Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

Listener "Survey" ANOTHER so-called "listener survey," this one designed "to obtain a complete, detailed record of the entertainment and advertisement emanating from all American radio broadcasting stations using a 16hour period on the same day," has been undertaken by H. 0. Davis, of the Ventura (Cal.) Free Press. Those getting the "instructions" are asked not only to keep complete tabulations of types of programs, advertising, contests, sales talks, etc., but are asked "to comment tersely" on programs, sample ratings being suggested as "good orchestra," "screechy violin," "fine baritone," "fierce whisky tenor," "raw cancer cure," etc. Cooperaof anti-radio newspapers is undei'stood to have been solicited in conducting the survey. Football Ban Lifted THE NEWLY formed Southern Conference has decided to lift the ban on broadcasting of football games imposed this season by the Southern Conference of which it formally was a part, according to an announcement by the University of Florida. Members, it was stated, will be permitted to handle the broadcasting as they see fit. 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. Situations Wanted Radio Engineer : Eleven years experience. Six years as Chief Engineer independent and network stations. Capable executive all phases technical department of broadcast station. Address box 66, Broadcasting. Transmitter Tubes _ Manufacturers medium power commercial types for replacement in standard equipment, including 242A, 261A, 205D. Also repair service on larger types. VTE Laboratories, Ridgefield, New Jersey. Microphone Service Sensational Microphone Value — Universal Model "Y" — Experimenters single-button, watch model type. 200 ohms. Pure Gold Spot Center Diaphragm. Only $2.00, including valuable 1933 general catalog with diagrams. Universal Microphone Co., Ltd., Inglewood, California. Transcriptions Released At Civic Club Luncheon A NOVEL and effective way of presenting new transcription releases to prospective clients was tried recently by J. C. Tully, manager of WJAC, Johnstown, Pa. Members of the Johnstown Advertising Club were entertained at a luncheon at the WJAC studios, after which six 15-minute transcriptions were run off for their entertainment. The experiment was successful for three reasons, according to Mr. Tully: (1) a favorable atmosphere was created for presenting the transcriptions; (2) the general audition made unnecessary a large number of private demonstrations, and (3) favorable publicity was obtained in the local press because of the club's sponsorship. Rolfe Producing B. A. Rolfe, Inc. is the name of a new radio production company which the former Lucky Strike maestro has formed with offices and studios in the Steinway Hall Bldg., New York. His first production is a program called "Track Around the World," for which he himself wrote the music and Bill McKenna the lyrics. It was auditioned this month at NBC for either sponsored or sustaining use. Debating Radio "RESOLVED, that broadcasting stations in the United States should be governmentally owned and operated," is the subject of a series of debates to be held at nine universities during February, the National Committee on Education by Radio reports. The universities are Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue, Northwestern and Illinois. 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. J. C. McNARY (Consulting T^adio Engineer Directional and Non-Directional Antenna Installation. Field Intensity Surveys. 9420 JONES MILL ROAD Phone Wl sconsin 3181 CHEVY CHASE MARYLAND GLENN D. GILLETT Qonsulting l^idio Engineer Synchronization Equipment Design. Field Strength and Station Location Surveys Antenna Design Wire Line Problems National Press Bldg. Washington, D. C. N. Y. Office : Englewood, N. J. Radio School Bell IN COOPERATION with school authorities WNAC, Boston, has inaugurated a policy of announcing the closing of schools on days of inclement weather, thus saving the children from tramping through rain or snow only to be sent home. The signals are broadcast at 8 a. m. and at noon whenever officials notify the station that there will be no school in certain communities. Happy Go Lucky Hour To Tour Don Lee Units THE IMMENSE popularity which has been achieved by "Happy Go Lucky Hour" will be capitalized by the Don Lee network after Jan. 1. The network will attempt to build up community interest in its Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara studios by taking the "Happy Go Lucky" gang from the KFRC studios in San Francisco on a tour of the other studios, from which the program will be broadcast. KHJ gets it first, with KGB, San Diego, following and KDB, Santa Barbara, completing the circuit. The program will return to KFRC in about three months. Meanwhile KFRC's "Blue Monday Jamboree" is continuing in personal appearances in southern California and many theatre receipt records are being broken. Newspapers in Radio {Continued from page 8) ried in this magazine, omits newspapers having merely news tieups with radio stations. It is practically impossible to keep such affiliations up to date, but the writer estimates that about half the radio stations of the country have some sort of non-corporate affiliations with their local newspapers. That "audible journalism" has a powerful ally among some of the most distinguished newspapers of the country, is readily seen from the fact that about 100 American stations are owned, controlled, leased, operated or otherwise corporately affiliated with newspapers large and small. Even great newspaper syndicates are represented in this list; the McClatchy Newspapers of California own and operate five stations, the Gannett Newspapers three and the Hearst interests three. Several other newspaper publishers own two or more stations, the additional ones often being located in cities other than those in which they publish; viz., the groups of stations owned by the publishers of the Lancaster News Era and IntelligencerJournal, the Des Moines Register & Tribune, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Huntington (W. Va.) Advertiser and Herald-Dispatch. It will also be noted that the South Bend Tribune and the Portland (Ore.) Journal both own two stations in their respective cities. Interesting, too, is the fact that more than a dozen Canadian stations are owned by newspapers, and one each in Mexico and Cuba. Roesler Wire Code Ready for Stations National Use as Economy Aid Predicted by New Year A TELEGRAPH code for broadcasting stations, designed to reduce time reservation queries and other station business messages to a strict formula, as is the practice in other industries, has been drafted by George Roesler, manager of the Omaha studios of KFAB, Lincoln, Neb., and is being urged by him for adoption by all commercial stations. While the savings on individual messages might not be large, Mr. Roesler said use of the code would be reflected in substantially reduced monthly billings. He drafted the code originally for use between the Lincoln and Omaha studios of KFAB and the advertisers and agencies they dealt with. "A month's trial convinced the owners and the code was permanently adopted by the station," he said. Ready for Distribution MR. ROESLER demonstrated the code at the NAB convention at St. Louis last month. The suggestion immediately followed that all stations should adopt it, and the matter was brought before the convention, where it won hearty endorsement. Mr. Roesler has informed Broadcasting that the code is now ready for national distribution, which will be done as soon as sufficient stations and agencies express individual approval. He estimated that adoption of the plan by 400 stations and 750 agencies or representatives would make it practical for national use. Explaining the code, Mr. Roesler pointed out that in group headings it covers station code, miscellaneous questions, afternoon, evening and morning hours, money, numbers and a detailed chronological code, including both hours of the day and days of the week and fractional periods. Code Explained "IN THE LATTER category," he continued, "it is possible to designate any 5-minute period on any day or days of the week by two words. Thus 'Parly Gait' indicates 5:25 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, and 'Absolve Edge' indicates the half hour from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and Friday. "As an example of a customary message, let us take: 'HAVE CLIENT ASKING FOR QUARTER HOUR FRIDAY MORNINGS BETWEEN NINE THIRTY AND ELEVEN WIRE PERIODS AVAILABLE' which might be sent by any advertising agency. In the code I have devised the telegram would read: 'TABU DEBUT ACCURATE ADAPT TACE,' which would be a savings of eleven words, an important number in a telegraphic communication." On the basis of the enthusiastic response Mr. Roesler has received since he demonstrated the code at the NAB convention, he predicted that it would be in national use by early next year. Page 30 BROADCASTING • December 15, 1932