Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

4 RADIO DAILY Wednesday. November 30. 1949 Thank You, Mr. Hedges "I would be very remiss were I not to acknowledge the splendid support which you have given the Radio Pioneers. Likewise I think you can take some bows for being a "potent medium" because of the immediate response that was given the publication of Carl Haverlin's story on the Pioneers' membership drive. Both Carl and I have received letters from applicants who are far, far away from New York. One of them was Rex Howell of KFXJ, Grand Junction, Colorado. Another was from Charles G. Burke, of K.FGO, Fargo, North Dakota. "The applications are really pouring in and I have every expectation that by next March we will succeed in doubling the membership. I am going to put them to work on gathering the historical data and I will let you know when we are ready to spring that story. "Many thanks for the many things that you and Radio Daily have done to boost the Pioneers. Cordially yours, William S. Hedges President Radio Pioneers Public Spirited "I would like to point out to you that, although station WNAR did not receive an award, it considered the awards made by Freedoms Foundation of sufficient importance, on an over-all basis, to broadcast the presentation ceremonies as a live remote. "We feel particularly proud of this public service program inasmuch as the other stations that covered the event were doing so — to a degree — because of their personal or network interest in the awards. And, if memory serves me right, the other radio coverage was all playback and not live. "It would be helpful, if for no other reason than to indicate that the radio industry. ... at least our part of it in this case. . . . doesn't operate with selfish motives in mind. Our concern was strictly for the benefit of the public, and the opportunity it provided for educating Americans in this area to what is going on in this country for the benefit of the people themselves. And that is the primary purpose of Freedoms Foundation." Sincerely, J. Arthur Lazell, News-Special Events, WNAR, Norristown Pa. Tom Williams Tom Williams, the Ole Dirt Dobber, who for 16 years conducted the "Garden Gate" program over CBS, died of pneumonia in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday night, Nov. 28. Williams, a noted horticultural expert and author, was 58 years old. He is survived by his wife, and one daughter, Peggy Jean. Man About Manhattan. . . I • • • AROUND TOWN: Lever Bros, execs, who apparently never heard that "life begins at 40," are rejecting all job applications of persons over 40 in the reorganization and expansion of their operations. Rejects include some ex-network executives with many years experience in radio, promotion and advertising. Isn't that just dandy? Without meaning to make a pun. Lever Bros, figure you're all washed up at 40. Wonder who they're grooming to take over ior Bob Hope! . . . Decline of network giveaway programs in the Hooperatings have caused manufacturers to tighten up their flow of free merchandise in return for plugs. . . . Hooper intensifying his romancing of the trade press. He's tossing another luncheon this week. . . . Cut rate TV set dealers are using the mails to stimulate set sales as the Christmas season approaches. . . . Ethel Colby resumes her former position as drama and movie critic of the Journal of Commerce as of Dec. 1st. . . . Marian Young (WOR's Martha Deane) has been elected to the Board of Governors of the Fashion Group — the sole radio representative on the board. . . . Employment Note: Moss Associates looking for a gal that is plenty hep and handy in giving the housewives the lowdown on recipes and cookery for a weekly TV cooking show. If you're the gal, contact Stan Lee, of Moss' TV dep't. ■fr ft "fr & • • • Staats Cotsworth will appear as 'Hastings' in the allstar revival of "She Stoops To Conquer" being produced by Maurice Evans at the City Center Dec. 28th, with Celeste Holm, Brian Ahearne, Burl Ives and Ezra Stone. . . . Looks as tho' Wilbur Stark and Jerry Layton engineered another coup d'etat (who dat?) when they signed film star Roscoe Karns for radio and TV. . . . Judy Canova and Rodgers & Hammerstein may get together after all for a B'way musical show now that she can do her air show from N. Y. (They've been trying for 2 years to get her to head a road company of "Annie Get Your Gun"). . . . John Tillman signed to handle the salespiel on WIPX's hour-long "Voice of the People." . . . Paul Lukas' criminology series for TV, owned by Roberts & Carr Productions and handled through Wm. Morris, is very close to the signing stage. . . . Mimi Benzell is just what the Metopera needs more of. She's talented, pretty, charming, warm and besides, we like her. . . . Herb Sheldon's "You Don't Say" film short opens today at Grand Central Terminal newsreel thittir. . . . ABC's Joe Hasel is like the U. S. Mail. Neither rain, or snow, etc. keeps him from doing his old stuff. Which is by way of saying that Joe did a great job calling the plays in the Chi Bears-Detroit Lions game Thanksgiving Day despite the snow and sleet. TV it ft • • • Ivan Black (Harvard man) will tell all to Tex McCrary (Yale man) on the "Tex and Jinx" show on WNBC this morning when Black reveals the inner workings of a public relations office. . . . Alan Dale, originally booked into the Copa for 2 weeks, will stay on for the remainder of the current show on the insistence of Jimmy Durante. Dale is set for the Berle show on the 6th. . . . The Bill Gernannts (Lois January) have named her Jan. . . . It's a boy at the Robert A. Whites. He's sales manager for Bob Bories. . . . Mady Christians' guesting on the Whiteman TV'er, reading the Dorothy Parker piece, "The Waltz." hugged the applaudience. Mady oughta be gTeat on her own telestanza, "Everything for Angela," which has WNBT execs in daily huddles with producer Roger Kay. . . . Phil Spitalny's all-girl crew opens at Las Vegas' Last Frontier nitery Dec. 16th at $11,500 weekly. . . . Cy Howard, with two commercial CBS packages, (My Friend Irma and Life with Luigi) has another creation in the auditioning stage, "The Prof, and Mr*. O'Reilly." PROmOTION Farm Youth Exchange Station WTIC and The Hartford, Conn. Courant have announced the start of a campaign to raise $1,000 so that Connecticut may take part next year in the Intel-national Farm Youth Exchange. The money will be used to pay the steamship fare of a Connecticut farm boy or girl who will visit Europe for a three-months staynext summer, and to pay the traveling expenses in this country of a European farm youth sent to America in exchange. The objective, broadly stated, is better understanding between nations. It is a grass-roots attack on the problem of world peace. The Connecticut delegate selected for the trip, whether a young man or a young woman, will live with a farm family overseas, work and play with them, come back with a genuine understanding of how at least one European family pays its bills and educates its children, and how one family abroad looks at the United States, the danger of war. and the chance for lasting peace. Romancing Market WWRL is launching a heavy promotion-publicity campaign in New York City's Negro-populated areas to back up its Afternoon Swing Session. Record shop window displays and theater-newspaper tie-ups are being used. Three theaters are running trailers on the screen plugging the station and are receiving spots in return on WWRL. New York Age, a Negro weekly, is working on a space for time deal. SESAC Bulletin The monthly bulletin of SESAC takes the form of a Christmas greeting in December and covers special Christmas music and other regular features. The folder, printed in red and green, has a revue of the growth of choral music and its use in U. S. Stork News St. Louis, Mo. — Two members of the KXOK staff became fathers recently. Robert V. Nicholas, assistant to the chief engineer, is the father of a 7-pound, 7-ounce boy, and Charles E. Burge, salesman, is the father of a 6-pound, 11-ounce boy. 1949 CONFISEUR FRENCH RESTAURANT LUNCHEON from $2.00 DINNER from $3.00 COCKTAIL BaR cJamouA.ffiench CcmdieA 15 East 52 nd St. AIR CONDITIONED