Variety (Sep 1939)

Wednesflay, Seplember 27, 1939 RADIO VARIETY 2S WASHINGTON: ONE GREAT BIG SUBURB By EDGAR A. GRUNWALD (J-'irst of a series of coinmumty ))f)iuaiis by Varikty's Ed (iniiiwald (luring a three months' trip to the Pacific coast and rttiirn.—Ed.) Washington, Sept. 26. A couple of years ago a local pro- duction man, enthusiastic over the trend toward safety campaigns, sug- gested that his radio statioin pick up the death rattle of traffic victims in hospitals as a horrible warning against rash di'lving. Today any Washington production man making such a suggestion would be strangled on the spot. The four local radio stations—which can easily aggregate better than $1,000,000 in annual local and network time sales (net)—are eyeing a coming boom in national spot bu.<:in.e.ss. Nut programming, for -which Walshington has perhaps been tinju.stly famous in the past, is out. Today Wa.<:h[ngton is bragging that Arthur Godfrey, who symb61izes the fact that this town can develop talent other than newscasters, is making between $30.000-$40,000 a year. By all odds, Washington should be ■ paradise for national and regional spot campaigns. Man for man, the Capital's population spends more money and worries less about un- employment than any other com- munity in the United States. What's more, 91% of the families own radio seL<! and keep them tuned strictly to local stations. Strictly a Retailers Market; No Dealers to Be Solved But as late as 1937, the Washington stations were getting six local dollairs for every national-regional spot dollar. The reason for this paradox lies entirely in the fact that most spot campaigns are still bought by crude methods and still cruder en- ticemenLs, Consequently-, the Capital has been up against the following: 1. Washington is strictly a retail er's market (one reason it's always BO.. pro.'iRerous). But spot time buy- ers, not finding any manufacturers' branch managers or representatives here to salve, often have skipped the city 00 their schedules. 2. The population is a pretty ■ophisticated crowd, and will not bother to write fan letters or send in dimes for dolls that say mama. Hence the stations haven't been able to •xhibit a carload of mail as evidence of pull. 3. Until WJSV turns on 50,000 watt!) in December or Jainuary, there Isn't any big-wattage flag to wave in the face of time buyers who special- ize ill that kind of campaigning. Under the'FCC's Nose Power Boost Affect Seen This situation is now gradually be Ing broken down. Procter & Gamble Is embarking on its first Washington spot campaign in the near future, and that's a pretty good indication. Also, that 50,000 watts in store for WJSV Is ft source of Joy~to-Birthe stations here. WJSV's wattage is go- ing to dramatize .Washington to time buyers who previously wavered for rea.<ions mentioned above. Further more, the power boost will cause a spread in rales, and hence create still more fodder for promotion and sales spiels. This kind of economics is probably new to the FCC. But there the exanxple is—right under the FCC's nose.. From a trade viewpoint, the four Washington stations—WJSV, WMAL, WOL and WRC—are Immediately Impressive In two major categories: all of them are under crack manage ment, and all of them are showmanly Inclined. In a town where local talent is hardly growing on trees, there has been a considerable per- capita representation of name talent as anywhere in the U. S. The list would include Fultoiv Lewis, Jr Arthur -Godfrey. Tony Wakeman, Earl Go'dwin, Albert Warner, H. R, Baukhage, and such alumni as Prof, Quiz. Jim .McWilliams. Bob Trout, Maybelle Jennings. Margaret Mc- Crae. Throe Liltle Words, and Arch McDonald. Production Man Reined In by I.ack of Opening- WJSV's production department ■Ince 1937 has bSLMi headed by Lloyd l>enuis, who has a background of 12 years of radio, much of it in Boston and Providence. Ann Gillis Is in charge of special events: -It's safe to say that if Dennis' . tima sheets weren't so loaded with network commercials, WJSV would go on a rampage of live talent production. Dennis' angle is to create names wherever possible, and his ideas are framed largely in terms of person- alities behind whom the station will throw promotion and billing. The production department is continually excited over new 'finds,' and the sug- gested programs for^this fall cover some 20 typewritten pages. WJSV's ciu-rent class-^A name is Arthur Godfrey. That Godfrey got where he is via ■ musical clock stanza is a fine commentary on Washington. Well-to-do and worldly, the population is none the less homey. Washington is one huge suburb. It is Evanston or West- chester- multiplied. Godfrey, 'the ex- Coast Guarder, got into high gear in this setup one day when his temper got the better of him and he told the radio audience what he thought of his own pro.gram and his own sponsor. The sponsor on that day was selling ladies' pants (so the story goes), and the store was swamped with inquiries over the pants. That started Godfrey on a trail which to- day is paying out $750 per -week. Another suburban-homey broad- caster at WJSV is Elinor Lee, an In- dustrious young lady who runs the women's program, and puis plenty of variety into the doings. . Dennis meantime Is putting con- siderable emphasis on the house or- chestra, a seven-piece affair batoned by Paul Kain. This aggregation can be split into several kinds of combi- nations, and is naturally important to a station looking for names and a production setup for them. Walter Johnson is the baseball spieler who handles the play-by-play for Wheat- ies. Arch McDonald u.sed to handle this chore, but McDonald hit a good year and graduated to New York. Political and news-comment as.sign- ments are in the hands of Albert Warner, who got his news training with the New York Herald Trib. For this fall several hew local shows are on tap, all of them reflect- ing the peppy psychology' of the WJSV production department. A singer named Dalton Norman, an importation from the South, will hold down one of the shows. He's due for a buildup. So is an unbilled femme singer, one of Dennis' in- numerable 'find.s,' who wilt go into a Sunday morning spot as "The Lady in While' and then will have her style changed to pop singing, and get a name. The third new stanza will be farm fare. It will get going, under a tie-up with the Department of Agriculture, in the early daylight hours as soon as WJSV goes 50,000 watts. Hampered for lack of sustaining time, Dennis Is trying to solve this pf oblem by inaugurating two variety shows, one for singers, etc., and one for dramatic talent. That would show-ca.<;e the whole ILst of talent at once and provide the springboard for the buildup proce.ss. The end- le.<v<: list of ideas that ferments at WJSV also includes a po.<;.<;ible cla.ss show" for~kTas~ra' oiVe-woman dra matic series a la Cornelia Otis Skin ner). Considering the fact that Washington is so far .?adly lacking in local kids' shows, this idea could well be pushed. Survivor of Old Vaude Act Heads WRC-WMAL The NBC (WRC-WMAL) produc- tion contin.gcnt is directed by .Fred Shawn. Special events and addi- tional production are assigned to Carleton D. Smith. Show-building at. NBC is heavily Influenced by Shawn's past history and, his seven- year regime here. When he got out Of college, Shawn joined a quartet and toured in vaude. This led to a singing chore in the Follies, and a road tour on which Shawn reli- giou.sly hit station mana.gcrs for a job. Ed Byron at WLW gave him one as a singer, and .lohn Clark-cort- verted bim into an announcer. Shawn has not forgotten his vaude and Follies days. WRC-WMAL pro- duction therefore harps on produc- tion background, and. a terrific fond- ness for the 15-piece house band. Shawn has expanded his department since 1937 to include such fancy per- sonnel as special producers. There are two of these—Arthur Daly, who previously was with NBC In New York, and Ro.ss.Filion. who got his radio training in Buffalo. Numeri- cally, NBC has the biggest produc- tion staff in town. . The two slalioiis, WRC and WMAL, are, however, programmed along separate lines. WRC has the typical network londness for diversity. WMAL looks more in the direction of classical fare. The house band, which can shuttle, between both sta- tions, is one AF of M aggregation which has actually been under con- sistent sponsorship. After develop- ing a 'whispering rhythm' style (muted brass and violins) it was deemed good enough by NBC to get a network spot WMAL's classical schedule includes a 'Prelude' stanza in the morning (6:30-7:30 a.m.) and a half-hour of complete symphonies, concertos, etc., from 11:30 p.m. to midnight. These stanzas have proved consistently popular with listeners. Once when WMAL was going to inject setting- up exercises on the 'Prelude' show between Chopin and Lizst, some 2,800 letters of protest came in al- most, immediately. Washington has few similar samples of mail response. WMAL's suburban stuff includes Lee Everett's musical clock plus amateurs for the People's Drug firm; fashion hints plus personal advice on clothes, etc.; garden talks; and a quiz show run in conjunction with WFBR in Baltimore. Bill Coyle . handles sports chatter. And Earl Godwin and H. R. Baukhage are the news commentators, though these assign- ments have long since taken them out of the purely local sphere. WRC, like WJSV, is loaded with network commercials. But, like WJSV, it manages to squeeze in its fair share of local programs. These include Gordon Hittenmark's musi- cal clpck; Mary Mason's home forum; a man-on-the-street stanza; a camera club with 600 members and a contest which is successful in a town not caring a hoot for contests; a Satur- day children's frolic; and a 'Night Watchman' request program of popu- lar music. Shawn also has assigned spots to the Dixie Harmoneers, a colored quartet, and is building-three Vien- nese pianists. In between, WRC- WMAL have been auditioning hot and heavy for more newscasters. And also in between, Shawn is figur- ing on how to put together an all- Negro revue M the local talent situa- tion makes that feasible. Radio Ed Told by WOL: 'Show Us How It's Done' WOL's producer is Madeline En- sign, a local girl, who came in in 1936, She had at one time been radio editor for the Herald. .There's no mistaking her production ideas which are as two-fisted as WOL itself. This station religiously harps on three angles: (1) news; (2) sports; and (3) music. From the very start, WOL. the only station in town not owned or operated by a network, figured that the way to get to first base was to run like blazes. That started a trend toward news, and a motto to be 'first with the news.' Walter Compton was parked side of a ticker, and the news was aired in a steady stream. That policy still holds good. Meantime news from the Hill—and for the Mutual network—is in the hands of Fulton Lewis, Jr., once with menting least. That puts the critics on the spot. Tony Wakeman spiels the spprls at WOL. Between 1:15 and 5 p.m. he unravels the equivalent of a vast sports musical clock which includes any tiling and everything connected with sports, plus music, news, etc. The phone response is heayy (Wash- ington's citizens have a failing for betting on the bangtails). WOL also has the Redskins pro football games for Wheaties, also spieled by Wake- man. The Redskins'' games are a real asset to the station, for the Cap- ital folk are football crazy; Frances Northcross handles the women's stanza, and Art Brown is the niusicail clock conductor. From midnight to 1 a.m. there's a recorded request program, and throughout the day music, both classical and-popu- lar, is liberally sprinkled in. WOL meantime has developed a fondness for Mutual's cooperative programs. The forthcoming 'Show of the Week' will be sponsored by a local auto dealer. All told, the producers of Washing- ton stations do not kid' themselves about the audience and its particular idiosyncracie.s. Contests, give-aways, and wacky ideas are out. Nut stuff, once attempted as a by-product of special events, is largely dead. Milk- ing the listeners for mail is useless. The following, and only the follow- ing, stuff gets across in Washington: 1. Programs for t/ie suburban type of mentality. That inclttdes musical cloc/cf. home /orums, etc. . 2. Cfa^-s programs. Under this cnleporv come ..miifie,^.singing, or- chestras, etc. 3. Sports. 4. News (aUo iise/nl for network feeds). 5. Special events, generally of po- litical stripe. Webs Put Well-Polished Boots Forward in Capital From the standpoint of manage- ment, Washington's personnel is proba.bly iniles ahead of most cities. The networks, which operate three of the stations, naturally put their best foot and their best managers forward here. WOL, the independ- ent gamecock among the stations, has battled hard and shrewdly to make the grade against this tough com- petition. Frank (Scoop) Russell and Harry Butcher are respectively the NBC and CBS vice-presidents on top of the Washington pile: Ken Berkley (WRC-WMAL) and A. D. (Jess) Willard (WJSV) are the managers. Bill Dolph has the big desk at WOL. -.Ken Berkley has steered the NBC stations for 10 years. WMAL (Blue) is operated by the network, though its capital stock is held by the Wash- ington Star through the M. A. Leese Radio Corp. WRC (Red) is owned outright by NBC. Berkley's manage- ment is efficient and shows experi- ence. His plant is located in the Trans Lux Bldg. It's new, impressive, but not gaudy. John Dodge, once a newspaper rep. has been commercial manager for five years. Like all Wa.>;^ington stations, WRC and WMAL try hard for local business, and the ■, commercial end is show- manly. Right now an 'NBC House Universal News, and also once a gab- of the Future' is being built in co- ber on fishing. Lewis has played bis cards colorfully and well. Not only did he. stir up the fight to get radio newsmen into the Capitol gallery, operation with some local con- tractors. Merchandising meantime is carried on regularly. CBS owns WJSV, piloted by Jess but of late he has given guest shots • Willard for the last seven years, to those politicos who like his com-' Barely 34, Willard has had a radio McNutt Praises Broadcasting Biz For Its Self-Regulation Policies Washington, Sept. 2C. | speech, this determination not to Significant back-patting for the ' abuse it or let others abuse it.' radio industry occurred when Paul. Pulse-feelers were elated because V McNutt, head of the new Fed-: McNutt referred to President Rpose- eral Security Agency, faced the veils airwaved desire to give the mike as substitute for Fulton Lewis, i people all the news. Remark that Jr regular MBS commentator.' freedom of the rsidio must be pre- wiiile the remarks admittedly were served even in time of war was re- only his own views, industry watch- garded as reflecting the general ers felt reassured by the compli- opinion of the New Deal inner cir- ments on the war news technique. . ck. Changing his script shortly before ■ the whistle blew, McNutt pointed lo WKY Cets V of Oklahoma the agreement signed by the webs Oklahoma City, Sept 26. and NAB, commenting that the' University of Oklahoma has grant- broadcasters have taken a step | ed permission to WKY to broadcast 'which we should both applaud and [ the entire University of Oklahoma follow.' Action was termed 'an out-j football .schedule, standing example of this American, John Shafcr, WKY sportscaster, altitude—this respect for liberty of - will do play by play. career that covers WCAO arid WFBR in Baltimore, i<nd an intervening period ot operatin^^ his own adver- tising agency. Willurd's management is characterized by a hi.-jh degree of staff loyalty, and like the rest of his station he radiates energy. Bill Murdock is sales manager. He has a promotion manager to help him— John Heiney, the only representative of the promotion soecics in town. Both Heiney and his department, are only a year old here, but they have been responsible for reams of IctterK, brochures, and merchandising stuff of all sorts. Currently WJSV is gear- ing -itself for its 50,000 watts and an upswing in national spot business. Hence the dither over sales pro- motion. Bill Dolph is key man at WOL, and has beeri since 1936. The station is owned by the Mark estate (insur- ance, etc.). The Dolph regime is alert and scrappy. WOL is affiliated with Mutual, and its record in the sales field is excellent. Currently the- revenue graph is a line virtually on a ascending vertical an.gle. James Fishback is commercial manager. The station has an up-to-date plant, and very presentable studios, though it is rapidly outgrowing them in its continued expansion. Dept. Stores in Wash., As Elsewhere, Are Tough On all tbe station.s, local business is profitable and consistent. The de- partment stores are a tough nut to crack—as in most other cities—but the stations keep hammering away at them year after year. Possibly these stores could be high-pressured into signing a contract, but the stations are laying off the high-pressure stuff. One disappointment to a department store would be fatal. The idea is to get a good, hot show which couldn't miss fire. In the meantime the usual department store red tape as to ad- vertising isbeing tackled. Washington's big new source of revenue will undoubtedly be national spot business. Sales of station time this year are up anywhere from 10% to 40% along the line, but a boom in national spot business would raise those figures still higher. What Washington could perhaps use to good advantage on this new front would be: (1) more market promotion explaining the suburban characteristics of the population, etc.; and (2) more kids shows. LIST OF ACCOUNTS The following are the national and regional spot accounts (with agen- cies) currently represented on the city's four stations: Air f.Vmilltlrtnliiif f.'(irp..W.;llI-WllkPnH Corp. Alka-St*!!/.*"!- Wttdo Arrid I'rotluclji Simt HroiKlciisUnK* )t-C Rcincib' )lHrvny-Mu8HpnBale* IlaItlmor«t Sprlnx IS***).... IxiuIh K. Sheotci ' nnnruH W{«lc;h Ad-MaxterM. Inc.* Bond SlorpB Ncff-RoBOW Bulck Motoi- Arthur KudncrT Bulovft W'Hich Blow Co.* CellowAX Co O, D. KprKusmi* f;. I.. Clark i'u AMhtI P. Hill Co.* (ronllnoiiLAl Kaklntr Hr>iitnn & Hnvrlta UucK'fU * R.unml^'ll McCnnn-Krifhaon Jjfttlk'O Mnifiiii Itullir.Turr * Uyan Kdwnrdff CofTee .-^-T-,-^M<'*-'ftnn-Krlnk«on*— Forrp .Krwln. Wns-py* FnUK^i- John';* John QucenH» Ocnenil KliM-lrl-.' Kffrlj;i'iul'irM Hurry I*nl7, Co, Oenf^rHl Mills Knoji-Recv/-,^ Gl(il>ti Hrcwiiifc Joseph KqIz Gotxlrlcli Itiiihr.iufr A liynn . Vfiiinc A ltul>l(-nni* .. Ktiihr.nirr & Itynn .ci'lJPH, Shclflrin & f'nnmlny* Ncfr-ltf'KOW* ..Vounic ^- Ku)»lc.Tm* Dimstiuc /k Cot* .. N"w**ll-l-;mm(*it Gulf. Ourithfr Iti-i'Wliii;. <;haR. Hires,. IJt'tfOtl'f* l,);ilon T":» .. I,op«*H 'r'hi'Hir*»fl. T<oit:<e Wllf.^ Lu'li-n'M J. M. Mftthea* J.nnd O' I^iilavs (*^l;Illll^•l'it■^^ C.iMipbfll Mllhun* Tliofl, Tippiiilntfk \Vm. lC!<ty* Jjp-.i Se IVrrins Hchwltnmor ^ -ScoU* Marvin's CrflK.. Harry Palz* Mnryland IMtiiniiut-rulicnl JoHopli Kalz* Mlnlt Itul. Y.iunn He HuMcnm* Nallnnnl Itrewlnf; AVebb* OMsinnhiln j». p. Rrolhr»r Pcler JMiul, rinii-r*'orl>C3* Pao'iuin \Vm. Enly* Pnrkor-Htrb-x Wm. H. Unnkln* PInox •-. ..UusHcM M. .Perils* Plymnuih .T. iiilrllng Cctchell Potter JJrui; ^ (Mitim(<-al Aihorliin «c Ciirrltr* Potttino .MdinrM.. .MacMiinuit. Juhn Sf Adain.s PmPlfr r;:iinl>)»*. , Hf'X Mrn. (Vlclnrj. . i Vrnia MmiUrth , 'Hios. .1>. RlchtinJ.'fiM). I nic'f n:ik*>ry I Spott PaiK»i' j Will. Sc-hluJ^rbi'iK-T. Shfl'U'dlMl It|O.H. .' Sliiipllfltv (•:ttl'Trt, .. 5^Tnllli )liii.H, Cnmi'ton ', Pirect ItoKPrs. Smith* ..V. W. Aypr* \\*:iU'*r Thompson* J. Wnli'-r 'J'lioinpson* J." Kunll^. ... Hrfi\vn-.\lf.\an(lPr* .. Vjm Sant. OuKdole* ..... Fr.-Miklln Hntck* J. 1). Tnnhcr* .*<l»ry.. rtuthrnuff & Hyan* SlBiipo ,, .. .Mfi '.'inn-l'^rlrknon Sinndirrl Oil (>'. .I.i .Mnt-srhnlk * Prult 5^uili>l>:ik'^r. r.nch*'. \s*tlliiitn>4 ^- ('iinnynRhnm Sivlfi S: i'o I. WnliPr Thomptron* Vlcit Morjif Intornntionnl* Wf."»llii/rhoiis<» ;i''iiUpr Xf Sinllh & Rosti* \Voman*}4 llnjin^ ('•iinji.iiiltui : .Mi-i'.inn-Krlckfon (rnltPd DiuA Spot Ui oMdcanllnff * .\(roun(?i inai'^ptl ivjih on RMlrrlsk U!ia tli~^ nlcnnN. r)iolo hi'i'.iky, iitinouiU'''iiicnLa, or prirtlclo.!)In;: ttroci'ninn; lht.>> d't not ui^o tiill-lonclh itfii^rtimn.