Variety (Aug 1939)

Wednesday, August 30, 1939 RADIO VARIETY 25 CRISIS SKILL TOPS Crisis Kickback As the Polish crisis gathered momentum last week several ad agen- cies were doing a. burnup of their, own, and it was directed at NBC, Source of the boil was NBC's practice of rounding out a bulletin on the crisis with a plug for itself, even though the time belonged to an advertiser. The agency men declared that it was bad enough for their shows to be broken into for news, without having the network take advantage of the situation to urge the listener to keep tuned to 'this station for further bulletin' and to tune in 'at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning for an up-to-the-minute roundup of the European crisis.' As the agency men expressed it, the time was being paid for to plug the product, and. since sponsors are not rebated for the loss of less than a minute of their time, the network ought to exercise the courtesy of confining itself to the news bulletin. If it wants to plug its crisis ser- vice, they said. It could use its own sustaining time. Turns Strictly a Series of NBC Headaches; Can't Get Proper Spot Turns program with Horace Heidt remains the most persistent head- ache NBC has had in -ears. ' Every time that it thinks it has the prob- lem of finding a spot for the show solved, the network finds thatM^ has stepped on the toes of anpincr customer. The latest protest comes from Phillips Milk of Magnesia. It has formally advised NBC that it will not have the Tums-Heidt show fol- low its own on the red (WEAK) link Friday nights on the ground iY -.t the two products make a similar sales appeal. Phillips has for years filled the 9 to 9:30 stretch, and Turns is slated to move from Monday night to the 9:30 to 10 spot Acting under this pressure from Phillips, which is part of the Ster- ling Products grou^ and one of NBC's major clients, the network has asked General Electric to switch half-hours with Tums, but the for- mer, due to take over the Sunday "10nO:30"perTOd"oh th-e-r«d"TVlth Phil Spitalny Sept. 17, has so far re- fused to acquiesce. GE wants to stay where it is. Previous flurry that NBC got into because of Tums had a similar basis. Alka Seltzer didn't like the idea of Tums using many of the former's supplementary stations of a Satur- day night and intimated some sort of legal action. Alka Se'tzer pointed out that even though it had first call on such outlets. It didn't like the idea of the sales spiel of a simi- lar remedy coming on the heels of its own. Tums is also giving NBC the wor- ries from another quarter. The net- work has sold Standard Brands the 7:15-7:30 p. m. spot on the red across the board for 'I Love a Mystery,' but it novr finds that Tums doesn't want to vacate the Tuesday and Thursday 7:15-7.30 periods, and ac- cept others suggested by NBC. It's rare for an account to be Involved in a double stalemate of this sort. HUB DAILY BOWS AS SPONSOR IN WAR PEAK Bosto.., Aug. 29. Boston Transcript, the oldest newspaper in New England, last week ,took the occasion of the lis- tening peak affected by radio's cov- erage of the European crisis, to make Its bow as a sponsor. It bought a schedule of five daily newscasts over WBZ, local CBS key. Lowman Denies CBS Management Shakeups Lawrence Lowman, CBS v. p., de- nied last week the report th»t Co- lumbia Management, a subsid of the network, was slated for a shakeup in personnel. Lowman said that Mur- ray Brophy, head of the subsid on the Coast, is in New York merely to go over plans for the fall. Columbia Management functions «n the west coast for Columbia Art- ists Bureau and Columbia Concerts Corp. Royal Stymied For the second consecutive year, John Royal; NBC program Chief, has had to postpone a vacation because a European crisis got in the way. He had figured on getting away Mon- day (2B) for a couple of weeks. Last year he shelved a similar trip when the Czech wrangle started to get hot. GILLEHE'S NUT ON SERIES TO HIT 2306 Gillette Bazor's-forthcoming-World Series broadcasts will cost the spon- sor around $230,000. Czar. K. M. Landis' office will get $100,000 for the rights, the bill for station time and wire facilities in the Mutual hookups will figure around $125,000; and there will be another $5,000 to cover salaries, traveling expenses, etc., for the games' announcers. Henry Ford's bill for the like event in 1936, with three networks in- volved, came to $385,000. Fred Weber, general manager of Mutuair^stated yesterday (Tuesday) t';at he has filled all the series' sta- tion requirements with the excep- tion of three major spots, namely, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Balti- more. Under such circumstances Weber has gone far beyond the lim- its that had been predicted for him by NBC and CBS executives. Of the 154 station spots stipulated in the Gillette coverage contract there are 30 NBC and six CBS out- lets included. Weber said that he had given up hope of Inducing WCAE, Pittsburgh, to join the hook- up and that instead he would use KQV, Pittsburgh, and WHJB, Green- burg, Pa. WBAL,. Baltimore, he stated, was still trying to clear a commercial out of the way for the series, while WLW, Cincinnati, ex- ecutives have advised him that the matter, of making the latter outlet available would have to be taken up with Powel Crosley, Jr., but that It looked as though Mutual would have to accept WSAI, WLW's sister station, for the event. Weber stated firmly yesterday that he will not as- sent to this alternative. J. P. Spang, Gillette prez, has put oft his naming of the series' an- nouncing staff for another week. He was to have released them last Sat- urday (26) just before sailing for Europe, bi-> this trip is off. Gillette plans to put on a dealer contest in connection with the broadcasts. It will offer cash prizes in every state in the union. Q Radio Barks for Ken-L Chicago, Aug. 29. Ruthrauft it Ryan agency has the Ken-L product and Is lining up a radio schedule for the dog food. Understood planning • spot an- nouncement campaign starting around the middle of Sept T Coverage of Events Abroad Now More Reportorial and Factual,, but Lacking Much of Last September's Human Interest —Radio's Best Job of Type to Date NBC'S EDGE By BEN BODEC While the American networks ac- quitted themselves in great fashion during the first week of the Polish crisis, there was lacking this time the technical pyrotechnics, the seem- ing air of spontaneity and the: stirring human interest which* marked last year's handling of the Czech crisis. With the latter experi- ence serving as a rough but' sound blueprint, the coverage machine has meanwhile been perfected. It functioned so smoothly and in- fallibly that listeners after the first day or two began to look on this massive job of worldwide, up-to- the-minute coverage with almost the same easy expectancy and ac- ceptance as they do their daily radio schedule. Four and five-way hook- ups, with air correspondents from foreign capitals carrying on ques- tion-and-answer conversations has become the common thing. 'The nov- elty is gone and, compared to the Czech furore, the excitement is lim- ited, but to the credit of NBC; Co- lumbia and Mutual it is the best coverage project that broadcasting has produced to date. Again the medium putsjthe daily newspap ers in the position of merely repeating in black ;;and white what the popu- lace' has been conversant with for hours. Nets' Approach 'Varies One notable feature about the coverage of' the Polish crisis has been the difference in the person- ality approach between NBC and Columbia. Acting on its last year's experiences, CBS elected to depend almost entirely upon its own staff of regularly employed and stationed local and foreign representatives, particularly H. 'V. Kaltenborn, Ed- ward R. Murrow, William L. Shirer, Thomas B. Grandin and. Albert Warner. NBC^, on the other hand, is leaning almost entirely toward newspaper correspondents, publicists (Continued on page 26) SUIT VS. WARING ON PLAGIARISM Jean 'V. Grombach, transcription producer, is suing Fred Waring, Stack-Goble,. Grove Laboratories and Johnny O'Connor, 'Waring's manager, in the N. Y. supreme court in con- nection with a program idea which he alleged Waring incorporated last season in his series for Bromo Qui- nine. Grombach claims that he supplied the agency with recordings containing the idea for audition pur- poses and that Stack-Goble, without his permission, turned over the idea to Waring for use.in his programs. At the agency last week if was stated that the idea that Grombach submitted had to do with 'the thought behind the song." It was ad- mitted that. Waring did one number each week in which the idea was similar, but the agency denied that it had provided the band leader with the Grombach sample transcriptions. Under his contract with the agency. Waring assumed all liabilities for such suits. Waring denies having known anything about the Grombach recordings and states that the Idea has been used over and over again in radio. Gov't to Keep Hands Off Radio So Long as War Is Localized In Europe; Will Clamp on Bias Done Wrong by Nell • On three successive occasions Nellie Revell's 'Neighbor Nell' noon broadcast was canceled by special news broadcasts from the foreign diplomatic front, at the moment when she was ready to take the microphone. She first gave way to the Pope, then Daladier, and yesterday to Chamberlain. Turning to the sound crew, she said:. 'Am I fighting this war all by myself?' M-G BUYS SPOT PLUGS FOR 'WOMEN' Metro is buying spots in women's participation programs in 50 towns to plug its production, 'The Women.' Contracts call for a daily insertion seven consecutive days with the schedule coming prior to the film's opening at the local stand. Donahue & Coe is the'agency. — Commentators on these participa- tion programs will have an oppor- tunity to preview the picture with iheuJdea of having them inc lude their own impressions in the com- ment. Vitalis May Quit NBC For 13 Weeks Unless Suitable Time Is Found If NBC can't supply the Vitalis division of Bristol-Myers with a sat- isfactory half-hour within the next three weeks, the account will shelve its 'For \Men Only* show for 13 weeks. The program Is now occupy- ing the second half of the B-M 9 to 10 p. m. stretch on the NBC-red Wednesday night, but Fred Allen is slated to return to the full hour Oct. 4. NBC has offered Vitalis several niches -and each of these have been turned down becaiise of the high rat- ings of the prospective opposition shows. George Jessel is m.c. on the 'For Men Only' session. PEPSODENT MOVING m o. A/TO NBC-BLUE Pepsodent has given NBC an order for the 7:30 to 8 p. m. period on the blue (WJZ) link Sundays. Spot will contain the "Mr. District Attorney' series after Bob Hope resumes his Tuesday night chore for the same account. Shift to the blue takes effect Oct. 1. There will be a rebroadcast on 'Mr. D. A.' for the Coast. Though Hope comes back on the air Sept. 4, Judy Garland won't join the show until Nov. 4 because of her- scheduled European trip, which probably will be called off in the event of war. Stan Warwick and Robert Golds- worthy, graduating student an- nouncers at Washington State col- lege, have been added to the staff of KFPy, Spokane. "Washington, Aug. 29. Moment-by-moment handling of foreign hot potatoes leaves radio wondering what the Federal policy will be in case of real hostilities. So far, all Government people are keep-, ing fingers crossed and waiting until they reach the bridge before ci'Ossing it. Far-reaching plans for taking con- trol of U. S. outlets have been' worked out—on paper—as part of the War Department's industrial mobilization scheme. But until the whistle blows, American stations can go along their ordinary routes. The official attitude is that the air still is entirely free, with the anti- censorship clauses of th.? Communi- cations Act unabridged. Underneath, though, the Go\Jernment people are hoping that broadcasters appreciate the need for strict neutr.i'ity. They're keeping their ears tuned to the re- ceivers to make certain that U. S. plants do not stumble. Neither the FCC nor the State Department will admit they are checking up, but both have their sets working, as is the Justice Department, which would be called upon to enforce both the Com- munications and the Neutrality statutes. Any broadcasters who 'give aid' to belligerents in case the European firecracker goes off, under existing statutes, is liable to be . in trouble. The Neutrality laws provide ."stiff punishment for persons who take sides, while the various almost-for- gotten World "WFr stalutee-can be invoked. The latter ^cts virtually nullify the anti-censorshop pledges, (even though attorneys doubt their constitutio nality. will Handcuff Partisanship If war comes, the State and Justice departments wiU do the police work up to the moment the U. S. is cm- broiled. They are prepared already to put the handcuffs on any broad- caster who lets his sympathies swamp his judgment. For the mo- ment, the FCC is aloof (partly be- cause no major policies can be laid down until Chairman-designate James L. Fly is saddled) and is leav- ing the matter of microphone-con- trol up to the other agencies. In view of the criticiEm to which it has been subjected in the past year for blue-penciling scripts, the regulatory agency is doubly cautious. There is pressure on the Commish to begin whacking stations because they are pro-Hitler or pro-British. But superficially the regulators are hands-off. The nonchalance is dem- onstrated by the fact that most of the members have not seen fit to give up their vacations ahead of time. (Three of the seven were on deck this week—a high average in com- parison with the rest of the summer). Real apprehension over a break- down of democratic processes is ex- pected to be a brake on any censor- ship tendencies. The military, which instinctively likes regimenta- tion, is moving slowly because of fear that the American people would show resentment if censorship is im- posed. The FCC is passing the buck, not wanting to invoke anything re- sembling martial law, or taking a step which might result in more cuffing around at the Capitol when Congress gets back. Real censsrship will occur, in the opinion of most radio industry observers, only when it is necessary to protect the nation. Unofficial Restraint Probable In the event of a foreign war 'of ■ major proportions in which this country is not involved,.a restraining hand may be expected. It'll be un- official, of course. A word of warn- ing—such as that given back in 1933 when the industry was cautioned to fly the Blue Eagle and take part in the NRA movement—likely will come from some Federal official. Or the NAB, which als^ is outwardly unconcerned, may remind its mem- bership about patriotic obligations. So far, the NAB Is sitting tight, like (Continued on page 26)