Variety (Dec 1939)

Wednesday, December 13, 1939 RADIO VARIETY tl NEW WEB SERIAL LOADED $2,400,000 In Billings (The iolXowbig is the schedule of accounts about to be announced bv the new TTanscontinental uieb.) BEGINNING JAN. 2, 194» Except Sat. & Sun. 10:00 10:15 10:30 10:45 11:00 11:15 11:30 11:45-12 Noon 2:00 2:15 2:30 2:45 3:00 8:15 3:30 • 3:45-4 5:15-5:30 5:30-6 7:45-8 (M-F) 8- 8:15 (M-F) 8:15-8:30 (Tu) "8:30-8:45 (M-F) 9- 9:15 (T-W-Th) 9:15-9:30 (M-Th) MORNING PhiUips* Lyon's Bayer Mulsifled & Syrup o( Figs Bab-O Sponsor Not Set. Haley's Dr. Clapps AFTEBNOON Anacin Aerowax Shinola Phillips Cream & Cal-aspirin Caldwells Sponsor not set B^-O Kolynos Sponsor not set Double Bubble Gum EVENING Dr. Lyons Topthpowder Bayer's Aspirin PhiUips Milk of Magnesia Emerson Radio Anacin Bisodol 'Stella Dallas' •Backstage Wife' 'Widder Brown' 'Front Page Murphy' 'David Harum' 'Helen Trent' 'Orphans of Divorce' Script Show Not Set •Our Gal Sunday' •Crystal Collins" Script show not set 'Lorenzo Jones' 'Doc Barclay' (or another show) •John's Other Wife' 'Amanda of Honeymoon Hill' 'Just Plain Bill' 'Ben, the Boy Detective' •Bruce Scott to the Rescue' Commentator Serial not set 'Waltz Time' Elliott Roosevelt 'Easy Aces' 'Mr. keen' The Affiliated Stations KPUK, Sacmniento. Ktilll, I.lttls Uock. WJJl). Chicago. K.'i.XL, Sallna. W'nws, Champulgn, WTMO. Ocnln. Kn:RM, BnkcMflrld. WJBJ. UnRerstown. \VMi;X. Uomon. Kl'"OX, Lone Beach. K.VOK, Si. Louis; KCMO. Kansas City. WHDF, Cnlunid. WMCA, New York. Kb'KU, Columl>la. Ma. WJW, Akron. ■WC.TM, Wilson. KUCU. Mnndan. WB.VY, liunalo. WI.N'G, Dayton. KDL.R, Dovlls Lake. KI''I>A, Amarlllo. \VGH. Nortolk. KBST, niK S|>rlnr. K.VOW. Aualln. M'SUP, Superior. KXY/., Hnuaton. WFOr. St. AuKUSlln,. KWCf. Stockton. WIND. ChlcBBO. KPAC, Port. Arthur. \VJBW, New Orleans. KFJU, .Mai-ahalltown. \VO-\i;, Athens. WCn.'<. SprlUKllelil. KKWB. Los Angeles. WSLI. Jackson. WCOV, Montsoinory. WJMH. Ironwood. WJBK, ))etroit. KDRO. Sedalla. WUGY, MInnenpolIa. WRAU Raleigh. WARY, Albany. WCPO. Cincinnati.' KOCY. OklahoniH City. KUMC, Jamestown. KOMK. Tulsa. WTOL, Toledo. WSP.V. SpartnnsblirK. WCOS. Columbia. S. C. WSAU, Wau.iau. WEMP. Mllwaukea. KTJZ, Kort Worlh. Kl''RO. Long View. W'.VYX, Maycruss. W.MI'J. Daytona Beach. KSCJ, Sioux City. WCUM, Baltimore. KY-V. San Frnnclaco. WKAT, Miami. KWIIU, Hutchinson. KC.VO. Dodge City. KOH. Reno. KFOR, Lincoln. KDCIK. Fergus Falls, KW.NO, Winona. KATE, Albert Lea. wni:0. Maniuetle. KLPF, Mlnot, KQV, Pittsburgh. WGN'C, C.astonla-Clinrlolte W MDO, Auburn. KOVC, Valley City. WFTC, Klnston, K.\BR, Aberdeen. KUTwV. Salt Lake City. WKJX, Racine. KRBC, Abilene. K.\ND, Cor^lcana. KEUF. Oalvesiotu Kl''YO, Lubbock. KABC, San Antonio. KCMC, Texnrkana. WACO. Waco. KC.KO; San Angelo. KTI;M. Temple. KVWC, Vernon. KVNC, Logon. KPLT, I'arls, KRRV, Sherman. KGKB, Tyler. Inside Stuff-Radio George A. (Dick) Richards' offer to sell his Detroit Lions pro football team, made last Saturday (9) just prior to the New York Giant-Green Bay Packers championship game in Milwaukee, doesn't portend any changes in Richards' radio setup, sources here declare. Richards announced his offer to sell the Lions with the statement that his doctors advised him against the excitement brought on by owning the Lions. Richards, who has been ill for coupla years, has spent most of the time In California recuperating. He put Gus Henderson, former coach of the Los Angeles Bulldogs, in charge of the Lions this fall but the club finished In third place. When Richards went to Coast to recup, he relieved himself of practically all active work in connection with operations of WJR, Detroit; WGAR, . Cleveland, and KMPC, Beverly Hills, Calif,, raising Leo Fitzpatrick, g.m of WJR, to executive vice-president of ether enterprises. Lux division of the Lever Bros, setup in. Boston is reported to be se- verely peeved at CBS because of the alleged stringing along it got from the network in connection with the placement of the 'Dr. Susan' serial, which folds Dec. 29. It is claimed that when the serial.was brought to CBS last January CBS induced the'account to take the 2:15-2:30 spot with the understanding that room would in due time be arranged for it between 11 and 12 a.m. When time within thi.<! latter sequence did become available it went to Campbell Soup, which was responsible for bringing Amos 'n' Andy over from NBC. Campbell occupies the 11 to 11:30 stretch, with Lanny Ross for the first quarter hour and the 'Brenda Curtis' serial following. Lux feels that 'Dr. Susan's' chances of high rating would have been considerably enhanced by an a.m. schedule. For being the first NBC plant to win the Variety showmanship award for network-owned stations, department heads at WRC-WMAL, Washing- ton, had a chance to feast at NBC's (not Vakikty's) expense last week. Exchange of cbmpliments and pointing with pride at each other occurred Saturday (10) at one of D.C.'s leading hostclrics with several big bosses throwing the posies. With local v.p. Frank M. Russell ho.sting, a score of slafters heard praise from Niles Trammell, NBC top v.p, Frank Mullen and Edward McGrady also present. Decorations included red and blue carnations. George Nelson and Winslow Leighton were mentioned in a story from Schenectady last week that they had applied for a 100-watt radio station there, making the second such plea now before FCC, Both young men, now partners In a local advertising agency were long with WGY. William G. Avery, ■ Schenectady banker, is backing the proposed Leighton & Nelson station. SET. Transcontinental Starts Jan. 2 With Presidential Ad- dress— Wall Street Ne- gotiations Still on EMERSON DENIES Under the schedule which Black- ett-Sample-Hummert has set Up for the Transcontinental Broadcasting System, which is slated to debut Jan. 2, the latter will broadcast a number of daytime serials before the same shows are heard over NBC and Columbia. With the exception of one, Emerson Radio, all accounts listed by the web so far emanate from the B-S-H agency. Warren LightfODt, public relations > counsel .for Emerson, declared yesterday that his firm is positively not sponsoring Elliott Roosevelt on Trancontinental, nor has it any such intentions. Roose- velt is the TBS prez. Mutual last week advised its sta- tions in a memo as to the supposed block-time selling methods under which Transcontinental is operating. According to Mutual, the new net- work is offering 117 stations on the basis of five 15-minutc periods a week for a lump annual sum of $107,- 000. Mutual's price for the same set- up, adds the memo, would be $220,000. The majority of the shows oh Transcontinental's opening schedule are now running on either NBC or Columbia. It is understood that the serials are to originate from the stu- dios of WMCA, N.Y., in most In- stances. It was reported yesterday (Tues- AFRA Pact Near General terms for a network contract have tentatively been agreed to by the new Trans- continental Broadcasting System and the American Federation of Radio Artists. Dieal, . closely paralleling the union's pacts with NBC and CBS, is being put into final draft form and may be signed within the next few days. It will cover both sustaining and commercial programs. Somewhat unusual relationship amounting to a space lease on studios of WMCA will affect some clauses, notably as to an- nouncers. day) that the operators of Transcon- tinental were still trying to close a Wall Street connection. One of the houses purported to have been ap- proached was Kuhn, Loeb St Co. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is slated to talk on the inaugural hook- up. 9:30-10 p, m, Robert C. Wilson, from Maxon agency and Ralph Nordberg. from WOR, Newark, have joined Trans- continental's sales staff. A, F, Adams is the comptroller and Dorothea Henninger, purchasing agent. Meet- ings were held in Chicago over the weekend with affiliates from the middle west. The list of outlets as released by Transcontinental contain one CBS station, seven NBC affiliates and 23 Mu'ual as.soclates. with prac- tically all of the latter in Roosevelt's Texas State Network. James W. Baldwin, formerly man- aging director of the National A.ssn, of Broadcasters, has been appointed director of station relations of the Transcontinental Broadca.sting Sys- tem. Until recently he. was a majority stockholder ot WGH, Newport News, Avalon Dropping Skelton Chicago, Dec, 12, Rod Skelton is being dropped from the Avalon Time program as of Dec. ,21, following a steady ' decrease in .audience rating for the show. RuBsel M. Seeds agency is now studying several comedy replace- ments for the Avalon stanza and has signatured Cliff Arquette, who will work with whichever comic Is. set. Bombs Afl Advertising Consumers Union Head in WGY Debate—Rebuttal Stresses Economic Usefulness of Advertising Writers* Mystery Reports from the Coast that the Radio Writers Guild is nego- tiating a standard, minimum basic contract nationally with leading advertising agencies is a secret in New York. Staled at the Guild headquarters that no such confabs are going on in the east and, as far as is known in New York, there is no such move oh foot in Chicago, either. Emphasized that while the or- ganization intends ultimately to huddle with the agencies and networks regarding standardiza- tion of writer contracts, nothing definite is planned for the im- mediate future. Berlin Radio Magazine Spotlights Story Anent WMCA's Jam With FCC Washington, Dec. 12. November issue of Radio Mentor has arrived In the United States from Berlin. A technical magazine devoted to equipment and sets, inter- est attaches to this issue by virtue of a red arrow on page 470 (with a front page attention-caller) reporting the recent complaint made by the FCC against WMCA, New York. Translation proved news item was strictly factual but it appeared to be the only item of this kind of news in the entire issue. Meantime note has been taken that a so-called German Library of In- formation is openly distributing printed propaganda (in English) from 17 Battery Place, New York city. That's the address also of the German consulate, A French Bureau of Information is due to be established on this side in the near future, it is also under- stood. Holfiway Gives Hizzoner The Air-Not on KECA Los Angeles, Dec. 12. Harrison Holliway tossed Mayor Fletcher Bowron off KECA the other night when perusal of his script revealed that it was loaded with explosive matter on the pinball question, to be ballotted on today (Tues.). Hizzoner got the time for free so Holliway insisted that he re- frain from controversial issues. Town's headman said he couldn't get the script rewritten in time and took a powder. Local sheets made a big to-do about it. Mayor no like the pinball games, which he prefery to call a racket. A few years ago Holliway gave the same treatment to a Roosevelt speech carried nationwide over NBC. He inisisted FDR was campaigning as a candidate for re-election and should pay for the time. HELEN BEHLKE'S TITLE Elliott Roosevelt's Ft, Worth Secre- tary Carries on Regionally Schenectady, Dec. 12. Radio listeners to SO,000-watt WGY were given a rather graphic demon- stration that radio free speech does exist, however imperfectly fault- finders may claim it operates from time to time. A radio station which draws its life-blood from advertising, WGY, on Sunday (10), broadcast a blistering denunciation of the claims, standards and social usefulness of 'competitive advertising.' Specific accounts were named over the air in a blast (discharged by Dr. Colston Warne, associate professor of eco- nomics at Amherst College and president of Consumers' Union. The latter first 'congratulated' WGY for allowing 'the consumer's viewpoint' to be ventilated and from that point on he tossed phew-bombs. The rebuttal delivered by Dr. Ken- neth Dameron, professor of market- ing at Ohio State, was less pyrotech- nical than the attack. Dameron made thie point that advertising as such widened the general use of products (cited the millions who use tooth- paste only because advertising pres- sured them to do so), and was an es- sential lubricant to keep goods in motion. It was a narrow view, he implied, to think of advertising sole- ly as an added cost to an individual purchase. The American economic system is hot confined to supplying merely the absolute bare necessities of existence. Advertising by open- ing up new demands and new uses of products has a very real social use- fulness. At outset, Warne jibed at radio advertising and .its delivery by 'trained baritones.' He alluded to 'the emotional bleeding' every quarter hour, and .the claims made for 'six kinds of gasoline, a dozen ways to romance, and cures for almost every human ill.' He declared advertising 'is becoming the supreme agency for bewildering the consumer.' Al- though $45,000,000 is spent annually on cigaret advertising, the head of Consumers' Union stated there is lit- tle opportunity for evaluating the selling points of various brands. 'Truth is by nature modest, and no scientist would care to compete with the Listerine copy writers,' was an- other of Warne's remarks. Breakfast Foods, Etc. He also referred to radio's plug- ging breakfast food with Tom Mix, to alkalize with Alka-Seltzer, elimi- nation of b. o. with Life Buoy, and of course refresh with Coca-Cola. Admitted advertising had brought such good things as symphony con- certs, but saw no reason why pur- chasers of automobiles should have to pay, for these radio concerts, or buyers of gasoline or headache pills pay to hear the news. Warne thought a radio tax (as in England) would be better way to finance the cost. He would prefer it to hearing 'Mr. Ford's unctuous Mr. Cameron.' While conceding that 'some advertising is excellent,' he in- ,sistcd that altogether too often ad- vertising emphasizes the 'inconse- quential value,' The fact that 'one Hollywood star used a given type of i automobile or toothpaste' is not im- f portant to the consumer. Rather, \ what effect the product or article will have on the human body. He suggested cultivation'Of an 'oh yeah' attitude toward advertising. One audience question, dealing with 'Good Housekeeping' and 'other Hearst magazines,' contained an ad- Ft. Worth, Dec. 12, Helen Jane Behlke, secretary to Elliott Roosevelt since last March,. this week became production and ' J active, that a station, under ordinary program manager of his 24.station | circumstances, would delete in a Texas State Network. Roosevelt! script. Although Dr. Dixon Ryan hired Miss Behlke in Chicago last i Fox, Union president and moderator March and brought her to Fort °f the debate, demurred to such Worth as his secretary. i specific reference, he permitted When his new tran.scontinental i Warne to answer. The Amherst pro- broadcasting venture began to keepjfessor replied that Federal Govern- him and other TSN executives in ' ment had brought action against New York more than in Fort Worth, Good Housekeeping (advertising seal he put Miss Behlke in charge .hcrt of approval) and that hearing of case ; would determine the soundness or Gordon McCUIn is now doing a \ unsoundness of charges. He thought three-way job for CKPR, Port Ar- i that Good Housekeeping was 'about thur. He's news editor, commenta- ;the same level as that of other pub- tor and p.B, : lications in the same'class,' ^