Variety (Apr 1939)

Wednesdaj, April S, 1939 RADIO VARIETY 27 NBC MESHMG NET TO GROSS Spot Campaigns (New, Renewed or Pending) Esty's Ballyhoo for Spot Badlo. William Esty Agency, New York, Is circularizing business prospects with an elaborate presentation 6n spot broadcasting. In addition to offering data on how this phase ol radio can best be used, the self-promotional piece tells about the agency's ability and successes with spot campaigns. Made part of the presentation is a 10-inch recording in which the sales points are further clarified .through the device of a telephone, conversation be- tween a prospective client and the agency. Presentation, whlcli because of its detailed treatment is the first of its kind coming from the agency field, points out that Esty can handle every- thing from 15-second stuS to half hour programs. Also that the copy- writer who prepares the material for a $9,000 magazine ad is likewise as- signed to turning out spot announcements. Recorded phone conversation winds up with the agency man stating that further information can be obtained by addressing a letter to the quoted address or calling the following number, all of which adheres closely to the traditional spot announcement device. Bayuk Cigdra, Inc., Philadelphia CBayuk Phillies')—renewal of 18 15-minute programs, 'Inside Sports with Jack Stevens,' starting May 1, ending Jime 9, 1930. Mondays, Wednesdays and Frid ays, early pjn. WNAC.WEAN, WnC and WTAG. Throu^ lyey & Ellingon, Inc., Phila- delphia. Armstronff Cork Co. of Lancaster, Pa. (Quaker rugs), through B. B. D. & O., New York, placing 'Heart of Julia Blake,' transcription, thrice weekly for one year on KSFO, San lE'rancisco. West Coast Soap Co. (Powow Cleanser and White Navy Granulat- ed Soap), through Emll Brlsacher & Staff, is sponsoring weekly 15-min- Add: New Biz St. liOUis, April 4. First contract landed by John Maloney, a r ecent a ddition to the sales statr at WEW was from the owner of the Mammoth Marine Hippodrome who Is exhibiting •his show on several flat cars near the Union Station here. The exhibit Includes a stuffed whale, a headless womaii, ma- rine vegetation, diving equip- ment, etc. Owner bought a 16-minut« daily program through which h* bally's his show which Is doing swell biz. The contract landed by Maloney will run as long as th^ show remains in town. ' ute round-table <tIscusslons of prob- lems of child-rearing, conducted by Hubert C. Armstrong and titled •Parents' Powow', over KPO, San Francisco, through June 6. WCAB, Pittsburgh, new business: VtetoT Brewing Co., three quarter- hour spots weekly for 13 weeks, tal- ent to be furnished by W. Earl BothweU agency. Baur Bros., disc announcements twice daily, six days week, for 13 wedis. Independent Wall Poper Co., an- nouncements (75 words) three times weekly for 16 weeks. WGY, Schenectady, new business: Hires Root Beer, weather reports on supper hoiur spot, 29 weeks, through O'Dea, Sheldon & Canady, New York. John E. Cain Co. (mayonnaise), 60 transcribed announcements, stag- gered schedule, starting April 10, through Chambers & Wiswell, Bos- ton. A. L. Parsons & Son (Ford dealer) quarter-hour musical clock, thrice weekly, starting April 10, through Leighton & Nelson, Schenectady. Ivanhoe Mayonnaise, 13 participa- tions in Household Chats, starting March 30, through Moser & Cotins,, Utica. Dryden & Palmer (Gravy Master), 12 participations in Market Basket, beginning April 4, .through Samuel E. Groot Co., New York. Dtt- Pont (Cel-O-GIass), twice weekly announceinents, through BBD&O. Spencer Shoes, 13-week announce- ment order on staggered schedule, through Chambers & Wiswell. Scott Paper Co., Market Basket participations, to June 9, through J. Walter Thompson. W. T. Oant Co., 10 participations In Market Basket, starting March 31. Richfield Oil Co., 1-min. transcrip tions, Monday to Friday, through Sherman K. EUls. Walfcer Chick Remedy Co., 1-min transcripUons, daily, through Wes- ton-Barnett, Inc., Waterloo, la, Steiner's (wall paper and paints), Ballston Spa, N. Y., 18 announce- ments, starting April 29, through Leighton & Nelson. River Bank Canning Co, (tomato paste) to participate in Martha Dean five-a-week show over Mutual Commercial Radio Service is the agency. - . Hopper's Coke Company has re- newed for 26 weeks its every-hour- on-the-hour news airings on WDAS, Philly. Philadelphia Electric Co. signed 13-week termer with WPEN for 17 spots weekly. Six will be given on Italian shows, six on Jewish, and five on Mabel Love's WPEN-Daily News Women's Service Club. Spots will plug home appliances. Dodge and Pljonouth dealers of Greater' Cincy are tagged for WKRC's nightly sports review, con- ducted by Allen Stout, beginning AprU 3. Pioneer Hi-Bred Com Co., 26 100- word annoimcements via R. J. Potts agency, Kansas City, Mo., on WOWO, Ft Wayne. Chris Jffatisen Laboratories, Clil- cago (Junket Quick Fudge), 51 one- minute transcriptions, through Mit- chell-Faust, Chicago, on WTMJ, Mil- waukee. Thomas' Leeming Corp. (Baume Bengue), through William Esty agency. New York, 10 weekly spot announcements.. North American Accident Insur- ance Co. of Chicago, through Frank- lin Brudc agency, renewed Its twice- weekly morning newscasts with Bob Andersen over KPO, San Francisco, for another 13 weeks. Fred Fear & Co. (Easter egg dyes) spotting pre-Easter series of . an- nouncements. Through Menken agency. New York. Shaw Co. (Kajol Gold Leaf sham- poo), through J. Walter Thompson, on KSFO, San Francisco, with 13- week participation twice-weekly in Elma Latta Hackett's "Friendly Homemaker' morning quarter-hour. Pacific Gmno Co. of Oakland (Nu- Taps garden pest eliminator), tlirough Tomaschke-Elliott, using KSFO, San Francisco, for 13 day announcement.'! weeldy over four-week period. J. A. Folger Coffee Co., through Bay R. Morgan, Los Angeles, spon- soring Tonite's Best Buys' program once weekly for 13 weeks on KSFO, San Francisco. WXYZ, Detroit, which originates the 'Green Hornet' serial, has re- jected an offer from Camel ciggies to banlcroU 'Hornet' because of its probable effect on juve listeners. HorHcIc's has signed to bankroll airings of WXYZ's 'Lone Ranger' over WGN, Chicago, and vicinity. Spot was left open when Bond Bread recently replaced Silvercup Bread as 'Ranger' sponsor in Newark, Toledo, Detroit and CIncy, Bond having no distributing setup in Windy City. '8 8% BY J(|PP[[| Sab MaiK^ers Ex( Board of Directors Passes the Word to BHng Intake and Yield Within Better Harmony STEPS UNCERTAIN Operating heads of NBC are under instruction, from their RCA board of directors to try to get a closer ap- proximation between net profit and gross income than has prevailed with the network in recent years. It was pointed out that CBS' percentage of earnings continue each succeeding year to outmatch NBC's. No indica- tions were given as to the targets of economy or reorganization. Columbia in 1938 showed a gross income Qf $32,662,992 from the sale of facilities, line and talent and a net profit'of |>3,541,741 for the year. NBC's gross Intake .from the same sources amounted to $42,211,268, while the net profit figured $3,451,071. NBC's gross was about 25% better than Columbia's but the latter got a net profit of 10.8% on each gross dollar whereas NBC garnered 8%. In 1937 NBC had a gross income of $41,583,000 but netted over $3,- 700,000. Lec Board Sets Plans for Adv. Federation Luncheon Trend of Contests NBC last week distributed to advertisers and agencies the network's compilation of offers and contests for 1938. The analysis discloses the types of offers and contests and In a few cases the response figures are shown. Number of offers didn't vary much from those in 1037. Com- parison for the past three years follows: Tear Offers Co'ntests 1938 288 69 1937 284 74 1036 .....k..,. 383 . 80 'GROUCH aUB' GOES CROSSCOUNTRY 16TH Chicago, AprU 4. Grouch Club program, which has been on the west coast for General MiUs, . gets a cross-country hook-up over the NBC red web starting AprU 16. WiU ride on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. CST for 30 minutes. WIU plug the Com Klx product Origination stays on the Coast, though set through the local Black- ett-SampIe-Hummert agency. Bureau of Missing Business (This department will be devoted to discussion of types of adver- tising that, for one reason or another, usually offer resistance to radio. Often, as in heavy goods, the product does not lend itself to consumer advertising; again, as in insurance or utilities, overlapping political or. industrial factors operate against rddio. In any event, the object of this series is to stimulate thought and exchange of -ideas. Persons within the trade are invited to express themselves, either on. specific subjects brought up, or on related aspects overlooked or not covered.) NO. 2~DEPART1IIENT STORES .^at frustrated wistful look In the eye of the station's commercial man- ager Is from his unrequited court- ship of the department. stores. The merchant who say it in big black type spread 6ut over acres of white space In the dally newspapers have been singularly cold to the ogllngs of radio. It's a case of habit, of close personal ties between newspaper business offices and store advertising managers. They say, too, that it is necessary to picture with drawings and photographs many items of mer- chandise; they cannot be accurately or satisfactorily described to the ear alone. Part of the paradox of the depart- ment store's attitude toward radio is that the stores are often notable for showmanship, for stunts, for l>ally- hoo, for the. use of entertainment to attract customers. In the toy de-. partment the store may have ma- gicians, rope-spinners, clowns. Its book department will have celebri- ties, Uterary teas. Other departments wiU glamorize in umpteen ways. Stunning models parade the latest fashions in and out of the tables in department store restaurants whUe the women 'ah' and the husbands gulp hard. Very particularly department stores are supposed to be relatively open-minded to any and all means of making an impression on would-be buyers. The whole theory of loss leaders Is to entice customers into the store on the theory they'll buy other things. Fortunes are spent on show windows. Stores like Lord & Taylor, Russek's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bonwlt-Teller In New York city are, in their displays, far in advance fi-equently of theatrical exploitation finesse. Their Fifth avenue windows are so consistently brilliant they ac- tually draw 'first night audiences.' But radio has had only scattered success in cracking department store advertising. Marshall Field did sup- port an early-momlng show. Macy*s does whoop it up over its own sta- tion WOR. Bloomingdale's has done radio advertising. Her« and there isolated cases are reported. Mont- gomery Ward and Sears-Roebuck perhaps have, been Identified with the air quite a lot Nevertheless many an account is stuck with glue and copper nails to newspaper and only newspapers^ A coE&jrnon complaint Is that the newspaper provides text and the store need provide only Its copy. Its so simple, so familiar. Being a good, weU-established newspaper with A.B.C. auditing the reader's interest is demonstrable and already ob- tained. Stores fancy the Associated Press or the United Press or t N. S., as the producers of the show. They shy off radio where they, the stores, must provide the show as well as the copy. Here enters the snobbish ele- ment on occasion. A store often has a very sharp conception of itself. It prefers the newspaper of the great- est conservatism, IJie deepest com- munity roots. To some extent large department stores determine the out- ward personality of th°e dailies. At least there is no fundamental psy- chological conflict between adver- tiser and medium In the case of radio every habit of the store, every ounce of precedent, even disinclination to quibble with success, every emotional reluctance of the owners (often stiff, aloof, sec- ond or third generation wealth) has to be overcome.' The available radio talent is sometimes deemed un- worthy of the store; or the store will not pony iip for the kind of talent its executives would think acceptable. [Variety is now gaiherlng farther data on this snbject—very Important to radio stations and more will ap- pear' anon. Meantime ataUfias and other Interested parties ate .tivited to comment, pro or con.] Chicago, AprU 4. Executive committee of the sales mnnagers group of the National As- sociation of Broadcasters met here late last week under the chairman- ship of Craig Lawrence, sales chief of KSO-KRNT, Des Moines. Initial subject under discussion was thei participation of the sales inanagers group at the convention of the Amer- ican Federation of Advertisers in New. York this June. Group decided to toss a general open luncheon at that AFA meet with prominent ad- vertising men scheduled for a cou- ple of addresses. Second item discussed was the comin'; NAB convention in Atlantic Qity in July, with the sales man- asers deciding to hold a general lunch get-tos6ther on. the opening day to explain to all members the aims and plans of the newly organized Bureau Of Radio Advertising. This Bureau itself was the third item taken up by the executive session, with Ed Kirby and Paul Feter of NAB on hand to ouUine the proposals. Bureau is designed to supply sta- tions with basic Information of radio advertising field, such as program ideas, commercial data and research info. It wlU serve as a general clear- ing house of aU information pertain- ing to radio salesi and will attempt to give specific information on ad- vertisers and sales possibilities in- stead of general abstractions. Bureau is also preparing a presentation iMoklet on radio geiieraUy. This will be in loose-leaf form and wiU present radio and the advantages of radio as an advertising medium. Others in for the meeting were Ed Flanigan of WSPD', Toledo; Pur- neU Gould, WFBR, Bait-more; Charles PhUUps, WFBL, Syracuse; WUllam CUne,- WLS, CSiicago; Owen Uridge, WJR, Detroit; Frank Bishop, KFEL, Denver; Charles Caley, WMBD, Peoria; Barney Lavin, WDAY, Fargo; ElUs Atteberry, KCKN, Kansas City (Kans). SUES NBC FOR OF HALL OF FAME U)£A The suit of Leo Lindner against the National Broadcasting Corp.. for $25,000, was revealed Friday (31), in the N. Y. supreme court, when the plaintiff sought leave to amend his complaint Suit claims the sub- mission of an Idea of broadnsstlng the dramatization of lives of heroes, whose busts are in the New York University, 'HaU of Fame.' He was promised compensation if the idea was adopted. It is alleged that the 'American Portraits' program uses this idea and the plaintiff wants to be paid. Ray WOson to Be Wed By His Preacher-Dad CincinnsitI, AprU 4.. WilUs Ray WUson, Jr., WLW- WSAl writer-producer, v/itl save the preacher's fee April 15 when he mar- ries Marianne Dixon, dsncsr. of De- troit. Knot will be tied here in home of Owen Vincent, program director of the Crosley stations, by Wilson's dcd, pastor of a Methodist Episcopal church in Chicago. Clarence West, WSAl traffic man- ager, enjoyed a similar break a whUe back. Wilson is a brother of Don Wilson, on Variety start in N. Y. The Smoothies Booked The Smoothies trio (B»bs and Charley Ryan and .Toe Little) arc set fpr the Griffin All-While summer program over CBS. With Hal Kemp. Starts May 2. ' Mary Mason, who recently replaced Eally Field in 'Primrose Path,' at the , Blltmore, N. Y., has joined the cast j of 'Lite and Love of Dr. Susan,' daUy ' serial for Lux over CBS.