Variety (Sep 1935)

44 VARIETY RADIO l^ednesdayt September 25, 1935 NEW YORK RADIO PARADE By Neliie ReveU Qxydol Invadei England First big USA money to be laid on line for time over Luxembourg outlet for programij alrned ut Great Britain consumers corhes.from Oxy- dol. Erwln Wasey London o ce set 13 week series of flfteein minute records to commence ne>tt month. Carson Boblson Pioneers la talent. (Roblson, Bill ttMd Joe Mttcnell and Teari PlckaTd)v Pill To«B-0';: ieglt emoter, doing announcements In British style. RCA-Vlctor wax Job. Sneak Thieves i . Thursday .eye after 7:.a0r ptudlp SA jat NPq was .thefited. of thre^ ribbon mikes. Equlpmc-nt wa.s valued, at $150 per. First thing, BViday the barn .door _\vas-closed. .-Evjeri^ackage-cequlred-a-paflS;—Eerformers—with-brief, cases needed okay to leaye studio sector. Pass consists of signaturing a stock form attesting to fact that contents of package are personal property. The while trying to appear at ease as a dick gives the o.o. Soeony-Vacuum's Talent Socony-Vacuum signing Freddie Rich, willy Morris and male chorus of 24. Show to open Oct., 4th. Half hour for first 13 weeks and full hour for succeeding 39 weeks. Tim and Irene heard by sponsor as part of another audition, are being dickered for to Join this show. Program titled 'Red Horse Tavern.' Protect Sustainers With .Pacts ; Sustaining programs are signing actors to contracts to keep them on program. With commercial programs now reaching zenith sustain- ers are taking no chances of a 'conflict' of programs and a resulting loss of talent, even though talent is not given billing. Charley Cantor does plenty of work about radio, was called for- GBS sustainer, 'Marty Maytime;' After first three programs was called Into conference about hla commercial commitments, if any. Palaver resulted In contra.iit calling for his services for run of shiow; Raise in dough and does program go sponsored check will be heavier. Contract calls for 13 weeks with usual options amounting to two yiears. The usual two week clause Is still present, though. KMBC's Big Mail-Puller Figures on programs pulling most mall at CBS for month of August show that cpmparatively unpubllcized show drags In top number of epis- tles. NOi 1 Is 'Between the Bookends' from KMBC In Kansas City oh a large network, though excluding West Coast. Talent consists of read- ings |)y Ted Maione. On air for years,, but never much publicity. No. 2 Is'Jerry Cooper, oil cqastrto-coast network for over a year. No. 3 is 'Marty Maytime' one^half hour variety show. On for eight weeks. Network ^hlts eyei^tblng but west coast. And No. 4 Is top space getter Kate ' Smith, who has- always bc-sn a coast-to-coast. Last season for full hour. Top niall pullers on commercial shows at CBS are also comparatively .unknown and unpubllcized programs. And both on small chains. No. 1 commercial Is Fanny and Eddie Cavanaugh Radio Gossip Club out of Chicago on seven-station network for Illinois Meat Co. "This show has no New York City outlet. No. 2 Is Brad and Al for Fels-Napthid, over WABC and WCAU for past eight months. Program has giveaway of kerchief for five wrappers, and despite eight months the mail Is still coming big. ROY ALBERTSON'S OKAY Shares Tim© with iBuffalo's Educa- ' tiohal . Station Buffalo, Sept. •Roy- -• AlfeeFteon,- iwm^- -'TJ>wa Ciler' of WEBR, lOO-watter; has received permission from FCC to ghare-timc of WSVS, board- of edur catlon,BO-watter, which now operates on part-time. Powerful in local poli- tlos, AlJjerteon lo expected to create for Idabl© rival for WEBR, now without, competition in the small wattage class. WSVS now Is all-sustaining. AUGUST AT NBC Marriage Bureau Prt^pram .... .tyjj.¥.a.go...SeRt.._24,.,.. Radio row locally Is pow con- cerned about the 'battle of the marrlag:e Mlcehse bureau' being waged long and loud between ■WON., iixe Chlcfl«p.„Trlbune bU^^ tldn, and WfiBM, the Columbia outlet. About a month ago .Quln Ryan of WON set a deal with the license bureau to* pick up intri»J«i's -rAghi- from- the bureau with the engiged couples ~&tidr the" ifewlyTveds;—iBveir-prc- sented the Idea to an dgency 1th the response excellent. Afrency got together .1th ft likely sponsor and the usual con- ferences began. While waiting, the news leaked Out and last week Nelson's Bros, furniture company on WBBM inaugurated a 'romarice reporter time' on its own .prpgram , •.'itjerylews sfated' to~"oHgfnatir i^^^^^ mair-^ rlage bureau. But the City Hull officials turned down cold the WBBM-Nelson Bros, proposition, statins that WGN had contacted thein_ aiid wore reseryln^ the , ; bureau for the WGlfj'liheia! Ahd particularly since WBBM had the Traffic Court lines it was only fair to give WGN the Bureau rlght&r To get around this obstacle pre--|-^BBM- la-picklns -u p--'tlver-most interestlifg* couple ait the bureau and is taking them over to Its own studios for the Interviews. When WGN hits the air with the bureau show the station will frankly broadcast i.he fact that its station Is the only one with direct wires to the Marriage License bureau. A Suspicious Nature. .A wqman guest in the visitors' booth of Gilbert & Sulliyan operetta at NBC two Sundays back had the entire studio floor In a dither for duration' of progtatn. Celia Brantz, contralto, sings role on 'show. Cella i9 small of stature, though her voice Is powerful. Dame In booth raised quite a beef, charging that there was a trick somewhere, since no girl that small could sing that loud. Dame Insisted to everyone in booth that there was a ringer In. the cast. Repeated requests for quiet finally dampened her beef. NBC last month established new high for August In time sales. Gross for the past month was $2,021,366,-17% over 'what. it Was for August and 6% above the previous August record figure, which was In 1931. NBC's total Income from facility bookings for the first eight months of 1936 is. 16.6% ahead of what it was for the parallel period in 1934. Tally at the end of this August was 117(681,253, while the initial eight months of *34 ac- counted for $17;681,2B3. August, 1934, brought NBC $1,735,665, the saine month of the year before showed $1,407,843, while the gross in August, 1932, came to $1,746,331. Jn August^ 1931, It was $1,892,427. Columbia's Income from time sales at the end of last month was on the year 18.7% above the total for the -first eight months of 1934. Gi'oss for the former period was $10,088,860, while the January- August stretch of 1934 gave the network $8,502,392. CBS' time turn- over last month was 71% over the gross foi: August, 1934. Breakup of NBC's income for August, '35, by network gives the red (WEAF) link $1,214,307, and the blue (WJZ) J756,797. Debate AJ^PA's Tardsticks Market Research Council Hears Defense of Survey and Radio's Rebuttal H. S. QUESADA HERE ON RADIO JUNKET Gotta Know - Running the music clearance dept. at a radio station is no cinch. Reynolds Brooks of. CBS had a pip last week. Jessica Dragonettie re- quests for her Atwater-Kent airing on Sept. 19th were 'One Fine Day' from 'Madame Butterfly" and "Vienna, City of My Dreams.' Half hour after the Dragouette reciuests were cleared the Lucrezla Bori selections for her bK on World-Peaccways-Squlbb show came In. This show airs one hour after Atwatc*-Kent The Bbrl selections* were In Italian and German titles and well on way toward being cleared when Brooks, a bit of linguist, noticed titles. Botli women wanted to sing same ditties. Jane Cancels Air Date Hollywood, Sept. 24. Jane Froman has been forced to cancel her slated appearance on the Paul Whitemaji radio jjrogram in New York for Sept. 26 on account of unfinished picture assignment, at Warners. Is held In 'Stars Over Broadway, Pi icns Serejiacla. Convention Pickens Sisters 'made a series of flve-mlnute recordings for Oldsmo- blle. Last Monday (23) they made a p.a. at Oldsmobile convention In Lansing, Mich. Their Evening in Paris commercial aired in N. Y. from NBC without them being on hand, but gals were piped In from Lansing, where they aired to a piano accomp.inlment. Hector S. Quesada, of the artists departments of radio, stations LR6i X<a Nacioh and LR3, Radio Belgrano in Buenos Aires Is In New York for a Ibokover of the American net- works method of presentation and with a view to altering the present methods used in Argentina. Quesioda,. who is also an assor elate editor of 'Antenna,' South American radio trade journal, is act- ing in an official capacity for Jaime Ifankelevlch, owner of these two 60,- OOO stations. Yankelevich was in the States last spring. Quesada will remain here for one rfionth. Also concerned with Amer- ican television system. Ah idea Of how thoroughly Argen- tina radio Is 'Americanizing' Is the fact that they htive already copped the amateur hour Idea for the air and have routed the winners, through. theatres. Lynn Smeby, formerly chief engi- neer for WDGY, Minneapolis, now with WXYZ, bertolf. Moines from Pittsburgh to do ft single shot for KRNT.. .John Bates left WMCA announcing staff; Alleh Dudley of WHBI replacing;; .The Kelly Smiths of WBBM now have a baby boy...Frank Cooper shifted from the Harry Romm office to Curtis & Allen, taking his talent with him Said talent Includes Robt Weede and Cavaliers' Quartet. . .Justin Gil- bert scramming from radio editors chair at Bergen Eve. Record. Vacash, rest, and then to' berth with AP. Short Shots MoUe shopping for program for NliC spot at 2:30 on Sunday after- noons. Listened to Tom Howard; Smith and Dale; Leith Stevens mu- sical show and script of Bulldog Drummond... Caiso Loma Ork go Into Paramount Theatre ton Oct. 18 for two week stand.. .Rockwell-O'Keefe now n-epvesentlng Rpxy.,.Clem McCarthy..copped the duke to dp blowr by-blow description of Eaer-Lcuis fraca^. Buick dealers in session in Detroit were polled with Clem coming In first .. .Ralph Cooper not re- turning to WMCA-Apollo Theatre Harlem Amateur shows as m.e. Willy I Bryant stays, while 'Coop' goes to Lincoln Theatre in Philly and starts ' another amateur program. . .Sylvia Manners of legit cracking Into ra- dio... Animal News Club on WJZ was given additional spot this time on WEAF. Clarence Straight does a good tWo-score animal imltatlona on this show. ..Jack Egan to do Bway column for N. Y. press. Bide Dud- ley once handled this spot . . .Frank Crumlt has birthday on Sept. 16. Boake Carter ditto on Sept. 28...Maybelline shopping for a singer to air from Chicago. Payoff is unbelievably small. ..Major Bowes Capitol Fam- ily NBC show Is now only three-quarters hour in N; Y. City. Grossman shoes take laist IB minutes. Program still full hour out of N. Y.... Patti Chapln ahd Jimmy Farrcll will be groomed as new tune team by i.«CBS. Beginning Oct. 1 they will air over Dixie Network and on full net when time is available. .. .Carlton E. Morse, author of 'One Man's Fam- ily,' €:xpecls to hit N. Y. next month. On first vacash in long time. He hurries back to program after stay of week, while Mrs. Morse takes in London. Scrambled Notes Bill McCaffrey of NBC won the NBC golf tourney with a malignant 73:..Hits & Bits show fades and will.be known as 'Highlights & Har- mony.' Ernest Truex stars with Peg LaCentra, Kings Men and Wirges- Slsson ork. rounding out talent. Allen Kent will do a James Wallington on this show.. .Christine Kemple is new CBS receptionist. New routine will have two of these gals on 22nd and 21st floors.. .Verba. Burke doing well in Chicago radio...Cafe Rene will have WOR wire and Vincent Sorey ork...Tommy Dorsey hew ork consists of most of old Joe Haymes men. Haymes Is orchestrating for new outfit...Joey Nash did his 6th straight guest starring solo oh Major Bowes Capitol Hour. Tops for a soloist. The iloy Campbell Royalist did 16 weeks consec on this show ...New NBC sustainer on way Is 'Tomocrbw's Men,' 15-mInute show starring Walter Tetley. Written and staged by Don MacFarlane. Angle Is 'that anything can happen tomorrow', and does in the script. Mac- Farlane using stage technique in writing script for certaii) actor or group of actors rather than writing and then worrying about the cast; Good scripts for good actors that are known as such to trade and have audience following. Really a custom tailored script.. .Loiiis Armstrong goes Into Connie Inn next month with a CBS wire...Tom Howard totes a lamp shade to studio for celebrity autographs. Since he works on Vallee show gets blenty; Shade hdngs In daughter's room. American Newspapers Publishers Association's latest survey on radio, Yardsticks on the Air,' came in for a heated .discussion at a luncheon of the Market Research Go.uncli In the Yale Club, New York, last Friday (20). Allen Sykes, eastern manager of the ANPA, and Ji L, Carter, who wrote the report for. the association, put up a^ spirited defense for the statements made in 'Yardsticks,' while John J. Karol, market re- search director for CBS, sought to riddle their position with counter statistics. Sykes and Karol ehgajged in a partlculaHy' caustic exchange over the report's remarks and figures on the mortality of advertisers In radio. Sykes expressed resentment at the charge that the 'mortality' list had' been padded wltli the names of transient political and religious ac- counts and declared that all his brganizatlon had done was to go through the records of the- networks and jot down the advertisers tliat had been on the air clurlng 1929-34 but were no longer , among the NBC and CBS customers. Karol declared that of the 448 cx- clients listed in 'Yandstlcks' 35% had used less than 10 stations and the other 75% less than 23 stations. It was quite likely, said Karol, that a large number of these accounts, which ha A been forced off the net- works because of the competitive demand for time by advertisers, who could support lai'ge hookups, were now to be found among the users of spot broadcasting and i^gional links. Sykes Explains Sykes averred thot the ANPA in its findings had been quite liberal when it came to breaking down the actual listening habits of home set owners. In the flnal analysis it might be found, said Sykes, that radio's coverage of tlie consumer field is nothing as extensive as the medium claims it to be. Dr. Lyman Chalkiey, director of research for Benton & Bowles, stepped Into the discussion at this point to. remark that any medluin as .new as radio which has a circulation of 21,000,000 seemed to him to have, reached the point of being 'very extensive.' Karoi took occasion during, the discussion to point out tiiat out of the country's leading lOQ advertisers 68 were to be found on the networks In . 1986. In 1934 CBS and , NBC could claim 69 from tills continecnt, while in 1928 there were Only 30. tand By Peter Dixon is now radio exec at Kenyon & Eckhardt Agency.. .Fred- dl& Rith Is preparin.? a program for Frlgidaire, ivhlch Is now a Lord & Thomas account.; .Erno Rapee will swing the baton for General Motors ...Don Clarke, ex-ABS continuity chief, back from. Coast.. .Martha Moars returning to General Foods program after stork greeting;. .Keith Fowler and Henry Welner, Harry Linetsky proteges, are scripting the Frank Parker show.. .Julian Wood worth's new novelty tune, 'I Wooed and Won <i Woman From Woonsocket,' will be published by Shai)iror Bernstein.. .Jules Lane celebrated a birthday.. .Bert Block now handled by W.-Mter Godnlck. ..Ray Perkins got himself and the missus an apartr rh<(nt In the fid's...Leo Relsman passed the two-ye.ar mark for Fhll Mor- —^is last eve...Helen Rogers, harpist and Rocco Terrone, pianist of Don ^Wchards ork were wed last. weok.. .Xavler Cugat took his ork to Des Nemo Chevrolet auditioned Johnny Hauser last week. This wee-k they listen to Dr. Rockwell, Hugh lielsehfeldt, Rublnoff, Elsie Janls' Scra:pbook... Tubby Weynant of the Town Hall Quartet caught himself a l6-pound rainbow trout at Canandaigua Lake the last day of the season. Having fish stuffed and mounted and will be on view at-Tiext rehearLal, (and so many people hungry). . .Ha:rriet Hllliard had her purse picked of $190 In El Paso.. .Teddy Bergman takc-s a leaf from Beniiy Baker and hires hlm- .self a stooge. Patricia Wilder, 'Honey Chile' of the Bromo-Selt2er show last season at NBC, Joins the Harvester show tomorrow... Clyde North playing the part of the m,d. in Mrs. Wiggs of Cabbage Patch at CBS... Josoph Henry Jackson of San Francisco Chronicle and the 'Readers Guide' program on NBC will take the frau on a six. weeks' motor trip through Mexico,..Hal Kemp signs his contract James If. Kenip...Jean Gronibach offering script on Diamond Jim Brady to spbn.gora,. .Victor Beecroft, legit and radio actor, got hlmseflf wed three months back and ran Into a drought of Jobs. Last wc-ok he had six programs,and is Jiist recovering from the shock...Jack Mills, the music publisher, has a pair of ditties for. release pending,^ the result of Baer-Loiiis scrap Does Max win will release 'Smacksle Maxic-.' Does Louis win sortg is 'Can't Lose With Louis'.. .Congrat ^yires, ^or Jessica Dragonette on debut at CBS went both to >IBO and CBS. r.'Ed Wolff is back fit NBC production after two months' Illness. NETWORK BIDS FOR RAIN6ER AND ROBIN Hollywood, Sept. 24. Song writing teani of Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin have been pvertured by Columbia Broadcast- ing System for a series of nation- wide airings to start Jan. 3. Sponsor said to be already set Show would be built around song hits turned but by the xiair with picture names cut In. Lux Sets Barthelmess Hollywood, Sept^^24. Lux Theatre of the Air ha*s -set Richard Barthelmess for Sept. 30. He'll do 'Alias Jimmy Valentine'