Variety (Sep 1935)

Wednesday, September 4, 1935 A D I VARIETY 99 Inside Stuff-Radio Over In Manila they broadcast In five languages—English, Spanish and three native Filipino dialects, according to Tom K. Worthen, chief an- nouncer of KZRM, largest station In the Orient, who is spending his vacation In Portland, Oregon. News, according to Worthen,His- the most Important program presented by the station since other means of communication are slow In the Islands. There are 40,000 receiving sets in the area, each licensed at $5, ylth an average of ten listeners to a set. Bandstands In the barrios or ^ ■Village plazas have been replaced with modern radio receivers. KZRM programs consist mostly of records made of native music and speeches. Cost of. bringing programs to the Islands from this country is about $1,600. It is sometimes done In the case of an Important football game or a president's address. Colgate's shift of policy on Its 'Minute Mysteries' on WOK, Newark, Is reported to have largely resulted from the uncovering of a fraud in con- nection with the program's prize money. Commercial Is now using a .straight half hour, whereas formerly It booked two 15-mlhute periods for the same night with an hour Intervening. First period was used to present the mystery's problem, and the second, the solution. Prizes were qlTered to the first three listeners wiring In the correct solution.. After $2,000 In prizes had been distributed, the agency on the account, Benton & Bowles, became leery of the fact that the winners week after week came from within a certain community. , To solve its own mystery the agency retained a firm of. private dicks. Upshot of'the Investigation was the Immediate dismissal of a controlrpom employe, who it was alleged had been doing the tipping off. Info on the solution. It was assumed, was passed out following the dress rehearsal of the program. Carrier wave beam of 600,000 watt WLW, Cincinnati, radiating from Crosley- 828-foot tower at Mason, 22 miles. north of Cincy, acted as, a .directional 'lighthouse' Thursday (29), when Army Air Corps officers staged a test of automatic flying from Wright Field, Dayton, O. Beam enabled the flying of a big bomber ship from Dayton to Cincin- nati while the pilots maintalnc'd a hands-off routine and sat by watching the plane fly Itself; Feat was accomplished through use of a Sperry .automatic robot and a radio compass. For the return trip the plane was aimed at Station WHIO, Dayton. Reaching there, its course was set across Dayton to WSMK, completing a triangular course from the field.' Human p.ld was enlisted in taking off and landing the ship. From all indications It will cost the St. Louis baseball sponsors just $12,500 for the right to broadcast ball games. Under the agreement made at the start of the se-ason the clubs,were to collect JlO.OOO-for the broad- cast privileges if either the Cardinals or the Browns finished in the first division; $12,600 If one team finished in the first division and.$15,000 If both teams were up In the first four places. . It's about a cinch that the Cardinals will finish up front and the Browns Jn the second division. Hearst newspapers give no publicity mentiort whatsoeveivto the 'March of ITlme,' now broadcast Mondays through Fridays over 41 CBS stations. In program listings in the Hearst publications, the period is merely re- ferred to as 'dramatization,' 'news program' or 'variety program,' or any other equally vague and unrevealing tag radio editors care to attach. Time has taken cracks at the publisher. Karl Lellky, musical director of WWL, New Orleans, was organist at Wedding of late Queen Astrld of the Belgians. Swedish born, he played tlie organ at her wedding to the then Prince LeopoU', Duke of Brabant, In . the Stockholl Storkyrkan, or royal church. Argentine Broadcasters Retaliate; Theatrical Comment Declared Out Buenos Aires, Aug. 22. Barring by theatre managers of remote pickups from their stages has brought reprisals from the broadcasters. Local station men have agreed among themselves to cut out all theatrical commenf, all announcements regarding neW plays and the dramatlzaMon of e.\cerpts ■frcm current stage productions. Act- ing as members of the National As- sociation of Argentine Broadcasters, the stations have decided that the airing of anything pertaining to show business would hereafter be done only on a cash basis. Broadcasters' move followed the decision of the local theatre opera- tcl's to shut down on all house broadcasts, effective Aug. 1. Theatre mtn found that the audience which radio had developed represented so many less seats sold per perform- ance. Decision of the theatrical man- agers to eliminate the stage broad- casts Is expected to prove beneficial to local radio. This type of pro- gram, they hold, hnd become a nuis- ance, with the listeners showing signs of bein.JT fed up on the. flood of promiscuous plugging about shows and artists. » Texas Quality Eenewal San Antonio, Sept. 3 Slx-monlh renewal of its 'Ideal \VaIt7, Time' .stint on Texas Quality Network has been penciled by Wll- li.'im Cameron Company of Waco, which manufactures l)ullt-)n furni- ture. Success of initial half-year series oC daily fiuarter-llour stjnts pleased sponsor to extent coriipany is sold on radio. F.rlo Racey agency bandies this one. which originates from WI^'A.V, Dallas, and is fed to WOAI, San An- te rio, and KPKC, Houston. Jean Norman has been rclalned by Jack Denny as his soloi.st at the Pennsylvania hotel, New York. Crosley News Staff Vancouver, Sept. 3. ■Crosley going in seriously for news flashes, with creation of press department manned by former leg and' desk men from local dallies and leasing of three wire services. Super WLW handling general news and Its echo, WSAI, is specializing in re- ports of Cincy doings.- International, Trans-Radio and Dow-Jones Wall fStreet Journal hook-ups are employed. The 500,- 000-wattei- carries 26 news programs on the week, with bulletins sand- wiched in extra. WSAI has thrice dally news spots. Press department for both sta- Lions is headed by Joe Ries, an- nouncer, who has been given title of educational director. New hands under him are H. Lee MacEwen and Robert Heidler, formerly of Cincin-. nati Post, a Scripps-Howard sheet, and Fritz (Doc) Witte, ex-editor of the Frele Pres-se, sole German dally here. CRCV Power Boost Cancouver, Sept. 3. CRCV will have Its new transmit- ter, probably a 5,000-watt plant. In operation within a few months, ac- cording to a message received by the Board of Trade from Hector Cl.iirlosworth, chairman, Canadian Radio Commission. Cliarlesworth replied to com- plaints of poor CRCV^ coverage due to lack of power. He claimed oquip- ment had been bought and that lenders for construction of the trnnsmilter house would be called within a few weeks. No mention was made of power to be u.sed, but rumor for a year now has h;id cnCV on the verso of Jumping to .-,000. Charier for WMFR, High Point Wlnston-Salcm, N. C, Sept. 3. A charter h;is been ls:nK'd by the S(:crctary of Slate at Raleigh Tor radio station WMFR at High -Point. Capital stock of $100,000 in part sub- scribed by Wyno M. Nelson of Creensboro. W. L. York and C. A. York of High Point. NBC MUM ON RECOGNITION BUREAU; NEWSPAPER-OWNED GROUP LETHARGIC Here and There Talbert Morgan, announcer at WBRC, Birmingham, Is leaving to go back to learning the rah-rah routine at college. Dud Connelly is taking his place. KOMO-KJR, Seattle, staff mem- bers forming the Totem Broadcast- ers Social Club, and planning yachting cruise on Puget Sound. Stan Spiegelman, musician, named chief rounder-upper. Tommy Thomas, KOMO-KJR, Seattle, musical director, on way to Mexico City. Stanley High, NBC news com- mentator, up to. Seattle from San Francisco. \ Alma Sheasgreen and' 'Virginia Johnson, KOMO-KJR piano duo, leaving Seattle for San Francisco. KPCB, Seattlfc, settled In new. larger studios following recent change in ownership. Oleanders, Negro harmonlzers from Cleveland, make their CBS network debut Sept. 3 at 3 p.m. Jackson A. Moore, Chicago, ap- pointed representatives for WOWO- WGL, Port Wayne. United Cigar-Whelan Stores, has bought a Tuesday evening-half hour on WOR, Newark, and WGN, Chi- cago, for a hookup broadc-ost. Start- ing date Is not set. Cast as yet has not been booked. Leonard Kapnerk hais been upped from staff salesman to sales- mgr. of WCAE, Pittsburgh. Alan Trench leaves WCAE, Pitts- burgh, Sept. 14, to Join his father, who'' has been 111 in London. Baldwin Still Thinks Plan Can Be Organized—28 Stations Now Committed—Enthusiasm of Colo" rado Springs Dwindles Benay Venuti will guest this Sunday (8) on Freddy Rich's 'Tone Portrait' program over CBS. Norman Craig has been appointed special sjdes rep. for WMC, Mem- phis, in the New York area, while Jackson & Moore, of Chicago, fills a similar assignment In the mid- west. Trans-Radio last week (30) began supplying wire service to Evening Telegraph and Morning "Telegraph (dailies) In Harrlsburg, Pa, Mark Warnow has been signed for two more years as CBS musical director. Develops New Seasonal Sponsor in Carolina Charlotte, N, C.^ Sept. 3. Apparently WBT uncovered a brand new field of radio business when it recently put a tobacco mar- ket opening on the air. Since that program, originating from Lake City, S. C, and handled throuSh the Charlotte station by remote control, warehouses in all parts of the two Carolinas have made inquiry of the station as to costs for such broadcasts. A few have been led up to the dotted line. At this season of the year the tobacco markets are a big business in the tobacco belt of the south. Farmers haul in cured tobacco, rep- resenting their year's -work, and it is put on the floor along with of- ferings of similar growers. An auctioneer then sells the Individual piles to buyers for the big clgaret a;nd cigar men. The market gets a cut. Naturally, the warehouses vie for customers. There is considerable advertising money available for helping .direct the farmers into the driveways of this or that market, or warehouse. WBT will not profit alone by un- covering this vein for radio com- mercial men to mine In. Other stations are already profiting. This new sort of program was merely the pick-up of the mumbo- Jumbo of the auctioneer, the bustle of the market, and explanatory re- -marks from station staff men, on the scene for the purpose. The chanting and noise made for inter- esting radio, as well. The mike was mounted on a small wagon that trailed along with the selling. Bernle Bierman Sponsored St. Paul, Sept. 3. Bernie Bierman, coach of the Uni- versity of Minnesota's national foot- ball champs, has been signed for a 16-week series of weekly broad- casts over WCCO, 7:15-7:30 p.m., every Tuesday beginning Sept. 10. Sponsor is General Mills, and Wheaties will be plugged. Bernie will be interviewed by Charlie Johnson, Minneapolis Star sports ed, on football subjects, par- ticularly on affairs connected with the Minnesota eleven. A.B.C. Needs $250,000 Fund for Air; Webs Pledge $30,000; Agencies Tepid First meeting of the-committee of broadcasters, advertisers and agency men delegated to organize and supervise an audit bureau of listener circulation has been set for Sept. 19. Committee consists of four representatives each from the Na- tional Association of Broadcasters, tlie Association of National Adver- tisers and the American Association of Advertising Agencies. Initiail get-together is expected to largely concern itself with the financing of the project. With the bureau's cost for the first year esti- mated at $250,000, NBC has pledged ?20,000 and CBS, $10,000. Understanding is that the ANA and the Four A's will propose that their financial support of the bureou he placed on a nominal basis. Heps from these two organizations will point out that because they have agreed to co-operate with the broad- casters in mapping out and au- thenticating the work of the bureau it Is not to be assumed that they are prepared to shoulder an ap- preciable part of the bureau's ex- pense. Radio is to thorn Just an- other competitive medium and It would be Impossible for the adver- tiser and his agcncv to siipport all bureaus which are devoted to cheek- ing on services that the former buy. Astaire Back Sept 21 Lucky Strike has Everett Mar- shall and Vee Lawnhurst booked for a .single (7) on its Saturday night hour over NBC. Fred Astaire comes back to the hour Sept. 21. Allen, WIVA, NewB-Minded Lynchburg, Va., Sept. 3. Direct competition with the two local dallies is threatened by Htatlon WLVA, operated by NIB president Edward Allen. Station recently began broad- casting spot newB through Trans- radio service. Now Allen is tinker- ing with the idea of employing a reporter to a:->semblo local new.s. .Station expccl.'j to go on air IS hours a day Keptember ). and a staff will be enlarged accordingly. Bands Grab WFAAites .San Antonio, Sept. 3. Name bands touring Southwest me raiding musical talent of WFAA, D.'jllas. Walkc-r Hancock, violinist and guitar Hpccialist, Joined the H< I ble Kay aggregation. .Terry Jarnegan, saxophonist and cellist, penciled by Art Jarrct band. Washington, Sept. 3. Moi'e than one-quarter of the 120 members needed for a start have signed contracts or promised to help underwrite the agency recog- nition bureau recommended at the 1935 convention of the National As- sociation of Broadcasters. With the deadline fixed for Oct. 1, James W. Baldwin, managing di- rector of N.A.B , Saturday (31) dis- closed that 28 stations have re- turned signatured papers and that initialed forms were expected back from eight .-additional transmitters 'controlled" by Columbia. Although obviously disappointed at the leth- argic attitude displayed by the in- dustry after the showing of enthu- siasm at Colorado Springs, Baldwin declined to abandon hope that the requisite number of members would promise to support the venture be- fore the filing period expires. Only a 'very 11 ited number* of stations -have definitely declined to participate. in the. movement to eradicate the fiy-by-night agencies from the national broadcasting- business, Baldwin said, while most of those which have turned down- the contracts have been sympathetic toward the proposition although un- able to see any personal benefits. Luke Warmers Iggest group of lukewarm broa.St*. casters consists of station managers whose transmitters are owned fcy or closely linked with newspapers. This, group sees no reason why ra- dio should set up.'a special iagency *. rating organization since the news-._ paper publishers' have established Identical facilities for checking. agency resporislbiltty and ' the data from this source is available to the newspaper-owned stations. There are 114 press-owned stations. Some N.A.B. members have been unable to see the value in the rec- ognition bureau because they either handle only a mincte amount of national business or have found that their losses over a period of years are so small the $125 invest- ment would not pay a reasonable return. In this regard, it was pointed out that a rating bureau would be essentially restricted to- tlie national .field,'so that stations which depend on local and regional sales for the bulk of their Income could not be expected to show much enthusiasm for the project. NBC Holds Back Nothing has been heard from NBC about the possibility that .Its stations will ,1oln the movement, nor has any direct attempt been made' to enlist the support of this block of stations. C^BS, on the other hand, has decided to subscribe and con- tracts from the web's own trans- mitters are reported in the mail. The list of members •\vhofle hand- cocked papers were in N.A.B. offices Saturday (31) follows: KJES, San Francisco; KDYL, Salt Lake City; WAIU, Columbus; KFSD, San Dieg--; WKEN, Youngs- town; WHOM, Jersey City, WFAA, Dallas; KMEC, Kan.sas City; WHO- WOC, Des Moines; WCBI, Scran- ton; WTIC, Hartford; KFPY, Spokane; KONC, Amarlllo; WMBC, Detroit; WEpM, Chicago; KSO, Des Moines; WTAT, Fort Worth; WGAR, Cleveland; WGR-WKBN, Buffalo; WRVA, Richmond; KFBK, Sacramento; 'VVPRO, Providence; WHK, Cleveland; WFBL, Syracuse; WOW, Omaha: W.TBK, Detroit; WLS, Chicago; and WPTF. Raleigh, Hotel Suite as Studio Philadelphia, Sept. .T. Remote sppakcr'-s studio was opened yesterday (2) in Benjamin I'''r.inklln Hotel by VVFIL in connec- tion with local political canipal.Tn. C3ov. George H. Earle ofiicially opened studio with first of throe speeche.s he'll originate from there. FrnnU V. Beclter, WFH.- chief engi- neer, constructed .studios in fU'.to of hotel roo .-, after three we;j;.<i research. Station pl.ins to continue use of thorn .Tfter cTmpalgn. Gov. Kaile .Khifled his ftr^t .-speech bac!< IS minutes mt he cop'd Introduce Democratic mayor."' v candidate, Jaci: Kelly, whose radio program followed his. v::®