in 1930 District of Columbia rose to $26,819,156. Although 1931 Delaware 2 was not a particularly good year New^Hampshire 2 for any line of business, receipts Hawaii 2 continued to grow, reaching $35, Nevada 'ZZZZZ 'ZZZZZZZZZZ 2 791,999." Porto niio~ZZZZZZZZZZZ.ZZZZZZZ.Z i Wyoming 1 Gold Rush Stage Past Total 607 ALTHOUGH the radio industry is "The invested capital in these barely 15 years old and "is in the 607 broadcasting stations runs in Revenues of Networks Hit New Low for June But Still Exceed 1931 THE LOWEST income figures foi the six months thus far reportec in 1932 were shown by the two na tion-wide network organizations ir June when NBC and CBS com bined had gross incomes from tim< sold amounting to $2,995,556. Thi< compares with $3,632,442 in Mav $3,986,532 in April, $4,300,833 ir March, $3,891,023 in February anc $3,984,289 in January. The figures, however, are stil ahead of those for the same period: in 1931. In June, 1931, NBC anc, CBS combined grossed $2,834,905| In the first six months of 1931 they grossed $17,403,238, which com pares with $22,808,627 in the firsj six months of this year. According to the official figures < the NBC gross for June, 1932, wa:i $2,081,466 as against $1,931,155 if June, 1931. The CBS gross foi June, 1932, was $914,090 as againsS $903,750 in June, 1931. Declined were shown in practically all prod^ ucts divisions that buy network time. Despite the depression, the vol ume of broadcast advertising car ried on NBC networks has mounte. | steadily each year, according t Roy C. Witmer, vice-president i: charge of sales. Advertising expenditures o: I NBC for the first six months o this year reached $15,109,645 a against $12,344,632 during a simi lar period in 1931. The volume of business don during the first six months of th previous four years follows: 1921 $1,612,422; 1928, $3,988,972; 192£ $6,701,023; 1930, $9,234,611. New Springfield Statioi To Join Yankee Networl ADDITION of WMAS, Spring field, Mass., to the Yankee Net work as soon as it goes on the aii probably about Sept. 1, was ar nounced July 21 by John Sheparc III, president of the Yankee Net work. This will bring the network' membership to 11 stations in 1 cities in five New England states. WMAS, whose construction wa recently authorized will be license to A. S. Moffat, theater man o Watertown, Mass., and will operat full time with 100 watts on 142 kc. William Foss, identified wit WCSH, Portland, who was actrv in securing the new station, ha stated he will be connected with i in a managerial capacity. excess of $50,000,000, as technic! equipment, generators, transmi ters, and antenna account for ai proximately $25,000,000 and p balance represents goodwill, res estate, furniture and fixtures," tl release states. "The annual e; penditures for talent, program employees, equipment and misce laneous charges run to nearly $80 000,000. The invested capital broadcasting ranges from $15,0( for a ten-watt station to $200,0( for a fifty-kilowatt installation." The survey also goes into tl growing interest in television ai short-wave broadcasting and r views in detail the industrial pro; ress of the radio manufacturii and merchandising industry. Page 6 BROADCASTING • August 1, 193