Variety (Dec 1937)

Wednesflay, Decemb^er 15,. 1937 INTERNATIONAL RADIO VARIETY 99 CANADA MAPS ALL SIGNALS Two-Language Comics Scarce Montreal, Dec. 14. ,'. Problem of getting French-language comics and bi-rlingual an-r nouncers is giving^ the local French-language stations here a good- sized headache. Announcers who can speak both English and French without trace of an accent are particularly hard to dig iip. GKAC officials reporting that in their semi-annual auditions not more than brie applicant in a thousand is found suitable. There are any number of those who can meet the bill in English but haven't got the quality of Friench required and innumerable Frorich announcers ^yhose English would pass in ordinary conversation, but aren't good enough for radio. In the comedy field there is no backlog of native tongue theatre ;talent to draw upon here. Those comics now holding the spotlight have been toned down and polished up iri'deference to a strong local, clique which insists on purity and class in the French language when it comes over the. ir. As a result the slapstick, burlesque type of comedy is sti-ictly;oh the' outside and lines, gags^and comedy situations are carefully edited, before airing in order" to pass the language bugs. French-laqguage comics who have what it takes are not only diffi- cult toi find but don't seem to stay on top for very long even if they click. Most comedians, if successful, stay in favor for no longer than a year or two, us ually be g inning to slip earlier. When, station execu- tives begin to notice a dropping ofTJa demand for studio ticJcets, fan mail, etc., attempts arp usuaily made to bol'ster the fading .staj-s with new materia;! but, as a rule, they, slide as fast as they come up. Thyl Coe' Mysteries To Be Waxed for Mexico; Cuba, Peru, Argentine Philadelphia, Dec. 14. Phyl Coe radio mysterie.s, being aired via discs oh 243 stations in this country, went international last Friday (10). Translated into Span- ish they are bclig heard twice a week from' Mexico Gity. Tampico, Monterey, Vera Cruz and Chihua- bua. They'll shortly start In Havana, top, and then go to Venezuela, Peru and Argentina. . Arrarigemerits also being made lor iSouth Africa* Panama's Monthly Rates Panama Citj% Dec. 8. Star of - Panama, station HP5A, will alter its commercial rates con- sideriably after Jan. 1, it is an- nounced. 'Regulations and charges will be affected. Station plans eliminating alV semi- weekly, weekly and fortnightly rates and will substitute monthly rates on all.local and foreign business. Fig- ures on upped rates have not yet been decided. Canadian Broadcasting Co. Has Six-Man Crew Under K. A. McKinnpn Mieasur- ing Co vera ge —Ready Next Year—Private Sta- tions Will Be Permitted to Share in Findings PROGRESSIVE STEP Rer Douglas spieling his sport- casts from bed over CKNX, "Wing- ham. Fractured ankle keeping the announcer horizontal. By MORRIS KRUSHEN Montreal, Dec. 14. —Ga nad i ari^Br bad ca^ti n g-Gor p r-t ng i^ neers' are making a complete survey throughout Ganada to. determine prir mary service areas for the GBG net- work with a view to .giving Am.eri-- 'ccn advertisers comprehensive data which so far has been available only in part. Station coverage maps of Ganadian areas which, have been made during the past two years will be supplemented \yith additional in- formation now being gathered by a crew of six government field, engi- neers under the direction of K. A. MacKinnon. First step in getting at primary service area information is to de- termine ground conductivity. In the Montreal survey made for GBF, en- gineers set up ia portable tran.smitter and a 600-foot antenna on a sight radius of 150 miles in order to de- termine power. By means of data which govern- (Gontinued on page 42) Theatre Men Call M Vaudeville Remotes to British Broadcastiitg Co.; 'Royal Command' Hurt Box Offices English Notes British Broadcastini: Co. will make its first attempt at a relay of two tango orchestras from the Buenos Airies radio, station. Bands .selected are Julio ds Garo and Juan d'Arianzo. American comedy 'Once in a L'fe- time' being televised Dec. 6 and 10. . Fdllowing h is 'Ber keley Square ' play, "LeslTeTlqwara^to do 'Hamlet'" over the aii-, Jan. 2. . Francis Williams,, ass'.stant direc- tor, of school broadcast for. BBG, marrying Wynona Wright in London register office shortly. Dame Marie Tempest, Fred Groves. Leon' Lion; ; Terence de Marney played, in Ibsen's ''Ghosts' fof the BBG Dec. 6 and 7, Running commentary will be given on the Oxford-Gamhridge Rugby match by J. B- G. Thomas. Stan Robertson, sax player with Harold Green's, orchestra at GJBG. Winnipeg, joining Murray Griss or- chestra at Belmont House. Bermuda. Brian McGarthy, substitute bass player with the same band has al- ready left to join the Griss group. London, Dec. f). Just when it was felt by the Brit- ish Bro:;dc;istirig Go. that they were on Ens.v ."Street anent the. line-up of. vaudeville remotes from most of the supsr cinemas, they took- it on tine chin, .and the whole idea is now on ice. It all started with the BBC having cau.'iht the Ginematograph Exhibitors Assn. napping on the Pal'adium Royal Gommand Performance re- centlv. While the latter body was h aggli ng on what to . contribute to lhis:_clianf'y pefformanco,3ilvj^^ the BBG v/ith.ai $5,000 o;ter and got the ri"hts. This, cost the theatres a mere $300,000 (estimated) in gros.ses for that.night, not countin.^ another $100,000 that was lost to straight Vcludsville and legit.. This started a squawk among the members of the GEA which hss re- sulted in Gaumont-rBritish and Bern- stein circuits pulling out of a pend- ing deal they had with , the BBG to remote .sonie of the vaudeville shows from their deluxers. One show that will have to be- picked up as the contract is already signed, ssaled and delivered, is the bi-oadcasting of the mammoth vaude- ville program GB-Hyamis Brotheri are putting on at the opening of- their new deluxer, the State, in Kil- burn, Dec. 20. It is figured this boost for the new hou.se will cost the trade another $250,000. :