Broadcasting (Jan - Mar 1949)

-LAYTON Packagers Blaze Manhattan Radio Trails WITHIN slightly over two years the former advertising manager of Cravirford Clothes, New York, and the top-ranking time salesman for New York's WMCA have built one of that city's leading radio packaging partnerships. Today Jerry Layton, the Crawford man, and Wilbur Stark, the time salesman, are running a flourishing business with a number of valuable properties. They not only own various radio programs, but direct and produce them, and manage talent as well. Among other shows, Mr. Stark and Mr. Layton have Red Benson's Movie Matinee, heard over WOR New York Mutual, Monday through Friday at 3 p.m. They also have a management contract with the m.c.-singer-comedian, Mr. Benson, and have leased his services to U. S. Tobacco for Take A Number, heard Saturday at 8:30 p.m. on WOR-Mutual. Sportscaster Russ Hodges was signed by the pair and in April 1948 they sold him and the package, Russ Hodges Scoreboard, to WABD (TV) New York and the DuMont television network as the first five-times-a-week sports show in video. Mr. Hodges also has been signed to a fat Chesterfield-New York Giants contract whereby he will be head man in the Giants' baseball and football coverage. The Tournament of Champions prize fights over CBS-TV, sponsored by Ballantine Beer and Ale, also have been added to Mr. Hodges' roster of programs, in addition to the Russ Hodges Quiz Show, heard on WOR-Mutual Saturday at 5 p.m. Last November Mr. Layton and Mr. Stark combined entertainment with a shopping service for video watchers and sold the Kathi Norris Television Shopper package to WABD and DuMont. Show is telecast by DuMont Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. Messrs. Layton and Stark also have a management contract with Kathi Norris. One of the pair's first coup d'etats occurred in October 1947 when they signed platter spinner Jack Eigen to a management contract and sold him to the Copacabana for the first all-night record show from a night club. The original contract v/as for 13 weeks but the program v/ent ^^o w^ll that it v/as sv/itehed t.- " voek noncancellable cont r: h : contract has now been ranewed ior another year on WINS New York under the Business of Broadcasting One of a Series L to r: Mr. Layton, Kathi Norris (Mrs. Stark) and Mr. Stark. same non-cancellable terms. As in the case of all their programs, Mr. Stark and Mr. Layton own this show. Another early acquisition of the team was the rights to Scattergood Baines, a dramatic show which had been aired by Wrigley's for several years on CBS and was taken off in 1945. On Feb. 2 the program started again as a weekly presentation of WOR-Mutual under the Wilbur Stark-Jerry Layton Inc. banner. In addition to its other activities the Stark-Layton team has managed Bill Slater, radio scripter Sheldon Stark, m.c. Bob Dixon, musical director Ben Ludlow, sold a package, Col. Humphrey Flack, to NBC as a summer replacement for the Henry Aldrich show, sold Jack Eigen to DuMont for a weekly TV show, sold Brown Shoes the 15 minute pre-game telecasts of the New York Yankees baseball and football games, sold Kathi Norris and a weekly half hour variety and public service package show. Teen Canteen, to WPIX (TV) New York, sold scripts to National Biscuit Co. for Straight Arrow on Don Lee network (three a week over MBS) and dabbled in various and sundry other activities in radio and television. Met in 1939 The pair met in 1939 and closed their first business deal in 1942 with their origination of "bulk advertising." It started when Mr. Layton bought 30 Crawford spots a week on WMCA from Mr. Stark. After four weeks the Crawford schedule was stepped up to an average of ten hours a week on WMCA, one of the largest local time sales of radio history. The men did business together for several years and after their discharges from the service formed the partnership. Mr. Stark, who will be 37 in August, was born in Brooklyn. He attended Manual Training High School and then took advertising, drama and motion picture photography courses at Columbia U. After a stint as a Gimble Bros, shoe salesman and an account executive with a small advertising agency, Mr. Stark joined WMCA in 1936. While with WMCA Mr. Stark became the station's top salesman, RRN MERGER Cornell, Foundation Sign Pact AN INTERIM agreement between Cornell U. and the Rural Radio Foundation was signed last week as a preliminary to the final merger of the two interests in operating the Rural Radio Network of upstate New York [Broadcasting, Feb. 28]. Pending completion of final details of the merger, a 90-day management contract was signed by the university and the foundation, which owns the FM network. Michael R. Hanna, general manager of Cornell's stations, WHCU and WHCU-FM Ithaca, was appointed general manager of the network. R. Bruce Gervan, present manager of RRN, will become a member of the boards of directors of both Rural Radio Foundation and Rural Radio Network. Mr. Hanna, however, will be the principal executive, it was understood. The Cornell stations, WHCU and WHCU-FM, do not figure in the merger, it was pointed out. The two stations remain the exclusive properties of Cornell, but their staffs will be used for duties with the FM network. The final contract establishing the merger is expected to be completed within the period covered by the interim agreement and will be submitted to the FCC for its necessary approval. bringing in such accounts as Modern Industrial Bank, A. S. Beck, Sweetheart Soap and Pabst Beer, to which he sold $173,000 worth of time on one of the largest local baseball deals in history. He is married to Kathi Norris. They have a three year old daughter, Pamela. Mr. Layton was born in New York City nearly 38 years ago. After high school he attended the First Institute of Podiatry and almost became a chiropodist. He decided he did not care for this type of work and secured a job as publicity man for an independent motion picture exhibitor. Joined Crawford Firm Quitting this job, Mr. Layton joined Crawford Clothes as one of the assistants to the general manager. As the company grew Mr. Layton grew with it and later handled personnel and public relations in addition to acting as advertising manager. In December 1943 Mr. Layton retired from Crawford Clothes tb become sales promotion and publicity manager of WINS New York. Within three months, however, he was in the Army as a producer and only non-playing member of the official U. S. Army Air Force Band. After his Army work Mr. Layton returned to WINS for a brief period before joining Mr. Stark. Mr. Layton is unmarried. HOLLAND Booraem Heads New Firm FORMATION of Holland Productions, with offices at 27 East 11 St., New York, was announced last week by Hendrik Booraem, former national program manager of MBS, who heads the company. First presentation of the new radio and television package firm is Expe rience Speaks, which was slated to bec o m e a weekly MBS series, 88:30 p.m. last Friday. Program features guests selected by the editorial board of Experience magzine, with Bill Adams as host. Prior to his Mutual post, Mr. Booraem managed the Hollywood office of the Hutchins Agency. Before his war experience as a Navy lieutenant in charge of production for the Armed Forces Radio Service in Hollywood and overseas, he was a radio producer and supervisor with Young & Rubicam. Before entering radio, Mr. Booraem appeared in Theatre Guild stage productions, co-authored a Broadway play and stage managed another. Mr. Booraem Page 32 • March 7, 1949 BROADCASTING • Telecasting