Variety (Oct 1938)

28 VARIETY RADIO Wednesday, October 5, 1938 Broadcasters Divided on Merit Of the Transcription Library; Miller Says No Deal Was Made Washington, Oct. 4. Disposal of the National Associa- tion ot Broadcasters' transcription service—^NAB Bureau of Copyright, Inc.—appeared certain this week, pos- sibly to Langlois & Wentworth, fol- lowing prolonged discussion of the music situation at last week's execu- tive committee session with President Neville Miller. Wide differences of opinion within the trade body, membership were re- flected at the meeting, where broad range of su^estions for handling the whole musib = question received air- ing, but the. faction which has frowned on' the attemot to supply public domain program material seemed to have the uoner hand at the conclusion. President P'lnier insisted, however, that no final agreement was reached and. further study will be given the Cbpyright Bureau problem. Even though' sentiment did not crystallize foripally, general con- sensus was that attempt should be niade to unload the library in a way which will end the fin?ncial drain, Taut will insure broadcasters of a re- liable supply oiE royalty-free music. Thought expressed that if the NAB persists in trying to provide the serv- ice and finally fails the whole effort to build up a non-copyright library will receive a possibly fatal set-back. Longer Trial Conflicting views were voiced dur- ing the debate. Noting that certain regional groups and particularly smaller stations are on record in favor of continuing the Bureau, some members felt.renewed activity is die •tated and a longer trial should be given the idea that the trade itself can do the job. Suspicion reflected that any commercial firm taking over the Bureau would scuttle dt and past .expenditures would be com pleteiy wasted. Leaders who never have, been enthusiastic about the venture argued in reply, however, that the NAB not only is competing unfairly with regular disc-makers, but is tackling a hard task without adequate equpiment, experience and background. Physical details of disposal of the Bureau look like a headache. Propo sitioits to pur.chase. the library and continue the venture have been ad vanced in informal manner, but there are various ' alternatives to be pondered. '.Possibility the Associa tion might;get out from.under the burden which already has taken $50,000 of its funds—by leasing, rather than! outright sale. Or tie-up with a disttibutor would be a stop- gap solutioh. .'Another variation is for the NAB to continue searching tor titles a&d I making arrangements, then,turning pver.the recording and . selling . job. , to . outsiders, , although financial end contains some obstacles, Broad, question of .relations with American Society of Composers, Authbrs, -• and. Publishers • was . left dangling .when the session tended, Cojiviersatidns were virtual seminar •for .president .Miller, '.with- no ,de cisions about renewing the fight for • revision, of >.the. basic, Jederal...law, about seeking aid' from government authorities in wrenching free of the ASC^ grip, or .concerning prepara- tions'for argument over new con- tracts' when the present five-year pacts expire. ENGLISHMAN SPONSORED Attention-Getters As a reminder that its show is opening on CBS tonight (Wednesday) the Texas Co. mailed copies of Roget's The- saurus to radio columnists and tradepapermen. Enclosed was a card, signatured by Jim Tier- ney, the firm's radio head, which read: 'You have been exposed to announcements of premieres before. You have been over- whelmed with adjectives. We are going to spare you 'our' adjectives. We merely suggest that you listen tu the premiere of the Texaco Star Theatre, then select your own adjectives. Fair enough?' Week before Vick's sent out red flannel underwear as a gag attention-getter. WAR JITTERS JAMMED BIZ IN CANADA Montreal, Oct. 4, Although time sales on both pri- vately-owned and CBC stations are reported greater than for the same period last year, local broadcasters report that new commitments have been held up pending clarification of the international situation. While estimated that fall figures are higher, indications are that sales for next three months will be lower than last year, due to uncertainties which held up budgets which will not be appropriated now even with European problems seemingly clar^ ified. One encouraging feature of local broadcasting is the inclination sponsors to.buy' more regional net work time' than in other years, Broadcasters here report an increase of 30 percent in regional network buys, of from three to eight stations, over last year. Dick FisheD to WHN SPONSORS-AGENCIES Royal Typewriter, musical mem- ory contest, half hour weekly, through Buchanan & Co.' Yellow Cab Co., San Francisco, through Rufus Rhoades & Co., spot- ting announcements on KSAN, San Francisco, and KFAC, Los Angeles. Coty, Inc. (Cosmetics), four 100- word spot announcements weekly for 13 weeks on WQXR, New York. Brown & Tarcher placed. New NBC red feeds to WCKY, Cin- cinnati, are 'Mrs. Wiggs of the Cab- bage Patch,' 'John's Other Wife,' 'Just Plain Bill,' 'David Harum,' ^Lorenzo Jones,' 'Young Widder Brown,' and Tom Mix Straight Shooters, Oswald & Hesse meat packing company has bought half of Bob McKee's six-times weekly noon news broadcasts on WCAE, Pitts- burgh. Previously they have been sustaining, with Renault Wine Spon- soring the other three. Norman Twigger's late news at 11 p.m. on same station goes commercial again for 13 weeks, with Iron City Brew- ing Co. shelling out for it. *6ur Children,' a bi-weekly quar- ter-hour of sayings and stories about juves, bowed for Crustene, Sept. 27, via Texas State Net's 23-station hookup. Material is supplied by listeners with cash prizes to accept- able stuff. Sponsor Working Up to a 'Rave CONSOLIDATED EDISON COMPANY OF NEW YORK, INC. AND AFFILIATED COMPANIES FOUR IRVma PLACE, NEW YORK September 29, 1938. Editor, Vauiety: I want you to know how much I appreciate the very kind and en- couraging words which you saw fit to pronounce on our modest little venture into the show business. I have always felt that I owed a lot in the way of practical educa- tion vby being a fairly regular reader of Variety. By following along the same route, I hope to learn a lot more so that one day we might come to deserve a real 'rave' in your columns, Cordially yours, Henry Obermeyer, Asst. Vice-President Advertising and Display. Procter & Gamble Take Unwritten Script Show from Transamerk On Strength of Air Success Marc Williams, cowboy singer from WGY, Schenectady, started on Oct. 3 a series of breakfast hour children's broadcasts over WHO, Des Moines, for Cocoa-Wheat (Lit- tle Crow Milling). of Jimmy Powers, . sports editor of the New York Daily News will re- place Dick Fishell of Station WMCA, New York, as sports commentator. Fishell moves to WHN Oct. 10 as director of sports. WBZ and WBZA, Boston-Springfleld Firestone Tire, 26 15-minute disc, twice weekly, through Sweeney & James, Cleveland, Ohio. Lament Corliss & Co., New York, 78 participations in the Home Forum, J. Walter Thompson Co., New York. C. G. Conn, Ltd, Boston (musical instruments), 26 15-minute weekly shows. Goulston Agency, Boston. • Manhattan Soap Co., New York, 32 one-minute plugs. Franklin Bruck, Inc., New York. Spencer Shoe Corp., Boston (chain stores), 13 weeks, 15-minute Musical Clock disc shows. Chambers & Wis- well. Inc., Boston. Lewls-Rowe Co., St. Louis, Mo., 78 15-minute discs, twice weekly. H. W. Kastor, Chicago. Beaumont Laboratories, St. Louis, 116 one-minute plugs, staggered sked. H. W. Kastor, Chicago. North American Accident Insur- ance Co., Newark, 13 15-minute shows, Sundays, with Bill Williams, from Oct. 16. Franklin Bruck, New York. D'Arrigo Bros, Boston (Andy Boy Broccoli), 13 weeks, twice weekly, Old New England' Recipes, talk and organ. Harold P. Lewis Agency, Boston. Oxo^ Ltd., Boston, 80 one-minute plugs, through Piatt Forbes, Inc., New York. WHKC's Mutual Feeds May Total 20 a Week Columbus, Oct. 4. WHKC is now 'deeding 17 programs a week to Mutual web with possibil- ity that total may bo to 20 as ad- ditional time is cleared. Largest number since station joined the net- work. New shows originating here are Montana Meechy cowbby band, five days a week; Hank and Slim and their Georgia Crackers, five days a week; Songs Sweetliearts Sing, Sun- day afternoon shot featuring Mary Elizabeth Brockerman and Edward Hippie; Silhouettes in Music, with the Ruvinsky ensemble, Nason Old- ham and Dorothy Stevens Hum- phries, also Sunday afternoons. Continuing their Mutual programs are the Buckeye Four, twice a week, and three dance remotes from the I'eil House with the Rhythm Boys ot^chcstrs WHKC will also feed the Ohio State-Southern California game to Mutual Saturday. As with last week's Indiana game, WHKC and the web will take the WOSU account of the contest as given by Wib Pet- tegrew and Grant Vard on the uni- versity station. Gene Fromlierz Exits Alcatraz Island Barred as Theme For Radio, hut Warners Made Fihn sir Wilmott Lewis of London Times Accepts Bankroll. Washington, Oct. 4, Radio debut of Sir Wilmott Lewis, "Washington correspondent for the XiOndon Times, was made Sunday (2) ■over WRC in the first of a tri weekly series of news broadcasts. Although the veteran correspon- dent had been heard on the air be- fore, event marked his first venture on a sponsored program. Wilkins^ Coffee Co., his sponsors, expressed their pleasure by sending out en- graved announcements to official Washington. In addition to snaffling Sir Wil mott, NBC signed up H. R. Bauk hage for a regular SundfT"' night broadcast which also sta .-d last Sunday. Baukhage, formerly with the Associated Press, the United States News ^.nd the Paris office of the London Pall Mall Gazette, will be heard over WMAL. Washington, Oct. 4. Stations which carry dramatiza- tions dealing with inmates of or ac- tivities at Alcatraz Penitentiary, America's Devil's' Island, will incur the hostility of the Justice Depart- ment and possibly of the Federal Communications Commission. Gag was applied by the D. J. last week when request was turned down for aid in preparing scripts for pro- grams ljuilt around the San Fran- cisco dundgeon. Despite the coopera- tion given the film industry—^Fed- erals permitted Warner Bros, to shoot and release film with the ■prison tag—and the opening of files for broadcasts glorifying G-men, the Bureau of Prisons turned thumbs down on.the idea of digging into the archives for Alcatraz material. Alcatraz Out Veiled] warning went to all stations via the' National.. Association of Broadcasters in short order. Letter to the trade body pointed, out the Department's policy is not' to pub- licize activities or personalities of any Alcatraz inmates, remarking use the radio of such material over would be embarrassing. No specific objection was made to dramatizations about other Federal I to head what radio producing actiy- Chicago, Oct, 4. Gene Fromherz, who has been spot time buyer for the J. Walter Thomp- son agency, is leaving after two years with the outfit. It marks the second exit from th*» radio depart- ment, of the agency here, Richard Marvin having departed a fortnight ago as radio department chieftain. In his two years as spot buyer spot billing' for' the agency mounted to more than $350,000 annually. Indi- cations are that the agency will shift the major portion of the radio ac- tivities to New York, leaving the smaller purchases of air time to George Pearson, space buyer for the agepcy. Buckingham Gunn, who was a producer for the radio department, will probably retura to the agency Transamerican Broadcasting Sc Television Corp., which introduced the idea of teaming up serial script writers, has sold a second show to Procter & Gamble through the Comptoh agency. The new one, 'This Day,' will be authored by the same duo, Carl Bixby and Don Becker, who are responsible for 'Life Can Be Beautiful,' which P.&G. started on NBC four weeks ago. They're both flve-time-a-Jweekers. Curious angle about the deal on 'This Day' was P. & G. started to ne- gotiate without having seen a single script. Transamerican had previous- ly submitted the title, idea and back- ground. After 'Life Can Be Beauti- ful* had been on a few weeks P. & G. inquired whether 'This Day' was still available and then wanted to know what the terms were for the writing and production of the yet unwritten serial. Clark's Theory John L. Clark, Transamerican head, has based his writing team idea on the proposition that the best in radio dramatic entertainment can be achieved through the merging of di- versified talents in script creation. His plan calls for linking together on single assignments writers who have had successful radio shows. It's an adaptation of a policy which prevails in the Hollywood studios. Clark is also establishing a complete produc- tion setup in the company's Chicago office. Negotiations are on with a Chicago writing and producing team to take charge of this department. , Transamerican last week became the national sales reps for progi-ams produced by WLW, Cincinnati. Con- nection between the two had pre- viously involved only representation on spot time. ONE-MAN JURY ON AUDITIONS BANNED pens but hint was conveyed that care should be used in framing thrillers. In view of the D, J. attitude, stations which do carry programs dealing with the San Frahcisco Bay Bastille could easily be charged with failing] to operate in the public interest and upon complaint from the D. J, it is highly probable the FCC would swing into action. ity there may be. Primary produc- ing job for the agency at present is the Northern Trust company's local program. Films' Headache Warners experienced quite some difficulty in clearing the 'Alcatraz' title on its original film dealing with that Federal penitentiary, and for that reason was surprised at Para- mount's OK on the use of 'King of Alcatraz,' WB had to go to Wash- ington and fix considerable red tape at first. WRC-WMAL's Shows Washington, Oct. 4. Four new sustaining programs set last, week by WRC-WMAL as part of its program to build up live talent offerings. Piano program with William Conn, Washington, musician at the key- board, skedded for Friday mornings, over WRC. Half-hour series for WMAL will feature Mme. Malada Fani, Italian soprano, accompanied by Benjamin Retner, on Friday nights. Sustaining series, 'Touchdown t'ittsburgh, Oct. 4. Day of one-man audition board at KDKA has been doomed by sta- tion's new general manager, Sher- man D. Gregory. He's named a committee of execs to listen to new talent and whether or no tyros land will be determined by majority vote. New board consists of Derby Sproul, program director; Clarence Petit, head of public relations; Bill Jackson, sales chief; W. B. McGill, sales and promotion top; Music Di- rector Maurice Spitalny and Joe Baudino, chief engineer. In form and purpose, plan is fashioned after procedure followed by NBC. All auditions at Pittsburgh's four other stations are heard by single individuals, which has also been KDKA policy in past. That started a prison cycle all over again for that studio and others, and I Totals,' will bring football news to while a sequel to 'Alcatraz' was con- knob-twiddlers, via Bill Crago, NBC sidered, the studio concluded it sports announcer, and WRC. Latter might again have trouble getting the station will pick up the Sande Wil prison island's, title cleared with the liams orchestra from the Carleton D. C. authorities. I Hotel Monday evenings at 10:45. Texaco Wax for 147 Texaco will have 147 stations play- ing its 'Circle Service Boys' tran- scriptions this fall. Distributor fur- nishes the 15-minute musical pro- grams and the dealex makes his deal fo, time with the 1. ;al station. NBC's transcription division is do- ing the recording job, with the ini- tial order calling for \Z such pro- grams.