Variety (Apr 1939)

34 VARIETY RADIO Wednesday, Aprfl 19, 1939 Irene Rich Piqued at Welch's Grape Jmce; Washii^ Up After Six Years Hollywood, April 18. Irene Rich and Welch's Grape Juice are near the end of their six- year association. Star is reported burning at what she claims Is a com- pany refusal to cut her in on its prosperity which is commonly at- tributed in considerable measure to the advertising campaign of which Miss Rich is the centerpiece. Pro- gram is said to be one of the cheap- est on the air with a rating around 8.9 in C.A.B. Miss Rich considers herself doing a swell selling job and shut out from outside money because of the .ex- clusivity clause in her contract She had made hundreds of speeches to jobbers, around the country. Un- kindest cut of all, in her opinion, was the recent demand of her spon- sor that she not broadcast from San Francisco where she was appearing in a stage show but make a special trip to Los Angeles and pay the en- tire expense of the journey for her- self and cast This was ungracious and unnecessary, she thinks. Young & Rtiblcam has been re- ported interested In her services for General Foods but that deal now seems cold. Tn any event it looks like a wash-up with Welch. Ad Libbing Breaks Out On a recent Kellogg Circle program the ,Marxes, Groucho and Chlco, ran a slx-mlnute script spot into II minutes with the result that the ensuing scramble to come out even brought the show into the sign- off 90 seconds early. Foursome filled with unannounced instru- mental number until network signed them off. Stick-to-the-script orders have gone unheeded on several pro- grams and the agencies are con- sidering drastic steps to make all comics respect the timing. Olsen-Johnson Considered For Lehn&FmkShow Olsen and Johnson, currently on Broadway in their own show, 'Hell- zapoppln,' are among the acts being considered by Lehn & Fink for the program it wants to put on this fall In behalf of Hinds Honey & Almond Cream. Olsen tmd Johnson have had several previous radio series. Account would like to get something that could give It a 15-polnt raUng practically from the start It can call for either a half or fuU .hour. William Esty & Co. Is the agency. HH&AC hasn't had a network hook- up since April, 1938. It's last was The Life of Mary Southern' on a daytime CBS schedule. Talk George Fanflmer Oat of Desire to Get Away from It All George Faulkner, staff writer and producer for J. Walter Thompson, who was recently transferred east from working on Tb« CIrde' <Kellogg)/ has been temporarily talked out of resigning from the agency. Faulkner wants to quit and lay off all summer. Agency suggested that be take a vacation right away and let the resignation idea ride until he gets back. Faulkner Is now resting in Bermuda. ON TO BATTLE CREEK,' IS THE CRY Chicago, April 18. Trek to Battle Creek, Michigan, Is on. following the switch in advertis- ing chieftains by the KeUogg com- pany. Hotel registers there look like convention of AAAA and newspaper and'magazine reps. Practically every agency in the nation is on the Kel- logg tail as the talk circulates that J. Walter Ibompson's grip on the ac- count is weakening. Reported aroimd town that N. W. Ayer is getting the account back 100%, with even the agencies Which had minor pieces of the account be- ing declared out of the picture. Hays McFarland agency here had wheat Kris^ies on the air for Kel- logg with 'Don Wlnslow of the Navy' show which is reported to have come through with bang-tip job. Ray Paige Program May Slnft to Another Tmie; Opposite Kyser United States Hubber is looking for a better time spot on CBS. Pres- ent niche is Wednesdays at 10 p. m. opposite the Kay. Kyser program, currently batting above 20 in C. A, B. Report in trade that the rehearsal time on Raymond Paige's "OO Men and a Girl' program was excessive is denied. Paige is rehearsing his men in sections, strings, brass, per- cussion, etc., before the dress re- hearsal. About five hours weekly is all that's required for the show. COURTENAY SAVAGE IN N. Y. FOR GUILD Don Kaye at KYA San.Francisco, April 18. New musical director at KYA, lo- cal Hearst transmitter, is Don Kaye, who succeeds Walter Rudolph. Kaye also has an orchestra at the Hotel Claremont in Berkeley,. Station also has a new string, quin- tet consisting of prominent lo'eal mu- sicians under Betty Marino's direc- tion. Group airs Ave times weekly. Other personnel changes Include additions of Dick EUers, formerly of KPOftKGO, to the newscasting staff; Chet Blomsness and Holland F. Davis to the sales department, and Steve Btyher of Vancouver, B. C, and Ned Bunnan to the announcing staff. Burman was formerly with KGDM, Stockton, CaL He and Bryher replace Bert' Buzzlni and Dick yfyane, resigned...- Fred Fox and Al Zitcot have been shifted from the merchandising service and tech- nical forces, respectively, to the pro- ^ictlon staff. Courtenay Savage, Chicago radio scripter, is currently in New York for a week's vacation and huddles with Radio Writers Guild execs. He's a vice-prez of the organization, and its top representative in Chicago. Although it was indicated Savage's confabs wlUi the Guild are of a routine nature, it. is believed the matter of regional representation on the group's coimcil, as outlined in the tentative agreement with 'AFRA, may be discussed. ARMY LOOSENS UP Beported Mach More Cooperative t« Badl» Stations Omaha, April 18. Radio men here report a general releasing of reins governing airings from army posts. All three local stations broadcast maneuvers from Fort Crook on Army Day, with WOW transcribing a special broadcast of the program from the U. S. observa- tlbn'plane. " . The Seventeenth Infantry band, heretofore available onJ^ on special occasions, can now be atred when- ever desired. Fredrlo Uarehes (Florence KI- drldge), leads of 'American Way,' have leased Weston, Conn., home of John .Orr Young {Young & Rubl- cam). Acting duo moves In next month. Jean Hersholt Returns For Chesebrough in Fall Hollywood, April 18. Jean Hersholt has been contracted for another 30 weeks, starting in the faU. His 'Dr. Christian' dramatic series for Chesebrough vaseline muted last week for long layoff until October. Program wiU take best tline avaQ- able on its return. mm ROLE TO WORRe Montreal, April 18. Telephone commentators are the latest type of pest besieging local radio stations. Both CFCF and CKAC report- regular calls from listeners who insist on discussing political de- velopments via phone. At CKAC one regular called up In a panic last week to ask did Cham- berlain and Daladier know that Hit- ler was sending the German navy for maneuvers off the coast of Spain, and why wasn't something being done about it Flavius Daniel, traffic man at CKAC, reassured party by telling him that Daladier and Chamberlain had known of Hitler's projected naval parade several weeks in ad- vance and that the situation was well in hand. Another kibitzer, a devout Catho- lic, called to protest against the ac- tion of Pope Pius XII in congratulat- ing Franco, and could the station do anything about it Roy Durstine, Benton, Young Forming Agency Roy S. Durstlne, who resigned a week ago from B.B.D. & O., is re- ported as readying to form an agency partnership with John Orr Young and William S, Benton. Young retired from Young 8c Rubicam six years ago, while Ben- ton gave up his partnership lit Ben- ton & Bowles two years ago to join the University oit Chicago as public relations head. 'CUT-THROAT BOYS' FORM LUNCH GROUP St Louis, April 18. Directors of Public Affairs Depart- ments of seven local radio stations have burled the hatehet by forming an informal, untagged bi-monthly luncheon club at which their trials and tribulations will be discussed. Opportunities to scoop, each other will not be abandoned even though the boys break bread at their indl vidual expense. One of the reforms advocated by Jerry Hoekstra, KMOX, who with Gene Kemper, KWK, launched the club, is the use of a candelabra to hold the mikes of all stations at big events instead of cluttering up the place with Individual instruments. Hoekstra and Kemper hope to de velop more efficient handling of co- .pp broadcasts without putting the damper on efforts to grab off 'ex6lu sives.' Besides Hoekstra and Kem- per, Frank Eschen represents KSD; Bill Dumey, WIL, and Paul Arandt KXOK. Invitations to join which were sent to P ublic Affairs Directors at WEW and WTMV, the latter in East St Louis, probably will be ac- cepted. At-the-Soiirce CoHectioii Looms As Major Ra£o-ASCAP Controversy Self-Squelch Insiders got a giggle last week during the "Easy Aces' broad- cast when the telephone rang and J^ane Ace answered. On the other end, supposedly, was a . C.A.B. survey representative de- manding: •What' program are you listen- ing to at the moment?' •Why,' replied Jane, 'la there some^ing good on?' STUDEBAKER MAY FORSAKE SPOT Chicago, April 18. Possibility looms that the Stucfe- baker account, now on a nation- wide spot spread, may shift to the networks at the expiration of pres- ent contracts. This follows the gen- eral push-around that Studebaker is getting from a number of stations as to time allotments. With daylight saving tinie com- ing in to disrupt network sched- ules, spot shots are reported getting the works In many Instences, and Studebaker, using evening time, is feeling plenty of pressure. Situation' has the local station reps in a healthy sweiat since the Studebaker spread is the biggest hunk of spot biz to fall Into their laps in many a month. Studebaker biz adds up to plenty of mazuma,. using three evening IS-minute shots a week on some 60 stetlons. KASTOR EXPANDING JENNINGS' DEPT. Gilmore Takes Count Hollywood, April 18. Coast radio loses one of its vete- rans May 12 when Gilmore Circus drops off NBC "Coast networE" Pro^ gram has been airing consistently for 10 years. Oil backers not so sure they'll be back. Scepp's Appendectomy Maurice Scopp, of Air Features, Inc. (Blackett-Sample-Hummert), is recuperating at his home fioin an appendectomy. Due.back at the office next week. Chicago, April 18.. Expansion of the radio department of Kastor agency here is under way. Department chief Robert Jennings gets more space and half-dozen new staff people. First to join the agency in the expansion drive instituted by Jennings will be John Greene, who will be listed as continuity chieftain. Greene comes in from the Coast and has written such shows as 'Attorney at-Law' and 'Dick Tracy.' Besides putting on the agency's :ontinuity department Jennings is also Intent on building a separate production steff for the Kastor office, and Is now negotiating with several producers In Chicago and other key cities to join the agency. Kastor office anticipates new radio accounts. JENNINGS' 'AWARD' SHOW Procter Si Gamble's Teel to Sponsor The Best Skit' Chicago, April 18. Bob Jennings of Kastor agency has tUcen off the shelf his pet idea which was submitted when he was with WLW some time ago to Gruen watch. It Involves an 'award of merlf to 'the best skif and then revival of selected program with a new cast Procter & Gamble has bought the idea for a half-hour, night-time show to sell Teel, new liquid dentifrice. It will supplant 'Midstream.'' On CBS at 10 p. m. Mondays, starting May 1. George Fogle will produce. Jen- nings hopes to get Walter Huston or Gertrude Lawrence as one-time start- ers. Arthur Edes Leaves WEE! " Bost6n,''SpfU 18.~ Arthur F. Edes, program director for WEEI, Boston, will go on Ind^ leave of absence immediate^ to de- vote his summer time to operation of '1640 Hart House' In Ipswich, Mass. Edes, Just released from a focal-hospital after an'eye operation, took over the historic eatery a year ago. No su ccessor has been announced' by WEEL NevlUe Stiller, president of the Na- tional Association of Broadcasters^ advlsed'John G. Paine, ASC.'. P gsn.^ eral manager, at a conference last week, that his Office was gathering a mess of data relating to music uses for submission to the'Society. This data would. Miller inferred, play an important part in the future discus- sions between the two factions about a new license contract . It lias already become evident that a major cause of -contest within V,.t broadcast group itself will be the question of having ASCAP collect the fee on network commercial progra : at the source, NBt and Columbia. While NBC appears not anxious to fight this issue, CBS still holds to the position, that all commercial fees should be collected by ASCAP di- rectly fiom stations. If the networks yield on the soiirce collection an'^i, the indications are thut the smaller stations will benefit from reductions la their susteihing fees. Dome V Name Phi Beta Kappa Has Radio Yen Phi Beta Kappa is going on the air. A drive 'In Defense of the Human- ities and Intellectual Freedom' is be- ing organized on a basis of 13 half- hours. Expect a tumble from one of the networks on a basis of the 500 big names who belong to the fra- ternity (honorary to students who are wows at their studies) and who are expected to appear on the pro- grams. Actor Franchot Tone, novelist Ru- pert Hughes and ex-ambassador Dave H. Morris are cited as samples of the names Phi Beta Kappa can deliver. Bemarr Cooper, a young actor In the radio serial There's a Law Against It' is the activating force behind the radio proposal. He wears a key, too. Radio Trade Expects Associated Press To SeD News to Sponsors Opposition news services have rec- onciled themselves to the entry of the Associated Press in the commercial radio field.- The feeling among them is that the AP's operating heads have things pretty well greased for next week's meeting of the AP members and directors in New York when It is expected that a resolution will be adopted permitting local franchise holders to sell their news for com- mercial programs. Previously the AP operating chiefs have had to contend with the strong anti-radio sentiment of the service's small newspaper members. This sit- uation, it is believed, has been solved through the device of sectional meet- ings iat which conditions facing the AP In radio have been assiduously and suavely explained. Most of the AP directors are big newspaper own- ers who have stations of their own and these have been reluctant to act- ing favorable on the commercial ra- dio service without having the co- operative sentiment of the majority of the AP member newspapers. Daytime Run Extended By Kate Smith's Salt Co. Kate Smith's tri-weekly 15-min. commentary program on WABC-CBS for Diamond Crystal Shaker Salt has been-renewed -for another «ight weeks as of May 1. Program's aired at noon Tues., Thurs., Sat Program was scheduled to exit March 31, was renewed for four more, and again for the above eight Kay Lorraine, singer who was drafted from KMOX, St Louis, for 'The Hit Parade,' has been renewed for another 13 weeks. 'Parade' Is on CBS every Saturday night -