Variety (Jul 1939)

^edneaiaj, July S» 1939 RADIO VAJtlETY 23 KIGGINS HEADS NBC BLUE OMIT FLOWERS ' — ' 1— One thought may be-worth underscoring as the members of the National Association of Broadcasters assemble for the 'Atlantic City convention. . Let nobody have any qualms about the power of quacks and charlatans to 'retaliate' against the radio industry. They can't really do a thing. The greatest possible show of unanimous industry refusal to be bulldozed by preachers of hatred and intolerance is highly desirable. Radio should not hesitate a second in using lan- guage of the utmost plainness in calling bigots and bigotry by their right names, in unmistakably repudiating any sympathy with such narrow minds and vicious practices, and in courage- ously ending the right pf demagogic abusers of the free speech privilege to continue to put radio on the spot. For it should never be forgotten by N. A. B. and its members that the bigots are putting radio—nobody else—on the jumpy seat. They may prattle glibly about free speech but 90% of this argument, coming from them, may be dismissed as tongue- in-cheek double-talk. Radio is under no constitutional, moral or other obligation to lend itself to the conveniences of men intent upon making trouble, between one religion and another, one kind of human being and another kind. The clause in the proposed broadcasting code that makes clergymen stick to their pulpits and get off the soap box or, reversely, get down from the pulpit when they want to mess around with politics and economics, is a reasonable and fair setup. No legitimate accusation of ccnsorship or opinion denial can be leveled against it or at the industry. But there may be those who will seek to frighten the broadcasters into pussy- footing, sticking in qualifying weasel words, leaving loopholes and ambiguities. Such a weakening would be unfortunate. No doubt should be allowed to creep in. Radio should never admit that bigots or bigotry can ever, under any circumstances, have any standing with broadcasting management. Just now a man is under arrest in New York charged with accepting marked bills from a station owner as a first payment for arranging to relieve the station of pickets which, for months, have been carrying offensive placards. The man under arrest was the one who largely suggested and organized the picket •Jine. The lesson of the arrest and the marked bills should have great illuminating power at this time. It should help dispel any remaining illusions as to the nature of the gentry who :would like to use radio for propaganda, or profit—usually both. Tell them to go jump in the lake. Spitalny Draws am in Chi Outdoor Concert Chicago, July 4. Phil Spitalny and his all-girl or- chestra premiered the season ot firee concerts at the Grand Park here to • record turnout of 75,000. The heavy attendance made page one lo- cally. These are the concerts co-spon- sored by James C. Petrillo, prez of the Chicago Federation of Musicians and also the city's Park Commission- er. They're underwritten jointly by the Musicians' union and the city, Bud always features a big orchestra and topflight soloists such as Tlb- oett. Pons, et al. Petrillo altogether has some 175 free concerts of such caliber lined up all over the city In its several mammoth parks. From the musicians and soloists' viewpoint these are choice engagements, payment being unstinted. Chi is the only city in the u. S. which does these concerts on such a lavish scale. Film Personalities in New Transcription Series Telecast Corp. of America, Inc., Hollywood, distributors of tran- scribed programs, has obtained the representation of two more series, iney are The Shannons', starring and Russell Gleason, wT. , Musketeers', with victor Jory, Jack MulhaU and Her- '^ri .Rawlinson. ^c., wlU do the seumg and distributing in the east. CBS WOOS PHILIP BARRY Wovld Like PUywrieU U WrlU One for Summer Series Philip Barry Is being sought by CBS for an original radio play for the network's Columbia Workshop series late this summer. It would be his first ether work. Already set tor the series are Lord Dunsany, Dor- othy Parker and William Saroyan. Each will do an original play. Fifth in the series of new scripts hasn't been set Besides the five new plays, the series will include eight plays suc- cessfully done by the Workshop dur- ing previous seasons. Ed Thorgersen Back Ed Thorgersen returns to the air this iill to do a football comment series for LaPalina cigar. It will be a Mutual hookup ot 20 stations, with the broadcasts origi- nating from WOR, Newark. PARTOFTRilL PEP-UP STRIITEGy Latest Step in Streamlining NBC's Second Network Calls for Separate Cont- petitive Staff KIGGINS' IMPORTANCE NBC's latest move to strengthen the blue (WJZ) network Is to set up a separate operating identity for it. In an order issued by Niles Trammel, executive v.p., Monday (3), Keith Kiggins was named to a newly created post, director of the blue network. His previous assign- nient was manager of the NBC'sta- tion relations department . Under the new system, which has been under discussion in NBC circles for a coUple of years, the blue net- work will have in each department distinct staffs that will devote them- selves exclusively to that particular link. The blue will have not only its own salesmen but station relation men specializing in blue afliliates. Other such groups will be repre> sented in the program, sales pro- motion and press departments. Heads of these xmits will report through the department heads to Kiggins and he will report direct to Trammel. A. E. Nelson remains as sales man. ager of the blue link, but Kiggins will select his staff in the various other departments in conferences this week with the heads ot such departments and Trammel. The move puts Kiggins, whet is still in his early thirties, into . one ot the four most important key positions in the organization. NBC's initial strategy to bolster the commercial standing of the blue network was Its appointment of Nelson, formerly manager of KDKA, Pittsburgli, to his present post about a year and a half ago. Subsequent moves In the same direction in- cluded the offering ot special dis- counts to advertisers using certain blue supplementary groups, the in- terchangablllty of blue and red supplementarles and the allocation of extra talent budgets for blue sus- taining programs. mm WALKER OFF AIR WHEN 13 WEEKS ENDS Ex-Mayor Jimmy Walker ends his three-night weekly news comment shot on WJZ, New York, at the con- clusion of his 13-week termer the end of this month. Sponsored by Crawford Clothes, he. may return to the air In the faU. Al Paul Lefton agency, Philadelphia, which handles the account, Is desirous of putting Mac Parker in the spot however, if it, can be arranged. Parker Is a former Philadelphia newspaperman who Is now an ex- ecutive of the Lefton agency. Ckain kome from Time Sales NBC 1939 1938 1937 1938 January $4,033,900 $3,793,516 $3,541,999 $2,681,815 February 3,748,695 3,498,053 3,295,782 2,714,300 March 4,170,856 3,806,831 3,614,283 3,037,883 April ............ 3,580,984 3,310,505 3,277,837 2,741,928 May 3,702,102 3,414,200 3,214,819 ' 2,561,72a June 3,382,404 3,200,569 3,003,287 2,323,459 Total $22,598,941 $21,023,674 $19,948,007 $16,061,102 CBS 1939 ' 1938 1937. 1036 January $2,674,057 $2,879,945 $2,378,620 $1,901,023 February 2,541,542 2,680,334 2,264,317 1,009,146 March 2,925,684 3,034,317 2,559,716 1,172,382 April 2,854,026 2,424,180 2,563,478 1,950,039 May 3,063,329 2,442,283 2,560,558 1,740,517 June 2,860,184 2,121,405 2,476,567 1,502,763 ToUl .......... $16,918,822 $15,582,555 $14,803,256 $10,185,770 MUTUAL 1939 1938 1937 January $315,078 $269,894 $213,748 February 276,605 253,250 231,286 March 306,976 232,877 247.421 AprU... 262,626 189,545 200,134 May , 234,764 194,201 154,633 June 228,186 202,412 117,388 Total $1,624,235 $1,342,179 $1,164,610 CBS'$2,mi84 Is 34% Over June, 1938; NBCs 2 Webs Grossed $3M; Mutual mM EICKELBERG TO NEW JOB WITH DON LEE San Francisco, June 30. Wilbur Eickelberg, manager of KFRC, -here, Is new general sales manager of the Don Lee network, with headquarters in Los Angeles, William Pabst assistant man ager, has replaced Eickelberg at KFRC.. Ward Ingrim, KFRC sales man- ager, may get added title of assistant station manager. TRUST WOOD IN S. A. Sail Antonio, July 4. Trudy Wood, songstress, formerly on the Packard Hour with Fred AS' taire, heard in a quarter hour prO' gram of songs over station KTSA, San Antonio. Husband is Buster Bryan, program director of station. Jennison Leaves WEAN Providence, July i. James S. Jennison, manager of station WEAN, has resigned. Ac- cording to reports Jennison's health hasn't been up to par lately. He has no Immediate plans. A successor is expected to be named thi*: week. Jennison held the post for seven years. World Seeks Modified Contract As Result of Stanco Non-Exclusivity World Broadcasting System will seek to obtain a modification of its contract from affiliates of the Gold Network during the convention of the National Association of Broad- casters in Atlantic City next week. Move stems from difficulties that World has encountered in trying to collect commissions on the expanded Stanco campaign. Some of the sta- tions in the Gfold Group have refused to pay the 15% because, they con- tend, World has not in this instance enforced the provision in the Gold contract which makes it mandatory for a Gold Network account to con- fine itself to Gold stations in those markets where the Gold group Is represented. These Gold alTiliates point out that Stanco, through McCann-Erickson, was permitted to select non-Gold stations in six markets on the Gold list This, they say, is contrary to the exclusivity clause in the World con- tract Literal application of the clause by these recalcitrant affiliates had World in a dilemma, since most of the 16 Gold stations on the Stanco list had waived the exclusivity clause and agreed to pay World commis- sions. World wondered whether by trying to satisfy the dissidents It would not unnecessarily disturb a satisfactory relationship existing be- tween Itself and the other affiliates. Under the Gold GrcJup plan ac- counts using a sufficient number of Gold markets are eligible to a dis- count transcription service. Of the 15% collected by World from Gold stations World retains 7V&%, 5% Is applied as a discount to the adver- tiser's transcription bill and 2%% is spent on advertising and publicity. I Columbia grossed $2,860,184 In time billings last month, which sum Is 34.8% better than the turnover for June, 1038. It's the biggest percentaga gain that the neU^ork has bad sine* August, 1937. NBC's time billings for this June amounted to $3,382,404, en Increase of 5.7% over the tally for the like month of 1938.' As compared to the first six months of last year, CBS is now ahead by a 8.6%, whila NBC's margin Is 7JS%. Mutual last month did $228<1SS, or 11% over the previous June's gross. Of the total biUIngs accumulated by NBC this June $2,624,657 is credited ° to the red (WEAF) link and $757,747 to the blue (WJZ) network. In June '38 NBC's billings were $3,200,569, while the year before- they figured $3,003,287. Columbia garnered $2,121,495 for June, 1938, and 476,567 for June '37. LB. WILSON HIRES SYKES L. B. Wilson, of WCKY, Coving* ton, has advised NBC that all future negotiations for a new contract with his station will have to be conducted through his Wiasbington counsel. Latter is Eugene Sykes, former FCC commissioner. Wilson, who the week before in a wire to NBC assailed the contract of- fered him as unfair, is understood- to be insisting that any new contract must include a clause permitting him to guarantee time to one of his own accounts once the contract is closed. Wilson is also asking for more com- pensation. Under the new release allocation in the Cincinnati territory WLW has become the exclusive outlet for red <WEAF) network comercial while WCKY's participation is confined to the blue (WJZ) link. WSAI als» be- comes available to red clients. WCKY is on the way to going 50,000 watts. John Hoses, WHKC, Columbus, announcer, last week lost a finger on the turntable. - -