Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY RADIO Monday, October 10, r 938 8 anner LINES ABELIEVE-IT-OR-NOT gleaned while talking to Bob Ripley. Rip states biggest publicity-getter in America today is dummy Charlie McCarthy, and second biggest is Rip himself. The cartoonist, incidentally, doesn't keep scrap books. His clippings are weighed and burned, monthly. T President Lohr's office of NBC called by 'phone yesterday to learn if the item here the other day, about the plaque awarded to west cost v.-p. John Gilman for "colossal modesty in premiering the new studios without Hollywood fanfare, kleig lights, pretty girls and vice-president's speeches," was true. Mr. Lohr, it seems, was highly amused by the item. The column gets around. T Sponsor loyalty is a terrible thing. Judging from his expressions, it's killing Ben Bernie to smoke a pipe (Ben without a cigar is like the w. k. mustard without the w. k. hot dog) but his new sponsor makes pipe tobacco, and so it's a bowl and stem for Ben. George Burns has been no less loyal to a cigar than Bernie, but George now is broadcasting for Chesterfields, and so it's cigarettes for him. T There's no end to the service one can obtain from a radio network. Recently a British army private wrote NBC that his wife had just had a baby girl, and that as a gesture of international friendship he desired to name the infant in connection with American broadcasting. Whereupon NBC gave careful thought to the matter, with the following letter the result: "After considerable thought we reached the conclusion that Ameradio' might be an appropriate suggestion. Other possibilities are 'Nabroco,' which is an abbreviated form of National Broadcasting Co. ; 'Nabretta,' which is a combination of letters from National Broadcasting Co., Britannia and Electra. The word is from the Italian meaning 'symbol of electricity' and is the name of Marconi's daughter as well as his yacht." T Irving Mansfield, the press agent, tried to convince Ken Lyons, another p. a., that he, Mansfield, had a "piece" of quiz program "Information Please." Cracked Lyons: "Say, even if you put a nickel in the slot and dialled 4-1-1, you'd still not get 'Information Please"'. — Jack Banner Hode to Talk on WQXR Hal Hode, executive of Columbia Pictures Corp., will enter a blanket defense for Hollywood in an appearance tonight at 9:45 P. M. over WQXR. Mr. Hode will defend Hollywood methods of production, block booking, typing of directors, and the star system in a talk titled "Hollywood Talks Back." His appearance will be on the "Exploring Arts and Sciences" program, presented in cooperation with the Radio Division, Federal Theatre. Examiners9 Hearings Are Set by the FCC Washington, Oct. 9. — The Federal Communications Commission here issued orders for the holding of examiners' hearings on broadcasting applications as follows : Oct. 17: Applications of KSEI, Pocatello, Ida., for change of frequency from 900 to 600 kilocycles and increase of night power from 250 to 1,000 watts ; and NBC, for authority to construct mobile short-wave lowpower stations for use in Washington, D. C, Hollywood, Cal., and Denver. Nov. 1 : Applications of Drohlich Brothers, for a 1,500-kilocycle station at Sedalia, Mo., with 100 watts power night, 260 watts day, and KPAC, Port Arthur, Tex., for change of frequency from 1,260 to 1,220 kilocycles and extension of time from day to unlimited. Nov. 16 : Applications of George H. Payne, for a 1,440-kilocycle, 500watt station at San Jose, Cal., and Olney Broadcasting Co., for a 1,210kilocycle station at Olney, 111., with 100 watts power night, 250 watts day. Nov. 30 : Application of John F. Nolan for a 1,310-kilocycle, 100-watt daytime station at Steubenville, O. Jones to Publicity Department of CBS Wade Jones, formerly of the Washington Star, has joined the CBS publicity staff and beginning this evening he will take over the night trick of Hal Davis, who has been advanced to day duties. Another change in CBS publicity department operations finds Jim Kane taken off routine publicity duties to become a contact man with the various New York City radio editors. This post was previously held by Bob Taplinger, now with Warners, and Pat O'Toole, now with a talent agency. NBC Symphony Will Rehearse Tomorrow The NBC Symphony Orchestra will begin rehearsals tomorrow in preparation for the new Toscanini-conducted symphony series which will return Oct. 15 from 10 to 11 :30 P.M. on the Blue network. Mr. Toscanini arrived from Italy this morning. The symphony will number 74 men, as last year, but there have been extensive revisions in personnel, 20 new members having been added. Mutual Signs Lowther George Lowther, who pens the scripts for the "Terry and the Pirates" and "Dick Tracy" network strips based on the newspaper cartoons of those titles, has been signed to write installments of "The Shadow" series, Mutual show sponsored by D. L. & W. Coal. Feldman to NBC Here Arthur Feldman has joined the NBC announcing staff in New York. He came here from WBZA in Boston, and previously was with WLOE, also Boston. Will Interview Roach Hal Roach will be interviewed by Gabriel Heatter on the "We, the People" program tomorrow over CBS. Mr. Roach will chat about his 25year career in motion pictures. Horrors! Is it possible that the great Toscanini will "swing it" when he resumes his symphony series? Anyhow, among the 20 new musicians added to the orchestra during recent weeks is a trombonist from Paul Whiteman's band, a Fred Waring trumpet player and another trumpeter from Benny Goodman's band. Seeking Permission For Oregon Station Washington, Oct. 9. — Authority to construct a new 1,310-kilocycle, 100watt daytime station at Grants Pass, Ore., has been asked of the Federal Communications Commission by the Southern Oregon Broadcasting Co. An amendment to its application for a construction permit for a new station at Evanston, 111., was filed by the Northwestern Broadcasting Association, asking that the proposed frequency be changed from 1,040 to 1,310 kilocycles and the time of operation from day to unlimited, on 100 watts power. An application for permission to assign their licenses to the Lehigh Valley Broadcasting Co. was filed by B. Bryan Musselman, operator of WCBA, and WSAN, Inc., operator of WSAN, both of Allentown, • Pa. The two stations share time on 1,440 kilocycles, each with 500 watts power. "Tie and Sade" Will Return to NBC Web "Vic and Sade," who for the past season have been heard over CBS, will return to the NBC-Red network next week, broadcasting from 4:30 to 4:45 P. M. Their sponsor is Procter & Gamble. The "Gospel Singer," who also has been heard over NBC during the past six months, will return to NBC as soon as time can be cleared for him. Procter & Gamble will continue to sponsor his programs upon his return to the air. The Compton agency handles both above accounts. College Honors Dunham Dr. Franklin Dunham, NBC educational director, has been elected an honorary fellow in Trinity College, London. The award, just voted Dr. Dunham, will probably be bestowed in New York early next spring, according to cable advices just received. Don Hancock Is Signed Don Hancock, announcer, has been signed as commentator for the Burton Holmes screen travel series to do the commentaries. Mr. Hancock is heard on a number of network programs, including "First Nighter." Angell to Speak Here Dr. James, Angell will deliver addresses on radio and education at a meeting of the New York Life Insurance Co. in New York tomorrow, and at a conference on audioTvisual education at Atlanta the day following. World Series Air Coverage Is Extensive Radio's coverage of this season's World Series baseball games has be-? more extensive than in previous st ' sons. Not only did the three coast-tocoast chains, NBC, CBS and Mutual, carry play-by-plays of the games, but scores of independent stations throughout the country voluntarily hooked themselves into the networks, paying the line charges out of their own pockets. With approximately 700 stations operating in the country, it may be estimated safely that about 500 stations carried the play-by-play. As was the case the last two seasons of unsponsored World Series broadcasts, the networks suffered heavy financial burdens in cancellations of commercial programs. NBC's Red network and CBS were hit particularly hard, for the early and late afternoon hours on those webs are fairly well sold out commercially between the hours of approximately 2 and 4 :30 P.M., the average periods the games were covered. The Blue network and Mutual suffered to a lesser extent, the game time periods on those networks being liberally sprinkled with sustaining time. NBC Has Two Staffs Working NBC particularly extended itself this year, for the first time assigning twp separate staffs of sports commentators to describe the play-by-plays and color for the Blue and Red audiences. Previously, NBC placed but one staff on the air for both of its networks. The Red commentators : Red Barbour of WLW and Tom Manning of WTAM, play-by-plays, and George Hicks handling color from the National League parks. Paul Douglas of CBS took over Hicks' assignment from New York. John O'Hara of KWK and George Higgins of WTCN handling play-by-play on the Blue, and Al Rosewell of KDKA doing color. The CBS staff comprised Francis Laux of KMOX and Bill Dyer of WCAU doing play-by-play, and Mel Allen of WABC, the color. Mutual's sports battery was Bob Elson of WGN broadcasting from Chicago and New York ; Stan Lomax, WOR, New York games; Dave Driscoll, WOR, New York games, and Quin Ryan of WGN, doing the Chicago games. The networks will not divulge how much in actual cash it has cost them via commercial cancellations, but estimates within the industry for the three webs have it at approximately $35,000$40,000. Dewey on NBC Network A statewide hookup of NBC stations, similar to the one recently arranged for him over CBS stations, has been obtained for Thomas E. Dewey, Republican candidate for Governor of New York. The series, five broadcasts in number, will be heard Mondays from 6:30 to 6:45 P. M., starting today, over WJZ, WABY, WSYR, WEBR, WJTN, WMFF. Additionally, his campaign talks will be heard in recorded form over WHAM, WGY and WMBF. The broadcasts are being financed by the Non-Partisan Citizens Committee.