Radio daily (Feb-Mar 1937)

4 RADIO DAILY Wednesday. February 17. 1937 LEO BOWEN. CBS technical chief, has put a big staff on the rush job of remodeling and perfecting acoustics in the Studio Playhouse, just acquired by CBS as an exclusive broadcast theater. ChaJtUc A VERNON CRAWFORD has resigned as an announcer at WMAS, Springfield, Mass., to become an anouncer at WPRO, Providence. Aidan Fitzpatrick of station WNAC in Boston went to Springfield. Marion Claire, operatic soprano whose good looks won her five movie contract offers within 24 hours after her first Hollywood radio appearance on the Bing Crosby show last week, made such a hit on the air that Crosby has signed her to repeat as guest star on tomorrow's show. Oscar and Elmer, radio team which has been doing the P.D.Q. program for KFWB, left last week for a Utah location to start their first movie venture, a Republic picture. Two stations at the extreme ends of the six-station California Radio System are starting an inter-station song contest, with the crack song writers of KEHE, Los Angeles and KFBK, Sacramento, "making them up as they go along." The stunt is to give extra listener interest, and breaks into two sponsored programs, the "Listen Ladies" in Sacramento and the "Midday Merrygoround", Los Angeles. California Radio System has signed John Wald, from KTSP, St. Paul, and Charles Benson, from KHJ, Los Angeles, to start a new three-timesa-day news broadcast in which Wald will read headlines, Benson give the news. Program will originate in KEHE, go out over all six stations of the chain. Plans for the contempated WEAFNBC network show employing Paramount players and writers have been completed. Half-hour program starts next month and will be on the air at 12 o'clock noon, New York time. Borris Morros, Paramount musical director, is organizing a 30-piece orchestra for the program, which will be under his direction. Peter Krug has been appointed business manager of Station WNBX. Springfield, Vt. Al Parker has been named program manager. C. O. Langlois, president of Langlois and Wentworth, dropped business for a few hours recently and took a flyer at Tin Pan Alley. Result: His new fox trot, based on the old nursery rhythm. "Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater," and titled "Pumpkin Eater Blues" will soon be released. The swing tune has already been recorded by Bert Hirsch, and has been sent to all radio stations using Lang Worth planned program service. John Holbrook, diction award winner, who announces all Langlois and Wentworth recorded programs, and whose voice is heard on many movie shorts, drops his announcing duties this week to play the role of a newspaper photographer in "Front Page Drama." His medal winning diction has finally won him the chance to portray a character who answers "Yep" to every question. Charles Pooler, an ex-UP man, is doing the 1-9 a. m. stint in the CBS publicity department. This is an in novation recently introduced by John G. Gude. CBS publicity director. Nelson Eddy, who is resting at the Congress Hotel, Chicago, will resume his coast-to-coast concert tour in a few days. He also will be back on the air Sunday after missing a broadcast. Kenneth Kesterson, operator of the Radio Service & Supply Co., Pine Bluff, Ark., has moved his business from 109 Main to 613 Main. Jack Hollister, sports announcer for KDKA, Pittsburgh, was named publicity director for Cleveland's Great Lake Exposition in the Smoky area.. WTIC, Hartford, has received an extension to Aug. 1 from the FCC, of its special permission to operate simultaneously with KRLD, Dallas, on the 1040 kilocycle band. A recent change at WSPR, Springfield. Mass., is the addition of Lee Authier and "The WSPR Orchestra" to replace the Colonial Network Feature, "The Cosmopolitans." WSPR has changed its policy to signing off at 6:30 p. m. instead of six. Network programs take the extra half hour. Edith Jolson. WICC, Bridgeport, singer, is vacationing in Miami and Havana. Marion McDermott and Robert Lemon are both back will, the station after illness. KFAC. to conduct a typing class by air. Frederick Stark conducts an all string orchestra in a new half hour sustaining program to go out from KHJ over the Don Lee network, starting at 7: 15 PST, Sunday nights, and bumping into the competition for 15 minutes each on the Cantor and Benny shows. General Baking Renews General Baking Co. New York (Eond bread) has renewed its WBS transcription series entitled "Terry & Ted" which is running on WJSV. Washington. Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn Inc.. New York, placed the account. Remington-Rand has signed for half hour, three nights a week, on CNE MINUTE INTERVIEW MORTON DOWNEY "Mark my word, radio will eventually have a refinement that will make everyone happy — shorter announcements about everything, commercials, songs, etc. This will mean a new and faster pace for all entertainment. When the day comes, tribute should be paid and declare it 'Radio's Judgment Day.' " Magnolia Lane, a homey family life serial, has begun on a 15-minute, three times a week schedule on KGFJ, with Joe Parker producing, Judith Whitney writing the script. W. J. Sloan Co., high hat home furnishings, tried radio out with a series of spot plugs, liked it, and has signed for its first series of regular programs to go over KFAC, 15 minutes daily. Rash on Housing Series Bryson Rash, actor and announcer, will be commentator on the new weekly 15-minute series, "Your Home and Mine," starting Saturday at 10 a. m. from WJSV, Washington, and broadcast over the WABC-CBS network. The programs are being presented in cooperation with the Federal Housing Administration. KABG, Southern California's first mobile unit for broadcasting, goes in service Friday when KGFJ, broadcasts the Annual Midwinter Yacht Regatta. Ben McGlashen, owner of KGFJ, is a yachting fan and has broadcast previous events from his yacht. Substitutes for Dr. Daioe Dr. Roy Allen Dafoe. confined to the Toronto General hospital with influenza, has turned his Lysol broadcasts over to R. Gordon Moffatt, his secretary. Dr. Dafoe had already prepared a number of scripts in advance and these will be read by Moffatt from Callender. Ontario. Paul Whiteman's movie double, Bud Averill, has bought time and will do his own singing in a halfhour nightly program to go out on KFVD. to plug Averill's Cafe. Radio Execs in New York Radio executives in New York yesterday included Tom C. Gooch and John W. Runyon of KRLD; Edward E. Hill, WORC; J. Thomas Lyons. WCAO. Franklin M. Dolittle, WDRC. is expected in town today. STEPIN FETCHIT, the colored movie comic, and Benny Leonard, former lightweight champion, will be on Joe Cook's Shell Show this Saturday at 9:30 p. m. over the NBC red network. Susanne Fisher, Met. opera singer, and the Cabin Kids also are to be on the bill. Mrs. Rhoda Sue Garrett has started a new cooking school over KFXR, Oklahoma City, 9:15 to 9:30 a. m. with practicable kitchen demonstrations at Moody's Appliance Shop, on North Broadway, 2 to 4 p. m. WICC presents the 90-piece Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra on Wednesdays at 2: 15 and Thursday evenings at 8:30, with conductor Frank Foti commenting. One of the vocalists on the last Major Bowes amateur bills called herself a "leaning soprano." Said she leans to the dramatic. WTIC's oldest program, weekly talks arranged by the Hartford Medical and Tuberculosis societies, is celebrating its thirteenth anniversary. Two-piano team of Dave Mann and Gene Irwin at WFIL, Philadelphia, make their bow over the Mutual net today for a twice weekly New Haven Plectral Symphony Orchestra, heretofore heard only during the holiday season, started a regular schedule yesterday at WELI, New Haven. Under the auspices of the Department of Health, and with Dr. Joseph I. Linde, City Health head directing, the New Haven studios, of WICC will broadcast a weekly health program by various leading authorities on Friday evenings at 6:45, beginning Feb. 19. WBRY, New Haven, lists a new program of movie gossip from the U.P. service in movieland, beginning today at 11:15 a. m., and continuing Tuesdays and Thursdays. "Your Movie Reporter" is in charge. Beatrice Wuesterfield's program "True Tales for Children" on WICC, New Haven, has been switched from Friday to Thursday at 2: 15. Mrs. Wuesterfield, who is the wife of the Yale Professor of Economics, is assisted by her 8-year-old son. Grilfen to Minneapolis Lloyd Griffen. announcer, is leaving the Chicago CBS studios to take a job in Minneapolis.