Variety (Dec 1933)

80 VAttlETY n A D I o Famous Authors at $200 Per IS Hin. Script, and Doing Radio a Favor feure, ic.ago, Dec; Its niljid to tret •Vlthput name writers. Ether's past experience with big money writers has left a strictly .j6e6-sQ,.w , impiression^ jPew . radio audience d£ scrlbbllhe: names while those who _ are sold .-scariidi away by ihi .terrific rates ' aisked " .by the typewriterrplurikei?s,' Oiie sponsor of .a woman's prpd- V.ct was hot ifox' Kathleen l^orris and topped the test >rice previpiag- ly paid for any writer.,by, nearly $300 ■ by offering' Miss"-N^ for eveiy- episode. Miss 'Jforrii ehlflfed it oyt Pf the'Vind'pw.' Many writers' eye 'fi'dlp in niuclv the same light'- as 'they 'did. ntiPtipn pictures as. the, goose th^t Iceepf on layiiiig the gfolden eggs ih'ljtishel-' loads. When, they talk about radic' prices their minds' wander to the U. S. Treasury. Average prlcie of royalty or writ- ing by big league, scribbers- ^^ Is ^around -$200 per: episode. Arthui; •Somers Roche is being marketed to radio ^at $250 per episode for tfr^ bare outline of an . original plot; With the sponsor to guariihtee 'H.f least five, but preferably six, pro- grams weekly. Clarence ; Buddington ' Kell9.nd' is offered at $250 per episode'for roy- ^alty on published ■..•orks, P. G- -^^^odehouse is offered at- $150 per episode for ether rights to the •Jeeves' series. Comic Strip Rates Sax Rohmer'gbt $150 per'episode for his *Fu Manchu' serial. Among the comic section heroes Dick "Tracy is -being offered- by the Chicago Tribune to .radio' advertisers for $250 for local rights or $500 for national. Tights, with Tra6y now ex-, ploited in some 60 papers through- out tb.9 cPuntry.; Brodies taken- by big name writers wbp have tried to tackle the ether on. , their own bias", convinced radio pepple> that renowned litterateurs cannot be counted on tP t^rn. otit- a workable or g^uaranteed scripts It has be^n; {found that the value to rsiidio of the. name writer, is , not the writer, but the cha.rac- ter that hiis been .publicized. Thus Percjr Crosby would presumably^ have little, if any,, following on the' ether on his own, but 'Skippy' Is a national winner. .Same goes for 'Orphan Annie,' 'Tartan,' 'Shiesrlock Holmes,' etc. Renewals i^istol^MyeriB. Co. (Ipaha Toothpaste) gives Its T^ednes- day night a second cycle - of 13 weeks starting" Jan; 3 With. 42 stations on /NBC's red (WEAF) loop involvedi Carietbn & Hovey Co.: (Fa- ther. John^s. Medicines) J eitenids: the. Wednesday^ aiid'' Sunday qiijirter hours' on NBC's blue (WJjZ) route for aliother 13 vireeks, .effective Jan. 14 a.nd .17. -Chevrolet Motor Co. has tied up Its current Sunday,-evening spot- on. the red link for the seaspn's second 13 weeks,-be- gJirining'. Jam f. Renewal affects stations.-. - G o'n e. r tf i .Peti'oleuhi - has picked up another year's ticlcet on the; 'Memory Lania^. sei^a;! authored by Ted Maxw;411 on an' NBC Coast network. . i I larnobk Cheese is newal oa Woman's Magazine of the .Air. NBC, San Firurt- cisco. Remington-Rand on' 'The.. M>.rch' of Tinie' (CBS) ;'fojf. a.. .i^^p*hd .13 weeks, effective J^an. 5. ' 'Extension affects 30 sta- .tlons^ .' ' • - 1 *. . ** ■ ■'>.c* >• '■ in^ 'I . GULF OIL FUTURES Goodman Takes m Vaeation-^Berlin Niaeds An Act Movement on Radio Talent Chicago Eth^ir-PetirOld Talking Chaiiges in I$34 Mnsie Cbiitract PittsburgH, Dec. 25. . Burn.ed. up because! naost Of the bi^ local air. tidvertisers Insist Upon going to-the networks for their tai-' ent, l)assing up the Pittsburgh product entirely, ian agency here held a theatre £iuditipn Sunday aft- ernoon • <23) to wh^c*^ every --well- kno-wn Pittsburgh account possibil- ity .vf&s -invited. Aldine theatre rented for pcca.- slon|. and agency put . on a program ■composed entirely of Pittsburgh talent. ..It included 17-pIece band conducted by Al- Marslco,. -former leader ' at Enrlght, So-and-Sb trio, winners here in Paul Whitemaii contest of more than -a year ago, and several others. It was the first concentrated ef- fort ever made to get local talent on the net-^vork .cbrnmerolally. - ^;&Iore ban ■'2B0 "invitatioris, tb riELdid 'edl ors, iiewspapermei^ and.'.advertis Chicago, i2'5., Radfo wants i2 chan^es^a,hd Jini-. Iny i^etrillb asked; for fpiir changiEfs In the current 'setup In' the Musir clans' 'iTtiiPn deal -with thfe netwp^ksj Priesehl 'contract expffes 6n Jari, .1,: but at prtsent piEteb of . negotlatloris' looks like ciirrent, deal will be held "Over a. couple of weeks. ' Networks, .among -pther -things, asked, that thei-fe be^ no extra charge for doubling while Petrlllo' ■wants. <ioubilng eliminated entirely. N6t- worlcs -vvaht ho extra chairge for auditions on the stand ^^lat they shouldn't be taxed for trying to get Jpbs for the 'mutioians. Petrillo countered with a proposal to unionize library and sound ef- fects m6n. Walgrettn drug , Chicago; which have ;'>een sponsoring base- ball and fpotball games, go into the f enr^me side of the industry on WGN with a program titled, 'Lovely .Ladlea.L:^..JZQilJie^th.€U:ed=Jiy^^ Dee Sergent on Tuesday, Tiiursdrty and Friday for 15 minutes in the morning. Will be talks on beauty with hp brahds of cosmetics nien tioned. Earl Burtnett band comes, into the Drake hotel, Chicago, on Jan 20; Bringing in a cast of 16 which Includes 11 men In the orchestra, male trio and man and women vocal •4uet. Replaces the Clyde McCoy band. tng- executives of^ severdll' big. Pitts- burgh 'corporations^ . were extended. Program ran an hPur. :'It's Jonf been the 'cbnnpiaint of Pitt^'hilrgh radio edito/s-that^etfi- tii^.- rttia-vaU- wbricg have constdintly passed. up Pittsburgh. They , Insist that, a tbwn with three such iirge-stations', KtliCA, WCAB and -WJAS, should prb-vide at least one' or twp chialn progratris at least. With Qebrge M. Cohan responsi ble for -the suggestion . and the leader amenable to the Idea* Gulf Oil retires- At . Gbpdman.- frpni - Its program oh NBC tliis Sunday (31), Goodntan resuRles 10 weeks later -when - Cohan . steps batik Intq the show to replace Will Rogeirij, Cphaii had pointed out- to the account that It would be good show; business tp reserve Go,odmah for. the ' acts bn the serjies that devoted themselves to special nausical . material. With- drawal wap okajr with Goodman hce. It would-give him a chance to tako a .vacatlpn,in Florida. Goodman has'- iiisio> ~ been .- signa-'. ture^ to. head t.|t(jf .^l^a^inid •v^h§n;Irv-; ing Berlin succeeds! Cohan _.May .6- for' a .flve-week qran ^rf^he -Guif .Oil'; stanza. Berlin was' given --. tract -vrlthowt either the cpmpbser- br .the cpinnierQlal-t haxliii? the least 'ideiat pit. what sort of an act . he will do. .-Same uncertainty - about rou- i tine prevailed, when the;, orlg^inal^ deal was clpse'd . with Ciohan'..' Emll Cbt^irian's cqh]i)»o! w^^^ ^ ; inusical.''interluding .fbr the -r! \*re'elc Hogers. cycle.. ' .. Bakers' (Sy^Wa^ Open EliieF^ For L A. Stations liOs Angeles; Dec. 26. failure of local bakers to agree among themselves' is proving- a break for radio stations and air talent. . i Recently fh^y agreed not to pre- sent giyea-wayET "wlth~th'el*'~l>if'^a'd but the pact was .allegedly broken when Franco resumed .the giving of coujptpns to patrons.ifor admisr sion to the public broadcasts at KflVBt.of the weekly Hi-Jinks. Now all leading bakers sajr. they are going-ether. In competition •with Je-vehe first under the -wire. .This concern has bought tinae for a weekly hour.,. yaude -show . over KMTR,. to be broadcast . before coupon-holding customeris. . ,at the Hollywood. "Wpmen'sj .ciub, Bert Bijltterworth 'm.c.^Ihg the new program. d NBC Daytime Food industry is xeBponslble for 66% of; the >94,6P0>90.0 that NBC has grrossed on the 'sale of'da,j^time facilities from ^^aiiiiiiary, 1927, to. Oetpberi l»33r-v5Phl9 fact Is contained .liii .a study jtist Qbmpleted by the netvirbrk. to show the development , of day time a;dvertising. Study when p^rihted will be distributed amphg''ad''a,gencies as a ref- erence source on ;'the.subieci,:i:'~ . - .f- Reiiresenfed by the |24,6i00,000 la 21% 6t the -total e?^penditures made by NBC clients over the. 1927-83 stretch. 0£ the neixt three major daytinie spender^i. the house furiilshing9. Industrjr,. chiefly rer frigerator tnakers/ leads. Next,r that order, .coniie- cbsmetics.. and. drugs'and the soap^ and eleahsbr'blrands.. Patent Med, Ike <oii Ether Drops FRENQHWIO. REVENUE How. Taxes Are ..Derived to Su'p'jibi^l the All Fr^gnch GovernmeAt' ifradid dtatlb'n^;. ■will have revenue ..of. 70,000,000 !■ fmncB-I|n.'c<j|ming yeari! ' Ot tBJ^If 50,- ■ 600,06Q>. ^omea '-tri^in,: ,tajcestube,, sets'; 5,000,150tf frpm" tajceai on crystal!: sets and 16,600,00a . trom taxes on, tubes thehiseiives.,.^ It-is ex^eicted 7 that about 25,000.-. 000. francs 'bf- thife ■will be-spent , on - programs, which need a lot, of im-i- jproVlng. Tax figures indicate that there are about 1,500,000 recelvingj seta in the country. South Oirch, Brooks on Chamberhin CBS Show ... .Ghloagb,- Dec„ 26. Chamberlain hand .lotion ..finally settled on a network apotr starting on a CBS split web Jan. 14, For a: once-weekly ■IB.'^mlnute shot at six p.m; featuring the Eddie South .band, Jack Brooks and some medico spieler not yet selected.' Alsb a couple of femmes for a dramatic punch. Through the local HuthraiifC and Ryan agency. TINGE HOLD M'C09MAGIC John': McGorni'adt's stay on thb Vihce Show (NlBG) 'has been .Isx- tended by the 'CharleGi It "Warner Co, to the middle cWE, March. ' ' Tertdr on cldslngr here; embarks for a' dbficbrt totir of Solith Africa'! ppeiiing in Caipetowrt -the' da> .ift6r WLS Passes Up Met Opera for Own Chicago, Dec. 26. ■• NBC afllliate; WliS,' the . Prairie Farmer station, which divide's time With WENR h.aj^ refused to take the Lucky Strike.;,,Metropolitan Opera. Won't displace Its .afternpon com- mercia,is at station rate for the jN.BC afiiliate cplh. Besides, Is anxious tp 'keepi its "WLS Ji^erry-G6-lipund shp-w going since , the period' Is building, up rapidly.. Metropplitan opera would cut right; Into it. Now appears that the Metropoli- tan opera-will" go to the Herald-Exl- aminer. outlet, .K^W, Other nIbc station, WMAQ> is .set for the bper- atlcs also. , Dec. iW:«t6*8' .TOarcih'-*awa'i>' frbtti patent'"'hie^lclheer' ha^: hegUh. staitYonS: - exbiS detiy any bfflciat or 'uhii^ijflclat ftbtlcb tp'qulfet down on - proprietary. - advertising, fout^ ..nevei^heles^ -. the transmitters hjaye sliced, about .40,% of jthe ent medicine . time already drot>-pfts'are '.Still on the.'increase. Figured .that with current contracts expiring' that the cure-alVs will not have:more..than.l6 oi;- 20% of the air time • that .they, had at their radio peafe.' .Other' bustnessi -Cphsidered more legitimate, is'. coming back fast to radio with-the-stations now able to be mpre choosey In the type of ac- counts they'll accept. Business is on the climb In other Industries, with every rise making the statibns more and more indepiendent of the stomach-cure propositions. Even With those patent cures und^r cpntract statipns are taking advantage :pf movability clauses to shift -the, patent ; stuff pfE the ace» hour» ajid shovlnig them behind the eight-ball, in the weaicest afterno.pn and morning iiours.. WBBM took the, .move last week with its fiock of patent remedies/ cutting the total down at night so - that now, only Cal-Aspirln ..has an evening .shbt. And..'eveil that is:.figured, to go to a daylight spot. With, the prop remedies all agreeable- to the time shiCtlnga, preferring to - take opr tibnal time on the air than none at all. NBC locally separated itself from Wlllard tablet last week also, a sweet fluke ehabllng NBC to call it .quits when 'WiUard asks -for a seven-weeic reispite. \yi,W St^fF Chahges Cincinnati, Dec. 26.- Four outs and-one newcpmer at WLrW. Those departing are Rich- ard Iflchols, - production: mani^ger, Paul Stewart and Zfelma Tilden, .dran\a.tlc. .aotors, and. Dorothy Ro- tay, 'blues sliiger. '•.'. , *■ ' Leon Benson joins the continuity department. He, is an alumnus of the Farambunt .press department in Manhattan.-- - Crti[kit-Sandeir$i>ii Hold 1 And Lose 1 in January Frank Crumit and Julia Sander- son have been renewed for another full year by Bond .Bread, ; dating from Jan. 1, At the .same..time Crumit and Sanderson lose >their everting show, Blackstone Cigar, which goes off the hit after th6 first of th6 year.. Team, had been doubling on both for sonie time, but Biack$tone is dropping its ether exploitation for a time. NBC jiiqHn'ts Spanish #iger ■.... ieyed to; Ist Mj^jbr Iiistance of R«idio ScQliting Ed Schallert Airingt Hpllywood, .Dec. 2B. Edwin. Schallert, drama and picr ture editor of the Times, goes 6n the air Wednesday night (27) with a weekly radio review of pictures and comment pver KM*rR, new radio afflllatlon of the- Times; He expects to get a guest star or, featured player each week to help build up listener interest. One pf the first cases of foreign talent, importatibn in radio is. that of .Carlos Gardel, being brought over by'NBC' He sailed from Paris Wednesday (20) and will be in New Toric about 'a month before making his air debut on Jan. 3X. Gardel Is a Spanish singer dis- covered by Para.niPunt and stai'red iiu^ar's^Spanlshl.versions^mad6^in. Paris. Has .conie up phenomenally in Spain during the padt year, tp the extent that several theatres in Madrid and Barcelona have stopped films In. nlid-projection for encore purposes on his jsongs.' NBC will put hini btt sUstalhlng for buildup purposfeSj with, hopes of a commercial to follow. Several minor people have been .imported■ by radio coni'pa'hles . previously for air work, but never before has there been anyone brought over by the chains on their own with the hope of discpyering etl er stars or future draw names. Greta Keller, 'Viennese singer, was the most successful foreign singer in U. S. radio, but she carhe over for a legit show and connected for ethering afterward*. -Sydney7--Decr-= Australian Broadcasting Commis- sipn, Qontrollers of the A class sta-. tions, intend to import artists from overseas to pltfy.the chain in Syd-- ney, IVIelbpurne and Adelaide. Har- ry Tate; Rupert Hazell, Elsie Day and two leading Eneflish conductors have so far been, engaged'. L6cal airtlstg are up. in arrns against the Import moVe, stating that they should be given air work be'fore any outside performers iare br'piighl into tiie 'cbUntrjr. ' Lenlii^ Haytoil Stynued By UL Union Rules Loses Woodbury AccL Broadcast of Jan. 9 will be the last for Lennie Hayton on the-Tues-^ day night Woodbury -shpw- - • oveir NBC-. ' Account's- dissatisfaction with .the dance combo under his di.> reatioh Is the cause. Jin. agreelnir to the withdrawal Hayton. admitted that- he. has .found, -it • difilcult .-to maintain a ■ - first •,. rate .< dance unit frond among"'the pickup.meh. avalN, able to him in. Los Angeles. .-Pick of the town's ■musiclansr the 'leader pointed out, had permanent berths and the rules of the local union bann'ed-.A .them • firom •vdpuibiiug intb other. Joijs. . V :. Band ilkbiy to fill tile '■ vacancy is Ted FloRlto, Unit was -audi- tioned last" Sveek- by Lehnpn & Mitchell,- the agency on both the WoPdburj' and Old Gold accounts. Stay t>f the. Mills Bros, on the Woodbury show may b.e extended from three, to nine weeks; Bing Crosby starts his second la-week cycle Pn the stanza, Jan. l6. Plough Ok's NBC Move; Looldng for New Show •=^ -—-: T-- -"" ehicaggr"Detfr-25^"^ Plpugh company has accepted a new spot, for its Penetro revue on NBC in order to make rooni for the 30-minute Sal Hepatica program cbming through from the east. PlPugh pirogram is. l5-tninute' af- fair. Company is plotting several changes in its-current line-up, now headed by the Benny Meroff band, is • auditioning several local NBC slnd indie shows, aU. of which have a musical background.