Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1939)

8 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, July 25, 193S New Network To Challenge CBC Control Toronto, July 24. — A challenge to the increasing control of radio operations in the Dominion by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. is seen in the incorporation under the Companies Act of the International Broadcasting System, the stated purpose of which is to construct, equip and operate private broadcasting stations in Canada and elsewhere and to establish a network of private stations. The named incorporators include Britton Osier and John Osier, prominent lawyers of Toronto, and the new company lists its headquarters as Toronto. According to the regulations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., which is backed by the Dominion Government, application must be made to the CBC for any broadcasting privileges throughout the country. Officials of the CBC declare that no such application has been received and it is rumored that the International Broadcasting System will make a test of Government control of the air which will shortly become practically a monopoly in the taking over of the supervision of private independent stations in September, the latter being prohibited from accepting contracts for any commercially sponsored progams except through the offices of the CBC. Further, CBC is placing its network service in the private stations at charges to be determined. The newly incorporated International Broadcasting System looms as fresh opposition to the Canadian network and a battle, both political and legal, may develop over the question of a permit to operate from the CBC. The Government could not decline to issue a company charter to the new enterprise but permission to broadcast is an entirely different point. It is obvious that the CBC is frowning upon any expansion by private broadcasting interests in the Dominion, and with Federal elections about to be announced the matter may become an issue. Plan Government Series New series under the auspices of the Office of Government Reports, which sponsored the recorded talks by the president and the members of the cabinet, will start over WHN tonight at 10 P. M. John M. Carmody, administrator of the newly created Federal Works Agency, will be the first speaker. The heads of various government agencies will participate in subsequent broadcasts. Radio Incorporations Houston, Texas, July 24. — Houston Broadcasting Corporation has been incorporated by R. E. Wilson and several associates. Dallas Broadcasting Corporation has been formed at Dallas by R. E. Wilson, Earl Cullum and T. W. Davis. New Husing Series Set Ted Husing will begin a new weekly series of sports resumes called "That's What I Said," starting Aug. 1, at 7:15 P. M. Husing is to be assisted by James Dolan. Banner Radio Lines ■By JACK BANNER c OMPTON PROMOTES . . . John E. McMillan, head of radio of the Compton agency, and Gordon Aymar, head of the art department, have been elected vice-presidents of the agency. ALIBI EXPERT ON AIR . . . Don Peterson, radio producer, recently had an idea for a radio program based on alibis. He put a classified ad in the newspapers stating he was in the business of supplying alibis to those who need them, and a raft of publicity ensued. Before Peterson could do anything about getting his program on the air, CBS came forth with a show based on a similar idea, and Peterson, although he didn't like to do so, dropped the alibi thought. Young & Rubicam, however, has made him resurrect it, and he'll be on 'We, the People" this evening to tell all about it. T FROM FATHER COUGHLIN . . . Alfred J. McCosker, president of WOR and chairman of Mutual, on Sunday received the following communication from Father Charles E. Coughlin, a statement which was announced on the radio priest's hour : "Our announcer will say on Sunday, among other things : 'Although the Mutual Broadcasting System offered time for seven and a half minutes independent of any commercial sponsor with which to answer the attacks made against him by Mr. Elliott Roosevelt, nevertheless Father Coughlin has declined to accept the offer. It is better, so thought the Royal Oak pastor, to take advantage of this occasion by permitting his eminent friend and brilliant co-worker, Rev. Edward Lodge Curran, president of the International Truth Society, to address Sunday's audience.' " ▼ (f OA" BENNETT . . . Richard Bennett, dad of the screen's Bennett girls, ■t is having a fling at radio this season. He is now starring in a dramatic serial, "The Clock Maker," over WIP in Philadelphia, and is being assisted by players from the Bucks County Playhouse. T PERSONALS . . . Frank Braucher, vice-president of WOR, and Mrs. Braucher, left yesterday for the White Mountains where they will spend their vacation. . . . Ed Thorgersen's sports resumes over Mutual the coming Fall and Winter will be sponsored by the Congress Cigar Co. for La Palina cigars. . . . Alfred J. McCosker, Johnny Johnstone of WOR, and Abe Schechter of NBC, by plane to Washington yesterday to attend the opening of the Radio press galleries in the House. . . . "Betty and Bob," the Chicago script serial, moves to New York next week. . . . George Fisher will move East shortly to present his "Hollywood Whispers" from New York. . . . Frank Weber, Mutual network's general manager, is off to Chicago for a few days. Irving Parker of Radio Feature Service, Hollywood, in town for a week conferring with Earle Ferris. CHICAGO Radio Notes Chicago, July 24. — "Knickerbocker Holiday" after 16 weeks over CBS goes off the air Wednesday, August 9. The program which featured stars of stage and screen was sponsored by Procter & Gamble. Hal Tate, radio gossiper, is doing a Hollywood Tattler program over WJJD. A washing machine company sponsors. P.G.A. restrictions caused NBC to broadcast the Western Open Golf tournament from outside the confines of the Medinah Country Club grounds last weekend. CBS with Ted Husing at the microphone had full use of the club's facilities for their broadcasts some of which were from a portable transmitter with Bob Cunningham in charge. Hal Burnett made the arrangements for CBS. Foster Joins CBC Toronto, July 24. — A move long awaited by sport followers of the Dominion has been made by CBC, in the appointment of Harry "Red" Foster, pioneer sports announcer of Toronto, as a staff sports commentator of the CBC national network starting with a "Weekly Sports Parade" every Friday night at 10 o'clock. CBC Opens Large Station Saturday Toronto, July 24. — Completing the series of large regional transmitting stations across the Dominion, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. will open its new 50,000-watt Prairie transmitter, Station CBK, at Watrous, Sask., next Saturday, July 29. with a ceremonial program in which the studio will be dedicated bv Hon. C. D. Howe, Canadian Minister of Transport. Features will be a telephoned address from London, England, by Leonard W. Brockington, chairman of the Board of Governors of CBC who is on a visit to the British Isles, and a speech from New York City bv William S. Paley, president of CBS. Included in the program are the Premiers of the three Prairie Provinces, Hon. John Bracken of Manitoba ; Hon. W. T. Patterson of Saskatchewan and Hon. William Aberhart of Alberta. The wave length assigned to Station CBK is 540 kilocycles. The final letter "K" in the station's call letters commemorates Henrv Kelsev, explorer, soldier and fur trader, who was the first white man to see the Canadian Prairies in the 17th Century and pventuallv became Governor of the Hudson's Bay Companv. Fallowing the opening program at 10 P. M.. E.D.T.. tribute programs will be broadcast for two hours from important CBC stations from Winnipeg, Toronto. Montreal and Vancouver over the national network. Radio Firms In Television Corporation Radio Wire Television Corp., embracing the former holdings of Wire Broadcasting, Inc., Wholesale Radio, Inc., and various subsidiaries of these enterprises, has been formed jT^j. John E. Otterson, formerly presf\i:.it of the Winchester Repeating Arms Corp., Erpi, and Paramount Pictures will head the new company as president. J. R. West, president of Wire Broadcasting, and A. W. Pletman, president of Wholesale Radio, are vice-presidents of the new company. Under the new corporate structure, the various retail outlets of Wholesale Radio will take the name of the parent company. Wire Broadcasting, together with its principal subsidiaries including Teleprograms, Inc. ; Telemusic, Inc. ; Wire Programs, Inc. ; Muse-Art, Inc. ; Wire Broadcasting, Inc., and Television-Music Corp., will continue under their present titles. Latter enterprises operate as wire networks, supplying musical programs to hotels, restaurants, night clubs, homes and industrial plants. In addition to these operating subsidiaries, the new company acquires full interest in Transformer Corp. of America, a manufacturing unit ; TeleCapital Corp., a financing unit ; and Syndak Corp. Latter is understood to own a large group of patents relating to motion picture projection, sound and lighting. These units will also continue to operate under separate corporate titles. In addition to the patents acquired by the new company, the organization is licensed by Erpi. Latin America Gives Record for 'Juarez' "Juarez" has set a record for playing time for Warner pictures in Latin America, the foreign department reported yesterday. More than .4,700 theatres have already shown the film, which is in the early weeks of its distribution there. "Adventures of Robin Hood" was shown by about 4,200 houses in Latin America during a comparative period. New 'Sherlock' Series "Sherlock Holmes," a new radio series which will star Basil Rathbone, has been signed for 26 weeks over NBC this fall for Grove Laboratories, former sponsor of Fred Waring. Edith Meiser will write the scripts, and Tom McNight will produce. The account was placed by the Stack-Goble agency. Leo Jr. to Culver At the World's Fair Saturday, Leo Jr., three month-old lion cub selected to act as audible trademark for M-G-M's future short subjects, was officailly inducted into the M-G-M fraternity and sent on by airplane to the Culver City studios to start his film career. Grainger Back Tonight J. R. Grainger, president of Republic Pictures, left Saturday for conferences with branch managers at Atlanta and franchise holders at Dallas. He will return tonight.