Broadcasting (July - Dec 1942)

Sterling Drug Co. Absorbs Branches: New Units Planned Change Will Not Affect Sales Policies, Says Firm Head BOARD of directors of Sterling Drug Inc., formerly Sterling Products, last week voted to absorb 16 wholly-owned domestic subsidiaries and in their stead to establish a number of new divisions within the parent company. Consolidation becomes effective Dec. 31 when Sterling Drug will become an operating company. In announcing the realignment, James Hill Jr., president, said that the corporate change would leave "entirely undisturbed the company's sales policies, trade marks and advertising programs," but that "the Sterling name would appear for the first time on packages containing many of the company's popular drug products." Sterling's subsidiaries have been among the leading users of broadcast advertising, both in network and spot. The board also elected three new vice-presidents: Harvey M. Manss, president of the Bayer Co.; Otto W. Ergenzinger, president of the Chas. H. Phillips Chemical Co., and Harold B. Thomas, president of the Centaur Co. E. I. McClintock, president of Sterling Products Intex-national, and chairman of the board of the Sydney Ross Co., whollyowned subsidiaries not included in the reorganization, is already a vice-president. ' The new divisions formed within the company are: Bayer Co. Division; Centaur Co. Division; Cummer Products Co. Division; Chas. H. Phillips Chemical Co. Division, and R. L. Watkins Co. Division. The action of the board includes the following Sterling subsidiaries, listed with the states in which they were incorporated: Bayer Co. (N. Y.) ; Bayer Co. (Calif.) ; W. B. Caldwell Inc. (111.) ; California Fig Syrup Co. (Calif.); Centaur Co. (N. Y.) ; Cummer Products Co. (Ohio) ; Delatone Co. (111.) ; Ironized Yeast Co. (Del.) ; Knowlton Danderine Co. (111.) ; Molle Co. (Ohio) ; Chas. H. Phillips Chemical Co. (Conn.); Proprietary Agencies (Del.) ; Sterling Drug (W. Va.) ; Synthetic Patents Co. (N. Y.) ; R. L. Watkins Co. Ohio) . This reorganization follows the Beverage Alarm BRITAIN'S new financial plan, called the Beveridge report, caused serious alarm in the hearts of Washington, D. C, bottlers recently when Bob Menefee mentioned it in an early morning broadcast over WJSV, Washington. Following his broadcast he was telephoned by the head of the local bottlers' association who explained that he had received 12 calls from harrassed bottlers seeking "the dope on this new beverage plan, and how it will affect supplies and sales." action taken last fall [Broadcasting, Oct. 26] when the Sterling stockholders ratified the board's recommendation that the name be changed from Sterling Products to Sterling Drug Inc. Both steps are toward the goal of simplification of the company's subsidiary corporate structure and the operation of some of the businesses which were conducted through subsidiaries, Mr. Hill explained. Reorganization does not affect the company's whollyowned subsidiaries in Canada, England, Australia, South Africa and Latin America nor the affiliates over which Sterling exercises management control. Purex Coast Series PUREX Corp., Los Angeles (bleaching solution), formerly occasional spot users, on Dec. 21 started sponsoring Boake Carter, news commentator, thrice-weekly on 8 Don Lee Pacific Coast stations (KHJ KFRC KGB KFRE KALE KOL KMO KFIO) , Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9-9:15 a.m. (PWT). Contract is for 52 weeks. In addition, firm currently sponsors thrice-weekly participation in Art Baker's Notebook on KFI, Los Angeles. Agency is Lord & Thomas Los Angeles. RUSH HUGHES, announcer of KWK, St. Louis, who had already sold $2.50.000 in War Bonds, recently added another $175,000 to his sales when he sparked a War Bond Rally sponsored by the St. Louis Maeeabean Club. Voluntary Censorship {Continued from page H) ship is a priceless responsibility to the broadcaster — one he cannot afford to reject. Exercising voluntary censorship is a day to day broadcasting problem. Of course, this problem breaks down into iSome rather general categories such as weather information, interviews with servicemen and civilians from combat zones, letters from men in the armed forces, commercial copy, quiz and request programs, ship launchings, plane crashes, industrial accidents, rumors and unconfirmed reports, foreign-language broadcasts, service announcements, and others. But no two problems are exactly alike in any two stations so, consequently, there remains no substitute for care, caution, investigation and thinking in the term of provisions of the Code of Wartime Practices for American Broadcasters. The code will answer most of the broadcaster's day in and day out censorship problems. The answers are found upon reading the code and measuring it against such problems. But for these unusual problems, those borderline cases, those out-of-the-ordinary events, the Office of Censorship is always ready and willing to be of assistance. Remember, censorship of any kind is a powerful military weapon. Voluntary censorship, however, is even more powerful because it is a democratic censorship because any adaptation of the democratic process is more powerful in the long run. Let's make voluntary censorship work ! Night Club Sponsors TEN NIGHT CLUBS and restaurants have signed 13-week contracts for a total of 13.3 announcements weekly on WINS, New York. R. Feldman. New York, placed eight of the accounts : Famous Door. Onyx Club, Club 18, Diamond Horseshoe, Dave's Royal Room ( Park Central Hotel ) , Rio Bamba, Royal Casino and Ubangi Club. Remaining accounts, Corso Restaurant and Dui¥y"s Tavern, were placed direct. kalo MASON CITY. IOWA Year ago, HOGS brought $10.50 per cwt. . . . this year'$lJi..20. A boost of 2S'/o PLUS! Our farmer-listeners have pockets that jingle-jangle. DIP INTO iwt ^'*!L^r;sriSi^i\v^ NOW 5000 WATTS Old 1000 watf rales are still in effect 630 KU. 5000 WATTS DAY AND Nim BLUE NETWORK net's Just See What IS, the Maximum Pull" ( for our product, or merchandising plan, or copy appeal). To get this answer many of the country's largest advertisers, largest agencies have "passed the ball" to us here at WDZ. We've given them a surprisingly HIGH answer — at a surprisingly LOW cost! Why do they come down here "deep in the prairie"? Because they knoii that on WDZ their story is . . . Aimed EXCLUSIVELy\ at the 70% who 'RctfOMitvt' work with their Hands . 1/ Twenty years of "Dl RECTIONAL PROGRAMMING" does it. TRY IT yourself. We can help YOU solve many problems. Let us show you some examples of MAXIMUM PULL. Get in touch wi.h us, or TUSCOLA ILLINOIS 1 000 WATTS HOWARD H. WILSON CO., Representatives New York, Chicago, Hollyvi^ood, Seattle 206,154 Listener Letters During 1941!! WCOP belongs on your advertising schedule for 117 reasons . . . shall we enumerate them for you? HEADLEY-REED CO CBS AFFILIATE * WEED & COMPANY. NAT'L REPRESENTATiyES BELONGS ON YOUR SCHEDULE BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising December 28, 1942 • Page 51