Radio daily (July-Sept 1937)

3 RADIO DAILY Wednesday. August 4, 1937 Veedol Amateur Contest Veedol dealers are sponsoring "The Veedol Amateur Varieties" over KSD, St. Louis, for 13 weeks starting Aug. 7 at 9-9:30 a.m. Eight contestants will be heard on each program, and voting in the contest will be on special ballots obtainable from dealers of Veedol products. Grand final program will be aired from the stage of the St. Louis Theater. Weekly winners get a three-month course in radio and stage training at the Meglin Fanchon & Marco theatrical school, and there is a grand cash prize. Civic Activity Cited Taking one series from its year of activities, WCCO has put out a 24page promotion booklet on its "High School Students on the Air," which the station cites as indicative of its community-mindedness. The school program was chosen to put across the story of safety on the highways. Booklet depicts the problem and the procedure employed in coping with it. There are numerous illustrations of the program in preparation, in rehearsal and on the air; commendatory comments on the good work done, etc. OKLAHOMA CITY Marvin Thomas, formally with WISN, is now chief engineer at KOMA. Bill Kaan, musical director for KOMA, is on vacation in Texas and Mexico. Wade Hampton Spears is relief operator of the KOMA station control board. Bruce Howard is head control board operator for KTOK, Mutual outlet. Bob Elliston and Ed Shelton, baseball announcers of KFXR, have been putting the Wheaties program over in a big way. "Sparky" Sparks is the little fellow that gets things done at KFXR. CNE MINUTE INTERVIEW HARRY CONN "My advice to script writers for radio is to travel over the country, — to learn another man's language. Find out whom you're talking to and talk plainly to them. All you have to do to be a wit to-day is state facts. Life itself is funny. Broad comedy has the greatest appeal for public; but the humorists make more money than the specialists in low comedy, and always will." * C&ast-ta-Coa$t * BETTY ITO, Japanese-American radio actress, who first appeared over NBC networks in the "Jack Armstrong" program, has been signed as an NBC contract artist and now is playing the role of Alice Carter in "Young Hickory," dramatic serial heard Mondays through Fridays over the NBC-Blue Network at 11:15 a.m. KIRO, Seattle, has a new fourtimes-a-week program titled "Julie of the Thrift Co-op," with former Julie Day, sponsored by the newly formed Thrift Co-op of Terminal Sales Building, new cooperative setup for merchandising of many commodities. WISN, Milwaukee: Ralph Weil, sales manager, is cruising in southern waters as far as Panama . . . Gaston W. Grignon, manager, back from a visit to relatives in Canada . . . Therese Meyer, organist, recently celebrated her fifth year on the station. Don Prindle, formerly with KOL, Seattle, is back there on a visit while vacationing from his job of writing radio gags for Joe Penner. He returns to the Penner stint in October. Leo Bolley is pinch-hitting for John Sheehan, sportscaster at WGY, Schenectady, while the latter is on vacation. WICC, Bridgeport: Joe Lopez starts his vacation Aug. 9 . . . Dot Whitehead takes her recess same date. In a recent contest during the "Guess Who" program, in which listeners were asked to name their favorite WTMJ program, Heinie and his Grenadiers were again chosen by more than 50 per cent of the listeners' writing. "Friendship Circle" with Uncle Ben, WTMJ's afternoon variety program, was voted the favorite by 30 per cent. William Stoess, music director of WLW and WSAI, Cincinnati, had a narrow escape in a mountain flood while on a vacation trip. Benay Venuta, now enroute to Tahiti, will be back in time to start a new Mutual program in November. Bill Benning, maestro at WTMJ, Milwaukee, has his hands full while assistant musical director Frank Werth is on vacation. Don Dunphy, WINS sports announcer who is now vacationing, will have six guests pinch hitting for him during his absence from the daily sports program broadcast at 6:30. Dinty Doyle, radio editor of the New York Journal-American, will inaugurate the parade of guest announcers tonight. Ernie Quigley, supervisor of the National League umpires, will broadcast tomorrow evening. Wednesday evening will bring Mark Warnow to the microphone. Pottsy Clark, coach of the Brooklyn Dodgers Football Team, will be Thursday night's guest. George Wynn, editor of the Boxing News, is to do the broadcast Friday and Saturday's guest will be Major Sport of the WINS staff. Uncle Don will conduct the finals on his annual "Healthiest Child" contest today at Palisades Park. WADC, Akron: Ruth Ritchie's "Health, Beauty and Charm" renewed for 13 weeks by Ohio Edison Co New dramatic department under direction of A. W. and Joyce Benner McGrath is producing shows that are clicking with local fans. .. Pearl Fair of the commercial dept. back from vacation, and Program Director "Red" Hageman departs. .. .Station plans to cover both the regional and the national Soap Box Derby next two Sundays. Announcer John K. Chappel of WOW, Omaha, has left on a trip to Europe. Mrs. Chapel left several weeks ago and will meet him in Ireland. Together they will visit Denmark, Finland, France, Switzerland and possibly other countries. WFBM, Indianapolis: Announcer John Holtman of "Early Bird" and "Tea Time" programs heads north for vacation. . . .Salesman Gene Barth just back from his, and co-worker Al Logan departs. .. .Mr. and Mrs. Roger Bean (he was a pioneer announcer here with brother Harold) visit studios and renew acquaintances ....Word of informal "Hoosier Circle" rendezvous in Chicago reaches here as ex-WFBMers get together in Windy City. CBS-Chicago claims Announcers Ken Ellington and Don Hancock, Woman Newscaster — Ruth Brine and Engineer Ed. Knight, while NBC-Chicago holds title to Announcer Durward Kirby! Gene Morgan, who played the part of Daniel Webster in "Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent" on last Sunday's Columbia Workshop presenta tion over CBS, has beeen getting a lot of congratulations for a swell job. William H. (Billy) Repaid, announcer on the staff of WJBK, Detroit, is getting ready to tread the middle aisle. He obtained a marriage license in Detroit to marry Nellie Mae Master. Added to Latin Amer. Dep't B. Charles-Dean, president of British American Productions Inc., has appointed Sergio Rojas to the LatinAmerican radio department for continuities and translations. Added facilities for programs for English speaking countries including Great Britain and Australia have been completed with the formation of a stock company for both musicals and dramatic and comedy script shows. Coming invents Aug. 4-5: Stewart-Warner Corp. distion under auspices of institution of Radio tributors' convention, Edgewater Beach, Chicago. Aug. 12: American Radio Telegraphists Ass'n meeting, Hippodrome, New York. Aug. 23: Credit Retailers' Ass'n of America annual convention, Hotel New Yorker, New York. April 28-30, 1938: American Ass'n of Advertising Agencies 21st annual meeting, The Homestead, Hot Springs, Va. Sept. 18-27: International Radio-Television Exposition under auspices of S.P.I.R., Palais de Foire, Lyons, France. Oct. 21-22: American Ass'n of Advertising Agencies Pacific Coast Convention, Hotel Del Monte, Del Monte, Cal. Nov. 26: Inter-American Radio Conference, Havana. Dec. 8-12: Eighth Annual International Radio Club Party, Havana. Feb. 1, 1938: International Telecommunications Conference, arrangements being made by General Manager of Egyptian State Railways, Telegraphs Cr Telephones, Cairo, Egypt. April 4-14, 1938: World Radio ConvenEngineers (Australia), Sydney, Australia. April 20-30: National Electrical and Radio Exposition, Grand Central Palace, New York. ATLANTIC CITY Ayella musical family, heard locally over WPG and on WIP, Philadelphia, presenting kiddies shows this week at Steel Pier. Dave Tyson, former announcer for WFIL, Philadelphia, produces the offerings. French Casino opens with Pat Costello and his orchestra handling the music assignment. Charlie Johnson's swing band from Small's Paradise Club gets a WPG wire for Tuesday and Thursday midnight remoting. Jan Savitt, musical director of KYW, Philadelphia, concludes a return engagement at Million Dollar Pier with his Top Hatters, and is back at his regular radio duties. Claire Majette, former singing star of the CBS "Evening in Paris" show, is guest headliner at the Club Nomad's floor show. Victor Bay and Andre Kostelanetz came to this country on the same boat — both unknown musicians.