Broadcasting (July - Dec 1942)

Magazine Article Critical of Tlugs' Reader's Digest Sponsor of Plug Shrinkers Club READERS of Reader's Digest are urged in its August issue to sign a coupon entitling them to membership in Plug Shrinkers, 522 Fifth Ave., New York. Lead article in the issue, titled "Radio's Plug Uglies", takes commercials to task. Robert Littell, Digest investigator, reaches the conclusion that radio advertising has become more rather than less irritating since Dec. 7. He attempts to back up the statement by saying that people are listening anxiously for war news and that many sponsors are tying-in their product with the war effort. Cited among examples are commercials for Lifebuoy, Carter's Pills, Palmolive, Colgate's Danderine, Hopper cosmetics, Del Monte, BC. The Digest criticizes insinuation of plugs for unappetizing remedies upon the audience. Even when they're appetizing, it is stated, the way of plugging them is enough to give the listener a jumpy stomach. Appeal for Members Leading to the appeal for membership in Plug Shrinkers, the Digest article says: "A group of people who had been listening to radio's plug ugliness with growing disgust decided to do something about it. As a first step they questioned at I'andom over a hundred fellow citizens, from cooks to engineers. Result: 85% said they found most commercials completely obnoxious. The other 15% felt neutral. Not one had a genuinely good word to say for broadcast advertising." The article fails to state how or what question was submitted to those interrogated. Membership coupon asks Plug Shrinkers to tell blank sponsor that his commercials meet any of these descriptions: In bad taste, hokum, tiresome, repetitious, repulsive, long-winded, too intimate, too anatomical, silly, syrupy, poor sales policy. BROADCASTS from Vatican City, heard Sundays and Thursdays at 9 :30 p.m. (EWT), will he heamed toward the United States hereafter on 15.12 mc, according to the National Catholic Welfare Conference, Washington. CHNS Halifax, N, S. The best buy in the Maritimes Ask JOE WEED Firestone Shortwave JOINING the NBC programs shortwaved to armed forces is The Voice of Firestone, Monday evening musical program sponsored by Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., Akron. The shoi'twave version is transmitted Tuesday mornings at 11 on NBC's international stations WRCA and WNBI, and Westinghouse station, WBOS, Boston. Agency is Sweeney & James Co., Cleveland. SATEVEPOST TELLS OF KGEVS 'BOMBS' STARTED as part of the General Electric exhibit at the San Francisco Fair in 1939, KGEI has become an impotant shortwave voice of the United Nations, as described in a current article, "He Bombs Tokyo Every Day" by Frank J. Taylor in the July 25 Saturday Evening Post. Chief of operations is E. T. Buck Harris, originally hired in 1939 as a GE publicity man after a dozen years as a newspaperman. Shortly before the Fair's opening he discovered that the station lacked any programming personnel and he was assigned to the task, with instructions to beam four hours a day to Asia and three hours a day to Latin America. Since then he has developed an extensive program schedule to the East and South bringing the conquered peoples the complete truth on the world situation. United Press Expands Its Offices in New York TO ACCOMMODATE its expanding service, increased personnel and enlarged facilities, the United Press radio news department last week moved into new quarters in the New York Daily News Bldg., 220 E. 42d St., the fourth major enlargement of the department since it was inaugurated seven years ago. Of the 610 stations in the Western Hemisphere served by UP, more than 510 are served by the domestic, transcontinental radio wire stemming from the New York office. In addition UP announced three new extensions of State and regional service in the Minneapolis and Indianapolis bureaus as well as an extension of the East Texas circuit to Tyler and Longview. Program Theme RUTH LYONS, conductor of the Petticoat Party Line of WSAI, Cincinnati, is using the engagement of two members of the staff as a basis for the broadcast's commercials. Engagement of the couple was unexpectedly announced by Miss Lyons recently. They are Jay Fix, announc er, and Beverly Barnes, women's commentator and writer. Daily chats of the couple, since the announcement, have centered on things they will need to set up housekeeping. KWSC Plans to Repeat Latin American Series PLANS are under way at KWSC, Pullman, Washington, to rebroadcast the English programs currently offered on shortwave by Latin American countries in an attempt to promote hemisphere solidarity vidthin its listening area. To obtain the best programs available the Washington State College station appealed directly to the office of the Coordinator of InterAmerican Affairs. Since the station is reported to be the only college unit capable of picking up shortwave programs for rebroadcast, it will likely be the first to offer this type of programming to its listeners. In correspondence with the radio division of CIA a list of suitable programs, currently broadcast, was obtained but the college group has not yet announced its program list. FLOSSY ARMY STUDIO Camp Crowder Quite Proud of Radio Facilities CLAIMED AS the only Army post in the country having full broadcasting service including transcription facilities. Camp Crowder, Missouri, broadcasts nine programs weekly by direct line to WMBH, Joplin. Programs include Camp Crowder Presents, Nation at War, The Army Cook and others. Studio and control room of the camp station are located in the Service Club with all staff members being enlisted men, former professionals in civilian life. A report from the camp states that Cheers From the Camps, General Motors show on CBS, will originate there Aus:. 11. It was also said that KTTS, Springfield, Mo.; KOAM, Pittsburg, Kan.; KUOA, Siloam Springs, Ark., will soon be broadcasting from the Army post by direct line. Other stations are contemplating a series of transcriptions from the camp in the near future, it was said. Buford's Twins PAT BUFORD. president of KHBG, Okmulgee. Okla., and his wife, KHBG general manager, recently became the parents of twin boys, Gerald and Geoffrey. WILLIAM G. CHAMBERLAIN, recently appointed sales promotion manager, is in charge of advertising for Pennzoil Co., Los Angeles. CONSISTENTLY REACHES & INFLUENCES the cream of your sales potentials • 600 KC CBS BASIC Paul H. Raymer Co. Nat' I Sales Representatives BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising July 27, 1942 • Page 51