Variety (Sep 1938)

S8 VARIETY RADIO Wednesday* September 28, 1938 Hopkins, WJBK, Seeks to Wave American Flag to Embarrass CKLW 'Detroit, Sept. 27. Seeking to halt Mutual's transmis- sion of programs to CKLW, Windsor- Detroit, James F. Hopkins, general manager of the 250-watter, WJBK, here, will go before the Federal Communications Commission next Monday (3) with numerous charges that CKLW is unfair competish for Detroit stations by reasons of its MBS affiliation. Hopkins' statement of grievances, made in depositions here last week, indicates lively session in Washing- ton next week. Following the FCC hearing, it's understood Mutual will make depositions before Gladstone Murray, Canadian commissioner, to bolster its assertion that renewal of the present pormit is advisable from the public's standpoint. According to Hopkins' allegations, MBS' agreement with CKLW calls for so little compensation that Mu- tual just about breaks even on the deal, 'a situation it is content to tolerate for the sake of keeping a 5,000-watt outlet in this area.' The financial advantage accruing to CKLW as a result of this setup, Hop- kins declares, plus 'certain alleged practices made possible by its pe- culiar dual entity,' make it econom- ically possible for the larger station not only to undersell those of com- parable power in the U. S., but also to compete successfully against the smaller-stations, including WJBK, he said. 'Patriotic' 'If CKLW was undercutting stations of its own power in the U.S., and only by a slight margin, there might be extenuation,' WJBK charges. 'But when it is drastically underselling even smaller U. S. sta- tions, the situation becomes serious from the latters' standpoint and jus- tifies intervention by the FCC on purely patriotic grounds.' Hopkins charges that CKLW in- volves two corporations — Essex Broadcasters, a Michigan corpora- tion, and Western Ontario Broad- casters, Inc., 'which owns Essex'— and that 'CKLW has been deriving 85 to 90% of its revenue from ac- counts in the U. S. and we expect to show that this has been possible be- cause it (CKLW) does not operate according to standards that apply in the U. S., including copyright, w.ges, etc., Among other allegations are that CKLW violates both the Canadian penal code and the Robinson-Patmui fair trade act; disregards rate cards; 'double-dealing' as regards contracts; 'cross-ruff' as regards importation of U. S. talent; violations of ban on U. S. program pickups, etc. At the depositions here last week, Mutual was represented by member of Louis Caldwell's office in Wash- ington, and WJBK by Elmer Pratt. Subpoenaed witnesses included Hy Steed, general manager of WMBC here; Arch Shawd, sales manager of WXYZ and formerly in same ca- pacity at CKYW; Leonard Simons, prez of Simons-Michelson ad agency here; Paul Y. Clark, WJKF sales manager' and formerly on CKLW sales staff; Joe Gentile and Myrtle Labbitt, of CKLW; Paul Frincke, WJBK's chief engineer; W. M. Kem- thorne, auditor, CKLW; and heads of two Detroit retail firms who've ad- vertised over CKLW in past WCAU Bandwagon Show May Be Year-Round Philadelphia, Sept. 27. Possibility that the 'Bandwagon,' two-hour show put on by WCAU for Wheaties to fill in the afternoons that the Phillies were playing out of town during the baseball season, might be put on a year-round basis was seen this week. Outlet has asked a concession on pay for musicians if show continues. Musicians Union has agreed to compromise and a meeting will be held on the proposal today. Station has asked that the $13.50 commercial fee for one hour of rehearsal and one hour on the air be cut to $10 for the 16 men. Givot Re-Ams George Givot, who. is just back from four months of voice coaching in Italy, will cuffo as a serious baritone on Major Bowes Capitol Family program this Sunday (2), over NBC, though he long ago lost his amateur standing. Also tenta- tively set for Rudy Vallee air revue in two weeks. Meanwhile dickering with Billy Rose for the Casa Manana on Broadway—but as the Greek Ambassador. GOSSIP OF SPONSOR'S CUSTOMERS ON WJAS Pittsburgh, Sept. 27. Karl Krug, night club columnist, signed by Pittsburgh Brewing Co. for series of gossip airings over WJAS. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, for 15 minutes-. Deal is for 13 weeks. Air stuff will be patterned after Krug's twice-weekly 'Pittsburgh by Night' column in the Sun-Telegraph, Hearst afternoon sheet, with liberal plugs in guise of gossip for cafes handling brewing outfit's product. GE's Visio Skelly on 25 Stations Chicago, Sept. 27. Skelly Oil will use 25 stations this year for its schedule on the new 'Captain Midnight' show, which starts' on Oct. 10. Will ride in Chicago and points southwest and west. Through Black- ett-Sample-Hummert agency. New show is an aviation flve-a-week serial aimed at kids, and replacing last year's 'Court of Missing Heirs', adult 30-minute weekly shot. Schenectady, Sept. 27. General Electric's experimental television broadcasts on a regular schedule will begin about Jan. 1, through the erection of a 100- foot antenna ' in the Heidelberg Mountains, at an altitude of 1,500 feet over the nearby Schenectady- Troy-Albany district. The main studio will be in the old WGY quar- ters in Schenectady. Broadcasts will be sent over a low-powered directional radio beam to the Heidelberg station. The tele- vision wave from the latter will be broadcast at an angle of 180 de- grees over Albany, to prevent it from traveling south and interfer- ing with NBC's Empire State Build- ing television station. Agencies-Sponsors WKRC, CINCINNATI McCoy Gulf Reflnlnr Co.—5 min- ute script shows each Sunday. John Shillito Co.—Full hour-pro- gram. One time. Garfield Dry Cleaninr Co.—100- word announcements. Hinds Honey A Almond Cream— 100-word announcements twice daily, five days a week. William Esty Agency, New York. Queen City Coal—50-word time signals—7 weekly. William F. Hol- land Agency, Cincinnati. Allied Florists Association—100- word announcements three times weekly. Cocomalt, which formerly bank- rolled Joe- Penner, has contracted with KFI (Los Angeles) for a series of 78 one-minute transcriptions. First one spins Oct. 4. 'May I S uf test,' weekly home eco- nomics broadcast by. Helen Watts Schreiber on WHO, Des Moines, sponsored by Kellogg. Duquesne^ Brewing Co. has signed Chester Smith, sports editor of Pitts- burgh Press, for three 15-minute spots over WJAS, Pittsburgh, throughout football season. Smith will call 'em Wednesdays and Fri- days and summarize on Saturdays. Same sponsor has also ticketed Joe Tucker for quarter-hour broadcast of grid scores until after Dec. 1. Both accounts placed by Walker-Down- ing. Big Town Fanners is Seven-Up Bottling Co. of Cali- fornia, through Allied agency, is spotting announcements over KSPO. San Francisco. Other new announce- ments are being bankrolled by Hinds & Co. (Hinds Honey and Almond Cream) through William Esty; American Cranberry Exchange, through B. B. D. & O., New York; R. B. Davis Co. (Cocomalt), through J. M. Mathes, New York; Maryland Philadelphia, Sept. 27. KYW, in the heart of Philly, carrying the town's first farmerf show. 'It is tagged 'Voice of the' Farm'" and aired every Saturday/ Pharmaceutical Co. (Rem and Rel) from noon to 12:30 for Quaker Oats' Full O'Pep Feed Hayseeders are brought into the studio to discuss their problems. . Ay o if i \i WB3 the Denve B so*: Mountain Region! i put your program on i r: • Shaded area is KLZ's GUARAN- TEED MINIMUM daytime listening area based on ACTUAL LISTENING (CBS 4th Study), covering 72 counties in Colorado; Kansas, Nebraska, South, Dakota and. Wyoming with a tojal population of 1,140,100. Coach Francis A. Schmidt of Ohio State heard weekly on WBNS, Co- lumbus, in football chatter for Mills Restaurants. Interviewed by various Columbus sports writers. Coty, Inc., contracted for spot an- nouncements, 13 weeks, on WQXR, N. Y., through Brown & Tarcher. through Katz agency. Folger Coffee Co., through Ray- mond R. Morgan, Hollywood, is sponsoring a flve-a-week studio pro- gram tabbed 'Today's Best Buys' over KSFO, San Francisco. R. J. Reynolds (Camel), through William Esty, New York, sponsoring news broadcasts five times a week over KSFO, San Francisco. Re mar Baking Co. (bread), through Sidney Garflnkel agency, set with KFRC, San Francisco, for 26 co-op sponsorships of weekly Mutual net- work program, 'Show of the Week.' Pacific Greyhound Bus Lines, through Beaumont & Hohman, has renewed its weekly 'Romance of the Highways' live talent show on KFRC, San Francisco, and the Mu- tual-Don Lee network in California and Oregon. New contract expires July 27, 1939. Spreckels Russell Dairy Co., through Lyon agency, has renewed its time on KFRC, San Francisco, half-hour Monday nights through Dec. 5, but is using a new show, 'Brain Battle,' with Bill Davidson emceeing and 12 contestants. Wheatena Corp. (cereal), through Rahrabaugh & Gibson, Philadelphia, is spotting the Mutual network show, 'Ford Rush and His Tinkle Toy Band' on KFRC, San Francisco, via electrical transcription three nights weekly through March 17, 1939. Albcrs Bros. Milling Co. (Friskies), through Erwin Wasey, Seattle, has placed a transcribed dramatic show, 'Jimmy and Gyp,'' on KFRC, San Francisco, twice weekly. Contract runs to Dec. 22. AFFILIATED WITH WKY — OKLAHOMA CITY AND THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHING CQMPANY Representative—THE KATZ AGENCY, Inc. WNAC, BOSTON Broadcast Advertising, Inc. (resells time), 26 30-minute programs, start- ing Oct. 6, ending March 30, • 1939. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Fri- day. Also on WTIC, WEAN, WICC, WCSH, WLBZ. 'Marjorie Mills, the Girl from Maine.' Richard Brothers, Inc. (men's cloth- ing), 30 100-word announcements, starting Sept. 1, five times weekly. McCann-Erickson. Chrysler Corp., 24 30-word an- nouncements, various times daily, starting Sept. 22. Ruthrauff & Ryan. California Walnut Growers' Ass'n, 24- 30-minute programs, starting Oct. 15, Saturday mornings. Lord & Thomas. Kellogg Co. (All-Bran), 26 partici- pations in Gretchen McMullen pro- gram, twice weekly, starting Sept. 13. N. W. Ayer. Gillette Safety Ba*oi Co., 13 half- hour programs, starting Oct. 8, Sat- urdays at 7:30 p.m. Also on WTIC, WEAN, WTAG, WICC, WCSH, WLBZ, WFEA, WSAR, WLLH, WNBH, WLNH, WRDO, WCOU. Maxon, Inc. KSO and KENT, DES MOINES Chrysler Corp. (Plymouth), 18 announcements. J. Stirling Getchell. American Cranberry Exchange, 52 100-word announcements. B.B.D.&O. Folger Coffee Co., Ave quarter- hours per week (Judy & Jane). Gardner. Smith Bros, (cough drops) 100 chain break announcements. Brown & Tarcher. Plnex Co., three announcements daily, 26 weeks, Russell M. Seeds agency. Midland Milling Co. (Town Crier flour) daily announcement on Iowa network's Magic Kitchen. Iowa Optometrlc Association, three five-minute periods per week. Sidles Co. (RCA Victor) one quar- ter hour per week, Cross-Word Puzzles. Fairall. Employers Mutual Casualty Co., 26 quarter-hour programs, 'History Speaks.' Fairall. Sargent Feed Co., daily five min- ute participation in Cedar Valley Hillbillies. Fairall. Schmitt & Henry Mfg. Co., Des Moines, Co-op (Mutual) one-half hour per week, 26 weeks, 'Show of the Week.' Redfleld-Johns tone. Fred T. Wood, Inc. (real estate), through Emil Reinhardt, Oakland, Cal., has signed with KFRC, San Francisco, for a Sunday morning quarter-hour of recorded music, 'Moraga Melodies,' over a 13-week period. ■a Radio Station WOW Announces a 26 Weeks 9 series of Programs for the J.C.PENNEYCO. A 26 - week live - talent script show, "The Jan- gles," started September 19 over WOW, Omaha, under the sponsorship of The J. C. Penney Com- pany. It marks the first time this nation-wide de- partment store chain has used radio advertising in this manner. WOW Omaha, Nebraska 590 KC 5,000 Watts John Blair Co., Representatives Owned and Operated by the Wood- men of the World Life Insurance Society. ON THE N.B.C. RED NETWORK