Variety (Sep 1933)

Tuesday, Septeniiber 19, 1933 R A B I • VARIETY 31 NEWSPAPER VIA RADIO Radio Producers Submit NRA urae. But Biggest firms Holding Aloof !oome of .the bpys iii the busln&s? of producing commercial programs, on their o\vn have formulated a code which they have submitted to Sol kosenblatt, deputy NBA administra- tor, for incorporation in the broad- casting; industry's, constitution now on. file in Washington, pbcument ..ptepared by the indie program bulid- ers calling thcnkselves the Broadcast Producers' Group sets up minimum salary scales for performers aiid production technicians. Unrepresented in this group are the three top firms, concerned with the maltinff of recorded progx'ams, Sound Studios, Inc., a subsid of the World Brojadcasting System; By.crs* Studios, inc., connected with Scott Howe Bow6n, and Columbia Phono- graph Go, Also missing from the BPG list is. the McKnIght-Jordan combihb which does most of the producing of the Cecil, Warwick & Cecil agency's network shows and rated as the most active Indie firm of them all. Pointed out by the BPG as the ighpoint of its proposed pact is a provision stipulating that all audi- tions be paid .for, whether they are put on for the advertisers themselves or for the .latters' official pr unoffi- cial reps.. This arrangement, if adopted, believes the indie producer coterie will eliminate advantages the networks now hiave oyer them. Minimum Wages Wage scales in the indie produc-r «rs' code are different for live pro- grams and the recorded variety. .Under, .the live program' lieading there is nothing said about network broadcasts. It's all. strictly acciord- Ing to 'class' of station, with the omission of the chain angle making It confusing as to: what 'class' of station those involved are to pick (Confinued on page 54) Interviewing a Big Man Radio Interyiewers do not find Friino Camera ah easy subject to quiz. It's necessary' to rig .up a special mike fdr the heavyweight champion, due to his height, and then it's dif- ficult to giBt more than mono- syllabic replies from him in English. He speaks freely in Italian. phshers are I, Sundry Experiments for Photo-Electric Transmis- sion of Printed Matter— Already Successfully iii Practical Use on Smaller Scale: for Five Years NBC Boosts Rates, Asserting 2U/q More Family Listeiiers Over 1927; m Near for Broadcasfing? EAT-SEE FOR PftiESS Aylesworth. M. H. Aylesworth was host Monv day noon to tlie radio press* After feeding the boys a itour of tlae new NBC headquarters, in Radio City follpwcd. Facts and flgiires announced con^ cerning the new set-up include these: 400,000 square, feet of space, 35 broadcasting studios ultimately, 16 of them ready to operate Nov. 15 when NBC liioves in, 11 others in- cluding five audition halls to fol- low, remaining eight .studios on sixth and seventh .fioors to be un- finished and, heid back for future developments .iind use. Accommodations for larger audi- iences than ever before have been made at Radio City. BEN LINDSEY DOING HIS STUFF GRATIS Beverly Hills, .Sept. 18. Spectacular cases which were handled by Judge. Ben Xiindsey in the Court of Domestic Relations at Denver will be dramatized on KMPC with Lindsey turning radio actor to enact liimself. Dramatizations will be a weekly feature with remainder of cast ch'oseii from professional players Cases are being dramatized by For- est Barnes and Velva Darling. There is no kale in it for Liindsey, .Who is doinjg the radio stuff to help along his companionate marriage tdeas. iVoice That Gets Dames Can Get Pepsodent Acct. Pepsodent is still looking for romahtlc Voice td spcit into a sep- ^arate stanza for junls facial cream Among the warbling candidates so far have been Nick Lucas, Janles Melton and the Poet Prince (An Cbony Frontie); Dance combos that hive beeri riven a hearing include Casa Lioma, Arnold. Johnson and Xaviier Cugat Cutex and Harris to Chi Chicago, Sept. 18, Cutex moves from the Coast to i^hlcago for its fether outlet on Sept 19 when Phil Harris nioves from the .Cocoanut Grove out in Los Angeles ,10 the College Inn of the Hotel Sher lU^n here. Harris orchestra continuing the manicure program, will deliver tune's on the commercial each Friday^ve- "^Siin|rr''^rWaIfer'"TKdm^ handling the account, Thru O.k: AT $2S FOR HOUR? OWEN YOUNG COUSIN WALKS OUT ON NBC irst walkout of an NBC exec- utive since Ridhard C. Patterson's entry in November,. 1932, as top v.p and chief of operations, occurred last week. John Mwood; was the' exec that did the exiting, follow- ing a blowup with Patterson over an assignment that the latter .had handed him. Also Involved was a matter of political policy that El- wood refused to recognize. El- wood's resignation as v.p. In charge of political, educational, religious and international broadcasts was accepted last Friday (15) at a meeting , of the RCA board of di- rectors. Elwood, who is a cousin of Owen D, Toung, chairman of thci. General Electric board, has been cprinected with the network since almost its inception in 1925. First indication of a i:iCt between himself and Pat- terson followed a report that R. C. Dolph, head of the radio division in the NRA propaganda setup, had experienced some diifficulty in mak- ing an appointment with Elwood while Dblph was .on a visit .estab- lishing networlc, contriacts about eight weeks iago.. It later devel- pped> however, that some 'one in Elwood's office had misunderstood Dolph's. status aiid r.»ission and that accounted for his .^being told that an appointment couldn't .be made for him within less than a' Week. University of Cosmotologyl Chicago, Sept. 18. liee University, of Cosmetology, ^hich means'a beauty parlor school, ■itarts over WBBM, for 13 weeks, ]jionday, Wednesday and Friday at >j30 a. m. Progx'am is a musical show com- posed of studio talent. Geii. Mills 1st Sponsor For CBS News Bureau General Mills Is the first account brought in by CBS's Sales depart- ment to help support the network's news collecting service now in proc- ess of organization. Web starts broadcasting five-minute news bul- letins twice .daily for .the rniljing outfit Sept. 25. Makes the first in- stcihce of either national web con- Wrtihg^sfrSighT freWl'bTSI^ commercial purposes. Two dally five-minute periods for General Mills, are spotted for 12: 30 and 4: 30 p.m., KST, with the sched- ule takiniEr in every day of the week but Sunday and stations in: the past and mldeast. Organization plan now being worked out by CBS will have" a news collecting contact in every key city of the country."" Newspaper publishers are a little skeptical liiit at fhe same time a little worried by stories coming to them regarding a $25 facsimile at- tachtnent for radios which would permit the photo-electric trahsmis- sioh of a compiete printed newspa- per originating from a central point and going to all radio sets through- out the country. Publishers say "taint sor tel| us more about itl' in the same breath. Networks aren't discussing the is^ sue although it's understood Engi- neer Wal Brown at NBC has. three men. working on the facsimile. In further support of the authenticity of the facsimile as a practical and not just a theoretical threat is the sue cessful daily use of RCA Photo grams. Facsimile uses the same principles. It is^ also pointed out that tl)e so-called Fultongraph of England was actually used by the British Broadcasting System and was rated a success although the public over there apparently didn't cai*e for anything so radical as a substitute for their' customary mar malade literature. Dealers In supposition have been steaming up the publishers on the menace of the facsimile but others who have heard the reports and the scientific proof in support feel that the networks want to be chummy with the daily press. Scattered bits of information about the facsimile have been picked tip for over a year but oflflcial comment Is most guarded. How in Use RCA Photograms al'e used to transmit WeJ'^ther maps to ships at sea; to bring Paris women's styles or London style trends for men across the sea in a hurry; io make home office booickeeping reports, or to send important legal documents, etc. "Tills subsidiary of the giant RCA Communications system has been a reality for about five years. It is believed that if the fac simile was actually adopted the net works would hesitate, except as a last measure, to attempt anytiiin'g so ambitious and revolutionary as broadcasting a printed newspaper A more likely use of the idevice would be to give set-owners ah ad varice printed sheet Pf radio pro grams.^ "This Is on the supposTtfon that a press-radio war would elimi hate, all program listings from the dailies. It is generally agreed that a radio set must haive a printed program listing service wherever or however, obtained, in order for the owner, to get real enjoyment from his radio. Facsimile attachment, if economi- cal enough; and it seems to be from the best .engineering advices avail- able, would easily become an im portaht publicity abetment for ad vance build-ups of pending pro grams. In other words, a printed ballyhoo of any given program re ceived on an apparatus adjacent to the radio itself would immensely in crease radio circulation control by making it possible to focus general attention upon special, broadcasts etc. Patterswi wToiir Col. Ricbard Patterson, executive v.p. of th.e National Broadcasting Company, left Monday (18) night for a tour of NBC offices through the middle west. > He also may go to the Coast and probiibly will jnake stopovers at Pittsbu-gh, Chicago, Cleveland and Dehver. * Ape] Searching for an expressive sinilie to cbtivey "complete. dis- comfiture Bert Lytell coined this epigram: 'As emba:rra;sf?lhg as a miss- ing page In a radio, script at an audition.' EVERY INCH A RADIO QUEEN No l>alsy-Walay Stuff at Madison Square Shew Networks are being required to submit signed aiflftdavits that girl candidates submitted by them for the title of Radio Queen at the Mad- ison Square Garden Radio show are bona fide radio perforitoers ot . at least three months' radio experi^ ehce. Prombtiers are determined to Ueop out. any. palsyVwalsy stuff In- volving the choice of some beau- teous girl friend not actually a ra- dio entertainer. There have been ringers In the past. Possibly the recent instance of bad publicity and plenty of It that Atlantic City's beauty contest got when favoritism was exposed has something to do with the cautious trend of the promoters. In addition to the. sworn statement, a New York 'Times' radio .listing niust accom pany the entry blank of each can dldate. WHITEMAN MAY JOIN JOLSON IN WB FILM Paul Whiteman's. inclusion In Warners 'Wonder Bar' Is a posial- billty If prior contracts can be adjusted. Al JblsOn Is anxious to extend the Kraft radio program con- nection into his Warner picture. Mervyn LeRoy, who will direct, was in town last week trying to iget things settled but meanwhile White man is booked for three month? starting Oct. 6 at the Paradise restaurant on Broadway. Proposed deal, If other obstacles could be circumvented, would mea.h that the Kraft program would be broadcast from the Coast, With the studio bearing the added line charges, etc., assessed against White- man. Under the Kraft radio set-up Jolson is at liberty to step out, but Whiteman's contract Is continuous. NBC has started jiacldng up Its time riates. Affected by the flirst move in this direction: In .almost a year and a half are WEBI, Bostbn; WFAA-WBAP, Dallas-Fort Worth; WSB, Atlanta; WSM, Nashville, and WJR, Detroit. Boston and De- troit station boosts went Into im- mediate effect last week, while the three! southern outlets , will "start, calling for additional coin Oct; Network preceded the Increase ahnounceihent with a brochure i^d- dressed to ad ^igencles and c6m- mercials purpprting to show that the cost of the unit listener to clients IS: now .50% lower' than It was In 1927. Power used by Itis af- filiated .stations within that time, the cha,In. pointed out through the brochure, has better than doubled^ while the number of family sejls!' made available by an NBC hdokuj^.. had jumped over . 200%.. The eircu- "» lar averred that advertisers were buying tbis listi^ning. alttentlon at: the rate of 80ci per thousand audi-,, tors. .••vSSSCi Sending out of - the brochure iust in advance of the rate boost news was • explained, by the web as just one of the coincidences. Involved was no Intention to justify or to take the sharp edge of what some ad agency men describe as the pre- lude to a general upping of the net- work's time prices now that its choice time Is pretty well taken up and prosperity has returned to broadcasting. New Tariffs Rate for WEEI by the hour ha9 been moved up from $250. to $400. New listing will bring, the Boston outlet $250 for 30 minutes and $156 (Continued on page 54) Labor Reps Numerous Af Radioi Code Hearing Whether the phonograpih record industry will be represented at the hearing on radio code In Washing ton tomorrow (18). was undeter- mined Monday. Aware of the fact that tho American Federation of Musicians wei'e denianding the In- sertion of a clause: in the cpde put- ting a strict ban on the broadcast ing of phonograph disks, the irie chanical men were yesterda.y In clined to the judgment that It would be best to leave the battling on this score entirely to the union Belief here that an argument ad varie-ed by . labor would have greater effect than one. coming from an other Industry. Besides the musicians' union or ganizcd labor will be repreaentcd at the hearing by Actors Equity ?.nC =the--Interna tionai'i-Brotherhood=T-of Electrical Workers, the last there in behalf of the studio and trans mitter technicians. Frank Gillmore who will do the talking for Equity, said yesterday that the as.^ociatlpn •had not as yet drafted its sugges tlons for the radio code. This, he added, would be done in Washing- ton tomorrow following a meeting with the other labor unions con cernod. CBS' Pepy-SqueezH^i Reason for Mills Bros/ Artists Bureau Walk Mills Bros, will call it quits with the CBS Artists Bureau when the act's contract expires, Oct. 9. Tom Rockwell, the quartet's manager, has decided to make the breaic as the result ot a series of business dlfincultles he has had with Julius Seebach, CBS exec In charge of bookings and programs. Rockwell's long existent burnup was brought to a head recently when Seebach refused to pay the foursome for a sustaining broadcast they had,^ been ohr " For the amount ot commissions the Mills Bros, have brought the network Rockwell feels that his act had been deserving of^better treat- ment from CBS. Aside from tho Seebach attitude on the matter of sustaining payments, the thing that Rockwell says has particularly riled him has been tlie almost complete negligence the network has ..ac- corded the boys in the way of pub- licity. Rockweil. himself has been re- sponsible for practically 100% of the Mills Bros, bookings. GBiS has got- ten commlsh on for two years, with the exception of the' period tlj^^ tho. act was out of the running because'^^of John Mills' illness. CBS got theirs on all engagements, whether radio or personal appear- ance. CBS' end here last year aniountcd to around $20,000, while out-^t:=th -•ontire^t'Wo^years:--the-== network paid the act eight weeks sustaining money. Seebach based, his recent refusal to pay for tho sustaining broadcast on the fact that the program wa,< given while the boys were playing a theatre dato (the Matropolitan, Brooklyn), with the ICBS niajor dome contending that this s-hould ^havo been written oft by tliC boy« as so much .self-advertising.