Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr - June 1951)

RETAIL RADIO ADVERTISING Gets Only Three Cents Out of Ad Dollar NARTB Inaugurals (Continued from page 27) dogs, street traffic noises — including sirens, elevated railroads, street speakers — everything except music ; that — whether you like it or not — apparently does not come within the prohibition of this newly discovered Constitutional amendment." Mr. Fellows spoke humbly "in the presence of many very wise men and women," and recalled that "to serve is a purpose of mankind." Eadio and television offer great opportunity for service, he said, "in a world where truth and understanding are in short supply." He lauded the role of the salesman in America's progress. "Seldom has this great brotherhood failed to move off the shelves the prodigious production of a great economy," he continued. "I find special pride in being identified with the greatest medium that has ever been devised for mass selling in the American tradition. "It is right to remember that no other nation in the world has developed its radio and television media nearly as rapidly as the United States. This has been done with dollars, and not with toothpicks, sealing wax and bits of wire. Its continued growth and expansion will depend upon dollars and upon the sometimes-forgotten fraternity of men and women who sell. I say, God bless them, and may success attend their labors." Trade Press Issue President Fellows departed from the position taken by Judge Miller at the NARTB April convention in his approach to the role of trade publications in association affairs. At that time Judge Miller chided the publications, scoffing at their rhetorical attainments and questioning their sincerity. Instead Mr. Fellows said he welcomed them "in the spirit of friendship," looking to them "for guidance— for honest reporting of the news, which is their purpose; for honest editorial criticism when we are wrong, which is a possibility that should be anticipated." He extolled the role of women in broadcasting, with special reference to FCC Comr. Frieda Hennock. Concluding, Mr. Fellows made this pledge: I pledge lo the nation's broadcasters my full energies, my loyalty and my continued respect and affection. To Judge Miller — my highest esteem and determination that my performance will reflect credit on the accomplishments of this courageous administartion. To those in government who must direct the lawmaking and licensing of this medium — my deep respect and constant availabilty. And to Johnny Gillin — ever a memory of the principles for which he stood, and a devotion to the profession in which he spent a noble lifetime. Mr. Fellows was selected for the NARTB presidency last April 2. He made his first industry appearance at the NARTB convention in April. In the intervening weeks he has kept in close touch with association affairs, but did not take office until last week. Mr. Fellows' five-year contract calls for an escalator salary starting at $35,000 and rising to $50,000 the fourth and fifth years. Judge Miller is signed to a three-year contract scalling down from $35,000 to $25,000 a year. His original contract as president had been slated to run to March 1, 1954. Members of the inaugural dinner committee, besides Chairman Russell, were Everett Dillard, WASH (FM) Washington; Frank U. Fletcher, WARL Arlington, Va.; Earl Gammons, CBS; Carl Haverlin, BMI; John S. Hayes, WTOP Washington; C. M. Jansky, Jansky & Bailey; Mr. Morency; William R. McAndrew, WRC-WNBW (TV) Washington; William Porter, president, Federal Communications Bar Assn.; Mr. Strouse. Robert K. Richards, NARTB public affairs director, handled dinner arrangements for the association. BLACKLIST Is Charged by RWG HITTING at the CBS "loyalty questionnaire" and charging that "an employers blacklist is rapidly evolving," Radio Writers Guild National President Ira Marion last week called upon the FCC to "examine the radio and television industries at length and carefully with the aim of eliminating all such practices." After saying that "an increasing number of members of this guild are bringing to our attention unfair employment practices currently being applied in the radio and television industries by some sponsors, advertising agencies and networks," Mr. Marion wrote FCC Chairman Wayne Coy that "the loyalty questionnaire and morals clause which . . . (CBS) ... is demanding of employes, including writers, are a flagrant violation of the basic and inalienable personal rights of privacy and freedom of belief. "They are in no way justified in the interests of national security," he continued, "because all written material is very thoroughly screened before being approved for broadcast. "Moreover, an employers' blacklist is rapidly evolving, based on the privately published pamphlet, Red Channels. These self-appointed judges have assumed the right to brand others as 'subversive,' the result is that with no chance for hearing persons listed in this publication are being deprived of their right to earn a living," he said. Bans Cugar WNEW New York last week announced it would play no more recordings of Band Leader Xavier Cugat because of his alleged reference "to the medium of radio in a derogatory manner" in an appearance Tuesday on Cavalcade of Bands on the DuMont TV network. RADIO and television got three cents of the department store's advertising dollar in 1950, compared to 56 cents spent for newspaper space, 13 cents for display advertising and five cents for direct mail, according to the 1951 edition of Merchandising and Operating Results of Department and Specialty Stores, published by the Controllers' Congress of the National Retail Dry Goods Assn. Analyzed by volume of business, the figures show department stores with annual sales of $l-$2 million spending five cents of their 1950 publicity dollar for broadcast media, the sum dropping to three cents for stores with a $2-$5 million annual volume and amounting to four cents for the $5-$10 million SDX ELECTIONS Kany of AP New President HOWARD KANY, AP, and Griffing Bancroft, CBS commentator, were elected president and vice president, respectively, of the Washington Professional Chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, journalistic fraternity last Wednesday. Thirteen new members were initiated. Other officers named at the meeting were: Richard Fitzpatrick, Dept. of State, secretary; Wallace Werble, Food, Drug and Cosmetic Reports, treasurer; John C. O'Brien, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Lawrence Sullivan, assistant coordinator of information, U. S. House of Representatives, members of the board of governors, Sol Taishoff, editor and publisher of Broadcasting • Telecasting, who is retiring president, was elected ex-officio. ART THOMAS Former WJAG Mgr. Dies FUNERAL services were held last Wednesday for Art Thomas, 66, former manager of WJAG Norfolk, Neb., who died in a local hospital June 3." He had been associated with the station for 19 years prior to his retirement. Mr. Thomas went to Norfolk in 1932, succeeding Karl Stefan, now a member of the U. S. House of Representatives, as news commentator. The former WJAG execu group and two cents for stores with gross sales of over $10 million. Specialty stores with sales of more than $1 million a year spent only one cent of their publicity dollar on radio and television. The overall department store AM-TV figure for 1950 was the same as for 1949, but specialty stores dropped from two cents in 1949 to one cent in 1950. The percent of stores using radio varied for each business volume ( bracket, as did the average amount of time used, and that also was j true of television, except that the percent of stores using video advertising rose in direct proportion to the volume of business, as is shown in the following tables taken from the 112-page, spiral-bound report. Specialty Store! with Annual Sales of Over S50 Over SI Million Million 50 23 3:15 0:36 2:30 0:23 1:00 0:05 6:00 1:30 50 9 2:13 1:15 * 0:15 * 5:00 * CBS CANCELS Scraps Barry Gray Plant CANCELLATION of The Barri Gray Show, a CBS version o: which was scheduled to go on th( air July 2, 7-7:45 p.m., was an | nounced by the network last week A CBS spokesman said that upoij re-examination of the program i | was decided the network could no i allow Mr. Gray the latitude he de sired, and they had agreed mutu ally to cancellation. Mr. Gray's show, which has beei carried by WMCA New York fo more than a year and is contracted for until June 1952, is broadcasj with local participation sponsor | ship five nights a week from mid night to 3 a.m. from Chandler' Restaurant in New York. Ther I Mr. Gray's interviews of guest lead into unrehearsed discussion o topics ranging from anti-trus cases to Communism and emascr lated mink. A WMCA spokesma j describes it as "an open-forum typ | show about people, personalitie i and politics — and frequently th people want to get something o their chests." five, whose son Robert succeede him at the station, was credite with having launched the famor Voice of the Street programs in th early '30s. He is survived by h widow, one son and two daughter Department Stores with Annual Sales of $1-2 S2-5 $5-10 SI 0-20 $20-50 Million Million Million Million Million Percent of Stores 50 36 54 54 41 Using Radio Hours per Week 2:18 2:18 1:57 2:55 1:47 Average Median 1:45 1:20 1:30 1:28 1:38 Lowest 0:15 0:20 0:08 0:05 0:15 Highest 7:12 11:00 7:00 11:00 5:00 Percent of Stores 6 7 15 24 35 Using TV Hours per Week Average * * 2:06 0:4B 1:57 Median 1:08 0:30 1:15 Lowest * 0:04 0:15 0:15 Highest 6:00 2:30 10:30 * Data inadequate or not reported Page 36 • June 11, 1951 BROADCASTING • Telecastin