Variety (Sep 1935)

Wednesday, Sejptember 18", 1935 A II I VARIETY 43 LONG LIST' 1 : I Copyri|ht Gearance Protection Bureau Fails to Win Support —ItfoT^—to" s et u p a C eirtraf'"fte~ search Bureau to check copyrights on all music appears doomed to <ilsappolntment as a result of reac- tion of smaller stations last week to. the proposal. Tw<> major ob- jections were raised by the mlnpr teidlo broadcast outflts. One is the fear of major net- works dominating and perhaps controlling such a proposed bureau and the other is the practice of smaller stations In uslhe workis of obscure authors, personally friend- ly to the broadcaster.. SmalTie sta- tion 6 cials believe installation of such a bureau might halt this pradtice. With inance of such a re- search bureau by a major network; the smaller station spokesmen claini that it would provide a means of tipping off their future program and material to com- peting, stations. Small stiation of- ficials feel that this would place them at a distinct disadvantage. Consequently, these stations, such as WNEW, WINS* and WMCA. would'prefer to handle their own clearance of numbers. Personal friendship angle which permits smaller broadcasters to get certain compositions on the air, although appearing to be a minor difficulty on the surface, is a point that is repeatedly brought up by the small stations. Precedent slant also is against the bureau. Similar bureau or com- pany was set up in Radio City to provide sweeping clearance for all stations when R, C. opened about two years ago. It soon faded. Unidentified Angle On the right side of the ledger, station officials admit that there is urgent need for some such re- search bureau as a means of speedr Ing a compi'ehensive check of all musical nunibers to be played on the air. Under the present scheme of things, radio stations haVe to refuse approval of certain musical selections simply because the com- poser and selection have not been properly identified. Another angle is the conviction of some station officials that the practice of certain individuals in chtvliing so-called infringements of copyrights is rapidly approach- ing the racket stage. It's reported to these officials that a regular routine is followed in recording all •broadcasts in hope of catching a station in the act of violating mu- sic rights, and then turning evi- dence over to the publisher In ques- tion. UNTON REPS WREN PLAN "BARN DANCE' Chicago, Sept. 17. Ray Linton takes over exclusive representation for WREN of Law- rence-Kansas City according to a deial set by Bing Smith of WREN oh a special trip made to Chi last ■week.. Linton adds WREN to his representation of WMCA, New York,, and the Inter-City web. WREN is planning to devote more time to the farming element of Missouri, Iowa and Kansas terri- tory. Smith is now making ar- rangements for the spotting of rural type entertainment on the WREN transmitter and will shortly add special Barn Dance features besides the establishment of an artists booking bureau for WREN Barn I)ahce vaudc units. Metaxa on Badio Georges Metaxa joins Manhattan Mei-ry Go Round (Dr. Lyons tooth- paste) on Sept. 20 oyer WEAF. It's b|9 first major air spot^ Blackett-Sample-Hu'mmert, Inc., in charge of account.. Sheila Barrett Gnests . Sheila Barrett, Just back from London, guests on the Paul White- nian (Kraft-Phenix),show Oct, 3. Charlie Morrison agented. -DOUBtEDftY-EHHlAIII AmS- Whodunits Will Be Broadcast Over WOR Doubleday-Doran; book publish- ers, go on the air over WOR, New York, with ^. weekly broadcast of their crime books starting Sept. 29 It's a weekly Sunday night half-hour at 8:30, and the publishers hope to sell it as a commercial. D-D has a special crime book subsid called Crime Club, and will liabel Its broadcasts the same way. Hugh Austin's 'It Can't Be Murder* will be the first boolt. Publisher thus expects to reap publicity for its books and at the same, time p^arner a coin return if getting a commer dial. Authors of the books will be cut In. W. p. CHRYSLER AS ACTOR IN OWNSHOW Walter p. Chrysler, Sr., will turn thespian on a one-act exploitation radio show in behalf of the Plym- outh car Oct. 3, Show goes out over the Mutual network through WOR. New York, with the J. Sterl- ing Getcheli agency, handling the account, seeking deals with 35 ad- ditional stations. Both NBC and CBS network outlets are being ne- gotiated for. Talent set so far includes Lou Holtz, Pick and Pat and Lowell Thomas. Beatrice LlUie is tentar tive. Releases &te being sought from their regular sponsors for the one-time services of Phil Baker and Burns and Allen. Agency is figuring on the probability of plck- upi3 for most of the talent. Chrysler will play the lead in the dramatization of the assembling of an automobile. Broadcast will an hour, starting, at 1 p.m. WDAS DEFENDANT IN WARING MUSIC SUIT lii^tlLwaIsSp#tliy^ Scripps-Howard with WFBE short List Station Represen- tation Viewpoint Receives New Support Through Ac- tion-^BIair Formerly Had 22 Stations ^4ney as ist AequisiSon- CRITICISM Philadelphia. Sept. 17. Another Injunction suit to halt playing of his records by 'unauthor- ized' outlets was brought last week (13) by Fred Waring against sta- tion WDAS. Similar to actions brought last month against a record- ing company, ballroom and restau- rant. tatlon, notified of action, de- clared it had only one Waring rec- ord dri file and had played that only once 'bn special request from .a lis- tener. Intimating 'something funny somewhere,' station said it had never had any demand from listen- ers fdr Waiting music until the one request and that suit had followed Immediately. Waring is president of National Association of Perfor Ing Ari.ist.s, which is seeking more strlngftnt and punitive copyright laws.. Suits are being brouglit by Waring personally In N. A, P. A.'s behalf. Toronto Radio Theatre Torahto. Sept 17. Eackc-d by radio service organiza- tions, Metropolitan BrpadcastiniE: Company is erecting studios and a radio theatre to seat 450. with pro- grams to be piped to CFRB and CKCL here. Several of the locaf larger sponsors have signified their intention of staging .their programs from the- new, radio theatre. Expected to open in another, fort- night. Controvdrsial question of long list -versus short list station rep- resentation took a step in favor of the short list brokerage viewpoint last week when one of the leading rep firms decided to specialize on a comparatively small number of stations. One group within broad- casting, frankly critical of long list selling, contends that this season may see the washing up, or at least the playing down, of whole sale, groupings. New action again underlines the charge of routine law-of-average service alleg'ed as typical of long list station reps. Fact that the reps with lots of stations are on the defensive is seen in a tendency to Increase their staffs in the hope of silencing some of the criticism by pointing to more 'personal' service. Spot business has been good, but seems momentarily to be undergo- ing a setback which may help ac- count for the broadcasters' inten- sified favoring of short listers. On the other side, the brokers them- selves, are said to be finding gi-eater felicity in specialization. More in- telligent presentations to advertis- ing agencies, closer and friendlier relations with the station owners are reported as worth any temper-, ary curtailments. It Is felt that the mushroom era. in brokerage practice has passed and that con- ditions now force adjustments. John Blair's Idea John Blair is the representative now joining the short list bloc. Acting on ,the premise that a sta- tion representative cannot serve his clients, at highest efficiency if he is loaded down with too many stations, he,has decided to cut his list down to 12 outlets. It Is his intention to confine the selling operations of his organization eventually to 10 markets. WREN, Kansas City, is no longer represented by the Blair office, and within the next month Blair will have severed his affiliation with the Southwest Network, WHEC, Rochester, WIP, Philadelphia, and KFSD, San Diego. KTRH. Hous- ton, which Is by association part of the Southwest link, will continue to be presented by Blair. Blair ex- pects to niake a similar arrange- ment with KRLD, Dallas, which al^o is how included in the South- west setup. Blair figures that he cannot do justice to his more important sta- tions, from the viewpoint of ia.ctual or potential income, while under" the obligation of representing a long list of outlets. Such condi- tions do not allow for a construc- tive or satisfactrpy job iii the case of every station. Just an Idea ■Mlnsky Burlosqne, Nsw York^ is again radio-minded. Wants to bring its runway attractions into the home. It's a problem to the bur- lesque execs Just hd^y to handle radio. Amateur strippers were sugr gested, but immedIi.toly pen- cilled out. 'Jumbo/ $10, WWL LEASES STRAND THEATKE, N. ORLEANS New Orleans, Sept, Captain A. C. Pritchard, general manager of WWL, is new lessee'of the Strand theatre. Radio shows will be presented in the reopened play- house beginning next week. Most of the broadcaster's talent will be heard from the stage of the theatre after 10 p. m. dally. Enterprise requires cdiistruction of a stage below the level of the present one, James WlHson, pro- gram director of WWL, will be in charge of the theatre's programs, and A, S. Foster, promotion man- ager of the station, will be in a like position at the station. Arrange- ment is to allow audiences to s<f6 broadcast programs. May. Go Texaco In Wynn Spot Radio version Of the legit-circus spectacle 'Jumbo,' if and when commercially sponsored by Texaco, will run afound 110,000 in cost weekly. HanfE-Metzger agency, au- ditions the show next week fdr the oil company as a possible replace- ment for Ed Wynn-Graham Mc- Namee. Wynn "renewal* now ap- pears unlikely, with the account un- willing to meet the coniedian's $7,- 30O salary demand. 'jumbo' setup includes the entire stage cast with exception of Paul Whlteman's band, which is dis- qualified, through Its exclusive air commitment until Dec. 5 to Kraft- Phoenix. Jimmy Durante will be featured. Understanding is th^t Billy Rose,, producer of the show and lyric writer, and the Ben Hecht-Charles MacArthur writing team, are included in the deal as scrlpters. Rose will open the stage 'Jumbo' late this month at the Hippodrome, New York, with the air version, if set, to run concurrently. Whatever show Texaco finally de- cides on, the orchestra will be Eddie Duchin's, holding over from last year's setup. On his Texc^co con- tract Duchin has 26 weeks to go at ?2,500 per. Backstage broadcast of 'Jumbo' rehearsal activities is scheduled over WINS. New York, Thursday night (19) at 8 p.m. EDST. Ed Smith is handling the eyewitness description of Billy Rose's circus spectacle preparations. While there'll be plenty of holso, station will bring various princi- pals, including directors, techni- cians, musicians, etc., to mike for brief squibs. Program will emanate from Man- hattan Opera House, where the dancing and dramatic portions are being shaped. Lee arid J. J. Shubert are trj'lng to make a radio side deal for 'At Home Abroad,' legit revue which opens this week oh Broadway, Bea- trice Llllie and Ethel Waters, fea- tured in the show, among others would be included in the air setup. Producers are seeking a Sunday af- ternoon spot. Asking ?7,5C6; Socony's Preview As a new radio showmanship stunt, Socony-Vacuum staged a preview of itj forthcoming fall clr show Surday morning (15) at 11 in the CBS Radio Playhouse on West 4'Jth-street. New .York.. Show played to n Invited audience. Program starts on CBS Oct. 4 for a weekly half hour on Friday nights. Troupe includes Harry Von Zell in ai m.c, role; Connie Bos- well, Tim and Irene, and Mack Meith^a orche.stiu. - Scripps-Howard's entry Into the station operating field is regarded, in broadcast circles as having been perfectly timed, particularly froiii pclitidal angle. With the newspaper chain figuring to do most of Us ac- quisltloning through grants of the Federal Communications Commis- sion, the path couldn't be any more clear or the occasion, any more pro- pitious than they are right now.. Re- lations have been so cemented In Washington that Roy Howard is ex- pected to encounter little dlflSculty in getting what he wants. Chain has already applieil to the commission for wavelength allot- ments in Columbus jand Toledo, while In Cincinnati it" has bought the lOb-watters, WFBE, with Oct. 1 the takeover date. Two other Ohio towns that the newspaper string Is"' interested In are Akron and Cleve- land. Whether to obtain possession of an outlet in either spot through purchase or resort to the commis- sion hasn't .been decided. Karl BIckel, who was relieved of the United Press presidency, t6 start Scrlpps-Howard In the radio busifcpje ness, is due In CIncy today (Wednes- day to handle the formalities of the WFBE transfer. Close to F. D. .R. An administration hostility which has handicapped Hearst radio de- velopment, Is expected to prove Scripps-Howard's gain. How close the latter alliance has progressed wan Indicated by the Rcosevelt- Iloward epistolary exchange, which gave the President opportunity to as.cur© American business that the breathing spell from government in- terference was here. Bickel declared Monday (16) that the chain had iio Intention of ac- quiring a station in every one of the 24 spots it operates a newspaper. One to^yn which he said had been checked oft the list Is New York. BIckel, who Is credited with, being solely responsible for detaching Howard froni an attitude which op- pot-ed .any truckling with radio, as- sei ted that since every other news- paper chain was in radio there was n.o alternative for Scripps-Howard but to get into the broadcasting bupine.'is on its own. Scripps-Howard, said Bickel, pur- poses to confine Its acquislttons to lOO-watteVs- It Is not, he added. In- terested In building a network to compete with established commer- cial enterprises, but to make the best use of the medium to promote the urban circulation, of Its news- papers. Present station setup In Colum- bus and Toledo, averred BIckel, al- lowed for no other move than the one Scripps-Howard has made. Of the four outlets in Columbus, WBNS and WOOL are owned by the Wolf Bros., who have their own news- paper, the Dispatch, WAUl Is con- trplled by the Cleveland Plain-Deal- e-. whilo WOSU belongs to Ohio State Unlverslt.v, and operates part time, Toledo has but one station, WSPD. Niela Gocdelle Sued by Max Hart for $980 Suit has been filed in MunicIp^Utr Court of New "York by Max Hart, agent, against Nlela Goodclle, singer on the 'Cutex' radio program. Agent alleges $980 is dud him on an unpaid loan. Suit charges that Hart granted the.loan to Miss Goodelle while she was unemployed iso that she might purchasn somn .coBtumes necessary to her work. Same case was tried in Chicago last year. At that time it is reported Miss Goodelle an- fiwered charges with a declaration of Infancy at time loan was nego-i tlatod.^ Present defense is general denial, Louis Randell represents Hart In the litigation.