Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

Political Parties Using Radio In Appeals for Contributions G. O. P. Forms Listeners League, Roosevelt Asks Donations; Newspapers Make Protest APPEALS via the radio for funds are featuring the current stages of the national political campaign. In the meantime, both of the major party organizations are still in the process of organizing their radio divisions and framing their radio plans. Network broadcasts of all public addresses by the presidential candidates, and some special radio speeches, are definitely planned. Still indefinite at this writing are the plans of the national parties to use transcriptions to spot their candidates' speeches, though both Republicans and Democrats have indicated that they intend to have their candidates and spokesmen heard from recordings as well as over the networks. Locally, the placing of political broadcasts is being handled by individual candidates through individual stations, and a substantial business is already reported from various parts of the country. Like the network and transcription companies, the local stations are demanding, and in neai'ly all cases obtaining, regular payments for all political broadcasts. Some local stations, besides asking cash in advance for political advertising, which is customary newspaper practice, are also asking higher rates. G. O. P. Radio League REPUBLICANS tentatively have set their radio budget at $300,000, though it may run higher, depending upon the success of David Hinshaw's plan for raising funds through the Republican Radio League, which he has organized. Mr. Hinshaw, a resident of Westtown, Pa., who was on Hoover's personal staff in the 1928 campaign, through Republican National Committee headquarters in the Waldorf Astoria, New York, and Palmer House, Chicago, is directing an appeal to Republicans to join this league at $10 for family memberships and $5 for individual memberships. The Republicans are also asking for smaller contributions. Their radio campaign is being conducted through state directors of the Radio League, who through county chairmen are establishing county committees with members in each election district. It is pointed out that the Republicans obtained nearly $50,000 by radio appeals for funds during the 1928 campaign by making simple radio announcements asking for contributions, however small. These appeals brought contributions ranging from $1 to $350. Democrats launched their drive for radio funds, which they said would consume the major part of their $1,500,000 campaign budget, by having both Governor Roosevelt and Chairman Farley appeal to listeners via the networks the evening of Aug. 25. Contributions in any amount were asked, Governor Roosevelt telling hi: audience that "you, my radio friends will receive no other notice than is now coming to you over the air," and assuring listeners they would get receipts from campaign headquarters in the Hotel Biltmore, New York, for their contributions. Rivalry for Disk Trade CONSIDERABLE sparring for the national transcription business of the two parties was going on as Broadcasting went to press. Scott Howe Bowen conferred with Senator Allen, Republican publicity chief, in Chicago during the week of Aug. 15, and World Broadcasting System had its representatives contacting New York, Chicago and Washington headquarters. Other recording companies are known to have submitted transcription plans to the major parties, but nothingwas made known about the results. While both Republicans and Democrats are making no secret about their plans to use radio as their primary publicity outlet during the campaign of the next two months, certain newspaper interests have been plying the party chieftains with protests, charging discrimination. A bitter letter was addressed to Chairman Farley of the Democrats and Chairman Sanders of the Republicans, protesting against alleged favoritism toward radio as against newspapers, by James G. Stahlman, publisher of the Nashville Banner and president of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. Press Reprisals Hinted MR. STAHLMAN stated he had no complaint against the use of radio by the parties and is "not an opponent of the radio chains." His protest, he wrote, was against "rank discrimination by both parties in favor of radio as against the press" in that radio seems to be reaping the "financial reward and gets the most breaks on releases." Reprisals in the way of refusals to publicize radio speeches in the newspapers were hinted. Besides Senator Allen, who is in charge of all publicity for the Republicans, and Mr. Hinshaw, in charge of raising radio funds, Paul $2,500,000 Insurance THE AMERICAN Tobacco Co., which sponsors the Lucky Strike program over NBC, has just taken out $2,500,000 ordinary insurance on the life of George Washington Hill, its president, who is responsible for the ingenuity of the Lucky Strike advertising campaigns. Executives of the advertising department and Lord & Thomas recently worked out a new idea for another advertising campaign. President Delays Naming Radio Man Possibly Considering Cutting Commission to Three Men Revenues of Networks Decline Again as July Sets Year's Low Mark DECLINES in network incomes that have marked the summer months continued in July for which the NBC and CBS together report a combined gross income from time sold of only $2,406,208, which compared with July, 1931, income of $2,764,294. Drops were shown in practically all classifications, particularly in the foods and beverages, paints and hardwares, stationery and publishers and miscellaneous lines. NBC reported a July income of $1,824,581 compared with $2,027,975 for July, 1931. CBS reported a July income of $581,627 compared with $736,319 during July, 1931. Only two lines of accounts showed increased network expenditures in July over the preceding month, namely, house furniture and furnishings, which rose slightly from $4,095 in June to $5,246 in July, and sporting goods, which rose from $17,324 in June to $21,655 in July. While getting off to a good start in the early months of this year, network revenues began to decline in April and have continued their downward trend since then. Aggregate incomes of the two chains in January were $3,984,289, February $3,891,023, March $4,300,833, April $4,004,384, May $3,632,442 and June $2,995,556. For the first seven months of 1932, the two networks are still ahead of the same period last year, reporting gross time sales amounting to $25,214,835 compared with $20,167,532 for 1931. Larry Low in an Weds LAWRENCE W. LOWMAN, CBS vice president, was married Aug. 20 to Mrs. Kathleen Vanderbilt Cushing, daughter of the late Reginald C. Vanderbilt and divorced wife of Harry C. Cushing, New York broker. On the same day they sailed for Europe on the He de France on their honeymoon. Gascoigne, of Washington, is still functioning in Washington in handling hookups. For the Democrats, Charles Michelson, director of publicity, is supervising the use of radio along with his other duties, with the actual administrative phases of the radio campaign in the hands of H. L. Pettey, formerly in the photophone division of RCA Victor Co. Baldwin APPOINTMENT of a successor to Maj. Gen. Charles McK. Saltzman as fourth zone member of the Radio Commission, and the subsequent election of a new chairman, may be delayed indefinitely by Presi dent Hoover — -possibly until after the elections in November. Though entirely conjectural, the possibility is also being mentioned that President Hoover, who recently cut the Shipping Board from seven to three men under the economy bill, may be considering doing the same with the Commission as a measure of saving salaries, and thus may not fill the present vacancy at all. There is nothing in the law making it mandatory for the President to fill vacancies. If it is in the President's mind to reduce the Commission to three men, it may mean that he intends to allow the post now held by Judge Sykes, third zone commissioner, whose term expires next February, to lapse. Among the names before the President are those of James W. Baldwin, Commission secretary, an Indianan; Robert D. Heinl, Washington newspaper correspondent specializing in radio, also from Indiana; William S. Hedges, director of WMAQ, Chicago, and Earl Ferguson, attorney of Shenandoah, la. Each of these candidates has strong political endorsements. Mr. Baldwin was recommended by Gen. Saltzman himself when he submitted his resignation July 19. Meanwhile, the Commission is functioning as a three-man agency, since Vice Chairman Sykes is in Madrid as head of the American delegation to the International Radio Conference. Commissioner Lafount is acting chairman by virtue of his seniority. Election of a new chairman probably will await the naming of the new commissioner. NAB Adds 18 MEMBERSHIP of the NAB has increased to 231 stations and associates, with the approval on Aug. 24 of 18 new applicants by the board of directors at its special copyright meeting in New York. The new members are: WADC, WBAX, WBRE, WDZ, WEEU, WHEC, WIAS, WJAY, WJDX, WLOE, WNBF, WOKO, WPEN, WSAT, KDLR, KFNF, KGFJ, and KGRS. KFJF Now KOMA CALL LETTERS of KFJF, Oklahoma City, have been changed to KOMA, by authority of the Radio Commission. A NEW supplement (No. 3) to the list of broadcasting stations issued by the Radio Commission under date of Jan. 1, 1932, has just been released and may be obtained from the Commission secretary. Page 8 BROADCASTING • September 1, 1932