Variety (Sep 1933)

Tuesday, September 26, 1933 A D I VARIETY 99 INDIES' FRC NIGHTMARE TO MATCH NBC FAN MAIL Cbicaso, Sept. NBb Is shaping plahs for a field Intensity survey; to coyer all sta-. tlons on the nefcvork. Will secure scientific data, on tlie signal, strength of each outlet. Will be done,to discover just how :outlet intensity., and' .signal coy^i'-' ago meets the mall count from, various sections around ^ach out- let. Checking will be done by an ihdependent erigiheerihg survey outfit; with the'signal stlpength to be checked -in the radius- of each sta- tion, say, intensity at 10 jtillcs, 20; 30, 40i 60,. 60 to 100 . miles and so pn. Individual stations have occasion- ally made such surveys, but not NBC. Like the mail count around sta- tions, the signal strength line will run in a Jagged, uneven edge arid ..not straight. Often .due to Individ- tial conditions around stations, sudh as WEBC up in Superior, Wis., which' has a signal strength line edged by a horseshoe shape due to the ore deposits in that territory. After the field Intensity survey has been made the signal strength liijes so secured will be superim- posed on the mall count charts of these stations so as to check on the survey data of both signal and mail strength. Plausiblcl Chicago,-Sept. Radio stations In Chicago' felt the two big inail robberies that occurred last week. Fan mail at all . stations slid almost .50% and attributed to. the niall bag snatcshes. New Business <LOCAL STATIONS) New/ York. Pern Cioih:es, si^. 15-mlout:6 periods weekly, using transcriptions. Placed direct. WPAS; Goldberg Clothes, renewal for 52 week^, five hours weekly, usingTe- corded programs. Placed direct. WFAS- . .Charlotte, P' Plough Chtntical Co., a03 night-time announcements for Pehetro, St. Jo seph Aspirin and Plough's Pace Powders. Placed by .LakCrSpiro- Cohn' arid Scott-Howe-Boweri WBT. Atlanta Oeorgiari-AmeHcan,, 13 quarter-hour disked programs' on Hearst Sunday American Alagazine. Placed direct. WBT . Rtimford Baking Co., twice weekly for 26 weeks, .15-minute trariscrip tibns, Placed by Atherton & Cur- rier and Scott-Howe-Bowen. WBT Cramy, Water Crystals, two 15-min' ute shows on wax for 52 weeks each day In the week but Sunday. -Placed through, local distributor. WBT. Mantle Lamp Co.,^ 150 minute an nouncements through fall arid win- tei'.. WBT. Chieftain MantifactiiHng Co. (Col brshine), 13 arinoiincements at the rate of three a week. Placed by Van Sant, Dugfale &. Corner. . WBT. Standard Oil of N. T. (Gilbert Bar ker Oil Burners), 10 nightly an- nouncements. Placed through Mc Cann-Erlckseri. WBT Beingr Ordered Off Air, Order to -Show Cause Why Not and Being Quo ted as Criticizing FRC, Three Things they bread^Don't Like It, but Afraid to Say So—Charge Networks Favored WCAU, PhOly, Programs Sustaining Source for 16 Southern Stations WCAU, PhlUy, has becoriie the ^^ey source for CBS' Dixie network. Means tha,t from now on WCAU will be responsible for the major feeding of sustaining .programs to this southern group. Through the past spring and summer most of tthcse non-commercials originated from the web's New York and Chi- ciago. studios. PhlUy outlet, which is owned in jpart by CBS, figures on relaying a total of 17 programs over the Dixie loop a week starting this Sunday (1). stations slated to take the WCAU originated shows ai-e WGST, Atlanta; WPG, Atlantic City; WBRC. Birmingham; WBT, Charlotte; WDOD, Chattanooga;. KLiRA, Little Rock; WBlG, Green boro; WREC, Memphis; WZAM, Miami; WSFA, Montgomery WTiAC, Nashville; WDSU, Roa moke; WROC, Savannah; WDAE, Tampa; WSJS, Winston-Salem, and WODX, Mobile. State of Minnesota Now Plugs Self on Radio St. Paul, 25. State of .Minnesota has programs over weep and KSTP every Sat urday to plug what the State has to offer in the way of agricultural, educational, industrial arid recrea tlonal advantages. These free, talks aire the-result of promotional activity on the part- of George H. Bradley. Two stations, WCCO arid KSTP, have agreed to furnish free time on a 21-time trial basis. If the public's reaction. is deemed sufnciently favorable, the donated time will be extended on a year-around basis. ' = HLOAN^GOnL^S-NBe™ Chicajgo/Sept. 25. Household Finance company re- liews on NBC but is switching its air time .starting Sept. 26 to 8-3:30 p., m. Account spotted by the Charles Daniel Frcy agency of Chicago now using Charles Sears, tenor, Alice Mock, Josef koestn6r orchestra, the poet Edgar Guest, and Torii, pick and Harry trio. 35% FOR LITIGATION Insecurity oi their status under ftTe existthg radio laws is a chronic higMitiare with the independent stations. In the order of their in- tensity, the stations dread: 1. Being siimmiarily ordered off the air. ^. ^ 2. Being ordered to Washington to show cause why they shouldn't be summarily ordered off the air. 3. Being quoted, directly or in- directly, as expressing critifcisnri of the .Federal Radio Commission, the body which does the ordering off. The last Item, with fear of offend- ing influential Interests, keeps the limited wattage boys mum. They grumble among themselves, send one another mutually sympathetic missives ut-ge one aripther to or g^anize, to fight back, and to squawk, but Individually they're tongue-tied J. J. JFooj (furriers), renewal for 131-They're afraid to denounce the ar weeks; Tuesday evening quarter hour program.' Business placed by Peck agenfcy. WABC Horn & Harddrt Co., Sunday morn ing shows extended to one hour Placed by the Clements Co., Phlla WABC bitrary powers of the c'ommlsslon for fear the arbitrary powers will be focused on them. Small stations are fa,Irly unani- mous In not liking tho N.A.B. code because it would outlaw the inearis J'inZei/ iSftrdtts* Co. <Jewel6rs), three whereby they live. As yet, apart riiorning quarter-hour periods week- from some anonymious communlca- ly. WABC. tions deslgfned to steam up the sta- Ijittman's (departriient store), four tloris, nothing has happened. Evi 15-minute programs a week, using kj^^^jy organization of Independ band and warblers. Business through. Sternfield, Godley, Inc. WABC. .Fort Wayne Crazy Crystals, twice daily on Tues., Thurs., at 12:45 and 9:45 p.m. News hours and rhusiCi WOWO ent radio stations Is supposed to spring up by spontaneous combus- tion with a 100% membership that will remain a 100% secret. A Lesson Stations had an object leisison In Mbjrie Cipal) James! Hollywood, Sept. 25. Another proof .that the Cali- fornia sun doesn't shinfe all the . tirrie. iKFWB changes the title of its - rf-dio. program -Old Front .Porch'. to 'Around the Hearth.^ Instead of suppoisedly broad- casting the program from out> doors, it's to be Iridoors tp At the ,Lbs Angeles autuhin. chill. NON-MEMBERS OMAHA-LINCOLN SHIFTS Looking for Talent as New Policies Shape. Omaha, Sept.. Riebrgariizatlon ot studio , arid business staffs of KOIL and XFAB has been strranged. KOIL was re ceritly acquired by UnlPn HPlding CP. pf Lincoln;- so that combination of Its staff with that of KFAB, Omaha studio bias been Inevitable. John' Henry,' formerly riid,nager of KOIL, stays ori as ri:anager of. both stations on the production end. Ned Bailey, fbrnierly manager of KFAB, supervises commercial department In Omaha, though commercial work for the company will be directed by D. Dierkes, Lincoln. Bijl. Bailey and Adam Reinemund, salesman, and announcer: resi)e.C tively,: go t« work with Don Searle at WlBW, Topeka. Ha,rt Jenks be comes studio director at KOIL In place of Max Vinsonhaler, departed three weeks ago. Fred Eskesoftj announcer • at KFAB, left to go to WJAG, Norfolk. Ed Burdick takes his health club frbm KOIL to WOW where two broadcasts , will be given daily Instead bf one as-at KOIL. Krime Klan, one of KOIL's best ^winter attractions, begins , next Week, but gets switched to KFAB. With this shake-up and reduction of staffs, combined stations are looking for more talent and hpld- Ing auditions weeklyi More addi- tions, releases, or changes are yet possible but urideclded. Less Wheat, More Chaff Town & Country $hop, evening j the case of WIBO, Chicago. That through week -with Herbert Butter- planted the dread deeper than ever, field, announcing styles, and Connie K^. ^^^^ ^j^q j^^^ in legal fees to Beaver at piano. WGL. ., , °, Fels-Naphtha, Mon., Wed., Fri. at Its wavelength. Stations aver 12:45. Happy Herb Ha worth, that It costs 35% of their annual WOWO. gross to ward off litigation or claims People's Life Insurance Co., Tues., for their wavelengths made by Thurs., at 12:45. Light opera tunes, [other stations; existing or prospec WOWO. tlve. That WIBO's wavelength Los Angeles ^.gnt the brother bf a CSB vice- Forest.Lawn Memorial Park, 9-9:30 president strengthened the Indle p.m;, Fridays, Charles Frederick gtatloris in their convictions. ^ o"u'?d^^'sS^ mu\ir Sweets-; ,,^-Th^? ^^n? "T"^ KHJ. o . , jg g^jjj flghting. Unable to get any Easiside Beer Co., KFI sind coast where with the Federa:! Cpmmis- NBC, 8:30-& .Thursday nights, start- slon, he has been circularizing the ing 28th. 'Ship pf HarmPny,' by small stations with a view to gen Harry, Macj>herson and. Albert Vpri eral suppbrt of the pending Ellzey Tilzer. Shepherd's orchestra, Paul resolution for a Gongresslbnal In Taylor's nUale quartet and special' acts. President Distributing Co., KFWB,| 6:45t7^ p,m., Mon., Wed. and Fri., King's Men, male quartet^ Lewis Food Pjr.oducts, KFWB, 521 spot .announcements. yestigations of the FRC and 'the extent to which the twp large chain netwprks ha,ve been faivpred.' Under date of- Sept. 14 Nelson wrote statibns proposing the crea- tion of a lobbying furid to be placed -Wilshire Refining Co., KFWB, in escrow in the Terminal iNational 8:15-9:15 p.m., Thurs; lAugi^ of Chlcagp. This fund wpuld y^!»«n'S/^\*n.?^lSv'^°- ^ npt be touched until reaching $10,^ (Pan B. Miner ^gency,) 000 and would be disbursed under » i, A f ^ . - « .Public auditor coritrbl by Nelson, Best's Apparel Cd:, ^rles of five- who offers himself as front man. Under this arrangement the Iride penderit radlb, stations could become a Greek letter fraternity pledged to anonymity, with, bnly Nelson as a target for rietallation. minute style talks, morning broad- cast, daiiiy except Saturdays and SuridaySr for Indefinite period, sta,rt- ing B^pt. 25. Also 15-rtiinute pro gramis at various times; KJR Augustind-Kyer, 26 60-word an nouncements, starting Sept. 29. K.TR. General Mills, Inc., 16 120-word an riouricements between Sept. 20 arid Oct; 3. KOMO. Associated Oil Co., football gartie. broadcasts over IS Pacific Coast -gamesr-starting^SGptr-^2-37—-with^bH-g^^ Washington vs. Gonqaga-.at Seattle .Y^v ^^J"^^ and ending with U. S. C. vs. Georgia i^„"l*L^*^" v fu^^ ^""^ at Los Angeles On Dec. 2. KOMO. r*P«?"^"'<^."ts.. ^oth sustalmng. Will Bourjois, 'Evening in Paris' pror ffo on th6 ^Columbia chain Wedncs- gram, 15 minutes each Monday eve- days at .2:15 for 30-mIhute, d will ning, starts Oct. 16. CBS. double On. WJJD, thie Indie Ralph Fashion Bootery, .15-minute Phil Atlass .station, at tiriies not yet set. Harris disc each .Sunday eve; start- pickard Family bad formerly ed Sept. 17. KO]!.. V.; ^i^«fn«peeri on NBC. Bubb Plckard had National Grocery Co., 15, mlriutes . ^ -nrTTn oftr«« kt, each Monday, 'Strange Adventures' Pf^^^o^WJ^f.^o^^^^^ disc; Thursday. 15 minutes, Donald P't^self with both commercial .and Novis; starting Sept. 25. KOL. 's«.staining houra. Pickard Family Back ChlcagOi' Sept, Jc kar d ^Farnny ^hajri ng be Omaha, Sept. 25 WAAW, 500-Vatt dayllghit broad caster, goes seven days per vpeek begirining Sunday, October 8. Corii pany Is owned by Omaha Grain Ex change and in ^the past had been used principially to give market re^| pbrts. As., .there, is no market on Sunday, station had not ' beeri using Sunday time though It had the right. This step marks another in the advaricing of the new policy' to. make the staition more than a mar ket reporter: First step was build ing of new studios completed In July*. Executing of new' policy Is being done by Manager Bader and Announcer Gordon Berqulst. Only other change at station is acquisi tipri pf Russ Baker, dranlatics and contiriuity writer, from KFAB's Omaha studio. Chicago, S^pt. 25. Expected flare-up of . Independent stations oyer thei': propbsed fair praictices' clause in the. radio NRA code brought forth a -round robin last weiek. Under the letterhead of Associated Broadcasters pamphlet was sent tP statipris asking them to \yrite arid squawk Immediately to Washington that thi^ code sub- mitted by the NatipnaT Ass'n of Broadcasters cannot be applied to. the 350 npn-riiember stations. Located in Seattle, the' Associated Broadcasters' pamphlet urges the stations to take up arms against the codb which - will prohibit sta- tions frorii accepting business on a coritlngent basis which Is admit- tedly the great bulk of. the business done by the smaller outside butlet.s. through the sticks. Frightened Letter goes bn-r'Tb the Man- agers of All Independerit Radio Stations: Have you rea&- the;, code • submitted to N.R.A. by the Na- tional. Association of Broad- casters?.. .It specifies that you will not be iallbwed to trade your broadcast service, for commbdji^^^ ties, where the small men'charit" Isi unable to payi ybu In cash. It also specifies that, you cannot meet .your advertiser half-way or make any special concessions whatever to promote. and main- tain his business^ This obvious- ly works an. unnecessary hard- ship on the 350 independent sta- tions and should! we believe, be firmly protested by all stations who starid squarely behind the President and thei jiJ.'R.A. pro- gram but who do not Intend to let the N,A.B, dictate their busi- ness riiethods and programs and supervise them. 'If you do not believe N.A.B.. should be allowed to do this, by all means make ybur. views known. The Government has no wa,y of knowing that. you can- not subscribe to these require- riients unless >a^ou - make yourself heard. The United protest of —350^ -stations can quickly correct. Write direct to. N.R.A. and Isay that you are . not in accord with certain of the 'TraSe. Practices* and 'Admlriistratlon Provisions* of the code submitted by N.A.B. and fill out the return card and mall It. tP the Secretary pf Assp- ciated Broadcasters.' WKY Tests State Sales Tax as UnappficaUe To hterstate Trade KFRC 9th Anni San Francisco, Sept. 25. KFRC bf the Don Lee-CBS chalri has its ninth birthday this week. . Harrison HpHlway, :mana,ger, Is the only old-timer left. H« was an announcer when the broadcaster started nearly a, decade agb atbp the Whitcomb hotel. WKBB'S TWa STUBIOS Dubuque, la., Sept. 26 Cbn.struCtion work has been started, on station. WKBB, south of Ea.gt Dubuque, 111. The new station will have a directional radius of about 75 miles and will operate ori a wave length pf 1,500 kilocycles Studios will be maintained in bpth cities. J.: W. Baker will ni.ari.age thip ."ita- Gklahbma City, Sept. 25. First test pn Interpretation of;:the sales tax \a.y/ was started. Iri dis- trict ■ court here last .week when [ WKY filed suit against the tax com- mission for $68.48 paid under pro- test fbr Jtily. iSult alleged the tax was. uncon- stitutional Insofar as it applies to radio stations with power ■vfhich puts their messages beyond state line. Such a tax constitutors an illegal burden on iriterState-commerce, the petitioners charged. Map Intrigued ith a map pf 'Treasure I.sland' afj the giveaway Jeddo-Hlghland Coal drew Over 12,000 responses bri tho first three broadcasts of its script show over six stations along the central east seaboard. Outlets arc part of the NBC blue (WJZ) link. Prograni is a .serial- ization of the Louis Steven.son yarn. FRED ALLEN'S TAX WOES ^ Fred Allen spent several days In BbstD.nJa.st week utraightenlng oMt a matter of taxation with the state of Massachusetts which claims him for a native son; AHon pays state income tax In New York.. =Years^^ 9 3^i7r^1)3l7^932=aT^^ pute. CHI NBC ADDS BILL RAY Chicago, Sept. 25. Addilion.s to the KJiC publicity filfiff brings BiM Ray into the fold to handle general assignments. Ray mo^cs Into the local-NBC quarters from the Century of I'rogrcs.s, where he had been doirig special exploitation.