Variety (Nov 1938)

Wednesday, November 16, 1938 RADIO VARiETt 19 4f M M MM ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ M t iJ | M » MMMMM »l PHnceton s 10 Books on Radio ^ ♦ MMM » MM»MM »»» MM » MMMM 4 MMMMMMM Scope of the t»rlnceton University Badio Research Project is. outlined In a report made last week.by. Paul F, Lazarsfeld, the director. Report covers <1) publications in the worlcs after two years of plowing the field, (2) the guiding principles, (3) fu- ture plans. Most ixnpressive is the number of books on various aspects of radio which will emerge with the emblem of the Princiston project. They are as follows: 1. Meosarement Techniques. Criti- cal analysis of the methods used to measure listening habits. '.Written by Frank Stanton of CBS. 2. Tbe Art of Asking Why. An- alysis of the more outstanding theories of motivation found in mod- ern psychology, together with a critical discussion of their usefulness for an understanding of social ac- tion. By Paul Lazarsfeld. 3. Radio Commentators. Rise of the commentator and news broad- cast in this country, status and function. Written jointly by James Rorty and Hadley CantriL 4. Mosio on the Air. This volume will contain a discussion of the changes radio brings about in the music world of our times. Separate studies will be concerned with the kind of musical programs broadcast, factors which account for . the suc- cess of song hits, etc. The book will be the first comprehensive treat- ment of radio music, which covers two-thirds of all broadcasting pro- duction. By Theodore Wiesen*- grund-Adorno. 5. Radio and Reading. Separate studies are in progress concerning the relationship between listening and reading habits on different groups. A general survey of the book programs on the air during re- cent years has been conducted. Spe- cial studies are being made in con- nection with tliree different kinds of book programs currently broad- cast over Station WOI, Ames, Iowa. In cooperation with the Bopk-of- the-Month Club, Information has been collected on three thousand people which permits comparisons of reading and listening. Professor Douglas Waples, of the University of Chicago Library School, is gen- erously lending his .advice for the theoretical discussion of i}ie whole problem. The final form of this vol- ume, has not been determined. 6. Studies In Educational Broad- casting:. 7. Radio in Different Walks ,ot Life. Study on radio listening in~'a rural county in the middle west; The study is being financed and was originally plannied by CBS and fin- ished under our supervision. Also starting a study on radio listening among industrial workers to be con- ducted in an industrial community in New Jersey. Calls for coopera- tion with NBC. 8. The Panel as a Tool in Listener Research. Results of two experi- ments with listener panels. One in- volves a two months study with three hundred Newark high school students, . and. one is a - six months study with 400 adults over the coun- try. 9. Statistical Methods as Applied to Radio Research. Mainly for statisticians. Included in the series to show the wide range of research problems related to radio, and to promote the cause of quantitative methods in the social sciences. 10. Handbook on Listener Re- search. This book will summarize the methods developed, by the Princeton Project. It will have a definite textbook character and be directed toward students in the so- cial sciences. The book should pro- vide a much needed methodological treatment for field workers in carry- ing on radio research. By Paul Lazarsfeld. Sunday News Ideal; Boscul Coffee Using 7 More Local Spielers Philadelphia, Nov. 15. Seven stations were plussed this week ■ by . Boscul Coffee to the two Which were being experimented with on Sunday night newscasts and many more will be added. Spot an- noxmcement campaign was simvil- taneously started on four other out- lets to boost the 15-minute news broadcasts. Exec of Ward Wheelock agency, which handles the account, declared It was felt that early Sunday eve- ning was the most logical time of the week.for news airings because of the lack of Sunday afternoon papers.- 'All week the commentators are fighting against newspapers;' he said. 'Here's the one time of the week when they have the news field all to themselves we figured, and re- sults of our test campaign have shown'us to be right,' Sponsor started the news broad- casts on WLW a year ago with Peter Grant gabbing at 7:30. When the 26-week contract expired In June, it was decided to continue through the summer, results had been so good. In the fall, KYW, Philly, was added, with Harry Wood announcing. On Sunday, the newcasts, with local announcers, were started on KDKA, Pittsburgh; WHAM, Rochester; WSYR, Syracuse; WBAL, Baltimore; WDEL, Wilmington; WORK, York; WGAL, Lancaster.' Spot supplements were started on WGR, Buffalo; WCAU, Philly; WPBR, Baltimore, and WCAE, Pittsburgh. Newcasts are aired at 6:45, im- mediately preceding the Jack Benny show. General Shaver Readies Pre-Chrisbnas Sprint General Shaver, electric razor, has adopted spot broadcasting for ai pre- Christmas ballyhoo. It's buying an assortment of devices, including an- nouncements, participations and sports programs, in every one of the major markets. Campaign will run four weeks, beginning Nov. 21. B. B. D. & O. is the agency. FLORISTS' REMINDERS Chain Breaks on Holidays Sound Good to Posey Merchants Members of the Florida Telegraph Delivery Association are arranging to find out whether annoimcement reminders can stimulate sales dur- ing the holiday. As a test the asso- ciation is buying some chain breaks for a couple of days before Thanks- giving (24). Dates specified are Nov. 21 and 22. List will involve over 100 stations. Young St Rubicam has the ac- count. If the idea gets a worthwhile response it will be repeated just be- fore Christmas and again before Easter. REVOLT FLARES AGAINST TRANSCRIPTION BILLINGS OF BLACKEn-SAMPLE-BUMMERT TuthilFs Mission Dan Tuthill, manager of the NBC Artists Service, returned last week from' Hollywood where he had gone to inquire about the authority of the American Federation of Radio Artists to issue agency licenses for the Screen Actors Guild. Information that TuthiU brought ' back was that S;^G proposed to do. its own issuing of such li- censes. ' AFRA had also asserted that it was in a position to negotiate license agreements in. behaU of the American Guild Of Musical Artists but the network found that the AGMA wanted to do its own negotiating. 40% MUSIC WAGE TILT PROTESTED Hollywood, Nov. 15. Network representatives will get together with the executive board of the Los Angeles musicians union this week on a discussion of the local's new wage scale which involves an increase of 40% over current rates for cross-country broadcasting as- signments.. Three. transcontinental webs have appealed to Joseph N. Weber, American Federation of Mu- sicians, head, to intercede in the sit- uation, but the latter has held that grievances must be taken up with the local. Networks have taken the position that the local's demand that extra fees be paid for sustaining programs fed east is contrary to the under- standing implied in the AFM settle- ment plan agreement. Webs have been under the impression that the annual expenditures for musicians employnient to which they had com- mitted themselves entitled them to use the men involved for transcon- tinental broadcjasts as well as local, and without any extra charge. FRANCHOT TONE IN PLAYLKTS HEATED UP On arrival in New York shortly Franchot Tone will take up final discussion of proposal for script series on NBC. Would be a half- hour once weekly, preferably on Sundays. Elaine Sterne Carrington is al- ready working on scripts-for Tone, having conferred with him on the Coast during the past two weeks. She left Coast yesterday (Tuesday) by train for New York. Syd Cornell, radio scrlpter, signed .^y Spfj.kwelfcOTCeefe. Herschell Hart Airing Detroit,' Nov. 15. Herschell Hart, whose 'Air Gos- sip' column was dropped from De- troit News radio page some time ago along with program comment, art, etc., has picked up five-day-a-week sponsorship for his ^Gossip of the Stars' broadcast over WWJ. Star Carpet Cleaners banlcroll the Monday and Wednesday stints, with Moon Bros, taking the Tuesday, Thursday and Friday spots. Program covers highlights in evening's ether fare, plus sidelights about air personali- ties. WWJ also has reinstated Its 'March of Youth' weekly broadcast, written by Myron Golden and pro- duced by Axel Gruenberg. With Board of Education co-operating, variety program presents boys and gals of Detroit public schools. I Charles Borelll, former WPEN, Philadelphia, salesmen, has opened t': own agency to handle radio ac- counts. He has offices with Harry Biben, theatrical booker. Holdout Yields New Orleans, Nov. 15. WDSU, New Orleans, last week sig- natured a contract with the local musicians' union, thereby ending its status as one of the two holdouts from the settlement agreement be- tween the American Federation of Musicians and the Independent Radio Network Affiliates. Fred Bernbach, of the AFM's executive board, and George Norton, of NBC's station re- lations department, came on to New Orleans to assist in straightening out the tangle between. WDSU and the local union. Remaining holdout is KTBS, Shreveport. Contract stipulates that the musi- cians must receive at least $25 week- ly, with the exception of pianists, whose scale is set at $40 a week. Workweek is nine hours, one and a half hours of which must be put in daily within an eight-hour period, Sunday work is not included. Pact runs until Jan. 16, 1940. Same Agency's Effort to 'Check Up' on Stations Gratis Exploitation of B-H-S Programs Also Brings Resentment PICK AND PAT AIDES REVISED BY MACMAHON Musical elements in the Pick and Pat show for U. S. Tobacco are be- ing reshuffled. Beginning Nov. 28 the Eaton Boys plus four other male voices and a brass band conducted by Ray Block will take over the spots now held by Ed Rocker, bari- tone, and Benny Kruegcr's orchestra. Frank' MacMahon produces the show direct for the account, while Arthur Kudner is the agency. Robert Wood to Chlca^fo WOR, Newark, reshuffled its staff last week to take care of an opening in Chicago. Robert Wood was transferred to Chicago as local sales- man for the station, while John P. Nell was ^ named' New York service contact for the midwest office. Nell comes from sales promotion. Broadcasters are beginning to re- volt against the Blackett-Sample- Hummert practice of charging for the commercial platters that are shipped, them. .,.While. the .general murmur indicates that the matter is on the way to becoming an industry issue, the McClatchy group rates as the first to speak up loudly. Lat- ter has advised the agency that it either cut out the deduction of $1.67% for each disc relayed for. broadcasting or the group will take off the two serials involved, 'Ma Perkins' and Kitty Keene.' Both are Procter & Gamble shows. McClatchy group, which also op- erates newspapers, can't understand oh what business principle the agency bases the right to pass on the disc manufacturing charge to a sta- tion. Agencies don't charge the McClatchy newspapers for mats or cuts and the group sees no reason why the contrary should apply in the CJfee of transcriptions. B-S-H outfit claims that the amount in- volved is the actual cost of the pressing and that the station should be glad to absorb it since the na- tional spot rate and no -production services are entailed. Station reps who have in the past fought the special deduction charge at the instigation of their clients re- gard the- simmering revolt with no little gratification. They recall that out of their own clashes had come anything but pleasant memories. Not only, they claim, have they had to take abfasively worded letters but they became persona non grata around the agency. Time buyers or their assistants were never in when they either called in person or phoned. A shift in ageny per- sonnel was the only thing that changed this relationship. Another Cause of Resentment Washington, Nov. 15. Ears of Blackett - Sample - Hum- mert. Inc., radio advertising agency, were smartly boxed last week by the National Association of Broad- casters. Announcement by the Cliicago firm that it had 'decided to de- termine which stations do the best job in servicing their potential audi- ence with information and interest- ing facts regarding the station's pro- grams' and accompanying explana- tion that B-S-H, Inc., stood ready to reward the 'leading station in Pub- lic Relations on (such and such) network' for the best accounting in free newspaper lineage with an ad in 'leading trade papers,' drew a series of slaps and cuffs from the official industry spokesman, 'Noth- ing short of attempted commercial coercion,' snorted NAB. Proposition was promptly straight- armed by NAB. 'Newspaper space that is valuable and desirable in support of a radio campaign should be purchased and not begged,' stormed President Neville Miller and his cohorts. 'And the NAB can- not condone any efforts made upon its members to secure free publicity in newspapers for commercial pro- grams. Nor can it condone the other suggestions in your Public Relations Survey. Tells 'Em Oft . . . The American radio station prides itself upon its ability to get results for advertisers. The fact that year after year the volume of radio advertising has gro\yn in record vol- ume supports the assertion. The fact that year after year advertisers, through their agencies, have spent more and more money in radio is eloquent testimony of the ability of radio to make new friends and win new customers. These funds Were largely spent upon the recommen- dation of the advertising agency, and upon its own record. Blackett-Sam- ple-Hummert, well knows the effec- tiveness of radio advertising, per se, else it would not have reached the commanding position it now holds in the placement of radio advertis- ing. 'Radio stations are in the business of winning audiences through good program service. They are not in the business of billboard advertis- ing, car cards, movie trailers, store Window displays, or other special- ized promotion. They are perfectly willing to lend every reasonable and legitimate cooperation toward widen- ing the effectivenesis of the spon- ^sqred commercial radio program.' . Accusing agency, of contributing to 'unnecessary misunderstanding between press and radio,' NAB fiur- ther declared that basis for deter- mining a tr&nsmitter's public rela- tions' had nothing to do' with ob- taining freie linage in newspapers. Character and standard of the sta- tion's program service decided that problem, NAB pointed out, plus its ability to accumulate a loyal listen- ing audience. "This is what you buy for your clients,' association insisted. *You do not buy free newspaper space for the publicizing of your programs. Radio stations have only time and talent and mass audiences for sale; riot free newspaper space.' After thoroughly applyin/s the razor-strop, NAB pointed oijt that its views—contained in a long and sizzling letter -to B-S-H, Inc.—were being relayed to the membership of the association In a bulletin 'goiog out this Friday/ Orson WeUes Playlets For CampbeO Wi» Be Romantic and Modem Philadelphia, Nov. 15. Orson Welles' 'Mercury Theatre on the Air* was considered for. Campbell Soup sponsorship last spring, even before he began broadcasting, Arthiur A. Bailey, assistant to the prez of Ward Wheelock agency, declared here this week.. Show was actually auditioned by Campbells in June, he said, although be m&de no denial of the fact that the Mars incident two weeks ago burried . their decision to ink the young producer to a termer. Bailey said there will be several changes in the show when the soup cannery takes it over. Most Im- portant will be in choice of plays. New ones wiH.be strictly modem arid have plenty of romantic interest, as principal appeal is to the house- wife, whom it isn't expected will go for tliriller or intellectual stuff. Second change will be the iise of guest stars. Names wlU be brought in to take parttf itj the plays as an extra hypo for the C.A.B. rating. Switch from Hollywood Hotel to the Welles dramatizations Is merely completion of .a change which has been gradually taking place for some time. . H. H. made its first switch in principle by dropping previews in order to give completed stories. Idea caught on and longer end longer stories were used on the portion of the show known as 'Campbell Play- house* and 'Orchid Room' idea got less and less important. Switch to Welles is merely a 'logical conclu- sion' to the gradual change which has been taking. place. Moving the show, east from the Coast has no significance. Bailey maintained. It is just a ndtural re- sult of the switch in type of enter- tainment. He said there was no dis- satisfaction with Hollywood as a producing center. ■ Bailey declared that he does not expect Welles to achieve as high a C.A.B. at the start as 'Hollywood Hotel' now has, biit he is confident he will build and the show will cost considerably less. ETHYL Wni SPONSOR ANDRE KOSTELANETZ Ethyl Gasoline Corp. is consider- ing taking over the 10 to 10.30 spot on CBS Thursday night, which would put it in opposition to the first half of the Kraft Music Hall (NBC- red). Andre Kostelanetz and a nama vocalist yet to, be engaged will share the Ethyl program's billing; B. Bi D. & O. retains the account, although a westdoast agency was In the bid- ding with a program idea of its own.