Variety (Mar 1936)

38 VARIETY ADIO Wednesday, March 18, 1936 At Crucial Moment in Hockey Game Press-Owned CHSJ Pulls the Switch! St. John, N. B., March 17. Radio listeners here plenty steamed up at CHSJ. for carrying the 'look for futher details in your dally paper' gag just one step too far. Burn came about when the St. John morning daily (which with the city's other paper,. owns the sta- tion) aired the play-off of the St. John-Moncton hockey game decid- ing the championship of New Brunswick. Game was retnoted in, and hit an audience at fever heat. Was ap- parent that the situation was a hot one, and the fans were crazHy cheering, yelling, and fighting. Score stood at 3-2 in favor of Moncton. but the St. Johners were putting on a drive that had, everybody except their .goalie trying to ( shove the puck into the rival net. At this critical stage CHSJ yanked the switch, inferencing that the rest of it would duly* appear in print the following morning. Trick isn't doing the papers or the station any good in these parts. Carter Medicine' Co. is renewing one-minute disc announcements for six months over PRC2, Porto Alegre, PRA3. Rio de Janeiro, PRB9, Rio de Janeiro, PRA9, Santa Paolo, and PRF3, Santa Paolo; all in Brazil, South America- ; Additionally a new" six-month campaign of similar platters is now starting oVer CMW, Havana, CMJK; Camaguey,. CMKC, Santiago de Cuba; and CE108, Concepcioh.. CE114, Santiago, and CE120, Valpa- raiso (latter three all in Chile, South America); Through Conquest Alli- ance. WLAC ANSWERS WARNERS Claims Alleged Infringement Did Not Occur Sidewalk Interviews in 8S Big red Periods Indianapolis, March 17. *Man in the Street' programs are going great here, with "^IRE broad- casting six: 15 minute stanzas a week for the EIrk Furniture Com- pany from a vantage point in front of the Circle Theatre. Morris Hicks, -who handles the mike, works on one question of national importance and gets different viewpoints from the passers-by. pBtims rvreefa^-is^' ur ^€ek. along 6imllar lines.for the Julian Goldman Union Store, with Ken Ellington doing the Interrogating. ,WFBM program la called 'Downtown Chatter? and about' .30 questions which, have been sent In by listen- are'asked in the; 'Vox Pop' manner. " WSM, NASHVILLE SETS EXPOEXHIB Nashville* March 17. •In conjunction .with Its owner Alid. operator* the National Life and Accident Insurance Company, Radio Station WSM will have a mammoth . ibit at the Texas Centennial Exposition this summer. Since Tennessee sent Sam Hous- ton, David Crockett, and other big men to the Lone Star State in its early days, the exhibit will be titled Tennessee-Texas Hall of ' Heroes and will include paintings' and photo murals. The pictures will be housed in a building with 1,100 square feet of floor space and special lighting ef- fects will give an illumination of 22.G00 candle-power. At. night the exterior will be swept with vari- colored light. Model for WSM's exhibit hall has been complete for several weeks, Ed Klrby, sales promotion mana- ger for the National Life and Ac- cident Insurance Company and in charge of the company's educa- tional broadcasts, was in Dallas last week making plans for the erection. Zonite and Forhan's are teamed to; sponsor 26 quarter-hour live tal- ent shows, with native orchestras, over YVIRC, Caracas, Venezuela. Kolynos Toothpaste is spotting on one-minute discs, on HJ1ABB, Bar- ranquilla, HJ3ABH, Bogota, and HJ5ABD, Call (all In Colombia, S. A.). Also signaturing 26 quarter- hour discs - for -YNVA, Managua, Nicaragua. Deals set by Conquest Alliance.. Lambert Pharmacol (Listerine) renewing a children's amateur stanza- over XEIW, Mexico City. Mex. Borden's (in behalf of Klitta, a dry .milk) is buying 26 ' half-hour musical platters for HJ5ABD, Call, HJ1ABB, Barranqullla, and HJ1ABA, Barranquilla (all in Colombia, S. A.). Through Conquest Alliance.. 6. M. CONCERT MOVES Detroit, March 17. To give thousands of Q- M. work- ers in near-by l«Uint a chance to see and hear the program for the first time, General Motors Corp. will broadcast its Easter Sunday sym- phony concert from the. I. M. A. Aude in Flint. The secohd of G. M.'s semi-annual broadcasts,, this season originating from this territory, it- marks the first time program has been given outside Detroit. Special "wires will carry program to WW J here to be fed to the NBC Blue. .William S. Knudsen, executive vice-pres., will give an address on the Easter broadcast and Lily Pons will.be guest soloist. Rex Frasier to L. A. Rex Frasier has been added to the radio writing staff of J. Walter Thompson's Hollywood office. Transfer of Herschel William and Philip Mygatt, producers, from the New York to the Coast branch, has been postponed. Nashville, March 17. J. Truman Ward, president of radio station WLAC, expects an early dismissal of the suit for $5,060 brought by Harms, Inc., against WLAC, Inc., in United States Dis- trict Court here last week. The suit here follows action taken originally against the. Columbia Broadcast- ing System in the amount of $800,- 000 damages for the alleged per- formance of 'That Old Fashioned Mother of Mine/ an item on the Warner Brothers restricted copy- right list. Ward claims that between 9 and 9:16 a.m. on January 23, the time the forbidden number is supposed to have been broadcast, that WLAC was sending out a local program from its own studios and not carry- ing the network program; BRANHAM ENTER REP BIZ WITH KM) Branham Co., newspaper publish- ers' reps, is arranging to make its debut in radio in the near future, using as its only operator ' along that line a young man it proposes to bring in from some ad agency. Designee for the job has not been picked. Decision to crash the sta- tion rep field Was made at a meet- ing last' week. Among- those who. attended the meeting was John W. Runyon, man- aging -director of KRLD, Dallas. This station is owned and operated by the Dallas Times, Which the Branham Co. represents 1ST the na- tional field. Meeting was advised French Radio Has Patron Saint Cardinal Verdier Officiates at First Radio Mass in Paris Network Chart NBC NEW PROGRAMS Ralston-Purina (Ry Krisp); un- named show with Marion Tialley and an orchestra as yet not set, 10:30 to 10:40 p.m. EST, Fridays, starting April 3; . for' 62 weeks. Basic Red and Pacific Red, 35 sta- tions. r ^p^'' Sterling Products (Phillips. Den- tal Cream); 'Melodlana.' with Abe Lyman, Oliver Smith and Bernlce Claire, 9:30 to 10 p.m., Tuesdays, starting May 26; for 26 .weeks* Basic Blue. Sterling Product* (Dr.. Lyons Toothpowder); 'Backstage Wife/ 4:15 to 4:30 p.m. EST, Mondays through Fridays, starting March 30; 26 weeks. Basic Blue; Sterling Product! (Phillips Mlllc : of Magnesia Dental Cr.e&ni); *HoW ; to Be Charming,' 4: 30 to 4:45 p.m. EST, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, starting March- 30; 26 weeks, Basic Blue. CBS NEW PROGRAMS American Tobacco ( L u.c k y Strike); 'Your Hit Parade,' with an unnamed orchestra, 10 to 11 p.m., Saturdays, starting May 2; for' 13 weeks (with renewal optl6n). Na^ tionwide hookup for the U.S. and Honolulu, 93 stations. MUTUAL NEW PROGRAMS Armin Gerrity Cosmetics; mu- sical with Ted Weems' orchestra, 12:30 to 1 pan. (later to be changed to 1:30* to 2), Sundays, starting April 12. MUTUAL. RENEWALS Griien Watch Co.; starting March 31; (Note: With this renewal Gruen drops its current schedule, of 7:45 to 8 p.m., Tuesdays and Saturdays and also its 'Washington Merry- Paris, March 8, French radio now has a patron saint, and a special church, officially sponsored by the French authorities of the Roman Catholic Churchy ' This is in accord with the Latin 1 custom of having patfon saints for all. professions, from cab drivers to fishermen. Radio patron is Notre Dame do Bonne NoUvelle (Our Lady of Good - News), Cardinal. Verdier, arch- bishop of Paris and two of his lead- ing auxiliary bishops attended tli. first radio mass, which :was said by Father Caffarel, general -secretary of the Catholic. Film and Radio f League. Music was directed- by Rene Gerlyv Of station PTT> with the aid of the i church choir. Hundreds of French radio workers attended. nam representation as soon as it musical called ^Tittle Turns Back got its. radio division established. .No commitments to the same ef- fect have been received Jrom the Other newspapers on the Branham list which operated stations. These are the Memphis Commercial Ap- peal with WMC; the ..Houston Chronicle, KTRH; Atlanta Journal, WSB; Louisville Courier Journal; WHAS, and the Shreve-port Times, with KWKH and KTBS. Wood Leaves Cleveland Cleveland, March 17. Local radio row is losing one of : Its pioneers with resignation ' of Clyde Wood from Humphrey- Prentke agency. He drives, to Hol- lywood to become vice prez of Transco April-1, in charge of sales promotion. Wood's been known to Cleve- land's stations since 1926 when he joined WTAY, where he became commercial manager before shift- ing to WGAB, in same capacity. Also doubled on air in role of 'Uncle Clyde' on a children's program, be- sides directing one tagged 'Old Op- timist.' musical ■ oaTiei hitting the air on Tuesdays, 7:45 to 8 p.m.) Note. Programs purchased or re newed for periods longer than .15 weeks, are generally, cancellable in cycles of 13 weeks on 30 days' notice, COLUMBIA WEB LOSS PROBABLE NBC GAIN Chicago, March 17. General Mills has conceited its 'Jack Armstrong* kid script on Co- lumbia effective. April 24.' Will. stay off the air through, the" summer and probably return early in the fall on the NBC red hook-up. - Likely that the show will be ..re- shaped with new cast and new style. Aerial Publici ing, station reps and merchandising councillors lo- cated in New York, are opening it Chicago office with the. two princi- pals of the former Allen and Fryk- man firm in charge. Ford Scrams CBS Ford Sunday Night Symphony will retire from CBS June 28. No commitment has been made as to whether the program will be re- turned to the air in the fall. Account hasn't decided whether It will conllrue the Fred Waring half hours on NBC and Columbia during the summer. QUIET BEFORE THE STORM IN CANADA; EXPECTED AIR CHANGES CAUSE JITTERS Retrenchment Notable as Fiscal Year Nears End and Parliamentary Attention Not Far Off—Drop Mu- Squawk Over Certain Shows sicians Lounsberry Goes South Buffalo, March 17. Roger Baker, sports announcer, and 1. Ii. Lounsberry. executive vice president of WGR-WKBW. headed south Saturday (14). It's a vacation for Lounsberry ftnd Baker is slated to cover train- ing camp activities of the Bison ball team at Plant City. Fla, Toronto, March 17. With the end of its fiscal year just five weeks away, members of the Canadian Radio Commission personnel are quaking and In the throes of a general expenditure re- trenchment which will keep within the depleted funds remaining from the current appropriation. Legisla- tion completely changing the present radio set-up in Canada is forecast and bitter political debate is ex- pected oil the floor of the House when the whole Canadian Radio Commission situation comes up'for discussion. The 'Mr. Sage' enquiry is expected to stai;t off the fireworks. Meanwhile, the dispute between the Commission and NBC over, time- sale, preference htts been amlcablv adjusted, according to CRC Chair- man Charlesworth. He denied the report that NBC proposed cancelling some of its Canadian outlets In reprisal. Dispute arose over. v the Bible-class broadcasts conducted on Sunday afternoons over CRCT, To- ronto, by Denton Massey, cousin of Raymond Massey, actor- man- ager, and Hon. Vincent Massey, ex- Canadian ambassador to the United States. This had been used by the Commission at no cost to Massey. When NBC sought to buy the time for a commercial program proposal was stymied by Massey offering to pay the same rate for his Bible-class broadcast as NBC offered. Charles- worth admitted that 'XBC was somewhat annoyed' .but claimed that Massey had priority. Canadian listeners also squawking because the Commission has ordered CKCL, Toronto, to dis- continue carrying Columbia's The Goldbergs.' Initiates are pointing but that the Commission asks. CKCL repeatedly to carry CRC programs when the government's Toronto sta- tion, CROT, is too heavily filled up with NBC exchanges and commer- cials. General dropping of musicians and artists is noticeable at CRCT. Toronto, and talks are taking the place of many musical and dramatic programs. The services of nearly 30 musicians have been dispensed with The 'Road to Yesterday' series which starred Roland Todd's orches- tra and a choir still takes the air but in place of the orchestra, an DAD GETS STATION; SON BECOMES BOSS Louisville, March* 17, Northslde Broadcasting Corpora- tion, of New Albany, Ind., across the Ohio river from Louisville, is plan- ning to begin operation of a 250- watt station about June 1. F. C. C, has granted a license for station with frequency of 1,370, with ver- tical antenna, transmitter to be lo- cated on. outskirts, of New Albany- License is for daytime operation,, and from midnight until 2 a, m. Several sites are under consldera-. tion for Studios; but no definite spot has been selected. . Plans are under way to establish a studio in Louis- ville as well. Station was. promoted by Arthur for WHAS and WAVE. Charles Lee Harris, his son, will be presN deht and general manager. Both father and son formerly conducted amateur programs from the Indiana theatre which .were -aired WAVE, Louisville. • Other officers are Robert Mcr v Intosh, secretary; Alvin Smith, .f chief engineer; Miss Deal Mcintosh, assistant secretary, and Ad'olph Zellc-r, director.^- Ready Queen Mary Publicity Maiden voyage of the. S; S. Queen Mary will have aboard on invitation a spieler each from NBC, CBS and Mutual. The three are slated to sail from this side May 18 and leave Southampton on the Queen Mary May 27; with the ship getting into New York June 1. Brifish Broadcasting Co. will have complete charge of all alrcasting from the:.liner. Four transmitters •: are being installed by the BPC ©ti- the boat. Anything that the BBC prepares in the way of programs wiil be available to all the Ameri- can networks. In the meantime Felix Green, U. S. rep for the BBC, will do some missionary work on the event in the American hinterland. Green left last Wednesday (12) for a two months tour of the country bv auto. Holden-Sharland Split Hollywood, March 17. Radio team of Eddie Holden an Reg Sharland (Watanabe and Hon. Archie) have split after five year on KNX. Holden goes it alone for. Alka-Seltzer on six stations of NBC western net, starting April 13. Sharland is on the desert being treated for arthritis after being off the air for two months. Holden's Japanese houseboy skit will be programed as 'Frank Wa- tanabe and William.' Cameron. Prud'homme 1 of NBC Frisco dra- mftlc staff, goes in as feeder. Piece airs five nights a week. Morenus at Bess & Schillin Richard C. Morenus. who I'm- organ. Is being used. The 'Up to the Minute' program has also been j merly operated Morenus AdvertN dropped. The 'Forgotten Footsteps : ng Agencv A101Gnus ^ein. program has been cut to a half-hour and several musicians have been dropped from Alexander Chuhaldin's 'Melodic Strings' orchestra, this car- ried by NBC as a Commission ex- change program Chicago, has been signed by Bess & SchiHIn. Inc.. in :\ T ew York. Will be continuity chief assigned to program depart- ment. Walter Kelly remains as head of dept.