Variety (Aug 1936)

42 VARIETY R A ir i o Wednesday^ Angiist 12,19136 NAB. Sees Flaws in Census Figures ■ 1 ' Variance of U« S. Stiatistics Greater Than Shows on Surface, Says Trade Ass'n Washington, Aug. 11. IVIpthods (employed by the U. S. Census Bureau in calculating the volume' of business done by broad- casting ihdustry last year were-chal- lenged last -week by the National As- sociation of Broadcasters. Analyzing discrepancies between N.A.B. and Census figures, the in- dustry trade association declared its monthly and annual reports pn rev- enue from time sales are highly con- servative on the 'whole, probably by 10% to 15%. ■ Association last year fixed gross time sales at $87,538,848; while Census report said gross rev- enues,-including in,come from other services than time sales, were $86;- 492,653.' ; - • Pointinig out. that different bases were used iii each case, N.A.B. de- clared the correspondence 'between the t^o figures is not as great as ap- pears. "NjA-B. femphasized its •com- putations omit the $6,875,110 derived from talent booking's and miscellane- ous sources, so that Qensus figiu'e. on a comparable basis is 9% lower than the industry-estimate. Furthermore, Association said, t the Census enumer- ators considered dispoimts, while, the N.A3. figures are gross, not net, bill' ings. ■ > . . Defends Its. System - Principal discrepancies Toccurredi however, in breaking down the total 'into categories. Two agencies dif fered widely in their estim£ites of the amount of revenue from national and regional network, national and re- gional non-network,' and local time salesi Major reason for these dis- crepancies, N.A.B. opined, is that stations are prone to inflate' their local figures. . Defending its computations, N.A.B. expressed the. opinion its figures of $17,063,688 ior national non-web and $19,281,735 local biz 'are closer to the actual situation* than the Census Bureau's corrected figures of $13,- 805,200 and $26,074,676. respectively. 'This is true for the following rea-' sons,' trade association said. 'The Census estimates are the result of the reports of the various stations to the Bureau of the Census. The division of business into national .and regional on the one hahd and local on the other is certain to be an ex- tremely rough estimate on. the part of the great majority of stations. Studies leading to the development of standard cost ttccounting for radio stations, conducted in 1934, indicated only the roughest separation of busi- ness, alobg national and local lines by stations. In addition, it is quite prob- able that station estimates tend to inflate the local rather than the na- tional, figure. ^Where national adver- tisers and local agencies combine, and. where such combined advertis ing is caripjed at the local- rate, it will tend at times to be. classified as local. ' iSome regional advertisers will tend to be classified as local. 'The NAB. method of compiling data in this field seeiiis to be the rnore careful. No over-all estimate is used for the year or even for any individual month. The tabulations of national and' local business are the results of the individual classifies tion 'of every account lifoadcast oyer each of the rieporting stations every month. This classification is made entirely upon the basis Of the actual point of origin • of the business and without regard to whether it is billed at one rate or another. The original classifications made by the reporting Regional Fonned to Get PoEtical Coin Pronto; WFIU^iUyJs Hub Philadelphia, Aug. 11. Regional network has been formed in Pennsylvania and expects to start airing -within • two weeks. 'With WFIL, local NBC (blue) and MBS outlet, as key station, it will include outlet^ , in following towns: Reading. AlleritoWn, iEaston, Scranton, Wllkes- Barre, Lancaster, Harrlsburg, York, Sunbury, ' 'Williamsport, Altoona, Johnstown, Pittsburgh, Erie and Cumberland (Md.). Idea, btainchild of WFIL execs Sam Rosenbaxun, Don Withycomb and Roger'Clipp, stems from prox- imity of fall political biz. Withy- comb and Clipp in - last few weel^ have been contacting stations and lined up web. Time is-already sold for series of 15 quarter-hour programs for Democrats between September 7 and November 2. Ex-' pect Republicans to' grab similar setup. • Clipp is co-ordinator of chain, which is working out card rates for other commercial accounts. Also plan series of sustainers, mostly out of 'WFIL. Stations will retain any major network affiliations, new set- up being provisional to that extent. No name set, probably Pennsylvania Regional Network. stations, in addition, are carefully checked by experts prior to tabula- tijjh and compilation. This method, it'would seem, should yield the more desirable resiilts from the viewpoint of accuracy.' Mrs; H»rold Pe^ry, wife of the NBC Chicago actor, is vacashiiig in San Francisco in the hopes of over- cooking a bad case of bronchitis. Peary's air work is' keeping him in the east. " There is no ^^mystery'/ about Transamerican Broadcasting and Tele- vision Corp. It is in the broadcasting business to provide advertisers and their agencies a much-needed broadcasting service heretofore unavailable. A part of this service is to assemble authentic infor- mation with regard to the SELLING effectiveness of broadcasting stations. With a new ideaV ainiple facilities, able personhd, Traiisamerieah is in a posi- tion to increase PROFITS ot stations, advertisers, advertising agencies. 521 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 333 f«v MieHIGAN, CHICAGO Grants and Applications "Wlashington, "Aug. 11. Raft of small stuff was acted on last, week by officials of the Federal Communications Commission pinch-hittiiig for the absent ^commissioners— with the proviso that all business transacted was subject to ratification by- the Broadcast Division at its next regular meeting. Work was confined entirely to special authorizations and consisted, mostly of okays for exten- sions of experimental authority, changes in equipment, permission to air special broadcasts and other relatively .unimportant matters. Three ex- aminers' reports, were turned out during the week. ^ Several transmitters received regular license renewals and th^ loUowing were given extensions on a temporary basis: WMFJ, Daytona Beach, Fla.; WRDO, Augusta, Me., and WWAE Hammond Ind present licenses ex- tended on a temporary basis for the period Aug. 1 to Sept. 1, pending recefpt JSd action on renewal applications; WCBD Waukegan 111., license extended for three months, starting Aug. 1. subject to such action as may be taken on application for" renewal and for transfer of control pending before it; WOCL, Jamestown, N. Y., temporary extension from Aug. 1 to Sept 1, subject to-such action as may be taken upon application for re- newal pending before commish. The following applications were received: . WEEI, Boston, Mass., voluntary assignment of construction permit from the Edisph Electric lUuminatinff Co: of-Boston to WEEI Broadcasting Corp. WEEI. Boston. Ma^., night juice jump from 1 kw to 5 kw; Central Michi- gan Radio Co., James Bourland. John Tebbell, Gerald J. Cotter and Ray D. Markei Mt. Pleasant, Mich., new station tp/be operated on 1350 kc With 250 watts; WCOL, Columbus. O.. day power increase from 100 to 250 watts; Southeastern Broadcasting Co.. Inc.. MacOh. Gfl., new station to be oper- ated on 1210 kc with 100 watts; Times Publishing . Co., Okmulgee, Okla., new station to be-operated on 1210 kc. with 100 watts days; Michael F. Murray, St. Cloud, Minn., new station to be operated on 560 kc with 500 watts days; KSIM, Salem, Ore., increase power, from 100. to 250 watts and change frequency from 1270 to 1240 kc; KQW, Sacramento, Calif., day juice-jump from 1 to 5 kw; Julius. Brunton & Sons Co., San,Jose, Calif., new station to be operated on 970 kc with 250 watts days; John D. Fields, Inc Las Vegas, Nev., new station to be operated on 1370 kc with 100 watts; KJBS, San Francisco, Calif., frequency change from 1070 to 1080 kc- Harold Thomas. Pittsfield. Mass., pew station to-be operated on 1310 kc'with lOQ watts nights. 250 watts days.V . ■ ^ _ News-Tribune Co., Duluth, Minn,, new station to be operated on 630 kc with 250 watts; R. W. Page Corp., Columbus, Ga., new .station to be oper- ated on 950 kc with 250 watts; C. W. Corkhill. Sioux City.^Ia., new station to be operated on 1420 kc with 100 watts; Chauncey W. Hammond^ Oak- land, Calif,, new station to be operated on 1280 kc with 1 kw; Louisville Times Co., Louisville, Ky., new station to .be operated <Jn 1210 kc with 100 watts; Sharon Herald Broadcasting Co., near Sharon, Pa., new station to be operated on 780 kc with 250 watts days; KJR, Seattie, Wash., jump power from 5 to 10 kc; WHDL, 01ean,;N. Y., change requested power from 500 to 250 watts; WJAR. Providence, R. I., jump day power from 1 to 5 kw; King-Trendle Broadcasting Corp., Detroit, Mich., authority to transmit programs from WXYZ to stations of the- Canadian Radio Commission; KGBX.-Springfield, Mo., increase power from 500 watts to 1 kw, KAST, Astoria, Ore., voluntary assignment of license from Abraham Shapiro to Astoria Broadcasting Co.. ■ Examiners' Reports Two groups interested in establishing local services in rural Minnesota received the nod from Examiner R. H. Hyde last week, providing the sta- tions are restricted to daylight operation. Hyde reported both enterprises would provide unwarranted interference with existing transmitters if per- mitted to operate at night. .^ -, Fair-haired applicants are Albert Lea Broadcasting Corp., Albert Lea, and Winona Radio Service, Winona, both seeking 1200 kc with 100 watts. Angels in the two cases are local business men who have promised to put up the necessary capital and to keep the properties operating; Transmitter for Watertown. N. Y.-. looked likely when Examiner Dal- berg took a favorable view of the application of Black River Valley Broad- casts. Inc., for a station to operate .on 1420 kc with 100 watts nights. 250 watts days. Corporation has issued 300 shares of common stock at $100 per share and plenty of dough will be available for the enterprise. Rich field for development of a broadcast station was pointed out in the testimony, with 'Watertown described as a thriving city presenting good opportunities for local advertising. Black River Valley is one of the Ipading paper-making sections in the U. S., the report noted, and the coun- try surrounding Watertown is known for its prosperous dairy farms. Columbia's New Legit Spot Outside Times Sq. CBS has gone > into the building housing WMCA, New York, for the network's latest studio theatre. Spot is the Hammerstein, which started ojut as legiter and has been a WPA theatre lately. It's also been known lately as the Manhattan.' Hammer- -stein is somewhat north of the Times Square, area and Columbia proposes putting into operation as its fourth outside, studio in September. ' Network has three other former legit houses and one. roof under lease. They are the Hudson, the Avon and .the Little plus the Amster- dam Roof. Lease on the Little ex- pires in October and indications are that it won't be renewed.- John Woodbnrn, ex-NBC conti- nuity writer, is working his way to the Orient from San Francisco to get atmosphere • for ' a new"' book. He sailed last week. TOWNSEND AIR COPY EDITED BY W9XBY Kansas City, Aug. 11. Townsend Plan mass meeting held in Muny aud last week was aired over W9XBY. Station and aud of- ficials warned the speakers that no reference could be made to local pol- itics. ' In the heat of his discourse Dr. Townsend unloaded plenty of com- mercial copy for the local Town- send candidate. W9XBY faded out the speech immediately. Townsen4 party • bought time on several local stations and were quite irate over the fact that all stations edited its copy. Jimmy Cash; Arkadelphia, A.v)x.^ filling station attendant, who sky- rocketed to New York after winning an amateur contest over KLRA, Little -Rock, has left filling station job to sing With Ben Pollack's-ork in Chicago. PREDICTED BY EVERYONE AS THE BIG HIT FOR 1936 "WHEN DID YOU LEAVE HEAVEN?" The Big Song From Tlie 20th Century-Fox Production-^'Sing, Baby, Sing" ■Wmm Corporation 799 Seventh Avenue, New York