Variety (Sep 1933)

Tuesday* September 26, "1999 R A B I • YARJETr Inside Stuf-Radio GBS' rushing in where NBC feared to tread confirmed the wisdom b£ NBC's caut-loiQ. That radio.news service which Paul.Wliito ia setting up his ahready elicited, much tai't comment from the daily press. Frankly they don't like it. And-equally franHly .NBC likes the daily , pi-ess not liking CBS? move. / But there's a worry in it for NBC. Not forgotteri over there is the -time a high officia l got a scathing letter-from the h eiad of a ne ws-bureau PRC OKAYS 40 50,000-WATT ' reproaching NBC for a news scoop, that .had iactually been accdmpllshed by Columbia. .NBO feiars .tiiat :th'e newispa^ier fraternity in. common with the public-is- prone to thlhH of 'the radio' in blanket terms and not Of NBC versus CBS. Hence, NBC .wlU' probably take pal drive home tlie separation. ^.^^ In view; of the circumstances and NBC's apparent, policy of paclflca- tlon towsU-d the daily press, a j-eiiOri that General Mills was working out a similar deal with NBC for news flashes: oh a comparable basis with Columbia seemed incongruous.- Ivy Leer"publicity advisor to General Mills, is understood to be involved in the events leading up to Colximbla founding a news-gatheipihg bviresiu. Xee isn't exactly -a favorite with, newspapermen. Columbia has a . staff of radio reporters ;wOrkihg t>hder the general Bup.ervlsibn of White In New; York. Steve Trumbull is Ghl^cjigo city edi- tOTi T.ed Churchy Waahihetpn ropreseritatlve, and- liCsUe- Maw^^ Los Angeles and Hollywood, To a squib On the incorporatlpn of CBSrnews collecting; buixau which the United Press; sent. out over itig wire^ the-latter appended a note advising editors that'the thing Vvf'as for their 'Information or use, if desired.': Practically all thei meh on the New York staff of thie Columbia News Service ha-YO had news association iexperlence. SandOr JClein,. of this contingent, caih^ frxim;the tl. P., Ste-ye Runyan. did vacation subbing, for the A; P. during thei summer just, passed, and P-at McGrady . has held several syndicate assignments in. .European couhtri Ilobert Neyille,, formerl/ with the N, Y. 'Times', has b^n spotted into, the Londpn ne^s post. GBS' new;8 coUectiiig ivision will conie under the supervision of Edward Klauber, executive v. p. Althdiigh ordinarily all program mat- ters fall within the purview of Lawrence W. Lowman, v.p. in chairge of operations, exception was made here because of Klauber's previous experience as a newspaperman. From a berth on the .N, Y. 'Times' Klauber moved to the Lennen & Mitchell agency and it^ was from this latter source he . came to Colunibia. ' Reporting "direct to Klauber"Ta[^^ been relieved of his job as h€»ad of the CBS publicity department, to organize the news collecting, staff. Objection to its name being linked to Rhelngold beer over th«B ^ir has been rescinded by the Biltmore hotel, Means that it. will be okay for the brewer to make mention of the hostelry when it broadcasts the Don Bestor band from the spot this SS.turday (30) night over "VS^JZ, the NBC New York key. ' ^ , ^ ,^ On the previous pfogramia filled by Bestor the Biltmore . declared its name out, taking the position that the reference would. be construed as a plug for the beverage. Puff stoMes on iadio performers appearing in raSio fan publications are worth $2B or less to the writer on present scale. Some time ago a good fan yarn could fetch $100. ■ ^ Gagging around town thait some of the radio performers who have lost their commercials'and al-e working sustaining get about $25, so'that a story about therri shouldn't be worth: mOre than their ability 4s rated Frederic William Wile, CBS's political anaJyst, has resunied his Sat- urday night broadCastB from Washington^ after being off the aijr for sometime due to illness. This Is the veteran writer's eleventh year on the ether waves, which i& believed to be a record for continuous seryice In the news broadcasting itield. •The Voice of Muscle Shoals*, broadcjisting station of the Tennessee Mnscle Shoals district went on the air for the first Ume Sept. 15. Owners canyassed every Important air Station In the country asking for tributes to be broadcast oh the night of dedication. To get the message of good Win over the ether w^s a tab of $6ito the well wishers. Both NBC and CBS have placed the verboten sign on the words^^ /You dan Be Had', In the song 'Be Careful' from the Fox picture, 'My Weak- Both chains have ordered the substitution of the lino Tou Can Be Mine'. A siinllar change Is made in sheet pubUcation, The broadcasting networks now are also interested In the CT-osses printed in VABimtT. Watching the b.o. Intakes has become about aa much a concern here as noting the ups and downs of the sales charts, when ah* if involvliig the chsilns' acts Federal Badio Commission now has- hnder cohsideratibn a resolu- tion to take the lid oft the, present limit of power allowed for broad- casting. Proposition submitted by Commissioner LaFouht would per- mit the stations In. this .country to operate on as hlfh as 600,000 watts to meet the situation prevailing among European nations where the use of XhXk level, of .jpower has be- cbme conimoh, . All 40 high po.\vered cHaiinels al- lotted this . country have been thrown open ito maximlim stepping up by the commission.' New rule put' into effect by thp FRG . liast week allows every one of" the broadr caats on these bands, if practical, to apply to the commission for an increase of jpbwer tO; 60i,00O -watts. .Under a regulation that had been on the FRC's books; for five *yiears, the number of 60,000 watt stations had been restricted to so many in eiach zone. ELEeXRlCAL EXPO. (Madison Sq. Gardeh, Hp Y.) It's the saihe old line with a novel twisi here iand thete io justify the annual reipeati but still they come, laying: down their two-bit piece? to glim Over washing machines, - frlgerators, ironinig bot^rds, .' juice squeezers, and other electrical gad-' gets. U. P. (Sport) Herrmann, of Chicago note, once had the lexclu- Bive. rights to this yearly affiir, but. now that Herrmann >has himself completely.. . concerned with grand mogluling; for a fraternal .order, the Madison Sfitiare Giarden authorities have allocated to themselves the function of collecting oh' the com-, ing and going. The exhl,bitbr3 pay for the floor space and the potentlial consumer completed the picture with the 2Bc click at the turnstile. . Missing here is the glamor thiat -Sport Herrmann used to give the event. Under his tutelage the radiO- set exhibit was the thing of prime Importance with the biallyhoo drum =^pounded=to-a-ffazzle-overr-the^ielng- between networks over the selection of a radio queen. Everything at the exhibit after that was so much in- cidental and a.dded fare. This year the radio angle takes minor rating, iand the center of attention tire the latest gadgets introduced in the family icebox, And about the only .persons concerned -with broadcast- ing who have retained some vestige of excitement about this year's queen election are the p.a.'s assigned by CBS. NBC and the local indie stations to see that their, respective candidates are at their best photo graphically in the samples Bui>mit ted to the judges. Networks and stations Interested are again broadcasting • from the glassed studio in the Garden base- ment. Even this .iangle seems to have been -worn thin for the peas antry. While Diane Chase, the WINS candidate, Was holdihff forth before a mike in. the windowed en- closure Thursday (21) evening, the staring attendance clocked not much above a score. Doing considerably better nearby was the push-button conjurer at this Westinghouse Elec- tric Circus, who had them blinking With ■ amazement at varl-colored lights and rotating .disks. They ■were Jammed eight deep around, but only those actually In the front line could see what it was all about. It obviously hadn't occurred to the electrical appliance maker that the addition of a platfbrm Would have helped things all arpurid. Like previous exhibits the broad casting studio is down for a daily schedule of seven hours'^ practically =contlnuous-U}petatlon..::JEhtb.ughjthis tieup with the networks and the various indib outlets In New York the expo is getting that many hbiirs of constant plugging on the ah* each day, an advantage that, should have accounted for a mob far hef- tier than the one on hand' for the second night (21) oif the affair. This year the event, described as the.National Electrical Exposition, and under the auspices of the New York Electrical A^isociation, is In for a 11-day rvn. Odec Japan ys Tasies WLBZ aaimed by But CBS Station Say Taint So 1 FLYy 2 SPIDEfiS jSenopttlr^ bfoPS-HeaPHftg-Both-Sidei Story NBC and CBS are both submlttihg shows tb General Motors,- which starts on eitlicr netwbi-ic late In De- cember for six 1.5-minute spots a v.'eek at 9-9:15 p. m; every night but Sunciay. Even mbhey bet on who gets. it. . ... GM's intention is tb devote each nigiit to , a different make of car. Chevrolet will be omitted, having its own show on NBC, starting Oct. 1. Both netv/ork artist bureaus are tlirowingf ieverything'they've got. in the .way of.. talent, into the shp-\vs submitted.. (Continued from page »7) spirit of the fans, I'he^ fan .is not satisfied with light stuff, preferring soul-stirring and soul-lif ting themes characteristic of the Japanese race, Japanese nftusic.:fln|Ss * greater fol- lowing thian foreign music, .because the ear of. the general public Is trained to understand the twang of the shamiaen; koto or biwa, the sweet and melancholy melody of the bamboo flute and the manner in which the singer Intones his words.' It is interesting tb note, however, that the phonograph' record, compa- nies are still doing good 'business In fact, both Victor and Columbia; today repprt better sales than her fore this slump began. The truth seems to be that, radio programs in Japan are. sb poor that the publie must go else-where for Its enter' tiainment. Thus the leading recbrd companies, even though they con- trol most of their artists and have a direct Interest In their popularity, miake little active effort to get them radio dates, though they are work- ing cbntinually to airahge concert and stage appearances. They figure tha<f their business -will continue to grow just so long as radio enter- tainment renialns flat and unsavory. Advertising Is not allowed on Japanese radio programs. Tbere are no commercial spohsws. ,If ever the rule were to.be changed,, however, there, would Jm a auick rush to obtain tlme^ tor the big firms are alive to the deislrability of linking their products with enter- tainment value. They -work this nbw by sponsoring concerts. They go to one or a,nother record companyi name a handf ul of stars they would like tp get, and then ask the com- pa,ny fo" arwihge the ehlire prbgreLhi and tp fix a price. The record com- pany generajly makes a lump sum price just cp-trering actual expenses but stipulates that the sponsor,, who will advertise the attraction hea-vl- ly, give prominent, mention to , the fact that it Is supplying the talent. Sometimes tickets are given away. Sometimes a nominal charge Is made, just tp .make sure that the hall is not b'ver-crowded, with cor-? responding audiehce irritation. What, Artists cphling frbm the United States are continually running to JOAK and JOBK (Osaka) with their press books and tall tales, of their , successes on the. air back home. Very few of them evCr iand time here, and, if they do, get little for their efforts. Big names, such as Zlmbalist and Galll-Curcl, nat" urally are In^demand, but^ho aver- a"g6"~perrbnher'^en'^rbut§~fo or lilght club Job In Shanghai has little chance. In the first place, he generally depends on his delivery, and delivery counts for .little when tho audience cart neither see ybu nor understand you. In the second place, getting a spot on the air Is a long and disappointing business for an unknown het^ and the re- turns don't mak»: a leitffthy ptop- •ovM attractive^ Radio in. general and the net" works in particular do not partlcu'- lariy like the therchandizing' serv- ice system established in Cincinnati by Station WLW about 18 months ago and since adbpted by Station WCKY, Goyingtori, Kyv A'p.arf from these two~examples" the 'WLW idea- appears hpt to have been emulated. Position bf the networks Is that they, are Selling radio time and fa cilities and that any question of fol lowing ^through with jobbers or dealers leu prbperly the cphcern of the manufacturer or a specialty prr ganizatlon. ' Networks aver that field crews should work for. one company only and that a merchttn- dizing service designed to giye equal representation to . a variety of advertisers -wlli not work out be cause the loudest isqua-wker will al- ways get the most. Reports In the east that WLW itself was sbft-pedaling • the mer chandizing service as productive of headaches may only , be the propa ganda results of the dislike other ra-dlo interests feel to-vvard WLW's ambitious undertaking. Cihcinnati, Sept 26; Station WLW has not. dropped its. merchandizing service as.' reported In the east. There are still 14 uni- versity co-operative students r em- ployed as field, teams to travel the territory reached by WLW and con- tact stores for window and explbl- tation displays on behalf of WLW advertiser^ In addition, these col- lege lads check the sales of .cozh- petitiye products and seek to find and remedy weakness in the field. WLW believes that the service is a. valuable, ieidjunct to its radio pro- grams. Eastern reports that the service was hard .to control and tended to create a three-way tri- angle between station-field service- advertiser, tb the jeopardy of. the station's interests, is deprecated Ib- cally as untrue. Amalgam rbadcastihg . Sys- tem has; added Revert , stations, in the New-England area., giyingJLt-a-lpial lineup of 13 outlets. Included in the newly aflliiated group is WHDH, Boston, licensed to bperate at 1,000 watts and up tb the sxmset hbur In Denver, which "In fall and wi takes tills station oif the air in mid- evening. Other outlets in the .announced New England collection are "yVLBZ, Bangor, 500• Watts;. WCAX,' Burling- ton, Vt„ iOQ w^ttts; WSAR> Fall River, VMass:, 250 watts; yvJiBU, N'ew Bedford, 100 watts; WPRQ, Prbvidence, 100 watts; , and WSYBi Rutland, Vt., 100 watts. As for the Bangbr outiet, GBS claims that through the Yankee net- -vvOrk It has a Contract here. Tvhich has until Jan. 14 to gbi WLBZ,. cur- rently a member of the Yjiinkee web, an all GBS affiliate, is under obllga-. tipn to. it direct, .avers Columbia. CBS' stations relations division declared Saturday (2i3). that it had received a6sura.hc6s from' ..Thomp- son Gurnsey, ow'ner of .'^LBZ, that at no tlnae had he authorized the Amalgamated to announce his .out- let as one Of the ABS links,. Gurh« sey, according to CBS, .was ap- proached by an' ABS rep last March about joining up, but made ho "cbmmltmen't otherthan-' he would be .glad.-tb-.lopk over any propbsl- tloh in writing they had. to offer. From that'time oh, said Gurnsey, he had never met -with or heard from any one with the Wynn. out- fit. NBC'S B'WAY CABARET WIRES FOR PAUL, RUDY NBC will have -wires In the Paradise and. Hollywobd restauriants on Broadw;ay when those two big capacity cafes get Paul. Whitemah and Riidy Vallee respectively.. Spots ha-ve been CBS-outleted for some time. . Both Whiteman and Vallee are semi-afflliated with NBC which gave the lietwork the inside track for the grab. ' Cliff Soubier ais Barker In Ohi Expo Serial Chicago, Sept. Sealed Power company, manufac- turer bf piston ringSj returns to the ether oh Oct. 30 oyer NBC» Will hit but of Chicago for 30 .minutes every Monday. Will coyer the en- tire Country with the exception of the Southcaist. group of; NBC. Show will. bei. based ;^n a World's Fair background with, the entire idea being a carnival presehtatlon, evoh the spiels being dpne in barker style. Cliff Soubier will handle -the narrator .rble. Others on the show are the Morln Sisters, King's Jesters and Harold Stokes orchestra, Reese and IIolU- day of Detroit agency in tho case. Harry Rlchman-and Miltiiii I3cx-le have been given a couple, more webks by Old Gold, making It alto- gether six weeks for thb pair and tailing their Gl'S Connection up tp •the Oct. 11 broadca.st. Berlo, together with Great Nelson, goes into the Vanity Fair, Bfoatl- •way hitcrlo, Sept. 27. Rlchman will continue to double his Chicago nitc rdub connection, the Chez Fai-ea. Tom Sluri^ widi CBS Chicago, Sept. 25, Tom Shirley^ who has been doinft freelance announcing and acting returns to a network fold this week when he joins WBiBM, the local Columbia outlet. Shirley goes on the WBBM an- nouncer staff and will replace Har- low Wilcox, who recently left WBBM and CBS as the spiel man for the new *Myrt and Marge' p.ro- grams for Wrigley's. BOCHESTEB LIKES WUGh ] Rochester, Sept. 25. More than 10,000 Rocheister radio .fons. have signed.. a petition asking to ha-ire Gunhar Wiig, sports broad- caster of station WHEC, broadcast World'fl Series baseball games oyer the Columbia systCn),' Petitlpn was presented to Wlig at the studio, and Clarence J. Wheeler, manager, laid It before Columbia officials In New York, WfiBM'S HEW SPIELERS Ghlcago, Sept. 25, Columbia and WBBM added a; couple pf • voices to the announcer ■staff late last week, . Franklin Mc-i Cormick and Mllton Ikler going the payroll. Mccormick started with WMT in Waterloo , but has held other mlko- Jpbs In St. Louis and Chicago, .ikler. has been stage announcer at the Chicago theatre. • ■■ . —^ J. le Show's 4th Year' J Following the usual summer lay-' off, koL's fourryear--old 'Carnival Hour' -will bo resumed today. This variety program is to go on dally,, except Saturdays and Sundays, from noon to 1 p.m. Ken Stuart- will m.c. the program %yhich "will feature Wen NIlcs, Ivan Ditmars, Frank AhderiSon, . Arizona; Joe, Frances .OiribblD. aiad Lew; Lovegren,