Variety (Jan 1936)

Wednesday, January 1, 1936 R A D I 157 N. L B. READY TO FUNCTION SOON Kates and membership of . the National InlJependerit Di'oidcaatei'Sr cooperative non-profit association -yut to securo national biz tor 1o\ywitt stations, were compl.eted last Friday (27). About 100 members are on the roster, divided into six geographical groupings, -which will be sQld alone or in combination to the national advertiser. Some station additions to be made later, and there is also a possibility that a few of the current members may be weeded out or replaced by other stations. WMCA, New. York; for instance, is iricluded on the list, although it's not certain yet whether the station will join or not. Membership rates given as follows: Northeastern Group: WRDO, Au •gusta; WABi, Bangor; WAGM; Pi-esflue Isle; WSBT, 'Kutland; WQDM, St. Albans; WMEX, Bos -tbn; WSAR, Fall River; WELI,. New . Haven; WATR, ' Waterburj-; WABTi Albany; -WMBO, Auburn; r WMCA, New York City (not cer •taln) ; WHDL; , Olean; "WMFF., Plattsburg; WK90, Harrisburg; WHAT and WTfiL,' Philadelphia; %A'R AW, Reading; WBAX,. WilkesBarre; WRAK, Williamsport;, WCBM, Baltimore; WOL, Washingtpn, D. C. One hour one time on this group per, day listed at $939,60; night-time is $1,377,10. SoutheaBtetm Group: WOPI, Bristol; WEHC, Charlottesxille (Va.): WBTM, Danville; WLVA, I.ynchburg; WGH, Newport News; WPHR, Petersburg; WJBR, Gastonia; WEED, Rocky Mount; WMFD, Wilmington (N. C); WAIM, Ahderson; WATL, Atlanta; WiMFJ, Daytona Beach. One daytime hour hero goes for $391.11; nightime, $374.85, with fewer stations. Northcentral Group: WHBC, Canton; WCOL, Columbus; WJBK and ■WMBC, Deti'oit; WJMS, Ironwood; WIBM, Jackson; WTRC. EllchaVt; WWAE, Hammond; WT-,BC, Muncle; AVBOW, Terre Haute; WCAZ, ■Carthage; WCRW, Chlcaso; WEBQ, Harrisburg (111.); WCLS, WJBC, La Salle; WCBS, field; WHBY, Green Bay; Janesvi.lle; WRJN, Racine; •Fergus Falls; KFNF, Shenandoah; KDLR, Devil's Lake; KFJM. Grand Poi-ks; KLPM, MInot: KGFW, •Kearney; KGKY. Scottsbluff. Day hour here nets $956.72; nighttime, $1,-175.71. Southcentral Group: WPAD. Paducah; WTJS, Jackson; WNBR, •Memphis; WMFX, Clark.sdale ; ' •WGCM, Gulfport; WPFB, Hatties•burg; WHEF,. Kosciusko; KARK. Little Rock; KPLC. Lake Charles; WJBW, New Orlfeans; KR.MD, Shreveport; WADA, Ada; KFXR, .Oklahoma City; KGFF, Shawnee; KFDM, Beaumont; KFJZ, Fort •VVorth; JCFRO, Long View; KAEC and. KONO, San Antoiiio. Single .day houi: here brings $519. ■■ nl.ghttime, $600.64. Mountain Group: KGCX, Wolf ■Point; KID, Idaho Falls; KRLC, Lewiston; KFXD, Nampa; Alamosa;' K<3EK, Steriin Jerome; KVOA, Tuscon; Albuquerque. Day hour Is nighttime $260.52. Pacific Coast Group: Aberdeen;, ,KXA, Seattle; bpokane; KUJ. Walla Walla; KPQ Wenatchec; KVOS, Ecllingham; ^vFJI, Klamath Falls; kRlC. Borkc-^y; KXO, El Cftvtro; KFXM, San Bei-nardihp; KJBS. San Francisco; iS-REG, S:inta Ana. Price per day hour is $245.79; nighttime $231.75. ^/°*al of 97 listed stations priced 52/9 1 3.89 per single day time hour : same group at night (33 stations) eocs at. $3,606.89. (Sum tb.tal ofindividual-rates for the same .st.itions would be $3,754.01 for a dnytinio nour and $4,534.1,5. per nicht tinu'V. With setting i)f i;atos and mo.m-. oer.slilp. .Tanios CSlituighnPssv. Now ipi.'k advertising o()un.«o!ioi\ wiii lau oh his x,.i. B. .si,les i.,l. ■\V"rks on a fee for flif' i. .|t has a.s. yet no sal.:snir-n in. (.•lii'affo. i),jt. expects to iipm.' an or'.aiuzation io ropre.sont it out xh<'v< «001l, AGENCIES' SHOWMANSHIP IN '35 Joliet; SpringWCLO, KGDE, KGIW, I<;CR.t, K(5GM, $221.00; KXRO, KFIO, Howa 'ard McGovern's firt-hf'.stra t'>urmg Vermont and. New Hamp^"'7 also airiirig over WDEA', Waterbtu-y, Vt. Go into Tavern in .-MontpoHer. Vt„ on. Jan. 1. The outstanding examples of showmanship offered during 1935 among network commercial radio programs were largely developments of the amateur idea. No agency during the past year created a method of program or cbnimercial presentation which could be described as blazing a new trail In radio entertainment.. While the year did show that, show-mlndedrieiss within agency ranks was decidedly on: the upbeat, the moftallty amiphg big money showis wjis far greater >lian in 1934. Particularly .hoticeable as regard^ the., last yeiiu's experiments was that they ehtailed, with minor exceptions, spending anywhere from $6,600 tp $10,000 for taienf and script. When they ftbppied, as ■* practically all of them did, the psychological reactlch made itself acutely felt. Agency Impresftrips, after divesting themselves of an 'I tpld ypa so,' becamis more determined in their penchant to ride alpng vrith the types of programs and mike names of current popularity. Failure of radio to produce, during 1935, a new sock entertainment name of national Inipprt^ ance, outside of Major Bowes, may In a large measure « be attributed to this, attitude which is now openly avowed ampng the majpr agencies, i. ., sticking tp prpven values and shying, away from: the unknown. Experimentation had more to do withprogram material and form than with performers. 'Two notable cases were Procter & Gamble's Ibson ' Faniily' . (Blackman agency) and Chase & Sanborn Coffee's gra.nd opera tabloids in Erigilsh (J. Wialter Thojnpson). With Ivpry Soap it was the first Instance cf radio exploiting an prlglnal xnuslcal . comedy script on •sustained or serial scale, while C&S's show^ repre.sented an innovation In only one .•■respect — the fact .that it had a network cptniherciial behind it. Impression that eiach of: these two programs made •wasn't sufBcIent tc Induce Pthers to take up the tPich In. behalf of original musical comedies, or ppera tablblds, . fpr a long while. A sidelight, of 'The Grlbson Family' reaction, on the trade was the response CBS gpt when It auditioned a Richard Rogers-Lorenz^Hart original rnuslcal about three months ago. Stunt was made part of a luncheon the network tossed. Invited were 200 agency men, witli the web failing to find a single representative enough interested tP submit this prpgram to a client. One show which drew much interest and comment from agency men wasn't even, a newcomer for '35. It -was a series that started during October, of '34 and •after a wobbly start, and months of sorry plodding, acquired one of ..the highest paid producers in the business. By the end of last summer this sho-w had started to , zoom in popularity, and a few months later it was almong the Crbsley Reports^ list of the top ten. Prpgi'am Is Campbell Spup's 'Hpllywood Hotel' and the producer (regarded in the trade as doing one of the niost meritorious Jpbs of its kind) is William Baeher. Hia is still handling the show. Following Is a.conipilatlpn of VAniETY's pplnipn pn agency showmanship merits and demerits for 1935: F. Wallace Armstrong.. Newcorher to radip with, pnly twp shows on. its list but each, 'Holly wopd HpteK and Burns and Allen (Campbell Tomato Juice) rated up among the 10 best. Have given much leeway to Burns and Allen with result this cornedy team Is considered offerln the best ehtertalnnient ef .their air career. Aubrey, core & Wallace. Pilots pf the perennial dramatic frames, 'First Nighter' and 'Grand Hotel' for Camp^na products, and doing a consistently skillful and showmanly job. Has developed the stock company idea for radio, with Don. Ameche and Ann Seymour as the leads, in highly ccmmendable fashlen. N. W. Ayer & Son. In numher of accounts on the Air this agency staged: a big comeback for i935. Its outstanding achievement along showmanship lines has been the handling of Ford's Sunday night concerts. Also has dpne a good job with Kellogg's 'Prpm' (Red Nichols, Ruth Ettlng,' etc.) but floundered wl,th Eno Salts' 'Penthouse Party' (Mabk Hellinger) and Half and Half Tobaccp's 'Red Trails.' Exceptional talisnt for handling kid shows was. attested by the results It got with the 'Robinson Crusoe' serial. Made a start of Franlc Parker In 'Atlantic Family,' but found th.at it takes a .seasoned comedian to handle comedy on full responsibility with result that tenor ceased to double as m. c, and Bpb Hppe is handling the laugh •assignment. Batten, . Barton, Durstine & Osborne. 'March of Time,' as' a quarter hour feature, was pne pf the year's experintji'nts that panned put badly. Return pf the show. to Its original once weekly half hour should find the fans applauding again. Agency's handling of the Atwater Kent Hour, for its 10th year, proved again to be of first order. Also acquitted itself commondably on 'The' O'Neills' for Oxol and 'Cavalcade of America,' despite the heavy doses of propaganda for the DuPont interests, and the oncTtlme stanza In April that celebrated American Telegraph •& Telephone Co.'s 50ih anniversary. Other of the agency', perennials ,. which maintained; showmanly touches were the Bond Bread show, Julia Sanderson and Frank Crumit, and Western Clock's Big Ben Dramas. Agency almost made, it.self a conte.stant for the year's dullest program w:ith General Electrlp'isi "riic Melb ' Master,' but subsequent in.stallmerit found the smooth and expert B. B. D. & O. touch In click wori<i.ng order. Benton & Bowles. .Succeeded In keeping Maxwell HouHo (lorfpf?"."} 'Siiowboaf and Colgate.-Palmolivc'.s •lie.'iuly IJox Key.iie' up .tmcmi? tliR b(!st entcriainrnent on (ho air, but also accotint<jd for a l)Dst of nrips. Took over \l;o 't"(i|{,'ate Hoti.sc' P.irly' from Yo liubi; -a nr. find , afttr a few weeks of dlsmfil ' fumbling, swiichcd to "Musio at th<» Haydr^ns,' ^vMch ;/l.so. fallf-d to niiiko an iinporl.tnt iniiirosslon -and folded after 12 Vvei-ks. Has (loiio v,-<^il by 'Lo.t; Cabin I.nn." starrinp' Conrad 'I'liibjuilt,. and ))ro(Iuf('d a .«o-..«o. in 'Tony and fiu.--,' w!iii-h r;in from Api-il to Sf))f'^>n;)cr. liroufjhi .fj'crtniilo }',<-\-(( back in April for a rfv.TSf /-liai^acter)zatlon r.rMolly'fi'oIdbcrt,' via 'Thf. Jj:oii.4> of GUifj.s' (Palmnlivi' S'jaiisiids), and thr; goiiii; U)y popular favor Ijy'thi.s proqram ha.s be-on .sati.^factnry (2C w(!f;ks), but <^rf the ;iU' as ot iJ.fic. 23, Biow. Tiitroduced Ray 'oblc to Anu-rif'an lislcnoi-s in b'. lalf of Coty and did a. disUnfc'ui.'ihed job. AKcnoy hOl<is on nicily for showmanship v/lii; the Leo Rei.sman-Phil Duoy combination fdr I'liilip'.Moiris clfarets, and didn't require names to make a fetchin rogram for Kreuger beer on CBS Saturday ni hts. Bla^kettSampleHummert. Philosophy 6C this agency, is, 'Who and what are the Crossley Reports arid why worry about popiilaritS' •aling.=; If you. have tiie shows that produce tlie sales?' B-S-H boasts tiiat it haa consistently hit the bull's eye froni the siles angle,, and will back up this conieniiori with reanis of figures. Practically every oiie of its adult show's is directed at the lower middle: Class housewife,. On the;i)ieory that it is she^who. makes tlie potential market for the lOc to 50c articles that the B^S^ pi-ograiria sell. Hence the exploiting of ballads and waitze's In .iiS"'v'ari"oUs iftusloal shows', this boniey wn-t. timents. Some of the programs— Oliv; Wiggs of thii Cabbage Patch,' 'Ma . Perkins,' 'Just Plain Bill,' .and 'Betty ind Bob.' AJso the heart; angle of newspaper toilerplate, e^xemplified by such programs as 'The Love Doctor,' 'Romance of Helen Trent,' 'Backstage Wife' and 'Marie, the Little French Princess.' Mixed In with this agency's liora and fauna of entertainment are such deftly pi'oduccd musicals as 'Tlie American Album of Amerlcaiv Music' (Bayers Aspirin), 'Manhattan Merry-Gp-Round' (Dr. Lyons Toothpaiste), 'Hammersteiri's Music Hall' (American Home Products), and the Bl-so-dbl fra,me on CBS, which this seaspn exchanged Everett Marshall for Carme.la Ponselle. '' Heading the aigency's comedy division is 'Easy Aces,' a standard, "with Anacin the current payeroff. Blackman.— One headache after another for this . ageh.cy during '35. After fatherlhg 'The Gibson JTamiiy,' and shifting Its release from one evening's schedule to another, Ip the hope that the spot might bring pppularlty, agency gave, up arid substituted a 'takeoff pf Maxwell House's 'ShpAvboat' foi" Ivory Soap. It tagged the second try 'Uncle Charlie's Tent Show,' prpgram revplylng arpund the 'ex-Cap'n Henry,' Charles WInnlnger. With Hinds Honey and Almond Crealm's 'Club Roihance' added, this agency's musical efforts fpr the year were three, and not a sock among 'ein tp hang iip fpr Xmas, In the serial field, hpwever, agency clicked nicely with 'Vic and Sade,', 'The O'Nieillls' arid 'Home Sweet Home.' All' three arc supported by Procter & Gamble; rboke, Sniith & French. Went In for a fiashy Outlay for Hydson-Essex with the Kate Snilth series; using a corp of explolteers arid advance men on the road. Program Iricluded airing of mike asi>Irants from their home tpwns. Results sufficed tp keep the accpunt in the agency. H-E business iiad prevlpusly been placed through Blackman; Campbell-Ewaldv Takes the showmanship palm in the highbrow division for the consistently adroit Job with General Motprs Suriday night concerts.. Even though Chevrolet elected to switch to a. popular musical show (Dave Rubinoft), this agency contributed in a large way in carving out a slick rating for Phillips Lord's 'G Men* dramatizations. Cecil, Warwick & Cecil. With the death of Will Rogers, firm's Gulf Refining segment floundered badly. Account flnally decided to go Phil Baker and Ypung & Rubicam. . CW&C erred In seemingly ti-ylng to make a . hillbilly pf ' Jphn Charles Thpmas (Vlnce's m.puthwasli), but iri quick time it gpt him back tp his nprmal, and what proved successful, metier. Ori the credit side it has the tiriiely booking of Grace Mopre (for Vick), the contlhuously adroit handling pf The Wai'den Lawes, (Sloan's Liniment) series, and the sipooth directipn of Jimmy Fldier's film gossip for Tangee lipstick. William Esty. Continues to Score with the Walter O'Keefe-Casa Loma combination for Camel. Also holding Interest with Feen-a-mint'.s. amateur stanza on CBS Sunday nights. Erwin, Wasey & Co. Wolce of Experience,' 'Boiiby Benson' and 'Singing Sarin' are all that remain of this ag-ency'd list, but in each instance the assignment is being so handled aa to produce plenty results. When •Arthur. Kudnor mpved out he tppk alpng True Stpry's 'Court of Human Relations.' |\ . Geyer, Cornell & Newoll,,]^FHvvered for Frigldaire with Jack Pearl (13 weeks), bgt struck a timely theriie with the Peacewaysi program tor Squlbbs. Latter program, showed signs of having spent Jts maxlmiirii force and effect after the sixth week. o Hanff-Metzger. Picked another attention-getter for Texaco In 'Jumbp' and wpn the kudos of the trade by the smart way it went about selling at the start of the series. Initial broadcast of 'Jumbo' i'atcd a crack example, pf ririike . production. F, W. Hellwig & Co. Fared okay for Unit with Phil Spltalny, but found 'The Gtimps' no happy go for .kre-mel and Karo, all Corn Products brands. Unrepresented on the networks tills fall and winter. Joseph Kaiz. When this agency finally Jiftfd the Ex-Lax show to high rating, COS launched it,<* purity drive. Rather than toady to what it considered a miuch top fltrlet edict, the accpunt shifted to spot broadcasting. John HIx .series, on platter, reported to be doing uniformly well. Kenyon &. Eckha.rdt. ramntlzatlon of 'The, Amateur Gentleriiari' with Leslie iloward (Hinds Honey and Almorid Cream) served as this agency's debut in network broadcasting. Presentation of 'Oc-.ntlcman' was hurriedly wash.cd after seventh week, Ijut Howard, continues. Lennbn & Mitchell. Failed In its efforts to sf;ll Kthel Merman (Lysol) to dial twisU-rs as an outstanding favorite, but did well by Lorlllard wilh the ilrlggs .Spprt Revue, deftly written and produced. Creditable work with Wcodbury's two-year holdover. 'I)angerpuH Paradi.sc,' and the results oljtalned with Eldie cantor against the Major Bowes opposition^ Paul Whitemari to this ag.oncy's.llHt as a Wpodb .r>> salesman .Ian. 5. Lord & Thomas, Besides introdueintf Fred As ire ■'iridhis dancing to the air, thereby x aekin;?. up the rating of Lucky Strike's 'Hit i': rade' |ii a '1)1^ \yky, and also being ' no little responsible for "J'op. Uai'.s' ifUm) fast nallorial St.art, ' .L&T did a slick job on J'CA's Sunday afternoon stanza wiien it conyei-led it )o a variety namo. policy, Agen,c.v still irylii^ to rnold 'he IJourjois frame. With Odette Myrtil and Mark 'arnow.' into, a package of blg-linic •i)rf)por.! lons. . Stirling Getchell. After di'oppin;,' llie .'-•oeonyland .^ketehp's, agency took a dip Into variety with unsL-^ady i-csults. Settled with two c.-isis before eoneei)•ratlng. on Eleanor Powell. In his nudden detr/rnilnaf ion to go radio all the way In behalf of ihe oil acI ount, rjotciieli transferred his explolteer and rlglit(Contlnued on page 184) FOG FAILS TO LIFT IN WBCASE (28) .wired: their that they had obtairied from > Burkan, general .counsel, for ASCAP, authority to continue after to ASCAP such stations which have not talned new licenses from the clety. This authorization, the. outlets were teld, would apply vintil further nptice ficm ASCAP and prily; tp music which ASCAP cpntrPlled as pf Jan. 1. Networks' wire also stated that the further riotice would be fprthcpming within twp days after the first ef the year arid that it was tP. bo understood that the affiliated stations wore linder obligation to pay the same fees to ASCAP as exist in their presentcpntracts. Baldwin declared Saturday that he wouldri't know until Monday whether ASCAP would extend the same authority to stations not included in the NBC or CBS lists. ' Baldwin denied a repbit which develpped Prlday (27) that NBC and Columbia had 'retired' froni the NAB so that any negotiatlpns or deal effected by officers of the trade organlzatlpn wpuid not be binding, upoh the webs. If ajiy such action, averred Ba,ldwin, had taken place, it had not been brought to his attention. Following notification by the webs to agencies arid .afflliated stations that after Dec, 31 the former would npt clear music under Warner cpntrpl, wires and airmaii letters started pouring into the o ces of. New York station reps advising them not to accept commercial transcriptlpns wliich contained WB turies. Other indie broadcasters cither flew pr came by train to New York to be clcse at band for. any turn In events. As his advlspry cpmmlttee Baldwin, managirig director of the National Assdclation of Broadcasters, had in. :attcndance at the NAB's temporary headquarters In the St. Regis hotel Dean Pritzer, WDAF, Kansas City, H. K. Carpenter, WHK, Cleveland, Walter pamra, WTMJ, Milwaukee, John Clark, WLW. Cincinnati, and Louis D. Caldwell arid Philip Loucks, Washington attorneys, representing the clear channel group. • Neither NBC or Columbia was decided at pr€»s time Saturday whether they would go through with their annual practice of picking up dance bands froiii all parts of the U. S., Canada and South America New Years' Eve, Webs, had under consideration the idea of llmltlrig all music that night to studio combos for fear that In the. excitement of the occasion some band might Include. Warner .!BroB. music. , Indications were given Saturday [ that some of thf! more important regional networks would act 6n their cwn In dealing with Warner, Particular case iri point in that direction was the Yankee Network. Latter's prez, John Shepard, 3d, has his attorney, Sol A. Rpscnblatt, who was deputy NRA administrator for the amusenicrit Industry, tp negotiate a contract with Starr. Rosenblatt and Starr went over the WB cpptract at a luncheon Friday (.27). In its letter to advertlHers an agency ^CBS poIMted out that the' terriis of the ASCAP contract which was obtained last June, were predicated on the basic a.ssii ption that WB mu.slc would continue to be available to the network and that sueh terms h{id mfide it eco Ically ifcaslblc for the web tocpntinueto ab.sorb the in unlc costs arid not pass the on to tlit? client. Warner now cpntftnd.'i, the letter staledi that it was not bound by the, June agreeni(!nt, has refuf^ed to let things ride until the courts had decided in this' -issuo thro ..'i test eaf-'e. iUuher than take a chance of . running into heavy .slalntory damages by forcing the in-.'Ui-. f'oluii.ibla, said the Jettor, iiad (leeld( d to lay pfT the WB catalogs aliogetlK^r. In the meantime, ('I5.->. promised it wo id, .through AS( 'AT, learn how riiuch of the inusid W.'trner claimed really belonijed to it arid to advise th(^ advertl.sej'H which of tho.sc wprJCH could bft liHcd over the air wlthcui fear of infj-ingement penalty.