Variety (Aug 1939)

Wednesday, August 30, 1939 RADIO VARIETY 27 WEBS IN SOFT SALES SPOT • ' ■< NAB-Disc Matter Hangs Fire; N.Y. Confab Winds Up in Mex Standoff Washington.. Aug. 29. More talks between the National Assn. of Broadcasters and the rec- ord-makers are in prospect, but mo- mentarily the official attitude at trade association headquarters is to wait tor further developments. Sort ot like the White House view of the European scene. Last week's New York tete-a-tete between the two parties—protected by a secrecy promise—produced nothing like an understanding be- yond the idea that further conver- sations should occur. Neither side has set any time, and the broad- casters are more or less shadow-box- ing until after the September con- vention in Chicago over the Avhole copyright problem. After the spe- 'cial session, some overture is likely. The NAB does not appear alarmed, although station bosses may be jit- tery. Failure of Decca and Colum- bia to make any move is considered an encouraging sign. As long as RCA walks alone, the trade group . here seems to feel that users of canned music can sleep easily. When the other platter-makers come for- ward with some concrete proposition, it will be time enough to begin fussing. That's the local attitude, which is shared by most attorneys. Until the vacation period is over, there's small chance anything will happen. Neville Miller, the NAB prez, mirrored his unconcern by scooting off to the mountains on the heels of the New York parley. Isn't due back until after Labor Day. Which means the status quo is sure to continue until next week. Confaslon Continues - State of confusion exists, though, as far as inquirers are concerned. The NAB has taken no formal or official stand, from the angle of ad- vising dues-payers. Operators who are impatient about making some —dedsiDn-are—gettlrt"g~no'"isatisfaetioTi; The trade body cannot give any pointed suggestions at this stage, al- though the lawyers are unanimous it would be foolish to sign up with RCA until things have crystallized. The anti-trust laws—particularly the clauses imposing heavy penalties for conspiring to restrain trade—pre- vent the NAB from spreading such an idea. Another angle has prevented the NAB from making up its mind. That's the Fred Waring (WDAS) suit Under the ruling, which is the basis for the RCA proposal, all rights appear to have been handed over to the wax-cutters. Attorneys do not feel that sole proprietorship can be transferred this way. The result of all the litigation Is to put the NAB on a sizzling grid- dle. It is helpihg the Justice De- partment prepare a case against the tune-smiths. It denies that there are such things as 'rendition rights.' It contests the ruling that record-mak- ers can impose conditions on use of platters bought in the ordinary chan- .nels of trade. Nevertheless, it is sid- ing with each, playing one against the other while hoping that both Congress and the Federal courts will favor radio. Stage Fright Eighteen CBS announcers, ac- customed to talking to millions on the air, got jittery before 2,500 people in Madison Square Garden, New York, Sunday 27) night and were sunk in a Softball game by a team from the cast of 'Hellzapoppin.' It was for charity. Score: 13-10. GOBBLING UP PHILLY BREAKS Philadelphia, Aug. 29. With , the announcement last wtelj of a new NBC policy permitting the sale of chain break announcements by its managed and operated sta- tions, six Arms have already signed up for the spots on KYW. Among I them are Hard wick & Magee (ru'if), Grabosky Bros, (cigars). Gaby, Inc.. through Feigen- baum agency; Breyer Ice Cream Co., through McKee & Albright agency; Freihofer Baking Co., through Foley agency, and F. G. Vogt & Sons (meats) through Clements agency. Chase & Sanborn All-Time Radio Tops, Special CAB. Study Shows in Both Companies No Position to Step Up Hook- ups— Commercials Seek- ing Choice Time—NBC- Red's Minimum SO Stations Reflects Sellers' Market RATE TILT SURPRISE Waxing Quiz Show From Theatre Date For Sponsored Airing Omaha, Aug. 29 'Quiz Lab,' broadcast by KOWH from stage of Orpheum theatre, looks good for weekly repeats following first attempt Friday (25). Plan is for half-hour show every Friday night, theatre's 0F«;ning day for new bill. Ronnie Ashburn, - KOWH an nounccr, acts as 'Mr. Test Pilot,' with Bennie Fenner. continuity man, as m.c. Staff announcers are spotted on main floor, mezz and balcony for audience cfverage. Harding Creamery sponsors show, which is waxed and aired following Sunday afternoon, since station is daytime-only. Deal is getting plenty of publicity, since station is owned and operated by World-Herald. Network advertising has ceased to.be a buyers' market NBC and Co- lumbia have never before been so solidly ensconced in the rider's seat in so far as their relations with the advertising world are concerned, agency men admit In the matter of choice time the saturation points on the NBC-red and CBS have been reached and, with these links hold- ing two or three orders for every such spot, the two networks are now easily in a position to keep stepping on the minimum required number of stations for a commercial hookup. On the red at night it's now SO stations. Switch of market control began to lean in the networks' favor last year. This season .it's a sellers' mar- ket without any qualiflcations. Be- cause of this situation, agency men are puzzled by the motive of NBC and Columbia to raise their rates at this time, unless it is merely to get more money for their service while the getting is good. In 1936, when NBC and Columbia tilted their rates, they acted from motives in which the extra revenue from such increase was regarded as subordinate. The webs were pri marily interested in increasing their client lists and lining u^ accounts on long-term stands. If advertisers came in before a certain date they would be protected against the new rates for 52' weeks. 'This strategy proved highly effective. The present raises, agency men point out, are totally devoid of such timing, or cause. "They come when the red and CBS have practically Jit- tle more to sell. Radio's Influence Church organist phoned NBC's library division last week to in- quire about the title and pub- lisher of the theme song used by the Gospel Singer (Edward Mac- Hugh). After he had received the info about the themer, 'An Evening Prayer.' the organist explained it was for a funeral and that the deceased had left a request that the Gospel Singer's theme song be played during his obsequies. RIPLEY'S SHOW STILL NOT SURE Executive of B.B.D:&0. and offi- cials of Crown Cola are still hud- dling on the question of dropping Bob Ripley Sept. 22, or extending the program (CBS) for another 13 weeks. Account had been consider- ing quitting the network on the for- mer date and returning in January. If the series folds in September, Ripley will have had'26 weeks on the beverage company's payroll. 4NEWC0MMERC'LSSET FOR CBS COAST NET Rocky Mt Conference ain Roles Out Radio Salt Lake City, Aug.. 29. There'll be no etherizing of foot- ball games in Rocky Mountain Con- ference this fall, officials ruled at annual meeting. For several years, stations in Utah and Colorado have tried to persuade college bigwigs of added revenue derived from commercials, but the rah-rah supervisors have consist- ently nixed idea. KMMJ'S ABOUT-FACE Lincoln, Aug. 29. Don Searle, president of the firm controlling radio ststion KMMJ, at, - - . Grand Island, said KMMJ attorneys two broadcasts because of picture have been ordered to drop a protest commitments. She will appear on Hollywood, Aug. 29. Columbia's Pacific network has four new programs slotted for early fall. Twenty Grand ciggies is mov- ing over from Don Lee chain to pick up Bob Garred, Frisco news- caster. On another of his news ses- sions, he will be bankrolled by Men- nens and Bathasweet. 'Editor's Daughter,' longtime east- ern serial, gets ilts first Coast airing Sept 4 under Globe Mills bankroll- ing. Another miller, Sperry, tees up a yet untitled scripter Sept, 9. Braven Dyer's 'Sports Huddle' for Marvels ciggies goes to a state-wide spread Sept 26 after functioning locally on K;nX. Bobby Dolan Set As O'Keefe Show's Maestro Bobby- Dolan has been set for the maestro spot on the Walter O'Keefe show for Lifebuoy, which starts on CBS Sept 19. That completes the cast Mary Martin won't be in the first CRIDERi " N TOURING U^. TO HYPO LUX Wickliffe Crider, head radio p.a. for J. Walter Thompson, left Satur- day (26) for a two weeks' tour of major cities contacting radio eds on the subject of the returning Lux Radio Theatre. It's a trip that the p.a. in charges takes every year at this time and which now amounts to <%^Thompson tradition. 'Series resumes on CBS Sept 11. Heavy Ad Budget On Kid Chib Idea Nixes Air-Newspaper Feud San Diego. Aug. 29. Newspaper-:radio feud has been suspended here long enough to pro- mote an American Kids Club—and the pipe of peace is heavy ad budget of American Cleaners, Inc. Firm made deal with The Sun (Scripps-Howard) and KFSD (NBC Blue) for joint sponsorship of pa- triotic juve organization, with free admish to coast league ballgames as come-on for moppets up to 14. Club has ho strings attached, kids pledg- ing themselves to spirit of true Americanism and sportsmanship. Chief of Police is honOrary-.member. Stories and art in paper and spe- cial alrshows hail events in which clubbers participate. Overboard angle on publicity with no holds barred, has put midget races also in a giving mood and everybody is rushing to give the kids something and climb on the bandwagon. Long-winded radio argument as to which program holds the all-time high rating dished out by the Co- operative Analysis of Broadcasting is finally settled by a special study which the C.A.B. has made for the Variety Radio Directory (which goes on sale today for the first time). Answer is that the Chase & San- born (Bergen-Lampur-Ameche) stan- za cops the honors, and by a good healthy margin. During the 1938-39 winter season, this hour garnered an average rating of 42%, at one tim« (January) running as high as 46.8%. This solidly nails down the laurels for the past 10 years so far as sea- sonal averages are concerned. Sea- sonal averages are the only sensible way of reading the ratings. One- shot stuff means very little. Until the Variety Radio Direc- tory and the C.A.B. huddled on the special study, comparisons of - this sort were impossible, inasmuch as the CAS. had, in years past used a different base for its calculations. Now they're all on one footing, and Chase & Sanborn emerges as vic- tor. The coffee sponsor also cops second honors, by having a rating ot 40% for the same show during the 1937-38 winter season. Major Bowes during the 1935-36 winter season (at which time he, too, was on Chase & Sanborn's payroll) and Amos 'n' Andy in the 1930 season are tied for third place with ratings of 37%. C.A3.'3 129 Pa^es of Text Total section worked up by the C.A.B. for the DiREcroaY comes to 120 pages of text and* is studded with 40 charts in four colors. Aside from lists of ratings, the C.A.B. fur- ther has made a tabloid version of its 10 years of programing analysis, based on 2,250,000 calls. Additional topics lengthily treated include: network programing history; special events ratings and trends; compari- sons of programs by types; program preferences by income classes; pro- gram -length vs. program ratings; rural program popularity; sets in use; and ratings vs. life of programs. The DinECTORY this year comes to 1,352 pages. Book lists over 17,000 names, including 5,625 full-length talent biogs. Noteworthy changes were made In data on radio stations, the info this time even including lists of station news pericds. The program titles list has been boosted up to. 25,000, and sports are this year noted not only by stations and sponsor, but also with names of an- nouncers who spieled them. Legal end of the documentation was again handled by Louis G. Caldwell, who discusses the FCC in- tricate .maneuvers In 80 pages ot text Am. Tobacco s Tconomy Drive Cuts Lucky Strike, Kay Kyser Hookups SALUTING LEGIT New WNEW, N. Y., Frogram to Plug B'way Shows against issuance of a federal license to a new Hastings, Neb., station. He claimed there was no special reason for the change of policy. WNEW, New York,, starts a pro- gram about Sept 13 designed to sa- lute various current and new Broad- way legitimate shows when they hit 100 performances. Will begin with 'Streets of Paris,' which will be that old around the middle of Septem- ber, then go back to pick up older shows as they hit performance rec- ords. Thus 'Hellzapoppin' will air .•second when it hits 500. 'Tobacco Road' goes on at 2,500 showings. Aired at 12 midnight to 12:30, pro- gram will jse casts of shows, music (if a musical), author, producer, etc. ' Time will include Bob Sylvester; of I American Tobacco Co. has gone on a retrenchment campaign, with the Lucky Strike Hit Parade, on CBS, and the Kay Kyser show, on NBC, feeling the axe most Orders for cancellation immediately of 30- odd stations'each on these two hook- ups have been placed with the net- works. The Hit Parade had 76 sea- tions and the Kyser stanza, 85 out- lets. Only one station was dropped from the Ben Bernie-Half-'n'.-Half list (CBS). That show goes back on the air Oct. 8 Move is regarded In the trade as one of those things that happen in the ATC organization just before the board of directors holds its dividend declaring meeting. It helps provide a nice operating statement for the event. It Is believed Ihfli the cancelled outlets will be re^ordered after a while and that George Washington KNELL MOVES TO N.Y. CBS Shitta Hab. Annoancer Wbe Scored on Sob Rescnes Jack Knell, announcer who gained attention for his handling of the de- scription of the saving of survivors of the sunker); submarine Squalus several months ago while at WEEI, Boston, has been transferred to CBS' staff in New York. He starts immediately. Brown With Penner Hollywood, Au.g. 29. Russ Brown, New York legit comic, trades quips with Joe Penner on the new Ward baking series. Kenny Stevens gets the vocal spot Dick Ryan and Gay Seebrook will be back as regulars. Program tees off Oct S. the third program and indications the K Y. Daily News, doing 're now are th.it she won't be free to views of legit critic's opening re do the next two Her salary per views.' Hal Moore will announce Hill, ATC prez, will even revive his broadcast is $750. I and m.c. i Plan for a third network show. CAMON GOES SOUTH Birmingham, Aug. 29. Carl Cannon", for the past five years with NBC in New York, has I been appointed publicity and pro- I motion manager of WSGN, Birming- ham News-Asc-Herald station, ef- fective immediately. .Cannon was editor of The Trans- mitter, house organ for NBC.