Variety (Aug 1936)

56 VARIETY n >4 D I o Wednesday* Angnst 26» 1936 Spain's CivO War Fought Over Radio; Both Sides Have Stations TELEVISION STARTS Madrid, Aug.-25. Bloody civil war now in progress here between Fascist rebels and the Liberal government is being fought over the loudspeakers as well as with rifles, bombs, daggers and brickbats. Although revolutions have been common here in recent years for the first time it is possible for \ non-combatant to hear both sides >f the propaganda question. Hereto- fore in previous disputes one side V the other has gained control of J^roadcast facilities and devoted all 4^olitical sessions to its own claims. Now what the other fellow has to lay may be heard. At least tem- >orarilyi Through the radio, the world at targe has been able to listen in on the arguments, contentions and claims of the two sides. Xiisteners who parley Spanish pick up direct' info from both sides. The govern- ment sent its bulletins thrpiigh Union Radio Madrid, EAJ 2, and Union Radio Barcelona, EAJlj while the insurgents used Union Radio Seville, Valladolid, Ceuta, Tetuan, Zaragoza and Burgos. Most of the stations form part of the Union Radio netv;ork headed bjr Ricai^do Urgoiti. Radio Seville^s new station wa? inaugurated only a few. months agol Those unfamiliar with Spanish get •news', oh the tragic events via short- wave broadcasts, for ^*.-e government took over temporary control of EAQ, owned by Transradio Espanola, a Marconi company. EAQ, operating on 30.43 meters, was used for bul- letins in Spanish,. English, French, German and Portuguese. , YThen the government decreed seizure of. EAQ, it named Lopez Marin, an EAQ announcer and rela- tive of the minister of finance, as station director. All commercial pro- grams'were prohibited. This also af- ected a nightly news bulletin broad- iiist from EAQ by the UP. General Union of Workers (Union ieneral de Trabajadores), the prin' cipal labor imlon, set up a short- wave station for the expUcit pul^wse of denying rebel statements Issued over short wave mikes. Calling it- self Station UGT, it went on the .air on 41.6 meters daily with an emis- sion in German at 12:30 p. m. and 10 p. m., GMT; in English at 12:45 p. m., and 10:15 p. m.; in Hungarian, a1 1 p. m., and 10:30 p. m. On occa- sions it gave French and Russian broadcasts. Only international broadcast spe- cifically for United States' listeners was one talk over EAQ rebroadcast by the Columbia network. The spiel was officaUy written by Ogier Preticelle, London News Chronicle correspondent and city editor of the Spanish Left Socialist newspaper, Claridad. Eugene Schachner, a New York writer, read it for him. Government also took over Radio Espana (EAJ 2) and used it In an efiort to crab Radio Seville, which uses the same wave length as Radio Espana. The latter went on the air with an endless musical program ranging ^om hot. rumbas to blues and Spanish two-steps. Radio Es- pana's switch to the carrier wave produced' a humming and .racket which cut off Seville time and agam as far as Madrid listeners were con- cerned. Both the government and the rebels used their outlets for appeal- ing to the more intimate feelings of their followers and -listeners—^the government to the liberals and the supporters of the cause of demo^acy against the conservatives; the rebels to the religious and conservatives. Most of the news of thie revolt was heard over the air before it could bc' gotten in the press, which made up the great part of its revolutionary news report from what it picked up from the radio. In Madrid, they pub- lished the governmental bulletins, In the rebel strongholds, the con- trary was true. Radio was -utilized for speeches by President Manuel Azana, the play- wright-politician, Prime Minister Jose Giral, Socialist lieader Inda- Icdio Prieto and Communist deputy British Demonstnitloii Becins !■ liondon Today . London, Aug. 25. Br'tish Broadcasting Corp.'s first televl&on program is set for a ten- day run commnecing tomorrow (26). Only American act selected for the program is Chilton . and Thomas, dance team. Pacific Ralo Coaist Notes COUGHLINHALF HRS. SKEDDED Detroit, Aug. 25.. Father Coughlin's new series of broadcasts, opening Sept. 12, will be 'economic discourses', along the same Imes of his previous talks on Sun- day afternoons. ■ Broadcasts will make no direct mention of William Lemke, presidential candidate. Royal Oak priest declared. Saturday evening series will use Mutual system and a tptal of 31 tions coast-to-coast. Will run only a half-hour instead of an^ hour, as for the previous Sunday afternoon broadcasts. Stations are being lined up by Leo- Fitzpatrick, manager of WJR here, who has'handled ether bookings since t>riest went on air several years ago. Contr.Acts "are for 13 to 26 weeks, with probability talks may be switched back to Sunday afternoons if Saturday evening spot doesn't go over. Dolores Ibarruri, while the rebels frequently heard Generals Francisco France, Queipo Llano and other chieftains. Listeners were frequently mysti- fied by rebel claims contradicted by governmental claims and vice versa but it all made interesting ear food. In Ma(^id, microphones were in' stalled in the ministries of interior and war. At first the'news bulletir.3 were shabbily put together buf after the excitement of the first, few days they became more concise and to the point except when one side of the other had to ad lib and pad for lack of something hot to put out.- Olsen and Johnson play a return .date on Shell Chateau Aug; 29. Harry Kerr, publicity chief for J. Walter, Thompson in N. Y., planed to Long Beach, Cal., to set the stage for Major Bowes' salute to the burg. Amos 'n' Andy got. a birthday cake fropj Baron Long, Biltmore hotel operator, on eighth anniversary pro- gram for Pepsodent Three Radio RofUes will Imitate BLng Crosby, who will be in Hawaii, on the Kraft show Aug. 27. umnist on the: Coast, reported set for a conunerciaL L. A. Herald Ex- press put pi-ic^ tag of $750 a shot for airing. Benny Fields remaining on the Coast and awaiting word from CBS on his new commercial. Jeanne Dante, picture starlet, will play Juliet on Camel Caravan's R & J skit Sept 8, John von Cronkhlte goes to Holly- wood from WBBM, Chicago, to handle sale promotion for Columbia. Clifford Carlson, comptroller for the chain on ttie Coast, berthed at KNX, first of the move-ins. H. Leslie Atlass will sit in for Don Thornburgh in Hollywood when CBS Coast topper goes east to fetch his family. Kings Men did a sentimental turn on KFWB (Hollywood) last Sunday (23). That's where they were dis- covered by Paul Whiteman. Bush Hughes back on the Coast lanes Aug. 31 for Langendorf bakeries after hauling Annies out of Mexican waters for ^ix weeks. Roland 'Chic' Martini of the Gard ner agency in Hollywood to look in on the Marion Talley show. Doris Wester, who was taken in hand by NB artists bureau after she won a Major Bowes contest, given picture contract-at Warners. Draws screen de plume of Doris Walton. Charles Correll (Andy) pointing his new Leica at Coast NBCites. Jimmy Starr, .Hearst picture col- Jack Mnllen coasted in for Goose Creek Parson show and to set up Hollywood quarters for Benton & Bowles. Smith Ballew now ensconced in a hilltop home overlooking Hollywood r-rbut no swimming pool, which he figures rates him some kind of recog- nition. . Kenneth Carpenter will handle commercials on Hew Packard show from the Coast James Harper quit as radio ed of L. A. Evening News to join Bob Taplinger's Coast publicity staff. Andre Kostelanetz took off from Hollywood Sunday to keep a luncheon date in Chicago Monday. Johnny Murray set for a new variety shOw on KFWB (Hollywood) to break next month. Jack Joy's KFWB (Hollywood) ork now augmented to its former strength of 16 men. Cat Kuhl doing double duty for J. Walter Thompson in Hollywood while Herb Polesie idles for fort- night Jimmy Fiddler, Hollywood col- umnist and radio spieler, visited Portland. Did his stuff on KGW for local'fans. Mike interview by Dave Hazen. Carey Jennings, manager of KGW- KEX, Portland, slipped in the street and broke his arm. He's improving. Larry Keating, KGW-KEX, Port- land announcer, left for a new job with NBC at San Francisco. Virginia Veroque LaRae, colatura soprano of the Metropolitan, has a summer etigagement with KOIN, Portland, as staff artist Defines value beyond price . . . vklue that is expressed in WCAU's prestige and public acceptance. PHILADELPHIA • PA ROBERT A. STREET, Commercial Manager