Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

Unique Deal to Broadcast West Coast Football Contests Made by Radio Trio NBC, Don Lee-CBS and Hearst Trade $100,000 Publicity For Gridiron Rights Despite Previous College Bans COLUMNISTS P(h)UN Peter's a "Dicl<"(son) at Twisting Names of Celebrities Yoder By HAROLD BOCK TO THREE San Francisco radio executives goes credit for putting over football broadcasting i n the west during the 1932 season despite a previous vetoing by colleges throughout the country. Lloyd E. Yoder, chief of NBC's press department; Harrison Holliway, manager of KFRC and representing the Don Lee-CBS system, and Ernie Smith, representing the Hearst Radio Service are the trio who carried before the recent Pacific Coast Conference a plan to unionize radio and football, and who proposed and sold the proposition so strongly that other educational institutions of the United States are expected to retract their previous decisions and follow the Pacific coast plan. Essentially a Barter FACED with the possibility of losing those spirited gridiron contests which have heretofore been a feature of western stations, Yoder and NBC drew up a plan and enlisted the aid of Don Lee-CBS and the Hearst Service — giving the proposition a three-ply backing of the West's strongest ether publication units. It is essentially a trade deal, a deal in which the two networks and Hearst's many newspapers will give approximately $100,000 worth of radio time and talent and newspaper publicity in exchange for broadcasting privileges, with or without sponsorship. Here is part of the letter addressed to graduate managers of the Pacific Coast Conference by the radio triumvirate: "The object of the presentation is to urge the continuance of football broadcasting; first, because we believe that football broadcasting is of great assistance to thousands on the Pacific coast who otherwise would be deprived of the pleasure of following the game; and, second, because we believe that radio broadcasting in general and football broadcasting in particular are a public service of inestimable value to every college, university and educational institution. "It is the opinion of the proponents of this plan that it is a debatable question if radio broadcasting of football games has tended to reduce attendance. Present economic conditions are responsible for the problems confronting many businesses today and we feel it is reasonable to assume that the business of football is no exception. Recent press comment not only tends to substantiate this belief, but indicates a strong public sentiment in favor of the continuance of football broadcasting. "It is the feeling of the broadcasters and the Hearst newspapers that this year more than ever foot ball needs broadcasting, just as much as it needs the support of the press and other publicity media. We feel that the football broadcasting plan herein outlined offers a mutually beneficial arrangement whereby radio broadcasting may be utilized in an organized merchandizing plan to stimulate interest and increase attendance. The programs designed in this presentation will be designed solely for this purpose." Gridiron Programs Planned CONFORMING to this letter NBC and Don Lee-CBS offered approximately $100,000 worth of time and talent in special programs, and the proposition was accepted by the football managers. NBC will build a number of gridiron programs, first of which takes the air Sept. 9. The first of two half -hour features will be "Pigskin Romances," broadcast every Thursday night for 12 weeks. Second will be "Football Rally," on every Friday night for 17 weeks. In addition many one minute announcements in conjunction with ticket sales will be made. Basing all charges on regular rates, NBC figures it is giving $63,475 toward the exploitation of Pacific coast football. The Don Lee-CBS chain will devote a portion of its famous Blue Monday Jamboree over KFRC to exploitation of the following Saturday's games during the entire season. A 15-minute period will feature Ernie Smith, who is one of the leading coast sports announcers. A second program, 30 minutes in length, will emanate from KHJ, Los Angeles, every Friday night. CBS figures the actual time and talent cost for these two programs, and numerous ticket sales spot announcements, at $45,279. Co-operating with NBC and CBS the Hearst newspaper radio service, directed by Emil Gough, has promised to stimulate interest in football through broadcasting; to emphasize ticket sales by publicity in radio and sport columns; to plug all games heavily on sport pages. Sponsor Faces Lawsuit For Taking Skit Off Air RECENT cancellation of Kolb and Dill's "Dinglebenders" skit, which the Gilmore Oil Co. took off NBC in San Francisco, has caused Clarence Kolb to file suit for $32,000 against the gasoline concern. The contract is held by Clarence Kolb, who merely hired Max Dill as a partner, and has eight months to run at an approximate salary of $1,000 a week. Kolb and Dill were cancelled when Kolb failed to show up at one program. The Gilmore people have returned their "Gilmore Circus" to the air, broadcasting the hour's variety program from KFI, Los Angeles, over the Orange network, and dropping the former quarter-hour periods that were used by Kolb and Dill over the Gold hookup. NEWEST pastime of the newspaper radio columnists is punning the names of radio celebrities. Here are some of the best (or worst) as offered by Peter Dixon, who besides being a newspaper columnist is continuity writer and radio actor of note: Look, Peter De Rose is red. Aylesworth fifty cents a bottle in New York. WRVA is a Virginia Rae (dio) station. Some people can't pronounce Tschaikowsky but Lee Cronican. Someone forgot the tickets so they sent Alwyn Bach. Bill Scotti orchestra on a roof. Radio made Freddie Rich. Mr. Clearman Former Commission Aid Now a Radio Consultant WILFRED J. CLEARMAN, former chief investigator of the Radio Commission has established offices in Washington as a radio consultant. He will specialize in the preparation of cases for hearing before the Commission and will collaborate with attorneys representing stations. As the Commission's chief investigator it was Mr. Clearman's function to prepare cases for hearing after having gathered evidence in the field. As a private consultant he proposes to perform the same nature of research for clients and their counsel. Mr. Clearman was chief investigator of the Commission for four years, terminating that service Aug. 15. # When the Commission was organized, Mr. Clearman was appointed assistant secretary and was intrumental in the establishment of the original organization. He subsequently was elevated to the post of chief investigator. Mr. Clearman has established offices at 3824 Warren St. N. W., Washington. Each Big Ten Member Decides Football Policy COLLEGES, and universities in the Big Ten conference will decide for themselves whether they will permit broadcasting of their home football games this fall. The choice is the result of the National Collegiate Association's decision at Pasadena, in July when representatives of the Big Ten agreed to take no official action as a conference group. To date no official statement has been made by the conference members, but the general impression in the midwest is that all of the colleges will permit broadcasting of their games. Ohio and Northwestern have already announced their intentions of doing so, as has Notre Dame. Plans are going ahead among Chicago stations to broadcast the important contests of Northwestern, Illinois and Chicago. Tourists Attracted To San Francisco By Radio Publicity Campaign Held so Successful It Will Be Repeated in 1933 By DR. RALPH L. POWER SAN FRANCISCO'S convention and tourist bureau has checked up the results of its initial radio campaign of last May and June and, according to John F. Shea, its manager, the results amply warranted the expenditure. The bureau paid the cost of the electrical transcriptions, while a group of local hotels contributed the additional funds for the broadcasts. These included the Fairmont, Sir Francis Drake, Clift, Palace, St. Francis, Mark Hopkins, William Taylor, Whitcomb, Steward, Canterbury, Plaza, Manx, Bellevue, Alexander Hamilton, Chancellor, El Cortez. Quarter Hour Programs THE TRANSCRIPTIONS consisted of 15-minute programs presented three times a week over four Arizona stations, three in Oklahoma, sixteen in Texas, two in Louisiana and one each in Idaho, Oregon, Colorado and Utah. MacGregor and Sollie, Inc., San Francisco, did the actual transcription work, and the San Francisco office of Scott Howe Bowen handled the account. No attempt was made to tie-in the bureau or member hotels. The general idea was to sell San Francisco and let the hotels take their chances of sharing their proportionate additional business. Fog horn and waves were used as sound effects at the opening and closing of the programs. Release stations were picked in "hot belt" states with "Come to cool San Francisco" as the lure. To be Repeated MUSICAL interludes were appropriate to gay, carefree vacation days. Talks were pithy and brief and featured the city's chief tourist attractions . . . Chinatown, the waterfront, the fleet, restaurants, parks, telegraph hill, Italian quartet, the peninsula, schools, music, art and so forth. Cost of the cooperative campaign was $25,000. Although the bureau has not issued official figures, it is said that the requests for the booklet, "You'll Enjoy San Francisco," have come in by the thousands and the "experiment" was so successful that it warrants a similar radio campaign in 1933. Prices on NBC NBC NOW allows the mention of prices on daytime sponsored programs. The rule against such price announcements was altered recently when Colonel Goodbody was permitted to state the price of a food product on his morning A. & P. program. NBC does not intend allowing this policy to apply after 6 p. m. CBS is maintaining its restrictions against price announcements. September 1, 1932 • BROADCASTING Page 15