Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1950)

1934 (Continued from page 89) ing. Henry A. Bellows left CBS to join the NAB executive staff ; Harry Butcher succeeded him as CBS vice president in Washington, also continuing as manager of WJSV. March of Time discontinued Bill Adams' impersonations of President Roosevelt, contending they were too realistic. NBC entered the transcription production field, offering 13-minute "open-end" recordings to stations for sale to local advertisers or sustaining use, in 13-week series. NBC also stopped recognition of special agencies and time brokers for business on its owned and managed stations, now represented nationally by NBC Local Sales Department. NBC also put into effect the rule adopted in December 1933 against accepting any new accounts advertising cathartics, depilatories and other products of per sonal hygiene, although permitting clients of that nature already on NBC to continue. CBS in 1934 expanded from 92 to 97 stations, reported net earnings for the year of $2,274,119. WCCO Minneapolis refused announcements for all times except in early morning, at noon and after 10:15 p.m., Earl Gammons, manager, explaining the station feeling that it was "unfair to sell a client announcements between programs for which another advertiser has paid a considerable amount of money and built an audience." Ford Motor Co. became first sponsor of the World Series, paying $100,000 for radio rights, buying time on the combined networks of NBC and CBS plus Chicago (totalling about 180 stations) after the Code Authority refused to allow Ford to carry out its original plan of buying only key stations and offering the broadcasts, including commercials, to other stations on a no-charge-nopay basis. Prof. Frank N. Stanton of Ohio State U. used 160 students in an experiment that showed they remembered advertising copy they heard more effectively than that they read. KYW, after operating in Chicago since 1921, moved to Philadelphia, went on the air there Dec. 3. A Literary Digest poll found symphonic music the best-liked radio program material, jazz music the most disliked. Radio City visitors, asked their program preferences, put dance music first by a margin of more than three to one over comedy, which ranked second. Dr. Neville Hopkins demonstrated his "radiovoting" system, with buttons installed in receivers registering "present," "yes" and "no" records at power station for retransmission to broadcasters. Edgar Kobak left McGraw-Hill to join NBC as vice president in charge of sales. REACH THE INNER EAR* of the KANSAS FARM MARKET The whole-hearted attention that comes when listening is motivated by self-interest. Out here in Kansas, our whole economy revolves around agriculture. Nothing arouses the self-interest of our farm and small town families as much as news and information about weather, crops, market conditions, and productive farming practices. Because WIBW is the Kansas Farm Station, we get RESULTS for our advertisers by taking advantage of this undivided attention. Let us weave your sales messages mto our daily pattern of farm service programming. You'll reach the inner ear* of this billion dollar farm market. SERVING AND SELLING "THE MAGIC CIRCLE'' WIBW . TOREK. A, KANSAS ♦ WIBW-FM Rep: CAPPER PUBLICATIONS, INC, BEN LUDY, Gen. Mgr. WIBW KCKN THE REFORM movement hit radio full force in 19.35, with Anning S. Prall, new FCC chairman, personally leading the clean-up squad in a whirlwind campaign to do away witti harmful program practices. It was so vigorously prosecuted that broadcasters scarcely noticed the departure from the national scene of the NRA and its Broadcast Code Authority which for some 18 months had been their chief authority on employment and advertising practice. The year started with good news for radio in the Commission's report to Congress that its investigation of the previous fall showed no need to allocate a fixed percentage of radio facilities to educational and other non-profit public service groups, nor to change the existing law in any way. Mr. Prall became a Commissioner in January, succeeding Hampson Gray, who, after Paul D. P. Spearman, FCC general counsel, retired to enter private law practice, was appointed to that post. In March Mr. Prall was made chairman of the Commission, succeeding E. 0. Sykes, who became chairman of the Broadcast Division, with Norman Case and Mr. Prall as the other members. Prall Warns Stations To Follow FCC Rules Chairman Prall waited to settle into his new seat at the head of the Commission table before sounding his first war cry, warning stations that a New Deal had come to radio and they had better obey FCC rules to the letter. At a meeting in March with officials of the Women's National Radio Committee, which claimed to speak for most of the women's organizations of the nation, and representatives of the networks and the NAB, Chairman Prall provided the industry with a positive standard for proper programming. The "composite American home," he said, was the standard for broadcasters constantly to keep in mind, gauging the merit of each program by visualizing its reception by a typical family group. NBC promptly reannounced its decision of December 1933 to decline all future advertising of laxatives, deodorants and the like whose advertising might be distasteful when listened to in a room. CBS also banned such advertising for new advertisers and for present contracts at their expiration and in addition set limits on the amount of time devoted to advertising on any program at 10% in the evening, 15% in the daytime. To enCBS hired Gil family living force these rules. Page 90 • October 16, 1950 BROADCASTING • Telecasting