Broadcasting (Jan - June 1940)

Keystone Broadcasting System Plans W ax Hookup With Net Type of Contract STANDARD RADIO announces the following new subscribers to its Standard Library Service : KCMO, Kansas City; KYUM, Yuma, Ariz.; WFTM, Ft. Myers, Fla. ; KVWC, Vernon, Tex.; WIL, St. Louis; WDZ, Tuscola, 111. C. P. MacGREGOR, HoUywood transcription concern, has announced that since Jan. 1, 24 new stations have subscribed to its music library service— KORB KMO KONO KVI KFVD KFYO VOL KGVO KRLH KTSW KOBH WJDX WCAO WLTH WDRC KTEM WCAX WFTG WSM WGRC WGNC CFCN CHAB CKCK. New subscribers to the complete dramatic library service are KTSW and WCAX. H. R. CARSON, president of AllCanada Radio Facilities. Calgary. Alta., was to arrive in Hollywood March 2 for three weeks on a program buying trip. M. J. MARA, president of Radio Artists of Hollywood, Hollywood _ production and transcription unit, is in Chicago for three months contacting agency executives. HOWARD C. BROWN Co., Hollywood, representing Australian stations and transcription concerns, has announced six new shows for immediate release in the United States and Canada. Programs, produced in Australia, are available as scripts or transcriptions and include Adventures of Dr. Danton; The Enemy Within; Cleopatra; Out of the Silence; Sentimental Bloke; and To Death & Back. VARGAS AGENCY, Philadelphia, is handling a number of transcribed programs for foreign broadcasters, among them a series of 75 16-inch recordings by "Nickie" Pedroso, formerly chief announcer of WCAB, international shortwave station operated by WCAU Broadcasting Co., Philadelphia. Sr. Pedroso, identified with the EnglishSpanish Progress on the March series on WCAB, also is scheduled for a series over various U. S. shortwave stations for the Latin American Coffee Assn. UNITED BROADCASTING Co., Chicago, foreign language production and transcription firm, announces the opening of a new studio at 201 N. Wells St., Chicago, where complete production and recording of foreign language shows to be broadcast on stations throughout the country will be accomplished. William L. Klein is director of UBC, and Egmont Sonderling is sales manager. EXCLUSIVE radio rights to the writings of Louis Bromfield, noted author, have been obtained by Ted Collins Corp., New York production firm. Now available to agencies is a series of quarter-hour scripts on Bromfield's best seller "The Green Bay Tree," as I prepared by Ted Collins. I AVAILABLE for SPONSORSHIP I RAYMOND TOMPKINS j Top Flight Commentator i 7:30 P. M.— Mon., Wed. & Fri. A popular program with an enthusi> astic following. Talent cost: $100 (net) weekly. I W F B R BALTIMORE, MD. A NEW "wax network" project, to serve independent stations under a network type contract, with optioned time provisions and exclusive affiliation, has been revealed in literature sent to stations by Keystone Broadcasting System of Los Angeles. Naylor Rogers, former manager of KNX, Los Angeles, is vice-president and general manager of the Keystone project. Other executives, according to the company's prospectus, include H. E. Aitken of New York, former motion picture producer as president; Kenneth C. Davis, a partner in Davis & Schwegler, music publishers and recorders as secretary-treasurer, and Herbert H. Aronson, of Los Angeles, described as a member of one of California's pioneer banking families and engaged in radio recording for the past year, as the new firm's vice-president. Mr. Rogers has advised stations that since the proposition was broached last month, suggestions have come from "over 100 stations" and that the "demand for immediate action" has been such as to indicate prompt development. Keystone proposes to furnish stations four hours daily of sustaining transcriptions, or recorded programs, supplied by Davis & Schwegler, along with suitable sustaining continuity. Stations would supply Keystone without cost SV2 hours daily for the use of sponsored programs, with the time specified as between 8 to 9 a.m., 12 to 1 p.m., and 6:30 to 7:30, Local Standard Time. For additional time for commercial programs which might be furnished, the station would receive $15 per hour for the first 12 hours during any one week and $20 per hour above that time. Stationbreak announcements during the optioned time would be held open for Keystone sponsorship with rates to be mutually agreed upon later. The stations would not be permitted to use any identifying announcement in connection with any other transcribed service during its daily schedule. The proposed agreement specifies that the station will remain an exclusive Keystone outlet, except for occasional local. State or regional hookups. Stations were advised by Mr. Rogers that a national sponsor already has been committed for a 15-minute program daily. Keystone plans to open sales offices in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Reactions from stations, in some instances, were objectionable on the ground that the proposition was "one-sided" and not conducive to the best interests of radio. L. L. Milliard, owner of KGKY, Scottsbluff, Neb., advised Mr. Rogers Feb. 16 that he felt the plan was not "complimentary to the intelligence of radio station heads". The optioned time request in the agreement, he said, falls at the peak advertising periods of each day, making the cost of the service "much higher than the finest chain affiliation that could be procured". Rejecting the proposition; Mr. Hilliard said that the $15-per-hour rate for the first 15 hours was "miserable". ON THE NBC RED NETWORK 8 carried of the FIRST NATION'S LEADING RADIO ENTERTAINERS In the 3rd Nation-Wide Poll Announced This Year — Se'ectiO'ns Were: ★ JACK BENNY ★ EDGAR BERGEN (Charlie McCarthy) ir FRED ALLEN ^ BING CROSBY ★ BOB HOPE ★ KAY KYSER ic FIBBER McGEE AND MOLLY ORSON WELLES ★ ALEC TEMPLETON ^ON KSD in All Na+ion-Wide POPULARITY POLLS The recent RADIO DAILY Poll names 8 stars on KSD programs in the 9 firsts selected as the nation's Leading Radio Entertainers, shown at the left. This poll follows similar surveys by the MOTION PICTURE DAILY and the NEW YORK WORLD-TELEGRAM, in both of which KSD programs carried 7 of the 8 firsts. In St. Louis, listeners turn their dials to KSD, knowing they are sure to get radio's outstanding entertainment. The Distinguished Broadcasting Station Station KSD— The St. Louis PostDispatch POST-DISPATCH BUILDING, ST. LOUIS, MO. FREE & PETERS, INC., NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES NEW YORK CHICAGO DETROIT ATLANTA SAN FRANCISCO LOS ANGELES < BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising March J, 1940 • Page 59