Variety (Sep 1933)

Tuesday, September 26, X93S RADIO VARIETY 37 JAPAN'S RADIO TASTES ERPI, Financier Nothing can.- be of ./gresater con- cern to a merehandiser with a pop- ular priced • product than the self harbored suspicion that his pro- gram is shooting over the heads ot the masses. To show business radio may reveal eyidehoes of approach-' Jng.the sophisticate stage. but in jthe lexicon of the. average air adver- tiser there is even at this advanced era o£ broadcast entertainment no greater bugaboo than this same yord, .'sophlsticeite'. Fact that these purveyors ' of products for the home have been bringing- in- stage names of a so- phisticate flavor to do the attention garnering for the plug mess£\pe is no indication, that they (the adver- tisers) have, undergone'a change in viewpoint. The names are. okay as long as. they adapt their routines to the lowest ^denominator of tastes aitid understanding in lpudf5peaker audiences. .Exceptions, needless to say, are. th<! programs that get out distinctly to make It a class appeal. And ' these, commercially, are still tev/ and far-between on. the network, afrlan'es. • - - • , For a comwiercial to complain that a program is shooting too low is a rarity. Common kick that the .ad agencies .have to contend with from the. wherewithal's source is that the show is framed for a level away over, the heads of the rocking chair mass. ing Up 'Class Advertiser reaction along these lines is'responsible for the radical changes soon to be applied to a Fri- day night network show regarded in the trade and among show people as one of the slickest things of its .kind. The commercial, strictly, in- terested in ft-miiy audiences of the .^lower middle class, recently put on a mon^y giveway contest and fro'ni "the disappointing response deduced they -iveren't listening to his pro- srram. The agency on the account Is now under insti'uctions to bring the ■ level of the shov^ away down. An advertising analyst that the commercial bad brought in to apply the liitielligence test and othet psy- chological yardsticks to the pro- gram had come to the conclusion that the comic's material was too smart and original and the sym- phonic arrangements used by ihe orChiestra were too involved for gen- eral grasp and -appreciation. Paris FasUon Comment Sent to 3 Continents Incl. the Japanese Tosie Fujiwara . the Fleischman; program sang in Japanese but J'oe Higgins, offi- cial NBC lauridrymah for dirty: lyrics,' didn't take any chances oh something getting by. He had the Ja.panese -vyords ren- dered into English to gee if tjie sentiments were of a chaste nature. Japanese bariCone was .at first requestedr tor' sing 'Old Man River,' but that was finally vpted. a bit inappropriate. Inte;restShg Contrast^ With American Radio-^Japa- Mercantile Firms Eager to Sponsor But Ad- vertising Is Barred—^In- stead Firms Sponsor Mu- sical Concerts Chitside Radio. TYPICAL PROGRAM BUILDER-UPPE FOR ML m NBC will: ship ..fL. jjuraber, ot Jts seasoned sustai ing artists to Chi- cago at the reciuest . of . . Sidney Strotz, Chicago program and artists (joint) manaj^er. Irene Beasley is the first artist to head west under the idea of sti-fengthening Chicago as a broadcasting centre. Chicago has suffered* from a dearth of good raidio talent. Too much repetition oh niidwestern programs, of the. same people, coupled with , a notion,-widespread among advertisei's in the Windy City, that meritorious programs are hard to get in Chicago is be- hind the campaign. Influx; of new personalities will give. NBC some- thing to sell and at the same timt' help overcome the prejudice. On the "New York end-NBC glad ly welcomes the possibility of get ting an opening for some deserving talent that ought to attract com mercials, but who haveh!t had the breaks around New Toi-ki Paris, Sept. 15. Alice Langelier, former fashion writer who was made radio an- nouncer for Ciub Franco-AijieriQue in Europe, will broad cast Paris fashions internationally. Programs will go to Nprtii and South Amer- ica, Canada and tndo-China, and ill be, rcbroadcast by National roadcasting in America. Ann Sepiour Set icago,, 25. Final has b^ert . made regarding the new Campagna com- pany show to take the place of the, 'Pit Manchti* series ph the W-JZ web. With the name set as 'Granci Hotel,' the company last week selected Ann Seymour to. head the cast of the dramatic series. Will ride 30 minutes .on Sundays and understood to follow the basic Bchenre set up by the other success- ful. Campagna show on the WEAF web, the 'First Niirhter' series Starts Oct. 1. BOB BENCHLEY FOR AIR ? Hollywood, Sept, 25. Plymouth Motor Car Co. is dicker Ing with Robert Benchley to head a radio program. Benchley is .now writing at Radio studio. . Plymouth people have been neao tlating for picture stars, including Jackie Cooper and Lee Tracy, for wevcr.il weeks, but haven't tied up anybody yet. ioDiscU Tebhiiocratic Chimes icago, Sept. 25. Announcers i*» th^ Chicago NBC. studios are musicians no longer, ^bhe of their duties has bfeen rendered obsolete., Automatic- chimes now in effect. Pusii a button and xylophone notes bihg.. NO VAliDE FOR BENNY PENDING NEW AIR SHOW Jack Benny, who starts Oct. 1 for Chevrolet, has declined all- the- atrical engagements prior to Nov. 3 Comedian, figures the Btrain of launching a radio proigram makes theatrical engagements too risky until the -first .four or five broad- casts are over and everything is functioning. Benny returned from California last week to ready for the Chevro let start. NiX RADIO WIDOWHOOD CBS Wives VVqn't Stand for that Byrd tri CBS'' financing of the broadcast ihg piiases of Admiral Byrd's slated trip to the South Pole no>y . includes putting On the, payroll fpf a two year absence some one person com binin^ the quajitieis c(f a newspaper- man, .announcer. and program pro- duction man. • Network tried to recruit an erigi neer out of its own ranks'for .the polar trip and stay but each tech nician querifed had a reason, mostly marital, why he cbuldhlt stay away from, home that length time; Foir the assignment the web has engaged someohd without previous network contact, CBS figures on the Byrd hookuji as' the big news stunt that will in an introductory way focus the spot "lighr^pon^fiTTiJrwir^rjyfl; collo.otirig bureau. DALIAS AS DOG TOW Chicago. Sept. 25 Boyor cosmetic taking a test flyer on WFAA. Dallas, starting Oct. i for a t\vo-a-weok ride. Run ning for, 13 weeks. Using an Advice to the Lovelorn idea plus ftiattcr and rriupicifjl in^ terludes. By Burton Crane Tokyo, Sept. 2. ■ Radio authorities here Vvill tell you that programs aren't any bet- ter (they say different) because the Japanese people like, them the way they are. Gontrol pf the stations and the programs is in the hands of a semi-official company,, collecting an.,annual fee. from-each, receiyihg set. owner, ^and this company has become bureaucratic to the nth degree^- .Entertainment value is low. Here's day's fare from JOAK, the biggest iii Jiapan: 6.00 ni. Radio physical- ex ercise. 6.55 a. m. Weather report. 9.00 a. m. Weather report. 9.10 a. mi. Daily menu. 12.00 m; Time. . 12.05 p. m^ Japanese music. . 12.40 p. m. News by. the YomiOri Shimbuh. 3.40 p, m. Weather 'report. 4.00 p. m. Netvs. 6.00 p; m. Children's program'. 6.20 p. m. News for ciiildreri. .6.S5 p. m- News in English. 7.00 ■ p. . m. News by the Nichi Nichi Shimbuni 7.30 p. ni. Talk on aircraft car riers by Captain M. Kodanaka. 8.00 p. m. Vioiin solo by Mr. ;M Kuroyanagi. 8.20 p. m. Japa- nesie. music. 9.30 p.-m.. ime, .News.-Weather report. And if anyone thinks that, is ex- aggerated 365 daily programs for any year since broadcasting started in this country will match that pro^ gram 360. times. With the names changed, of course. Point remains that, except for 35 minutes of Japanese music in the noon hour and 20 minutes of bed- time stories for the children, all the entertainment features are limited to the time between 8 and 9.30 o'clock. • Falsetto Torch Singers In this period there, is relatively little attempt to achieve variety. Story telling and old-fashioned Japanese music take the -bulk of the lime. This old-fashionea mu- sic is mostly delivered in high fal- setto, with the best performer the one who can do the most' tricits with his voice. Occasionally radio dramas are m^^cd .in. Then, from time to : time, some foreign music or. Japanese songs aloihg foreign patterns get a brief play. But let Tokujiro. Kobayashi, of the pro-, gram committee of JOAk> ive you the. low- down: 'Our basic policy,' he sjiys 'is public leadersiiip, guiding th6 pub- lic toward appreciation of finer- things, which, in turn, aids in tbe building of public personality. We da not care' to flatter the public by presenting only the programs it likes, although we mioet the fans half way. Somcitim.es they miss the poin.t.' Patriotism Dominant A. recent survey; sai<3 Mr. Koba- yashi;. showed fan preference in the --|==folloWlng^-ordetvf==:=-— . .1. Naniwa,bushi, ballads of old-time Japan telling tales Of loyalty, filial piety and great, deeds. 2. Stories of all kinds, ranging from the pathetic to the humor<ius. I'lots of motion pictures. Jazz and- the popular songs wViich everyone is singing , are presented occasionally, but 'fundamentally the liro^rams seek harmony witii the (Continued on p.nge 41) Chicago, Sept. New . wrinkle in. commercial pro- grams is being considered by Atlan- tic & Pacific. brig:inaHy auditioned as an idea for Wcsterii Union, this program calls, for immediate ^ re- si)ons^ from th€! listenei^ and a double listening audience twice in one nigbt. yhder the plan of broadcast the show will be cut up into two parts, as ..two... halves of' a mystery play First half will go on early in the evening on a 15-mlhute episode of a mystery. Session ends with the mystery unsolved, but with plenty of suspense and lots of clues. Lis- teners have their best clues in a wire sent by 'the detectives in the piece. At the end Of the first slessiori the listeners are invited. to send their solutions immediately by wir.e or telephone to the iiome ofllce, \yith Hie first correct answer to win :$350. Exactly two hours after the first episode the second and final broad- cast: of the mystery is broadcast. Now. figured to broadcast' the series at seven for the first half and nine for the second, 'Various portions of the A&P concern now deciding On the program which ap- peared set in the latest piping and audition last week. A&P reported ready to- start within two weeks being hot for the program as a cinch innovation in radio and a cer- tain listener audience'not . once, but twice in one night, figuring -that anyone catching, the opening episode must tune in for the final and solution. Likely financing source for the World roadcasting System, Inc.». In lattcr's plan of entering the sus-^ tairiing pvogi'am field .on a gi*and^ lose scale will be Electrical Re- search Products, Inc. WBS is talk- > ing about investing arouh:d. $750,- OOO.'in the .manufacture o^'recox^dcd prdgriims. that-would, .be sold to sta- tions as permanent .libraries. As laid out on paper the project calls for turning .put ai)out 3,000 waxed programs or 215. different scries,. It is "VVorid Broadcasting idea to sell the library on a two-way propo- sition. Available for the station would, be: an extensive and. widely, varied source of sustaining material. At the same time the outlet wpiild be in a position to put this huge, catalog at the service of ' a local ad- yertiser who is loath to do. his. cull- ing of ientertjainment from among local talent. IJnderstood that ERPI, from which World Broadcasting has always leased the equipment for its sub- sidiary, Sound. Studios, tno., is anxious to get in on the bankrolling, of-the big library Idea, /For -ERPt the financing sideline is nothing he'VY. It's done the same thing for picture cpmpanies on a large scale; 'The ^yorld Broadcasting contiauJt will give the electric its first entry of this kind in radio and on a scale similar t<> that which it has prac- ticed in the picture Industry. Should the WBS idea go through it Will also mean a stiff .lipping in royalty income for the music pub-, lishing trade. Payment of royalties on around 3,000. masters at the rate of, say, 30 copies each would yield to music anywhere from $40,000 .to $50,0.6.0. MORE FREELANCERS Numerous Chicago Radioites Go It Oh Own Chicago, Sept. 25. ^ Town is rapidly going free-lance as far as radio talent is concerned. More free lahcers today than any time previous In history of- tadio ith more ahhWnccrs, producers j|.nd writers.daily lieavlhg. station and network Jobs to-.open on their own In sbmie cases it's due to getting the. can tied but in others- it's' strictly resignation with the re- signers figuring that they can get more coin on their own. In practically every instance it has worked out that the me" the outside are gettirigifour to five times as much on the other side of the fence than wh<?n on the payroll, of station or network. Now working freelance locally are .stich wcll-knowhors as Tom Shirley handling the. General Tire and At lantic & Pacific shqwsi inccnt Pelloticr on the Hou.sehold Finance show, Jean Paul King with the Gen eral Mills, Clara, Lu & Km, North em Trust, Cafnatioji Milks, Hoover Cleaner and Evans Fur accounts Bob White is writing and acting on his .xtwn jdoing the Atlantic^and Pa ^Tfls'^tTo^'^'W^ low now on Hughes is writing the 'Talkie Time' and 'First Nighter' scries Dick Wells and Harlow Wilcox •are free lancing locally, Wilcox only recently stepping out of CIJS, and has already done much work for commercial records. And Frank Stdel c.r.afks ni now flcid when ho opens own ofllco. to do fuivi.sory v.'ork for <jdv<'r1)slrig ;igori<-iOH nnd oliontB, PRIZES UNDER $500 RATED PIKER STUFF Unless the value of the prizes are away, up in the money air. con- tests won't draw the responses In hefty number any niore, say ad agency men. From recent! experi- ences these advertisers have gar- nered the impression that anything lessthan $500 in cash or value thereof as the grand prize is now looH^d upon by the general run of listener as piker come-on. Ad men don't know whether to blame changing economic conditions, or the possibility that the loud- speaker element with the ready pen and envelope has been spoiled by the series of big money contests that held the network airlanes last winter. One food packer with a name va- riety show released over 54 stations- offered $100' as the; top prize of a. contest f?tarte,d three weeks ago. Two ann.ounpements of. the give- awiay netted" h im " tiian 3,0.00' piieces of m^ii* Fik Co. limits Writer To Couple Radio Shows Hollywood, Sept. 25. • kay Van Itipcr's writer contract at ! Metro allows the radio aifthOr- actrcss to. handle .only two halt- hour air- programs a tveclv the life of her film contract. She asked for free rein sO far as: the ether was cbnccrhcd, but studio,' held her down to the two programs. It'!3 .the first scenarist contract drawn to contain provi.«<lonf5 for a writer' io aclivityOff. the lot. Cantor by Nov. 1 .atlon.s. . that Eddie Can" night ."tint for Chase & Sanborn coffee by 'the first Sunday night in November. Cantor had been slated t«i.ro.surne here Sopt. 10, but later him.<^o]f do- fidod, tliat hn couldn't both ■ivf)rk o hi.s piclnre. .'i.v:.s;pnmont, 'Roman Scaml.-.ls.' .'ind <' A « H''-'^ ^ho firoi'.'ir.'itidri df Ms p.n-grani miitorial th<' i\iii< .'itifl palriHtji ing ho dcornrd it fh-.t* I yod,