Variety (Apr 1939)

S2 VARIETY RADIO Wednesday, April 12, 1939 Bureao of Missing Basiness (Tliis 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 radio. In any event, the object of this series is to stimulate thought and excliange of ideas. Persons within the trade are invited to express thanselves, either on specific subjects brought up, or on related aspects overlooked or not covered.) NO. 3-SHOES For the annual turnover that the shoe Industry enjoys- the amount spent for radio advertising rates is a mere pittance, and ifs beeii get- ting less with the passing years. The retail sales for shoe stores In 1937 amounted to over $750,000,000, yet In that year there wasn't a single shoe account on the national net- works and the pickings of spot busi- ness from that field couldn't hav^ amounted to $500,000, When com- pared to other factors In the apparel group, the shoe business' relations with radio show up still punier. Station sales statTs in various parts of the country have demonstrated that the shoe retailer can be got if pressed hard enough anl approached with the right program and mer- cliandising campaign. An outstand- ing case in point is the experience of Arthur Hull Hayes, sales. manager for WABC, N.. Y., wltH the Thom McAnn chain, a sul>sidiary of the Mel- ville Shoe Co. Hayes lit on jthe idea of selling the McAnn group an early a.m. news period, gathered a mass of pertinent data, including the sub- ject of peak commutatioiLtraflic, and went after his quarry. The ac- count cited past experiences and no mean array of counter arguments, but Hayes persevered with the result that he landed the account on a six- times-a-week basis for 52 weeks. However, Hayes had one advantage, and that was the support of a strong- ly pro-radio agency, Neff-Rogow, Inc. Same station recently succeeded In bringing bacl^Enna Jettlck shoes after a several years' layoff from both network and local advertising. Tlie most frequent argument that radio salesmen on shoe company solicitations have had to contend with is that the average shoe con- cern can't stand the budget required ' for the type of program that would fetch the attention that the product requires. The shoeman Is loath' to become the underwrite of just an- other program. He refuses to think In terms of other than night-time schedules, even though there's a rich field available to him among fhe housewives who do the major portion of their listening during the day. Particularly noticeable among the missing in the shoe industry as re- gards radio are the children brands. At one time the Buster Brown Shoe was a network user of no small pro- portions. This compan.', which manufactures the Buster Brown and. Airstep brands, how confines itself to spotty participation In tbr tran- scribed. Jean Abbey series. .From tho kid ranks radio also used to get an occasional campaign on the Robin Hood and Indian Walk brands. NBC's. Paciflc loop has the. Gallen-. kamp shoe stores sponsoring a quiz program, 'Prof. Puzzlewit' at pres- ent time. ' Insqrance Interest Stirred By HABOLD W. COHEN Pittsburgh, April 11. Discussion of the insurance com- pany attitude toward radio adver- tising which was recently published in Vabiety's 'Bureau of Missing Busi- ness' played a part in an insurance sponsor contract pending at KDKA. Matter tiad i>een stewing some months, but the timely appearance and thought-provoking nature of. the Variety discussion helped clarify. KDKA went into action to attempt to clinch. Serial script had been cooked up some time before by Joe Feldman and Bill Beal, station's continuity head. Sales department, for the first time, found a willing ear when pro- gram was suggested to flock of local agents. As a result, show is currently be- ing wliipped into shape—requires dramatic cast and music—and will be auditioned at KDKA Thursday (13) for group of 22 important in- surance men in this district Learning that KDKA had a pro- gram formula currently available, NBC officials had station representa-^ tive go to New York to discuss the program and exchange insurance ideas. First time insurance people here would ever listen to radio proposals, and generally believed a direct re- sult of VARiEiy symposium. STATION IDEAS ♦ ♦ MM M I> MMM »»»' IfWL's Country Stare Ancle •New Orleans. WWL here has spread placards in all general stores of country towns in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and West Florida wheia surveys showed there were listeners to its farm programs. . Attention - callers .iesigned to spread the habit Primary and High School Tio St Paul. Grammar school moppets are col- labing with local high schoolers in putting across a newseiles of weekly broadcasts over WCCO. Fourth- graders, who study as a regular course a history 6t the State of Min- nesota, dig up the material—and the high school studes write scripts and produce the 15rmlnute shows; Dubbed 'Hail; Minnesota,' the series got away at 2:15 p.m. last Wednesday (22) witii a chapter en- titled 'Minnesota Today.' Tomor- row's (29) chapter is 'The Redman's Paradise.' Broadcasts, which originate in WCCO's Minneapolis studios, are handled In cooperation with the St. Paul Department of Education. When the series winds up, just be- fore' summer vacation, .the nine weeks will have run the fourth- graders completely through their course of study of ths North Star SUte. WCCU'b Donat-Dnnkin; Minneapolis. As a promotional stunt for . his early morning broadcasts over sta- tion WCCO here, Clellan Card, an- nouncer, is holding an annual Dough- nut Dunking Festival in the studio. The doughnut party drew approxi- mately 1,500 people at 6:45 a. m. last Wednesday. The guests were served free doughnuts and coffee. Spot Cam{^aigns (New, Renewed or Pending). Mothers Best Flour (Nebraska Consolidated Mills) will use a 15- minute home economics show on WNAX, Yankton, S. D., five times a week. Contract is for 52 weeks. Ac- count also considering WMT, Cedar Rapids, KFNF, Shenandoah, and KMMJ, Grand Island, la. Earl Al- len Co: is the agency. P. LoriZlard Co., on behalf of Die'ties cigarets, has bought all time signals, approximating 100 weeldy, on WQXR, N. Y, for 52 weeks, ef- fective this week. Stalev Milling Co., Kansas City, signed for series of 13-week sponsor- ship of 'Men of the Range' on the Texas State Network. Dtcfcson & Ford has been ap- pointed by Lyons Bedding Co. to handle the firm's radio business. Cur- rent Lyons' program is 'Battle of Words' on CFRB, Toroiito, Thursday nights. I ■ BayeT-Semesan Co., Inc., Wilming- ton, Del., through Thompson-Koch Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, beginning - MarcK-2Z.-for.18. .announcements, ol 100 words each, six a week. WHO, Des Moin^. Manhattan Soap CO. has renewed Jimmy Stevenson's morning news shots on WJB, Detroit for 13 addi- tional weeks, starting April 17. '. General F.oo^ .xfiMVi .the.YouQS Doctor Maione serial on WJR, De- troit for 13 weeks after present con- tract expires April 24. WXTZ's Fatrlotlo Series Detroit WXYZ is inaugurating a new 30- minute program tagged 'Signers of the Declaration of Independence.' Show will dramatize life of every signer of the declaration of inde- pendence, one at a time, and Mana- ger H. A Camt>bell has effected a tieup with 'Detroit superintendent of schools whereby students will sub- mit essays on . each person drama- tized. ' Winning stories will get a 30x20-foot American ' flag with school's and pupil's name' inscribed thereon. Second prizes will consist - of George Washington pix by Stewart while third awards each weeic will be pix of the U. S. Constitution with slgnees. Mimeograph Giveaway Okl^oma City. "KOMA Presents Ye Musicale (Hocke Book of Books on Foo Loso- phy' Is title of new giveaway book being distributed by station to audi-, ence of its Musical Clock program. Booklet is mimeo job of t\velve pages crammed with quips, jokes and what-not used by Roger King and Jimmy Todd in their program. ' Emerson Radio has bought a 15 min. tri-weekly news strip on WMCA, N. Y., and WOL, Washing- ton. It's for 13 weelcs starting April 17 and aired from 10:30 to 10:45 Mon- day - Wednesday - Friday. Program will emanate from WMCA ^ and will have to be repeated each broadcast when Daylight Saving time goes into effect Washington stays on Eastern Standard - time. Lighttoot Associates agented. Ansonia DeLuxe Shoe Shops, Inc., bought 15 mins. of 90 min. 'World's Fairest Music' participating show on WMCA, N. Y., for 52 weeks starting past Monday (10). Friend Advertising Agency agented Dime Savings Bank of Brooklyn starts series of talks on household repairs and maintenance, over WMCA, New York. Roger B. Whit- man, real estate editor of the New York Sun, wUl do the 15-minute weekly shot" titled, 'froni Cellar to Root' Through Austin agency. .RCA Victor is bankrolling 'Music As You Like It, When You Like It' (discs) . over CKLW, Detroit, six nights weekly for 30 minutes. Plug- glpg .relcfws, . Quiz Quirk's Quick Qnit Cleveland. Bill Dye'5 bank-nite quiz, bought by Fuller Shorthand School for thir- teen- weeks aver WHK to drum up prospective students, brought so many leads in first two broadcasts that sponsor dropped the show and postponed the rest of its air-time. Station was a bit perturbed until school explained the situation. It would take its solicitors two months to follow Up on the 300 names and addresses , of quizzes netted by the Initial two shows, and that was all they wanted at tiie moment Leads were, garnered from quiz tickets handed out by school, its oWn pupils and station. Prizes for right retorts ranged from two bits to $10 for the last and toughest question. If latter stumped entire studio audience, top- prize, was added to next week's ace pot, a la banko. Broadcast From Besldenccs Milwaukee. Merchandising a product by actual broadcast right In the home is used for Meier Ice Cream Co. by WTMJ. Table Talk With Nancy Grey' takes WTMJ's commentator Into promi- nent homes each Thursday at 1:45 o'clock. Stages luncheon discussions with a picked group. Homes are chosen with a view to bringing pres- sure on dealers In their respective localities. For her opening broadcast. Which covered the subject, 'Career Women versus. Home. .Women^'. ISrs.. Grey Inside Stuff-Ra^o Lord &, Thomas, agency on the Lucky Strike account, doesn't like the idea of Bristol-Myers preceding Kay Kyser's College of Musical Knowl- edge with another quizzer, 'What's My Name?,' starting July 5, but Young & .RubIcam states that it has not received a protest alwut the situation from the American Tobacco Co. Y & R has two American Tobacco ac- counts, HaU and Half and Pall Mall clgarets. *Name' wUI be on the NBC red (WEAF) link from 9 to 10 p. m., and Kyser has the succeeding hour on the same network. L & T is afraid that two successive hours of quiz entertainment over a period of 13 weeks might tend to shorten the intensive life of the Kyser program NBC may intercede. Instalfanents of The Groldbergs' on WOR, Newark, now run a day behind the live version which clears over CBS out of WABC, New York. Time on WOR, 8:45-9 a. m., remains the same. Procter & Gamble used to make a special transcription job for the WOR broadcast running it day and date with the live version. Under the contract with the American Federation of Radio Actors the continuance of this recording arrangement would en- tail the payment of a third set of talent charges. As It is, the account pays the cast for an Initial broadcast and a rebroadcast on CBS. Because of the double bill P & G is entitled to record the instalbnent off the line for airing over WOR without extra cost Miller transcription tape has approached Young tc Rubicam with the idea of rhaking some experiments involving some of the General Foods shows. Suggestion had been that a spot show of exceptional entertain- ment power could be created through the linking -of excerpts from various GF programs.' What has already caused the agency to regard the proposition as dubious are the salary requirements that the. contract with the American Federa- tion of Radio Actors make mandatory for such transcription jobs unless the performers have been paid for a broadcast and a rebroadcast Big payers of income tax (for the year 1937)-were, released last week . by the Government Persons in radio and advertising'are listed on page 6 of this issue. Meanwhile it is noteworthy that radio's -progress into big business category is -well exemplified by such revealed salaries as these: William D. Paley, $190,196; Frank Hummert, $131,614; Mary M McBride, $88,832; Alfred J. McCosker,. $88,363; David Sarnoff, $83,333; Edward Klau- ber, $80,540: John U. Reber, $80,140; PhilUps H. Lord, $65,000; Edward W. Petry, $61,812; Henry I. Christal, $61,812; Edward E. Voynow, $57,500; Lenox R. Lohr, $50,239. Appellate Division of the N. Y. supreme court has upheld and affirmed the judgment which Daniel Feder entered against Norman Fuirnan in cou'* nection with commissions on the sale of time of several small New York stations for Alka-Seltzer programs. The matter has been in litigation since 1935. Under the original settlement of the suit Furman was to pay Feder $500'Within 10 days and to allow Feder 10% of the income on the account after an audit of the'books. Herb Moore, head of 'Transradio News, Is experimenting with a fac- simile idea that he expects to lead to the establishment of a nation-wide string of penny newspapers. Latter would be printed by an offset'method and serviced, with news by facsimile. Moore's l>ackers include newsprint interests. The project has two divisions, one the home facsimile receiver, and the other street sales 'and carrier delivery. Mutual again uses the juvenile picture book method to tell its success story. The latest promotional piece of this type is tagged, 'A Guinea Pig Goes io Town.' The case histories concern Sensation cigarettes, Ironized Yeast, Blue Coal, Bayuk cigars, Wheeling Steel and Winter & Co. pianos. Ed Gardner isn't going to produce the 'Guess Where* show for Philip Morris. His wife, Sliirley Booth, is the only member of the family con- nected with the program. Bob Stanley, a musical director at WOR, N. Y., has acquired partial managership rights of Al NeUow, a Philadelphia light-heavyweight battler. went to the home of Mrs. Walter Hoffmann, prominent club woman of Whitefish Bay, smart lake suburb. With her she took as special guest Gretchen Colnik, writer and lec- turer. Together they defended 'ca- reer' women against the home women participating in the discus- sion. By-Llners Invited In Fort Worth. Getting local reporters to handle interviews ^during Bowen News and Interviews~program on KGKO, Fort Worth, has attained much local pub- licity for the program. Elbert Hal- ing, station publicity director, watches the papers for local stories with by-lines, then gets in the re- porter and the subject of liis story, if its alive.' Program is handled by Porter Ran- dall for Bowch. Leeion-Statlon-Theatre Linked Rochester, N. Y. New radio program glorifying World War heroes killed in action to be launched here April 17 on the stage of Loew's theatre with biggest splurge in history of local broad- casting. County legion has endorsed the series assuring fullest co-opera- tion and Mayor Dicker has pro- claimed 'American Legion Day' in honor of the event Program, called "Lest We Forgef conceived by Charles E. Miller, le- .glbnaire and free lance radio per- former, with Mort Nusbaum, Harold Kolb and LeVere Fuller of WSAY joining in scripting and production. Group visions idea as going on na- tional net with legion endorsement and weekly 'salute; in honor of par- ticular hero dramatized.; Program material includes more than 11,000 soldier dead from all parts of coun- try given citations for bravery. First program over WSAY will have the eO-piece Slager Post Band, three times national legion champs, playing on the stage of Loew's the- atre, jind. 25 ieglonalres in unlfomj singing' war songs and providing battle effects. Cast of 15 will drama- tize life of David Hochstein, brilliant local musician who gave up his ca- reer to become a soldier and die in France. Legion will ball^ event with rep- lica of French train tooting about the streets carrying banners. Colors of aU legion posts in county wiU l>e massed in lobby of theatre and le- gion fife and drum corps will play in street outside. County Com- mander Leighton Gridley will speak from the stage and high legion and city officials will occupy boxes. While broadcast will have a peace theme, it will tie in with wave of patriotism and preparedness. WTMJ's 'Song Doctor* Milwaukee. The Song Doctor' is a new show, in which listeners participate, being aired thrice weekly over WTMJ, Listeners are invited to write In to the 'Song Doctor' with their prob- lems. He prescribes with a song. For example, John Smith .writes; 'I'm having trouble with my girl. I have a steady girl," Mabel, who Tm sup- posed to see every night But I met Anne. And fell for her pretty hari What shall I do?' The 'Song Doc' in this case comes through with 'I Must See Annie Tonight* Show is built around Jack Teter, band leader, vocalist Each 'patienf gets a picture of the 'Song Doctor* by writing in with a problem. Mu- sical group consists of Jack Martin, organist, and Joe Szoi, guitarist. Stndent Tle-np . Cleveland. Students from 12 Cleveland high schools, picked on basis of scholar- i ship and interest in radio, are learn- ing about the mike- business from Larry Roller, educational director of WHK, Youngsters arie being taught mike technique, sound effects, continuity and writing scripts in course, -which Is a free, good-will educational fea- ture okayed by board of education.