Broadcasting (July - Dec 1938)

FCC Permits Transfer Of KHUB to Publisher KHUB, Watsonville, Cal., goes into the hands of new owners Aug. 20 by virtue of an FCC decision Aug. 10 authorizing transfer of the 250watt daytime station on 1310 kc. to John P. Scripps, chief stockholder in the John P. Scripps Newspapers Inc., publishing the Watsonville Register and Evening Pajaronian, Santa Ana Journal, Ventura Star and Free Pi-ess and Santa Paula Chronicle. It was purchased for $35,000, and Examiner Irwin after a hearing had recommended in favor of the transfer. The station was initially licensed to F. W. Atkinson, publisher of the Watsonville newspapers in April, 1937, but Mr. Atkinson died the same month. The Scripps interests (not connected with Scripps-Howard) entered into negotiations with Anna Atkinson, widow, to buy the newspapers for $105,000 and the station for $35,000. Film Moguls Ignore Sponsored Radio In Million Dollar Promotion Campaign AN ADVERTISING appropriation of a million dollars, raised jointly by motion picture producers and exhibitors, will be spent this fall for an institutional campaign built around the slogan, "Movies Are Your Best Entertainment". Fullpage copy will be run in every daily newspaper in the country, except in those few towns which have no motion picture houses, beginning Sept. 1. A question game, with 5,000 prizes totaling $250,000 including the first prize of $50,000, is a major part of the promotion, entry blanks being available only at movie box offices. All of the paid national advertising, which will be confined to newspapers, will be run within three weeks, following which the contest and local promotion are expected to keep movie attendance up during the remainder of the year, ac cording to Jack B. Peters of Donahue & Coe, New York, agency selected to direct the campaign. In response to a query regarding radio, Mr. Peters told Broadcasting that the impossibility of buying desirable network time for three weeks only had definitely ruled out the use of this medium. However, he added, the campaign will be promoted on many programs using motion picture stars as regular or guest artists, such as the Maxwell House — M-G-M programs. Cooperating with Donahue & Coe in the campaign which was approved by producers and exhibitors at a New York meeting on July 28, other advertising agencies handling motion picture accounts have combined their contribution to the campaign: Biow Co., BlaineThompson, Buchanan & Co., J. Walter Thompson Co., Lord & Thomas and Kayton-Spiero Co. 550 Kilocycles NBC Affiliate The largest primary Area of any radio station in the United States regardless of size. Write for our new brochure K FY K 5000 day 1000 night Bismarck, North Dakota National Representatives Gene Furgason & Co. Fred J. Hart Resigns From Hawaiian Stations FOLLOWING the FCC's recent action authorizing a transfer of control of Honolulu Broadcasting Co. Ltd., operating KGMB, Honolulu, and KHBC, Hilo, to Pacific Theatres & Supply Co., Ltd., Fred J. Hart, general manager of the stations with headquarters in San Francisco, announced his resignation from the organization, effective Sept. 1. Its San Francisco offices have been Mr. Hart closed and combined with those of John Blair & Co., with L. D. West, manager, moving into the offices of Lindsey Spight, San Francisco manager of the Blair representative organization. Mr. Hart has disposed of his stock in the company which is controlled by a group of theater men but includes executives of the Honolulu S ta r-Bulletin as 24% stockholders. Mr. Hart has not made known his future plans, but at present he is interested in the development of a Radioscope for the detection and control of disease by radio. Texaco Discs Popular THE cooperative plan for advertising by radio that the Texas Co., New York, is offering its dealers on a cooperative basis [Broadcasting, July 15], is proving popular with the Texaco retailers, according to Louis A: Witten of Buchanan & Co., New York, Texaco agency. Although it has been less than a month since the oil company's salesmen first started telling dealers about the campaign, well over a hundred dealers have had their local stations write to the agency for sample records for audition purposes, and already more than 25 dealers have signed contracts for the series. Program, a 15-minute transcription, Texaco Circle Service Boys, may be ordered on a one, two, or three times a week basis, as the dealer prefers. New KWEW on the Air KWEW, new 100-watt outlet on 1500 kc. authorized last Dec. 31 by the FCC to be constructed in Hobbs, N. M., went on the air Aug. 8 — the birthday of its owner, W. E. Whitmore. Mr. Whitmore is also the owner of KGFL, Roswell, N. M., and was at one time owner of KGGM, Albuquerque, and KICA, Clovis, N. M. RCA equipment is used throughout and Standard Library Service has been ordered. Manager of the station is Ben Parker; program director, Grady Rapier; chief engineer, Floyd Emanuel ; advertising manager, Raymond Waters. NEGOTIATIONS are on between Don Lee Broadcasting System, Los Angeles, and Republic Productions Inc., Hollywood, for sale to the latter of the film serialization right to The Phantom Pilot, sponsored five times weekly on that network by Langendorf United Bakeries, San Francisco. TWELVE hours weekly of variety shows have been signed by WIP, Philadelphia, for Adams Clothes Inc.. the station's largest block sale of time in its history. Page 26 • August 15, 1938 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising