Radio daily (Feb-Mar 1937)

VOL. 1. NO. 9 NEW YORK. FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 19. 1937 FIVE CENTS Music Code Hearing March 3 Parley to Stamp Out Bribery of Radio Talent is Called by Federal Trade Commission WILL USE GUEST STARS Tomorrow night on the CBS "Hit Parade" broadcast, American Tobacco Co. (Lucky Strike cigarettes) will present Lauritz Melchior as the first in a new series of guest appearances on the regular broadcasts. Succeeding guests will be picked from the entire entertainment field and will offer testimonials for newspaper ads in addition to their performances on the air. The NBC broadcasts on Wednesday night will follow the same formula. On the west coast, American (.Continued on Page 4) Kellogg Will Exploit Chicago Baseball Games Chicago — Kellogg Cereal Co. has signed a contract through the N. W. Ayer Agency here for a play-byplay baseball broadcast over WJJD, the Ralph Atlass station. While cost for airing of games is understood to be nominal, the total cost of the program will run several times the price of time since Kellogg is preparing to spend in the neighborhood of $100,000 for special exploitation and promotion. Special ballyhoo will in (Continued on Page 4) Plumbers, Retail Bakers Sold on Broadcast Series Newark, N. J. — The idea of using radio time has been sold by an enterprising advertising of a local station to a group of master plumbers and a group of retail bakers. The N. J. Master Plumbers Ass'n has endorsed plans for a 12-week halfhour program, with WNEW indicated as the choice for the experiment. Advertising announcements (Continued on Page 3) Plugging Prosperity KFJZ. Fort Worth, has found that Prosperity Corner by plugging prosperity — on a 15-minute daily program. Prosperity news items from all over the country, plus boosts for city's own prosperity, are featured. All time on these programs has been sold to numerous small business firms who could afford to buy only an announcement. Program is profitable. 5,000th Broadcast Anniversary program of "Three Little Funsters" over WMCA on Sunday night at 11-12:30. from the New Amsterdam Theater, will mark the 5,000th program broadcast by the Funsters. The male harmony team started airing for their sponsor, Sachs Furniture Co., 13 years ago and have been at it continuously ever since. The anniversary broadcast will have a long list of celebrities, including George Wallman, lames Barton, Jerry Baker, Tom Waring, Rose Marie, Buddy Ray, Bob Hall, Zeke Manners, Eddie Davis, Lee Howard. Dorothy Manners, Bigelow and Lee, Loretfa Clonen and others. Don Kerr will be m.c. RADIO DEVELOPMENTS BASIS OE NBC SERIES New quarterly series featuring O. B. Hanson, NBC Chief engineer, speaking on new developments in radio debuts next Tuesday, 7:45-8 p.m. E.S.T., over the NBC-Blue network. John B. Kennedy will appear on the first show. Hanson will discuss the principles (Continued on Page 6) New Al Pearce Series On Michigan Network Ford dealers of the Dearborn branch, Detroit, have signed Al Pearce to a new series of broadcasts to begin Thursday, Feb. 25. Programs will be heard over the Michigan net (Continued on Page 6) Wo OF CBS BILLINGS FROM FIVE INDUSTRIES Seventy-five per cent of the gross revenue billed by CBS during 1936 was corralled from five industries, according to an industry break-down figure just released by CBS. Food and food beverage manufacturers are in number one position, with expenditures of $5,216,744. Drugs and toilet goods field come second with $4,885,770; tobacco ad (Continued on Page 6) Six CBS Programs Renew for 52 Weeks Four CBS clients, controlling six CBS programs, yesterday signed 52week renewals which continues their respective programs on the air through 1937. Renewals are: General Baking Co., New York (Bond bread), with "Guy Lombardo's orchestra" on 27 stations, Sundays, 5:30-6 p.m., effective Feb. 21. Thjs is its seventh year on the air via CBS exclusively. Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, Inc., New York, has the account. American Home Products Corp., New York (Bi-So-Dol), on Feb. 26 renews "Broadway Varieties" 47 stations, Fridays, 8-8:30 p.m. Also (Continued on Page 6) JohnG. (Jap) Gude is Appointed CBS Station Relations Manager Penna. Bill Specifies j0hn g. <jaP) Gude, for the past Truth in Adverti<?ina four years director of publicity for irum in txavei using CBS has been appointed manager of the CBS station relations department, it was announced yesterday by Edward Klauber. CBS executive vice-president. Gude takes over his new duties on Feb. 23, and will be directly responsible to Herbert V. Akerberg, CBS vice-president in charge of station relations. Donald A. Higgins, who has been (Continued on Page 3) Harrisburg, Pa. — Representative Anthony J. Gerard of Allegheny figures on the State shouldering some of the FCC's burdens and has offered a bill in legislature that would require the truth, and nothing but the truth, in all radio advertising. Measure would amend the act pro (Continucd on Page 3) By M. H. SHAPIRO Federal Trade Commission has notified the committee representing the popular music industry that March 3 has been set as the date for a conference which will put in motion the wheels of the fair trade practice code, designed among other things to stamp out bribery of radio talent. Committee will meet the Federal Trade Commissioners in Washington, iron out such details as may be subject of disagreement, and act upon any suggestions submitted by either radio or music in (Conti)iued on Page 6) n% RATE INCREASE FOR WBT ON MARCH 1 Charlotte, N. C— WBT, local CBS outlet, will boost its rates 20 per cent on March 1, it is announced by William A. Schudt, Jr., general manager of the CBS office here. WBT's basic one-hour evening rate of $250 an hour goes to $300, with proportionate jumps in all other classes except daytime 50-word service announcements, which remain at $50 a week for seven. Several weeks before issuance of (Continued on Page 3) Dickstein Bill Hearing Adjourned to Wednesday Washington Bureau of THE RADIO 'DAILY Washington — Following additional testimony yesterday by Charles H. Greeman, concert business manager, S. T. Ansell, general counsel of the American Federation of Musicians, Frank Gillmore, president of Actors' (Continued on Page 6) Fibber Reforms Fibber McGee, champion in the realm of untruths, heard at 8 p.m. on Mondays over the NBC-Red network, starts a truth-telling competition on Monday, Washington's Birthday. The contest is to continue, it is stated, throughout 1937. with a prize offered to the winner.