Variety (Oct 1937)

Wednesday, Octojbe'r 20, 1937 RADIO VARIETY 45 Bridgepart Has Carbon Copy Of Hartford Show Bridgeport, Oct. 19. Radio numbet game, started a few weeks ago at WTHT, Hartford, has been adopted by WICG for weekly series.from New Haven studios,start- ing Qct. 25 under sponsorship of Majestic laundry. Tagged 'Ma-iic,' WICC version parallels 'K-Plan,' underwritten at WTHT by Kay Jewelry Co., in using local telephone response to calling of numbers as' itl Bingo. WICC an- nouncement, however^ says that listeners will be supplied with cards for checking off digits. Expected that WICC, which spans Bridgeport and New Haven .and wide southern Connecticut area, will en- counter more mechanical troubles than WTHT, a local 100-watter. Phone subscribing participants must all be on dial phone (.flive-diglt) system. ' Resourceful Applicant Tires of Bench-Warming Indianapolis, Oct, 19. During Harry Bason's temporary leave of audition duties one day last week, Medford Maxwell, traffic.man- ager of WIRE, handled a femme who , wanted him to hear a dramatic show she had readied. Maxwell, also busy at moment, asked her to return later. She did; and WIRE guy still to busy to listen. Next day femme showed up again, with her audition on a transcription, 'you can hear the whole thing on this record, whenever you find time,' she said. Investigation disclosed woman had come back to WIRE around eleven o'clock night before, and planked down cash to-engineer to transcribe her one-woman show. KVI REMINDS SEATTLE 'If KOL-RIRO Confuses, Remem- ber We Carry CBS' Seattle, Oct. 19. KVI, Tacoma CBS release with remote studios in Seattle, ,took ad- vantage of the listener confusion which it expects to result from the sudden switch of Columbia pro- grams from KOL to KIRO by run- ning display ads in the local papers that day. (10). Ad copy assured the listeners that the CBS programs could be picked up through KVI, noting place oh the dial, the net- work programs for the day and the location of the station's local studios. KOL used a two-color job in the Seattle papers to call attention to its new affiliation with Mutual. Quaker Web's Politics Philadelphia, Oct. 19. Quaker State Network, Pennsy regional of which WFIL is key, turn- ing back to Its original raisoh d'etre- political broadcasts. Entire web Of 17 stations will. be utilized tonight for 15 minutes by Governor iEarle. Pennsy State Highway Safety Commish also employing network, plus eight supplemental outlets for 2 a day spots over four week period. Roger W. Clipp, of WFIL, is co- ordinator. F.C.CLOOKING INTO FINANCES; NKES SHEFARD'S 'VAGUE ASSURANCES' Examiner Cites Colonial Web Net Profit of Only $2,647—Transamerican Request in Cleveland An- other Example of Fiscal Investigation 'GIRL FRIENDS^ AT WXTZ Detroit, Oct. 19. Following, year's absence, 'Girl Friends' blues trio returns to WXYZ and Michigan web for series of pro- grams. Olive Ryan, forrner member of 'Silhouettes' trio at WJR, is the new third member of blues trio. Stand-patters are Betty Stevenson and Mary Noud. Trio set for thrice- weekly shot over WXYZ and state net. Another WXYZ show, .'Hour of Dreams,' sponsored by Chrysler Air- temp Corp., moves from the 10 p.m. Monday spot to 6:30 p.m. Sundays, starting this week. George Morgan, concert baritone, " and Marguerite Werner, organist, stay on show, with Al Chance providing poetical inter- ludes. Washington, Oct. 19. Close watch on. the financial con- dition of existing license-holders, as well as the affairs of prospective broadcasters, is being maintained by the Federal Communications Com- mission. Ambition of John Shepard, fa- ther and son, to gain a second Providence outlet, thus providing both Colonial and Yankee webs with Rhode Island stations, was dampened for similar reasons. Colo- nial is a stepfather of the Yankee I organization and the Shepard fam- ily, of which John 3rd- is spokes- man, is one of the more influential New England menages, Berry would not accept 'vague assurances' that the new company would have ample financial backing. He pointed to failure of Shepard's witnesses to give specific facts about the amount of cash which has been paid into Colonial and said an agree- ment by which Yankee would pro- vide financial aid was not sufficient proof of responsibility. Remarked that the offer made by Yankee di- rectors in June had not been for- mally "accepted, adding- that the proposition is not 'self-executing.' Berry's report revealed that Co- lonial Network over 51-week inter- val ended May 1 made a net profit after allowing for taxes of only $2,647. Net revenues were $115,322, with operating expenses of $112,296. Yankee was shown to haVe .current assets of $234,049, plus other items, including a $100,000 figure for 'good will,' which gave it aggregate re- sources of $1,030,012. Capital and surplus account of the parent com- pany contains $863,944. Reviewing the Shepard family's financial and business interests, Doubly Tough Washington, Oct. 19, Clamor about broadcasting monopolies is having consider^ able effect, along with recent outbursts of agitation about the .invasion of radio by news- paners. In obvious response to pro- tests that it is undesirable to allow certain Individuals to sew up particular radio fields, F.C.C. examiners are becoming hard- hearted toward applicants who already possess a license and wants to grab off another trans- mitter. This is particularly true in small-town situations and goes double if the licensee is or owns a rag. needed to erect the suggested sta- tion. Evidence showed that Great I Lakes company's resources include $10,000 advanced by Transamerican and a pledge to turn over whatever money is needed up to a $100,000 limit. Under an t,greement between Transamerican and Warner Bros., the parent corporation was to sup- ply the money, with the applicant company issuing preferred stock in return. Berry pointed out that John Shep- ard. Jr., is the principal figure in the background of the New England radio enterprise. He owns all of the stock of Winterstreet Corp., a hold- ing company, which is 100% owner of Yankee Network, Inc., and which in turn owns, besides seven radio stations,, the two department stores in Boston and Providence, Yankee Netw;ork News Service, and, in the long run. Colonial. Stock in Colo- nial has been turned over to. John Shepard. Ill and Robert F. Shepard, but Commish did not find out how much they have. Proposed outlet for Great Lakes Broadcasting Corp. of Cleveland, in which Transamerican holds majority interest,* also , received a setback when Examiner Tyler Berry told F.C.C. that he was dissatisfied with claims that the Warner Bros, sub- sidiary will put up' all the cash Richmond Competirive, Howard, BHop Devote More Time to S^^ation . Richmond. O-t. 19. .With a third station (WRTD) al- ready on the ■ Richmond scene and a fourth (WRND scheduW to start local operations shortly, WRVA hns switched Walter Bishop from studio director duties to concentrate on nubile relations and contact matters. Bishop with station since Its begin- ning in 1925; At •' same lime Barron Howard, sales manager^ becomes general busi- ness manager and supervisor of all operating departments. " WMBG added man power with addition of W. J. Flier, active in local merchandising circles, as manager of local sales, Courtney Quicke busv at the publicity drums. WRTD's. most recent switch has moved Bernard Dabney from pro- gram duties to publlcitv chores. Con- centrating ph that. Station owned by Times-Dispatch sheet and has an NBC wire. WRNL, owned bv- News-Leader daily, operating in Petersburg pres- ently, but planning to originate pro- grams in Richmond soon as local studios are completed, in November, Latest dope is that entire present Peter.sburg personnel will be re- tained. '••.■.•.■.■.■.■.■.•.v.".".".' m ^>^-.S-«-.Ov' 1>C-- >^ ''''' Cincinnati likes Dow's Dawn Patrol A^d Dow's 31 drug storee like the program to the extent of sponsoring it six times a week for a solid year. Under the light touch of WKRC's Al Bland, the hour from 7:30 to 8:30 every weekday morning is as important (and as. good!) as bacon and eggs to thousands of Cincinnatians. A recent Dow radio contest brought 10,000 customers 1ifi«o the stores, many of them making two trips on this one contest alone! The Dawn Patrol l)ring8 thcmin. WKRC carries more local advertising than any other Cincinnati elation—in addition to the complete schedule of the Columbia Broadcasting System. HVKRC CINCINNATI, FIRST ON vour dial- 5000 Walls, Day; 1000 Walls, Night. Owned ai«I operated by CBS. Kcprescnlcd hy Radio Sales: New York • Chicago ♦ Dclroil ' htm Angelee • S»n Francisca m^p'"'' 4 ■