Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

RADIO MOTION PICTURE DAILY Monday, July I I , I93f Farmers Own More Radios Than Pianos Washington, July 10. — Far more farmers own radio receiving sets than ever possessed pianos or phonographs, it was reported yesterday by the Bureau of Home Economics of the Department of Agriculture. While the percentage of white, nonrelief, native-born farm families owning sets varies greatly among the several states, the proportion ran below 70 per cent only in the southeast and ranged as high as 93.7 per cent in California, where only 92.4 per cent of village families reported sets Based on a survey of 16,774 families, the bureau found that 73 per cent in Vermont owned radio sets, while only 50.8 per cent had phonographs and 40.6 per cent had pianos In the north central and middle Atlantic states, 71.3 per cent reported radio sets, against 45.5 per cent reporting pianos and 31.6 per cent re porting phonographs. Pacific Ratio Highest The highest percentage of radio ownership, 90.1, was reported from the Pacific Coast, as against 44.2 per cent for pianos and 27.6 per cent for phonographs. In the mountains and plains states, 72 per cent of the farm families had radios, but only 36.7 per cent had pianos and 31 per cent had phonographs. In the southeastern states, 40.1 per cent of the white operators in North and South Carolina and 30.7 per cent in Georgia and Mississippi had radio sets, but only 23 per cent had pianos and 23.5 per cent had phonographs in the Carolinas and 19.3 per cent had pianos and 25.8 per cent had phonographs in the other two states. In the same areas, however, only 5.1 per cent of the negro operators in North and South Carolina and 1.8 per cent of those in Georgia and Mississippi had receivers, while in the first two states, 4.8 per cent had pianos and 30.2 per cent had phonographs, and in the last two, 4.9 per cent had pianos and 22.5 per cent had phonographs. Food Industry Is Leader in HalfYear NBC Expenses Close WNEW Deals Madison Personal Loan will sponsor Earl Harper's "Sportoscope" over WNEW, starting immediately. The contract is for six quarter-hours weekly. Klinger Advertising Corp. handled the business. New York State Bureau of Milk has signed for a 30-week spot announcement campaign on WNEW, through J. M. Mathes, Inc. The food and beverage industry spent more for radio time with NBC during the first six months of 1938 than any other industry, and also showed the greatest dollar volume gain over the same period in 1937, according to the network's industrial breakdown. The tobacco industry ranked second in dollar volume gain over the 1937 half-year, while the automotive industry showed the greatest decline from the first six months of 1937. For the first six months of the year, tobacco companies spent 1,508,935, compared with expenditures of $801,039 for the same period last year. Expenditures for time by food and food beverage companies for the first six months of 1938 were $7,466,102, compared to $5,607,660 last year. The automobile industry for the six months of this year spent $459,756, compared to $1,532,021 spent during the first six months of 1937. Twenty-four industries are represented in the breakdown, and their total contributions for time on NBC for the six months are $21,023,674, a 5.4 per cent increase over the aggregate for the corresponding months of 1937, which was $19,948,107. The industrial classifications, and their expenditures, alphabetically listed, follow : Total Classification 1938 Automotive $459,756 Building 56,162 Tobacco 1,506,935 Clothing 54,662 Confectionery and Beverages 175,512 Drug 6,312,087 Financial and Insurance 171,627 Foods and Food Beverages 7,466,012 Garden 2,236 Furniture and House Furnishings 551,361 Jewelry and Silverware Petroleum 932,367 Machinery, Farm and Mech. Supp 120,484 Office Equipment Paints and Hardware 137,109 Radios and Musical Instruments 477,637 Schools and Correspondence Courses 6,912 Shoes and Allied Goods 19,854 Laundry Soaps and Cleansers 2,197,002 Sporting Goods Stationery and Publishers 191,568 Travel and Hotels 15,420 Brewing 81,720 Miscellaneous 87,251 Total 1937 $1,532,021 163,325 801,039 64,688 102,800 6,563,881 153,060 5,607,660 5,200 267,471 64,716 1,068,052 65,120 WABC Tops Stations In Publicity Breakt WABC, Columbia's key station L New York, leads all other local nefi work and unaffiliated stations here %\ the number of newspaper publicity" breaks received during the first si» months of the year, an analysis showi The WABC total is 6,582 feature list* ings and columns mentions up to tin end of June. WJZ follows with a total of 4,845 and WEAF is third, with lj total of 4,844. ^ . i" The compilation is made fromVk'1'* York newspapers only, comprising "the Tunes, Tribune, News, Mirror, Telegraph, Sun, Post, Journal -American, World-Telegram, Enquirer. Fourth in the ranking is WOR,J with 2,784, and the others rank a» follows: WMCA, 2,402; WQXR, 1,100; WHN, 1,079, and WNEW, 918. Highlights disclosed by the ratings are the number of mentions received by WMCA, unusually high for aff unaffiliated station, and the standing of WQXR, until a short while ago a comparatively unknown among thl New York stations. 199,005 749,420 5,868 55,500 1,863,691 83,699 219,062 27,792 285,037 TOTAL $21,023,674 $19,948,107 Broadcast Aids Games Birmingham, July 10. — Broadcast ing of baseball games helps instead of hurts attendance at the games, according to WSGN here. The Birmingham Baseball Club in the Southern League reluctantly signed up this year for broadcast of its home games for the first time. As a result attendance has been larger than last year, although general business conditions are bad and the ball club is near the cellar in percentage standing. The broadcast is sponsored by the Kellogg Co. WNEW Plea Opposed Washington, July 10. — Opposing WNEW's request for authorization for an increase in power, an F.C.C. examiner has recommended denial of an application by the New York radio station for permission to increase its daytime power from 2l/2 kilowatts to five kilowatts. Kepner Joins WQXR Arch Kepner, formerly of WOL, Washington, has joined the announcing staff of WQXR, New York. Work on Power Increase NBC engineers are now at work stepping up the power of W2XBS, NBC television transmitter in the Empire State Building, which has ceased operations for the summer to permit improvements in the transmitter. Meanwhile, work is also going on to improve the television cameras, the antenna is being redesigned, and new standards are to be incorporated in the synchronizing generators. To Direct Concerts San Francisco, July 10.— Willem Van Den Burg, famous Dutch 'cellist, has been chosen to direct the San Francisco Symphony in a 13-week summer series, sponsored over KPO and coast red network by the Standard Oil of California. The program will be a full hour on Thursday nights. Launch New Promotion National Outboard Association and Alemite Division of the Stewart Warner Corp. are launching a new joint promotion idea on the Horace Heidt broadcasts. The idea is to promote boating as well as lubricants in a series of weekly contests with 25 outboard motors as the prizes each week. Kracht, Byron Join Allan Radio Company C. A. Kracht has joined the sales staff of the Allan-Alsop-Eddy Radio Recording Co. He is also in charge of station representation. Mr. Kracht comes to the recording company from WINS, and formerly was with WMCA and CBS. Ted Byron has joined the company i as head of the continuity department.} He formerly was associated with the story departments of 20th Century!] Fox and Paramount at the studios ini j Hollywood, and was continuity writer for World Broadcasting. Renew Ohio Program Columbus, July 10. — The well known educational program, the "Ohio School of the Air," has been revived by Ohio State University, from whose studios the broadcasts will originate. The five-day-a-week program over WOSU was discontinued a year ago because of lack of funds, but a legislative grant has made renewal possible, beginning in September. Gordon G. Humbert will serve as director. AFM Completes Pact For Recording Units The American Federation of Musicians has completed its negotiations with the recording and transcription interests. The license pact which will govern the production of radio and! phonograph discs has been finished, and the document is now at the print-; ers. Copies cf the license will be sena to all recording and transcription com-f panies today or tomorrow for signing by each individual company. Hutchinson Goes Abroad Tom Hutchinson, NBC's television program director, sailed for Europe over the weekend on the lie de France to study television on the Continent. He is accompanied by Mrs. Hutchinson. Wyatt in KXBY Post Kansas City, July 10.— E. C. Wyatt has been named commercial manager of KXBY. Riley Shifted to Boston Tom Riley of NBC's New York press department has been shifted to Boston to assume charge of special events and news broadcasts at WBZ there, and Arthur Feldman of than station will come to New York to] become an announcer. Pellegrin Joins C. S. B. S Omaha, July 10.— Frank E. Pellegrin, director of publicity at Creigh ton University, has become general sales manager of the Central States Broadcasting System. He will have charge of all sales activities with head quarters in Omaha. Goodman to Jones Beach Montreal. July 10. — Benny Goodman and his band left last night for Jones Beach after having played at the opening of Baron Empain's Domain Desterel in the Laurentians.