Variety (Jul 1939)

VARIETY RADIO Wednesday, July 2^, 19.*{9 RADIO EQUIPMENT, WIRED MUSIC UNITS MERGED IN JOHN OTTERSON COMPANY Involved Corporation Realignments^—A Distant Eye On Future Use of Wires for Television Service— Competitor to Muzak Liggett-Rexall semi-annual trans- scription series will repeat its entire spring'cast for the Nov, 1-2-3-4 re- ivrmt ^ J ^ 1 T\* leases (quarter hours) over 200 sta- merger of rtve major radio KJK S Grand LOUlee UlSCS tions. It's first time in eight years Liggett-Rexall's Encore equipment, wire radio and patent companies with a new $1,000,000 par- ent corporation. Radio Wire Televi- sion Corp. of America, has been formed. John E. Otterson, former head of Electrical Research Prod- ucts, Inc., and Paramount Pictures, becomes head of the company. He has been largely inactive since leav- ing Paramount except for a small venture into the foreign pictures distributing field. A desire to expand Wholesale Ra- dio Service Co., Inc. (which operates in 23 key cities), is ostensibly the main purpose baclt of the new setup. However, OtJerson"s initial statement after being named, president pointed out the current technological trend towards ultimate distribution of en- tertainment by wire, 'particularly. . . m the case of television.' He said that the company's operations, now con- fined to key spots along the Atlantic seaboard, probably would be extend- ed on a nation-wide basis. . New corporation takes in the form- er holdings of Wire Broadcasting, Inc.. whose principal subsidiaries are Teleprograms, Inc., of New York; Telemusic, Inc., of N. Y.; Wire Pro- grams. Inc., of Delaware; Muse-Art, Inc., of Pennsylvania; Wire Broad- casting. Inc., of Pennsylvania; Tele-Vision-Music, Inc., of Washing- ion. D. C; Wholesale Radio; the Transformer Corp. of America, a manufacturing unit devoted to full line of radio and electrical products; Tele-Capital Corp., a financing unit, and thie Syndak Corp., a company havmg patents relating to motion picture projection, sound and light jng. Recorded by R. Bradley Seattle, July 25. The writer and producer of 'Washington at Work,' KJR's pro- gram that acquaints the people of the stale with the industries of the state, are moving to Grand Coulee, Wash., the .first of August to do a series of broadcasts from Grand Coulee Dam. A crew of five will spend a month ecording every phase of the huge government project in the most am- bitious series of programs yet un- dertaken by local radio. Roland Bradley will be in charge. President- Roosevelt and Secre- tary of the Interior, Harold L.' Ickes, have been asked to make recordings for use in series. Bob Sylvester On Dixie Web From Charlotte In addition to patents obtamea, tne new company is licensed by Electri- cal Research Products, Inc., under the patents of Western Electric and Bell Telephone & Telegraph Co. Actual coin for the . new setup, be- jides that furnished by active money making units taken under its wing, is reported to have come from Otter- (on personally and his associates. Be cause of Otlerson's activity in the pi oneering. days of ERPI, his presence at the head of the. new corporation takes on added significance although he long since severed his connection with ERPI. J. R. West, president of Wire Broadcasting, and A. W. Pletman hsad of Wholesale Radio, *re vice presidents of Radio Wire Television Corp. Certification of incorporation • was filed, July • 20, at, Wilmington Del. West is a iformer "filrhi' man having been sales promotion man a-jei- of ERPI, reporting to Charles Bunn, at the time the latter was top man with the Western Electric sub sid. Used ERPI Equipment Oi i-rinally West started a network of wired. radio and. music, using ERPI equipment. This was taken over by M-.'iak. Subsequently, West s;> up a rival company known as Tc'"iio';;r2ms. .'nc, with hotel man a^ b-;c'"2r!!. This encountered dit- ti^ul y wjiti the musicians' union and i f:oTi this developed Wire Broad-' c-" Inc.. wi'h T:!2programs and T.'" •-••.■;sic more or loss subsidiary 01' ■'-<:. V.'i-.-e B"^idcastin.? has developed a '^N-like arrsnjcment for use in h "s ?nd lar-'a aoarhnffnts where- by nntrops C3uld dial in for music o;- .<!-;;c!pl events. Company. slalcs it V s a contract with V/orld Broad- ca-'ing for use of i;s extensive j br r-<.dcast music library. ! Wholesale Radip which has retail oulle'.s engaged in merchandizing (Continued on page S3) ahyt>ody has been encored with the exception of anfiounce'r Basil Ruys- dael, who has always been 'the Rexall riian.' Repeating this time are Graham McNamee, as emcee, Dave Rubinoff with 30 men, Arthur Boran, the mim- ic, and Buddy Clark. Walter Craig, of Street &. Finney, Is directing. -World is recording. ASCAP-N.A.B. Meet in Late August Spokesmen for the American Society of Composers, Author.s and Publishers do not expect to be ready for any contract discussions with the National Association of Broadcasters before the end^of August. So John G. Paine, ASCAP general rhanager, advised Neville Millci-, NAB prez, last week when the latter asked that the committee from the two factions get together Aug. 1. With his letter to Paine, Miller enclosed a copy of the resolutions passed by the NAB's recent convention in which the NAB copyright cdmmittee was authorized to continue its negotiations for a new ASCAP contract. The committee of two writers and two publishers delegated to work with Paino and Gene Buck on the new contract negotiations has yet to be named and It Is figured at ASCAP that it will take several weeks before this committee can complete the pro- posals upon which ASCAP will base its negotiations. Meanwhile Buck and Paine are developing a prpgratni for the com- mittee's guidance. Paine wrote Miller that he felt that substantial progress has been made in this direction but that it would be impos- sible for two groups to get together before the final week in August. WAYNE KING TO CASHMERE Bob Sylvester orchestra has been signed by the Lance Corp., southern manufacturers of candy novelties, for a band show starting Sept. 28 and using the entire CBS Dixie net- work. It'll be a haU hour show twice •weekly—-"Fuesday—and—ThursdajE—aL 10:30 p.m.. originating from WBT, Charlotte, N. C. Sylvester is a for- mer arranger for Hal Kemp. Sponsor is planning to spread to a National net after the initial 13 stanzas if the show clicks on the southern hookup. Wayne King will do a weekly half-hour series for Colgate-Palm- olivCrPeat beginning Sept. 7, plug- ging Ciashmere Bouquet shop. It'll be his first commercial since leaving Lady Esther more than a year ago after a run of seven consecutive years. Buddy Clark will be vocalist. New stanza will be. aired over CBS and will be paired in an hour with the same sponsor's 'Gang Bust- ers.' Will originate in dhicago. Ben- ton & Bowles is the agency. Kirfg, who tonight (Wednesday) winds up an engagement at the Roosevelt hotel, N. Y., will open in September at the Drake hotel, Chi- cago, after an extended fisi:ing trip. Guy Lombardo replaced him on the Lady Esther series. WMCA Seeks to Include Pair as Co-Defendants In 550G Insurance Suit Business Men's Glee Club Part of KMOX Program St. Louis, July 25. A unique choral group composed of 125 voices of business and indus- trial employes representing 75 St. Louis firms and believed to be the largest organization of its kind in the country has-been woven into a 15 minute weekly sustaining spot over KMOX by Jerry Hoekstra, director of the station's Public Affairs Dept. and hrmself^ former baritone. 'The choristers appear on 'The Onward Road' program which is designed to establish a better understanding of the contribution of business to the community through interviews. Program is scripted by Lynn C. Mahan, v.p. of the Thomas Parry Corp. -for- St. Louisans, Inc.,..which has sponsored it since June, 1938. James C. Douglas, former musical director of Ak'-Sar-Benj Nebraska State civic organizaion, directs the warblers. Application will be made to the New York supreme court today • Wednesday.) by the Knickerbocker Broadcasting Co, Inc., operator of WMCA, to bring in as additional de- fendants Morris H. Siegal and Sam M, Siegal, doing business as the Pol- icyholders Advisory Council, and Donald Besdine, as the Policyholders Aid and Adjustment Bureau, in the libel action against it brought by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., in which the latter seeks $550,000 dam- ages. An affidavit of Donald Flamm president of the WMCA, states that under a broadcasting agreement the two parties he seeks to bring in had agreed to indemnify the station against any libel action. Suit claims that broadcasts'intimated unfair,tac- tics by the plaintiff in securin/l)oli- cics, and advised listeners against the purchase of certain types of in- surance. Inside Stuff-Radio During Horace Heidi's absence in the hospital (emergency appen> dectomy), Arlene Francis is pinch-hitting as m.c. of the 4)andman's Mon- day night series for Tiims. Meantime the 'Answers from Dancers' formula (sustaining).from the Biltmore hotel. New York, Saturday was not carried last week due to Heidt's absence, NBC allows him to work with an open mike on an ad lib basis, but thought it more discreet to not employ the formula with a substitute. Heidt's.'Answers from Dancers' has been a standby at both the Drske hotel, Chicago,-and latterly at the. Biltmore. The 'Wheel of Fortune' idea which has been pending for the Tums com- mercial is still uncertain. - Variety is not reviewing the Monday night program for Turns until Heidt's return. William Weisman, v.p. and counsel of WMCA, N. Y., flew to Chicago Sunday night (23) to be on hand Monday to testify before a Federal Grand Jury listening to testimony dug up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation which has been looking into an alleged monopoly of hews of horse racing results by Moe Annenberg, newspaper publisher. Annenberg publishes most of the current racing forrn sheets, and at one time set up a ticker system for quick results in New York bars, which the-police cracked down on. Harold Janis originally figured in the case because of the nightly racing results WMCA broadcasts, and hu was supposed to atteivd the sitting, but Weisman went in his place. WMCA gets its flashes elsewhere, but at one time were dickering for Annenberg's service. Janis handled tho.se nego- tiations which never went through and he was to relate the whys and wherefores at the U. S. District Court in Chicago. John W. Milford has resigned as publicity director of the lamp depart- ment of General Electric (.sponsor of Phil Spitalny) to join the public relations staff of N- W. Ayer & Son agency in New York. Milford has been with GE since 1926, during which time he handled press relations 4er—!Irtght:6-4jolden-Jubijoe:--at--Menlc--ll-.r k , N , J ., and-Auas in ch a rge of promotion and publicity of GE's 'New American' demonstration home building program. William B. Ricketts, of Chicago, will join the plan.s-mcrchandising de- partment of N. W. Ayer & Son agency at-Philadelphia next Monday (24) as a research specialist. Ricketts is at present manager of the market sur- veys division of Bboz, Fry, Allen and Hamilton, Chicago. He is also the author of several published studies on the measurement of radio and pub- lication advertising effectiveness and a past prez of the N. Y. Research Council. WTMJ, Milwaukee NBC-Red outlet here, may now be u.sed by Blue Network advertisers, subject to availability. A Blue advertiser .piust yield the station to a Red Network client on demand, though the Blue.sponsor has an hour program and the Red client only a 15-minute one. In such cases, if the Red program falls at beginning or end of the Blue hour, the latter sponsor may utilize the remaining 45 minutes on WTMJ at the 45- minute rate, if he so desires, it was said. Radio Events, Inc., of New York, had Its attorneys file an infringement and injunction suit against the Clef Co. of Chicago, National Tea Co. and WROK, Rockford, III., last week, alleging the audience participation game 'Musico' infringes on the Radio Events copyright 'Title-O'. Clef Co. produces 'Musiio' and National Tea sponsors it over WROK. Mann, Brown & Cox of Chicago for Clef Co. and Montague &. Ca.-ipcr of New York for Radio Events. Jack Garrison, announcer at WJR, Detroit, is trying to melt off 25 pounds to enable. him to get com- mish in the Army Reserve Corps. Lord &. Thomas agency's complete and unusually clear-cut-vindication in the Judge Manton case has made the agency personnel very happy. Albert D.-Lasker emerged from his ordeal without difficulty. Agency has suffered a 'bad press' on this matter from the start and was hamstrung by its inability, under the legal circumstances, to say anything until now in its own behalf. 'Amer. School of Air Moved by CBS Into Choice Eastern Zone Time Metropolitan Life has answered the complaint.of a stockholder, who sued to prevent use-of-company funds-for sponsoring of a radio program.- Met- ropolitan stales its business and standing has been attacked over the radio by so-called insurance counselors and the company had to reply in kind. Industrial insurance is due to get a once-over by the national economic committee in Washington starting Aug. 16. wire's New Location Indianapolis, July 25. WIRE, NBC outlet in Indianapolis will move to new quarters atop (3lay- j pool Hotel. The station will oc- cupy the ninth floor of the hotel, and' spend extensively in improvements. Hotel will get publicity in call let- ters as part of deal. I Entire hotel will be wired for mike service during the liumsrous conven- ' lions that make hotel their headquar-1 ters. By switching its 'American School of the Air' from a matinee spot to the 9:15-9:45 a.m. stretch, effective Oct. 9, Columbia has not only en- tangled itself in a time problem, biit aroused no little protest from affil- iated stations. Latter, particularly those located In the easlern time zone, are complaining that the new schedule for the program, something they consider a must from both the listener interest and FCC franchise- holding angles, falls within one of the most remunerative commercial periods of the day. It's time that few important stations fail to sell. CBS officials realize that some- thing must be done about the time problem -as it affects stations out- side of the eastern zone and the net- work will likely recommend that its affiliates make recordings of the daily broadcast and re-air it during; a period that is convenient to the station and that comes within the day's school session. Dobbsie Back on KOMO j Seattle, July 25. I Capt. Dobbsie's 'Ship of Joy' has returned to KOMO under sponsorship jot Centennial Flouring Mills Mon- ; days through Fridays at 8:30 a.m. Programs fed to KHQ, Spokane. Dobbsie has cast of ten. They took Alaska trip with him on recent goodwill tour. He will continue his talent quest, presenting to dialers I one new 'discovery' each day. Grand prizc'for winning contestant will be ' trip to San Francisco fair. 'Th^ Human Adventure' series which Columbia Broadcasting launched last night (Tuiesday) 8-9 p.m. represents an experiment between the net- work and the University of Chicago in an effort to drjimatize educational material. Upon its promise will depend the length and extent-of the scrie.s. Brewster Morgan is directing and Doug Coulter is supervising for CBS. Fred Waring's orchestra does its west coast repeat at U p. m.. and NBC airs the last 10 minutes (after the Esso flashes) in New York and other eastern spots as an experiment. Waring bunch is now in the air-cooled Vanderbilt, N. Y., and is giving theatre audiences on both shows an added quarter hour entertainment. Eddie Latimer has made a cash settlement with Al Raymond of the vaude act of Raymond and Caverly, who claimed Latimer, teamed with Don Cbstello, presented the Raymond and Caverly routine over CBS 'Gay Nineties' program. Latimer had played some club dates with Raymond around New York. Page Crosley, daughter of Powel Crosley, of Cincinnali, was quielly divorced some time ago from Rot>ert Jennings, radio director of the Kastor agency, Chicago. Interest of Harry C. Butcher, local v.p. of CBS. in the network was wiped out during May through sale of 200 shares of Chass A stock.