Radio daily (July-Sept 1937)

Serving the Better Interests of Commercial Radio and Television VOL. 2. NO. 34 NEW YORK, N. Y.. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1937 FIVE CENTS McNinch FCC Chairman CBS QUIZZES STATIONS ON THE AFM SITUATION A questionnaire has been sent by CBS to its affiliated stations asking 17 questions relating to the musicians' status. Purpose of the quiz is to obtain information that will aid in determining how to meet the American Federation of Musicians' recent demands. Questions asked are: (1) What Local, if any, of the A. F. of M. exercises jurisdiction over your station? (2) If you have not already furnished this information as a result of the tele (Continuei on Page 8) Consumer Service Idea Pays Station Two Ways Philadelphia — Golden Rule Service System, a good-will stunt controlled by John J. Tryon, retired merchant of Burlington, N. J., now has four towns and 20 participants in a program over WFIL, with 100 towns and 1,000 merchants expected by end of year. The Golden Rule certifies, after due (Continued on Page 3) Oshkosh Overall Series With "Lem and Martha" Chicago — Oshkosh Bi-Gosh Overalls, through Ruthrauff & Ryan, has bought "Lem and Martha," WHO, Des Moines, rural comedy team, for a transcribed series to be called "Turner Trailer Camp" over about a dozen stations including WHO, WLS, WLW, WCCO, and KFAB starting around (Continued on Page 8) Coughlin on Colonial Boston — Rev. Charles E. Coughlin will be heard over 14 stations of the Colonial network when he returns to the air on Oct. 31. Seeing Things Muncie, Ind. — Ed Pierre deMiller of WLBC may have solved those stories about monsters that have been making the papers. While swimming in Lake Michigan on his vacation, Ed said he saw a sea serpent just ahead. Monster had five heads. When Ed adjusted his glasses, he discovered that it was his foot floating in the water. FCC Convenes Washington Bui., RADIO DAILY Washington — Acting Chairman Eugene O. Sykes of the FCC has called a meeting of the Broadcast Division this morning and a meeting of the full Commission this afternoon. Sessions may climax bitter factional conflict within FCC. Judge Sykes yesterday denied meetings are to deal with the Crosley-WLW matter. He said they are merely "to transact full business before the Commission." WATCH TOWER TIME JAM; T1EATENSFCC SQUAWK Efforts of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society (Judge Rutherford) to buy 150 hours of time for two onehour broadcasts on 75 stations almost reached the farcical heights of a Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera plus the ramifications of a Dostoyevsky novel, and finally resolved itself into approximately 100 hours being set with 50 to go, after the account was placed in the hands of an advertising agency. Judge Rutherford, who has and still (Continued on Page 8) Expansion, Revamping Is Under Way at WSOC Charlotte, N. C. — Expansion and reorganization at WSOC has resulted in a number of staff shifts and additions. Glenn Hicks Jr., assistant program director, has been promoted to (Continued on Page 3) President 'Drafts' Chairman of Power Commission to Succeed Prall — Craven Replaces Stewart NESTLE COCOA SERIES STARTING NEXT MONTH Lamont Corliss Co. (Nestle's Eveready cocoa) will start an extensive cooking school participation program spot campaign around the middle of next month to launch its new product. Schedule is set for 20 stations from coast to coast. Contracts run for 26 weeks. Station list includes WEEI, WDRC, WOR, WJAR, WBEN, WHEC, WSYR, WGY, WCAU, (Continued on Page 6) Finds Foreign Television Far From Satisfactory Chicago — Television has not yet become such hot stuff abroad, despite the regular services inaugurated, according to E. H. Scott, custom radio manufacturer, who is back home after establishing E. H. Scott Laboratories (Continued on Page 3) Zenith Profits at Peak Zenith Radio Corp. reports net profit for the July quarter set an alltime peak at $1,122,184, against $706,940 in the corresponding 1936 quarter. By PRESCOTT DENNETT RADIO DAILY Staff Correspondent Washington — In another "Roosevelt surprise" move last night, the President "drafted" Frank R. McNinch, present chairman of the Federal Power Commission, to succeed the late Anning S. Prall as chairman of the FCC. Previously the President nominated T. A. M. Craven, now engineer of the FCC, to fill the other vacancy on the Commission caused (Continued on Page 8) CROSLEY WON'T GIVE DATA ABOUT FINANCES Cincinnati — Information about Crosley Corp. and WLW finances, operations, etc., as demanded by Commissioner George Henry Payne of the FCC in a letter made public Monday, has been refused by Powel Crosley Jr., president of Crosley Corp. "I must respectfully decline on advice of counsel that this is a personal as distinguished from an official re (Continucd on Page 3) In creased Listener Interest Shown in Cooperative Analysis WLTH Wins Court Stay On Retaining Facilities The U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia last night granted WLTH a stay order, pending a hearing, to prevent the FCC from making effective its order for the station to cease operations Sept. 15. FCC had previously assigned WLTH facilities to WBBC. Samuel J. Gellard, president of (.Continued on Page 3) NEA Service, Inc. ... the world's greatest newspaper feature service. Advt. Average popularity of programs during the past winter was about 30 per cent greater than during the previous summer, according to Cooperative Analysis of Broadcasting, which has issued a 114-page report analyzing network programs (144 evening and 89 daytime) broadcasts between October, 1936, and April, 1937. Type of show that proved most popular was the personality program, with the amateur type, long in the (Continued on Page 3) NEA radio features represented exclusively by Stephen Slcsinger, Inc., New York. Advt. M. E. Kent to Manage New Station in Toledo Detroit — M. E. Kent, commercial manager of WJBK here, will become general manager of the new Toledo station, WTOL, when it opens on Sept. 1. Black's Radio Stand Washington Bur., RADIO DAILY Washington — Senator Hugo L. Black, whom the Senate Judiciary Committee has okayed for the Supreme Court bench, is on the records as favoring development of smaller radio stations and against censorship. In an article in 1930. he advocated a ban on ownership of stations by public utilities.