Radio daily (Feb-Mar 1937)

Friday, February 19. 1937 RADIO DAILY 5 COLUMBIA has rearranged several departments to make more room, relieve congestion, consolidating the local and national sales departments in one room, moving publicity to an office of its own just off the entrance lobby. Mary Pickford, now in a Hollywood hospital after an operation, has booked passage on the Queen Mary for March 10. She is due to return to Pickfair within the next few days. Chili Bowl, restaurant chain, has signed, and will begin immediately on a two times a week sports program on KEHE. Allied Advertising Agencies placed the account. Sam Baiter, athlete and associate of Frank Bull, Associated sportscaster, will make it a "Sports Page of the Air," with best freak story, best game of the week, etc. Sidney Skolsky, runner up to Winchell as newspaper columnist and Mary Garden, will be interview guests on Bing Crosby's Kraft show for Feb. 25. Harrison Holliway, general manager, and Glen Dolberg, program director for KFI and KECA returned to their desks after battling the flu. Starts Sport Guests Jocko Maxwell, sports commentator of WLTH, has inaugurated a sport guest of honor feature on the WLTH Sports Parade program heard every Saturday at 6 p. m. Jimmy Powers, sports writer of the New York Daily News, faces Jocko Maxwell's snappy queries on Saturday. The sport fans along radio row are still talking of Maxwell's clever interview with Bobby Hassmiller, Fordham University's star center last Saturday. Griifen Holds Auditions Griffen All-White Shoe Cream auditioned singers yesterday for a new series to start early in March. Program will be heard over the basic Blue and South Central groups. Bermingham, Castleman & Pierce is the agency. Ckakkz KVSO, Ardmore, which has for its slogan, "The Voice of Southern Oklahoma," was instrumental in the recent Red Cross drive for funds for flood sufferers of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. Fifteen minutes after Ardmore's quota had been set, the radio station gave its first plug in behalf of the campaign for funds. By the next morning, the quota had been doubled and a few hours later it had been exceeded four times. Before the campaign ended, Ardmore, a city of 18,000 people had exceeded its quota by eight times to raise more than $4,000 for the Red Cross. Throughout the entire campaign, KVSO continued to give generously of its time in support of this worthy campaign. KVSO is owned and operated by the Daily Ardmoreite. For Art's Sake The Minsky brothers rushed to the WNEW mike last night and with the aid of a commentator and two strip-teasers, came out tor the Dickstein alien actor bill. Burlesque magnates and their gals stated that American stage must be kept safe for the American strip artists and keep out the foreigners who believe art is not necessary in disrobing before the public. Clair Heyer, KXBY (Kansas City) publicity director, has been confined to his home all week by the flu, but is expected back to his desk by the first of next week. Paul Althouse of the Met. will be the guest of Ethel Peyser, critic and author of "The House That Music Built", on the "Music in Gotham" program Monday, 9:45. Bobby Roberts, ex-master of ceremonies, is working very hard to pull a successful comeback as a radio crooner. He is giving tri-weekly concerts for Station WTMV, East St. Louis. III., and also works every night in the week at the Green Diamond night club in Belleville, 111. Joan Kay, Chicago radio actress, was in Salt Lake City this week for the Fair Trade Practice laws meeting. Allen Prescott, radio's erstwhile "Wife-Saver," is planning to carry his message into the home through the medium of the printed page. Negotiations are underfoot for Prescott to edit the Household Hints section of a feminine Beauty Magazine to be issued by his current soap sponsor and distributed on a nationwide scale through the stores handling the sponsor's products. f fj y 1 M Congressman Sol Bloom of New York will speak via WMCA Monday night on George Washington. The voice of Ralph Wentworth, veteran announcer, who now heads the firm of Langlois and Wentworth, will be heard again on the air over 236 stations in the United States during the next two weeks. Wentworth, whose voice has been stilled by executive duties since the famous Lindbergh reception in 1927, stepped in and subbed for John Holbrook when the latter's voice broke under the strain of laryngitis while he was recording at the RCA-Victor studios. The famous Russian Cathedral Choir under the direction of Nicholas Vasilieff has been signed by Langlois and Wentworth. Deal made by Ralph Wentworth calls for recording to start immediately. A special Easter program by the choir will be released immediately to all stations using Lang-Worth planned program service. WWVA, Wheeling, W. Va., is mourning the loss of Velma Young, for years a member of the "Jack and Velma" program. She passed away a few days ago. mm 1 LESLIE ATLASS, vice-president of CBS in the midwest, has finally gone to California after having postponed his departure because of Wrigley Red Cross benefit broadcast. While he is away, Jack Valkenburg will be nominal head here. Movie scouts have been in active evidence in local radio studios during the past week with reps of five major cinema concerns looking over the talent. Virginia Clark and Louise, air actresses, first to be given Hollywood tickets. George Wilkens of WBBM died this week of a heart attack. WMCA Airing Rackets Restaurant and hotel rackets, as brought out in the current probe by Special Prosecutor Dewey, form the basis of three WMCA broadcasts next week in the Thrilling Detective Dramas series. "Kick-Back" will be presented Monday night at 9 p. m., followed by "Shake-Down" and "Crime Incorporated." JOHN EBERSON KFXR manager, B. C. Thomason, and Commercial Manager Bob Elliston, Oklahoma City, were among the honored guests at the annual meeting of the Texas League officials held in Tulsa. League officials reported favorably toward baseball broadcasts, something that they have frowned upon heretofore. Some Texas League teams will permit home game broadcasts this year, while all teams are agreed that broadcast of the away from home games is quite beneficial to the great American sport. STUDIO ARCHITECT □ ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT 1560 BROADWAY NEW YORK CITY