Broadcasting (July - Dec 1943)

CONFIDENTIALLY SPEAKING... TO 20, It's the way Ralph Rogers does it that packs them in. His show— Alabama Hayloft Jamboree—is an all-request program of recorded hill-billy music. But between the numbers, Rogers' engaging intimate talk — interspersed with smooth friendly commercials — makes the listeners feel like Rogers is part of the family. That's why, in the last six months, 20,000 listeners wrote to Rogers asking for him to play their favorite number — to them. Ralph Rogers is an interesting personality. He forsook fifteen successful years of practicing law to enter radio. That was only five years ago. But those five years have proved it was a good idea. Rogers is a really big personality down our way. His cheerful, just-between-us-folks delivery has brought him wide acceptance. And that acceptance by Alabama families has brought sales to Jamboree sponsors. The show is on WAP I from 3:30 to 4:30 PM every weekday. Sponsorships are available in quarter hour units. You can catch the flavor that brings in the orders by listening to a transcription. Ask us or Radio Sales. COLUMBIA lETWIll Represented nationally by Radio Noble Denies Conspiring With WMC AOfficials Against Flamm Shaw and Roberts Deny Aiding Him in Acquiring Station; All File Depositions in Case CATEGORICAL denials of the charges that he conspired with Donald Shaw and Leslie Roberts to wrest control of WMCA from Donald Flamm or that he or his attorneys, William J. Dempsey and William Koplovitz of Washington, threatened to take the station away from Mr. Flamm were made last week by Edward J. Noble, present owner of the station and recent contracted purchaser of the BLUE Network. The denials were contained in a supplementary deposition filed with the Supreme Court of New York, in connection with Mr. Flamm's suit for rescission of the sale of WMCA to Mr. Noble in January, 1941 [Broadcasting, Aug. 16]. The only information he had about WMCA's earnings prior to signing the contract, Mr. Noble said, came from E. H. Rollins & Sons and he "believed it came from the company itself or Mr. Flamm," adding that whatever the source, Mr. Flamm was not damaged as he subsequently learned that the figures were "substantially misleading." When he first met Mr. Flamm his request to go over the books was refused, he stated. "It was my understanding at the time that Flamm was concerned about possible additional income tax liability for past years and did not wish to have the books gone over for that reason," Mr. Noble said. This was why the contract provided for escrowing $100,000 of the purchase price "as a guarantee fund to take care of undisclosed liabilities." Originally the whole sum was to be escrowed for six months; this was later amended to release $75,000 in six months but to keep the remaining $25,000 in escrow for six years. Tells of Dealings He first met Mr. Shaw a few days before signing the contract, he stated, "to form my own opinion regarding him as active manager of the station and I did not discuss or receive any information as to the actual earnings of the station at that or any other time." He does not recall meeting Mr. Roberts until the afternoon of the day on which the contract was signed, he said. He did not pay Mr. Roberts' salary when he was fired by Mr. Flamm, Mr. Noble said, but after he had taken control of WMCA he rehired Mr. Roberts and at that time ordered his regular salary THE DETROIT AREA GOES AND CKLW KEEPS PACE! • Retail business in this, America's Third Market, is booming . . . and CKLW time-sales in many major retail classifications leads 'em all! Results — at lower cost, is the reason. 5,000 WATTS DAY and NIGHT 800 Kc. MUTUAL SYSTEM CKLW paid for the time of discharge, because of a feeling of "moral responsibility" since Mr. Roberts had been fired for "allegedly conspiring with or for me to gain control of the station, which I knew then as now to be wholly untrue." In his answer to Mr. Noble's original affidavit, also filed last week, Mr. Flamm asserted that Messrs. Dempsey and Koplovitz obtained "no asking price from me", but offered him $750,000 and later raised this to $850,000, but at that time told Mr. Flamm that "their undisclosed client much preferred that I should refuse this sum as he could have my license without paying me." Mr. Flamm reiterated his position that because of the build-up he had been given about the "allpowerful combination" he was up against, he went through with the sale against his des'res. Regarding Mr. Noble's claims of improvements in WMCA since the transfer, Mr. Flamm stated, "although WMCA has in the 2%-year period of Mr. Noble's cperation won many awards for outstanding programs, each and every one of these programs were created by me and not one of them was created either by Mr. Noble or any member of his organization." The New York Times' arrangement, Mr. Flamm said, was similar to earlier arrangements WMCA had had with the New York HeraldTribune and World-Telegram and that "the plan for the arrangement with the Times was worked out in detail during my ownership of the station by one of my employes and was set forth in memorandum form, so that Mr. Noble had only to put it into effect." «N. Y. Times' Arrangement Mr. Flamm's statement "that the arrangement with the New York Times for its hourly news broadcasts over the stat;on had already been worked out by an employe under his ownership is, so far as I know, an absolute fabrication on the part of Mr. Flamm," Mr. Noble declared. He went on to explain that the suggestion came from a man not connected with WMCA and that the deal was completed only after negotiations lasting until December of 1941, nearly a year after the station had changed hands. Mr. Noble also charged that in describing WMCA as substantially unchanged "leaves out of account the all-important fact that the CBS-50 KW The Selling in the Buying Market Time? SWfiot. The Bt»«*»m Compa,n' Page 50 • August 23, 1943 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising