Variety (May 1935)

38 RADIO Weduesday, May 15, 1935 Mutual Flirting with KWK in St. Louis, Shepard Web in N. E. LABOR TALKS SPONSORED Chi,ago. May 14. PossibilUy that Mutual broad- castinB: sysleni will shortly realize Us hopes oi" getting a permanent outlet in St. Louis and In New Eng- land became brighter last week with reports of NBC difficulty In lining up KWK In St. Louis and WEEI In Toston. Understood that KWK withdrew from the new NBC contract just one week after ten- tatively okaying the new block time deal. Under the new contract the parties concerned .have 30 days ■ In which to reconsider. Mutual has been scouring St. Louis for a possible putlct from that town to cover the southwest and has been reported pretty close to a deal with WIL. But KWK would have the edge for NBS because of higher wattage. In New Englanil the Mutual web Is talking fast to John Shepard for the Yankee web affiliation. And events indicate that WEEI may throw off its NBC red chain hook- up and move over to Columbia which is now on the Yankee re- gional. In which case it's conceded that Shepard will Join MBS with whom Shepard has been very friendly since the inception bf the Mutual setup. Judges Qet Prize, Too? WOR New York prize win- ning amateur playerSj the Chatham (^ommHjiity Group of New Jersey, sail for Bermuda June 1 to give a command per- formance ;before the govern- ment' officials there. Besides the cast 'ot five, the three judges, Peite Dixon, Charlotte Geer and Curtis Mitchell will also probably go. Entire trip free to the party. WATR, WATERBURY, ON YANKEE NETWORK Mental Plea Fails To Save 22-Year-Old Russ Swiger from Chair Zanesville. O., May 14. By decree of the state Supreme- Court, Russell Swiger, 22, Pitts- burgh radio entertainer and orches- tra leader, convicted of killing a ZaTiesville fllling station operator during a robbery, must die in the electric chair on May 22, unless ex- ecutive clemency is extended. Originally scheduled to pay the penalty in the chair April 6, Swigei; appealed to the Supreme Court, which overruled his plea and fixed May 22 as the execution date. Grounds on which the unsuccess- ful appeal was based alleged th&t Swiger, while aii adult in years, actually has the mentality of an elght-ytar-old hoy. NBC SHUFFLES AIR ACTS AROUND MAP NBC's local stations' booking dl vision set several new talent acts this past week. Mac and Bob (Les ter MacFarland and Robert Gard ner), ballad warblers, formerly on WLS and other Chi outlets, were brought into KDKA, Pittsburgh, last Tuesday. Team is blind. Three Little Maids, harmony trio (Evelyn, Lucille and Eva Over steak), from the same stations, are In New York now being gr< omcd for major broadcasting. Department also brought Doc .Schneider and his Texas cowboys from the Rio Grande district up north into WGY, Schenectady, where they begin broadcasting. Hank Keene and his radio gang (6) moved from KDKA to WEZ, Boston, to be on twice dally starting today (15) This Is the fourth year for this group to be under NBC's wing. Act carries its own tent for any one night stands along the way. Start Ing In June, company will begiri a short tour of tlie New England states to give people a first-hand taste of their stuIT. Negotiations handled through Sam Ross. The Transradio San Antonio, May 14. After a lengthy ogling WOAI, town's 50,000 watte r, Installed Transradio news efCoclive May 10, discontinuing pross-radio. Believed, to be first Texas or southwestern outlet to use the short-wave news service. Syi'acu.sc, May 14. WSYR (NBC), which heretofore has derived its news bulletins and material for news comment largely from 'The Horald,' has signed with Transradio. As soon as installation Is com- pleted, will add three 15-nilnute «r7.-ws broadcasts dally. Watcrbury, Conn,, May 14. Station WATR, in an unexpected move, last week joined the Yankee Network as a regular member. Sta- tion began carrying Y'ankee pro- grams day after announcement was made! News came as surprise to Connecticut radio men, for it had been reported that negotiations be- tween John Shepard, 3d, Yankee boss, and Harold Thomas, WATR owner, had been dropped. Addition of WATR gives Shepard chain three outlets In the state, with WDRC, Hartford, and WICC, Bridgeport, already linked. Move will probably mean an upswing In the Yankee rate card, but no figures tor time have been given out. 17 OHIO STATIONS JOIN ASSOCIATION Columbus, O., May 14. Representatives from 17 out ot the state's 21 stations met In Co- lumbus last week and organized themselves into the Ohio Association of Broadcasters. Fred A. Palmer, WBNS, Columbus, was elected chairman. John F. Patt, WGAR, Cleveland, vice-chairman, and W.ir- rcn P. Williamson, Jr., WKBN, Youngstown, secretary. Among the speakers at the two- day pow-wow were Anning S. Prall, chairman of the Federal Communi- cations Commission, Philip Loucks, executive recretary of the National Association of Broadcasters, and Arthur B. Church, head ot KMBC, Kansas City, and chairman of the NAB's commercial committee. Topics that received discussion frpm tho gathering were station policy toward hard liquor advertising, In- tra-state telephone line rates, edu- cational broadcasting and legisla- tive policies. Bridgeport Union Series Attracts Commercial Bridgeport, May 14. Outlet Clothing Co. goes on WICC, local Yankee Webber, as sponsor of 13 weeks of addresses presented by Central Labor Union of Bridgeport. Series opened with old-age pension boost by John J. Egan, secretary of State Federation of Labor. Sponsor figures on good will of labor. COSMETICS A GROWING CBS GROUP D.evsilopment of its cosmetic busi- ness Is traced by CBS In a mono- graph turned out by the network's research department and slated for distribution among the advertising trade this week. Figures contained In the study show how the web's income from the beautifying indusr try jumped from $207,635 in 1930 to $1,614,142 in 1834. Although the cos- metic field was represented on the CBS books In '32 and '34 by the same number of accounts, 16, last year's expenditures were higher. In 1932 Columbia's gross In time from the cosmetic Industry tallied $1,- 487,701. Review of the five years discloses that one account, Bourjois Sales, was represented on the network through the .1930-34 stretch, that three, Edna "Wallace Hopper, Corn Products (Linlt) and Jad Salts has remained loyal for four consecutive years and that Woodbury Soap has been with the network for three consecutive years. Lady Esther's expenditure of $472,226 In 1934 made it Columbia's top source for any one year. In 1933 the latter account brought the network $6(J,000. GETS NBC VACATION TO DOUBLE FOR CBS Chicago, May 14. Boston store, department em- porium, now .has the third amateur show of Chicago. Is running on both WMAQ, tho NBC station, and WBEM, Columbia outlet, from a stage right In the store. Amateurs being m.c.'d by Norman Ross, NBC announcer. In order to permit Ross to work on the WBBM transmitter NBC gave the announcer a leave of ab- sence, shifting Ross from being an NBC employee to a freelance per- former handled by the NBC ertlst bureau. Please Don't Call Us a Network! Aversion to Description Notable as WMCA, WIP, WCBM, woe, WDEL Organize Expansion of Inter-city hook-ups between WMCA, New York, and its new out-of-town associates In Baltimore, Washington, Wilming- ton etc., was discussed at a busi- ness session last Thursday (9) In Nc^y York. Preliminary details were Ironed out. John Hayes of WIP, Phllly, and George Roeder of WCBM, Baltimore, attended the business huddle, with the latter also representing WOL, Washing- ton, and WDEL, Wilmington. Revision of WMCA's current dance spread will include several new out-of-town musical contin- gents. Als9 Five Star Final series, just sold this past week to Tas- tyeast is to be fed to the surround- ing outlets. Whore commercial palaver is run, Incidental music will be used to fill In at the other cuds. WOL Is to supply New York with tlie Army and Navy bands. Also Congressmen and Senators to dis- cuss national events. WMCA still ships away at llic mention of the word 'nolwork,' though the sot-up rosoinbles one in most respects. Hoodoo luck stallc- ing 'third networks' has s.cemingly made bro.adcasters disinclined to have the phrase thrust upou them. Ford's Used Car Plugs Chicago, May 14. Ford will start on the air shortly with some 112 announcements, us- ing four announcements dally in four weeks for the used car section of the Ford dealers. Placed through McCann-Erickson locally and N. W. Ayer agency- FIFTH SUPER-POWER STARTS IN CHICAGO Chicago, May 14, With the boost of the CBS- WBBM transmitter of 50,000 watts last week, NBC now rushing to completion the new WMAQ rate setup and will b'> -eady to spring 50,000 watts on that station by July 15, Will make it five 50-kilowatt out- lets for Chicago, WLS, WE.NR, W.MAQ, WBBM and 'WGN, Everett Jones new manager of NBC Artists Bureau In San I'ran- oisco, succeeding Lou Einmel, For- mer was buslne.ss man.Ti;er for Jolin Charles Thomas, Air Decency League's Letter Under a New York letterhead reading 'National League for De- cency in Radio (In Process of Formation)' the following epistle has been sent out as a publicity release. One phrase of the In-process-of-formatlon league reads 'The Protection of the American Home Against Indecency and Allen Propaganda Is All-Important—Sex Delinquency and Moral Per- version Greatly Increased.' Full text of announcement follows: TO THE PRESS: The publishing and distribution of a 8ucces;sful newspaper ot magazine requires a tremendous expenditure of energy, worry and money. The service you have rcn'dered, and the employment you have made possible, merits you something better than that which Is permitted to your competitor to monopolize at little expense, name- ly, the broadcasting of news items to your readers. In addition, you are further handicapped In that your competitor la able to offer a combination of radio and newspaper advertising at a rate which surely does not help you. Such a condition Is not tolerated by either the public, or the workers In newspaper and lAagazlne offices of Great Britain, or Canada. 'Why should It be permitted to exist In the United States? Surely, the Power Trust does not as yet control the press? The amount of advertising diverted In 1934 from newspapers and magazines to radio approximated $77,000,000. Based on the first four months of 1935, It is estimated that nearly $100,000,000 will be spent by commercia:l sponsors in radio advertising. In addition, and no doubt of far more Interest to you. Is the fact, as the en- closed broadside Indicates, that unclean and offensive utterances, as well as alien propaganda, of a type that no self-respecting pub- lisher would originate. Is now being broadcast by radio. The Parent-Teachers' Association, in convention at Miami, Flor- ida, last week, endorsed a resolution calling for the elimination of, or a change in, the type of programs now being received in Amer- ican homes. On May 3, at the American (iouncil of Education meet- ing held in Washington, D. C, Superintendent of Schools Harold G, Campbell of New York city, in expW^ning the difficulties In child training today, due to the twilight hoir radio programs, stated In part, as follows: 'That hour between the dark and the dayllglit that Longfellow called the children's hour, and that was devoted to story telling, and the companionship of parents and children, is practically un- known In the city. The time is consumed in ways far less bene- ficial to character, and among them Is the way of the commercial radio program.' . . . 'Since the home plays a dominant part in de- veloping the personality of the children, what prograra should be set up for the rehabilitation of the home, when anti-social, immoral and other destructive conditions present Insurmountable obstacles?' We would appreciate your co-operation and endorsement In mak- ing possible the purposes herein set forth by the National League for Decency In Radio. ■Very truly yours, National League for Decency in Radio. Wax Works Popsicle starts a twice-weekly wax series over WOR, Newark, May 21. Show, tagged 'The Popsicle Adventure Club,' was built by ;Ben Rocke and placed by the Dorland agency. Contract Is for 13 weeks. News-Week's transcription series which World Broadcasting Is re- cording has been sold to 20 sta- tions starting immediately. A test- er was submitted to 100 scattered outlets over the country, with con- tracts received for the 20 on 13 weeks basis. Martha Atwell, continuity di- rector at WBS, Is turning out a double-paced job on the series. Writing is done on Saturdays and Sundays, with rehearsal, produc- tion and recording conducted on Mondays, Shipment is then ready by Wednesdays midnight. Human interest stuff, gleaned from News- Week pages, is relayed Into the disk, and fresh each week. Swansdown Flour and Baker's Chocolate has placed, through Na- tional Export Advertising Service, an order for 40 wax programs for broadcast from 'Venezuela, Colom- bia, Central America and West In- dies stations. Each firm will get 20 ot these one-minute programs. They will be entirely in Spanish and are to be transcribed by Broadcasting Abroad, Inc. Arthur M. Davis of S. Hoffnung cS: Co. of Sydney, Australia arrives in Los Angeles, May 18, looking for radio discs. Michelsoni and Stern- berg, New York, is the American representative for Hoffnung. American Telephone & Tele- graph's 50th anniversary program, which CBS aired last week, was recorded at the. same time by World Broadcasting, and Is scheduled to repeat over various outlets on May 9. Over 30 stations using it. Prophylactic Tooth Brush Co. has placed orders for 20 additional one- inlnute draniralized announcements with Broadcasting Abroad, Inc. for stations in Argentina. All will be electrical transcriptions in Spanish, Order placed through National Ex- port Advertising Service. Carlsbad Sprudel Salts, Batha- swcot and Lozar have ordered a series of fio-serond dramatized an- nouiicenients to be used on stations in the U. S. They will be English AUTO SMASH KILLS VAN WEART, CODAY Albutiucrciuc, N. M., May 14. Walter Van Weart, manager, and William Codify, chief engineer ot station KIUJ, Santa Fe, N. M., were killed almost Instantly In an auto- mobile mishap near Santa Fe early Friday night. Pair were returning from Albuquerque when car side- swiped one containing several Co- chitl Indians and overturned. Van Weart killed at once, Coday died en route to hospital. Coday and Van Weart had been in Albuquerque where Coday had conferred with T. H. Lathrop, man- ager of KGGM, and had agreed to assume position as chief engineer KGGM May 12. Wives awaiting husbands return at KIUJ studio, became alarmed and followed am- bulance to scene. Van Weart cauie to New Mexico few months ago with wife, the former Virginia Johnson, pianist, from AmariUo, Tt:.. Coday was from Pueblo, Colo,, and came to New Mexico to install KICA at Clovis. Became associated with KGGM and later with WIUJ. Coday was 27, Van Weart 29. Wife and 3-year-old child survive Coday and wife and two children survive Van Weart. Body of Coday was taken to Pueblo for burial and services for Van Weart were held In Santa Fe, Mav 1", Crusaders on Six Crusaders, philanthropic orgnii- izatlon, has signed for time on WOR, New York, and two other MBS outlets, for a period ot 13 weeks. In addition to this coverage, the series is also aired over WAAB, Boston; WGAR, Cleveland, and WIND, Gary. National Commander I'Ycd G. Clark docs the spieling on Tliursd.iy nights at 9:45, EDST. Account placed througli Marschalk &. Pratt, Inc. WLW, Cincinnati, and WXYZ. Detroit, are the other MRS stations in tlie broadcast iirogratn. electrical transrriptious to bo ni;idf» by Broadcasting Abroad, Inc, Kel- ser-^^■etter Agency placed. B. A. Proctor, an inventor. Is go- ing into tlic w.ax-cuttlng business In Now Y'orU. Has a new speed pro- ccs.s reported as reducing drasti- cally the time required to cut dlsc-^ and also possessing other teclini(;ii advances. '