Variety (Aug 1940)

m m RADIO Wcdiicedlayi August 7t 1940 ' i' i.' :■■.■•(; f I . I (K MH-EYt FROM WEBS AT H A. R Meantm<5 WOR Indepeticlent Projeiil of Bostoii Broadcastei;^ Fiiture Politics Foreseteh ; NO AFFILIATE RAIDS San Frahciscot Aug 6;v Major role that Jfehii Sheparid. 3rd/t^ '." • '■ . ■ ■ of the . Yankee Network;, is- playin , NBc; and CBS Unitie on BMI Ques atound: this;<:bnveh& - Uon^ at. Convention iionjjr Asfiociation. oi ;Broaaca,sters . .that. of organizer and prospective. cperatpr of : a: 40-statipn • Freqitehcy ModulKtipn network; . Shiepafd has been talking about the . prpspisctive , mcmbers.xdming into his px;oject; n'. co-operative .basis: and that in- cludes. putting upi 'the -coiri toir the I'-M network's starting arid; bpei^-^- ihg expenses. Maihlaining a shkrp eye on Shepard's activities, though ^'^^^ maIMa...«iW relation, be. ticujarly cpiicerned abput Shepard.^ AU/BMI Banquet Sah Frariciscp, Aug. .6, •; , ; Conspicuous by their absence w.ere. , the';iisUal., ■ extra-cpnyention cleal.S;. ^Jnitead of. engaging in the pcrbnniar pastime, of .vveaning . awa^y ■ one anothei-'s.. 'affiliates .iat. such gathering.s; ISTBe. and, Columbia^ ducted.' tiieriiselv.es. as a pair Of purr- inl; cub.*;. and., the :reasbn generally cj'ted ^fpi-;. this was the ASCAPtBMI situatipri. "The ■ Hvp major..networks : ■ • San;.Francisco, Aug, 6/ . V . When KA^B. stages' its annual.: banquet at Treasure;. Isjahd to-, , morrow:night tAVed.)*.orchestras', i'epertoire will, be xestricted, to ■ :BMI tunes. It;? first time taboo on ASCAP .mtisic has been applied outside • of' farbadcaStihg. studids. r-mpa.isn .is- that-.he' ip'ay ■ get; foipc o£:their affiUatCs sb fibpp up ^^^!}'^-q^^s twefcri. ihernselves at least before they could., sell the iil^ on setr ting- up a-^ on the ASGAP^; F-M that; they will; neglect: putting thrbuiih needed' teciulica^^iiTip^^^ irtents for their present;ldhgwave ;se't- - Shepard ^ started -his sales pusK;. t^r.rlyvas .last.-Saturday morn^pg :.{3}^ by wiiy of m^^ delegates' in - his. suite : at the Mark- Hopkins hotel.. Among those that he' hi's been giving the heavy^bee are Walter Darhm, of WTMJ, Milwaukee: Bill Scrippis, df .WWJ; .Detroit; Ike Lounstaerry, of WGR'WKBW,' Buf- Iplo; Tom l; Evans, p.iE .KCMO, Karir: Bas City; Lewis AUeii Weiss, Don Lee Metwork, and. C, W. .Myers, of KALiE. KOIN, Portland . ■ ■■■Qutside/ .Mutiui W or; iSre waif it, a^^ advised Shepard riecehtly. that they bad decided to HaVie nothing: to do .with his F^M network project; Ob^. jection, of these: two stations; which are tw6 of the keystones of the Mu- tual Network, ."was;based on thie cir- cum.stance thai what Shepard had in mind \vas something : that^ ■ hadhH niade itself evident at the start, WPR and WGN had been under the: impressiph, that the F-M web would fall within the.dperatipn of Mutual, but as it later developed Shepiard was intent upon a tdtaliy . independ- ent propd.sitibn, yrhich: wpuld . f rpm every smgle become competitive Id Mutual. In his conferences with pro.spective: , ftfTiliates Sbepard has claimed that he has alreacly lined up 16 important broadcasters for his'. F-M network promotion. He has admitted that it ■would take four or five years before such a network would begin rnaking money, but anyway his associates •vivould be in dn -the ground ftpdf of the' next 'great develdpment' in the business; of broadcasting. Shepard is still sparring around •with NB.C on the network's proposed switch of red link releases in Bos- ton, Shepard recently advised NBC : that if it went through with the idea I ot assigning WBZ to the red and making Shepard's. WNAG- the. blue station he would file .an affidav it on the matter with the Federal Com- ' muhicatipns Commissipn. "^ N i ie s Trommcll,, NBC preiz, .fetortcd. that thje network would not stand for any intimidation and. before it would take it from Shepard i^BG would under- take to cover the Boston area with a feroup ipf lOO-watters. The. indicar! tions are that WHDH, Bostbn, wiiJ. when the switch takes iJlace. becom the release for, the: blue • network. WHppi.:wni isrobably get an assign^ inent-of 50,000 watts under the. Ha-- vana reallocation plkin. issue. . . . •■:;::■:; - , ■ While ail the major, and even minor, station rep's, were .r hand, there se(Bm.ed to::be-n of; outlets using the'conv<sntiort- pc- C3sipn to : change national sales . of- fices. ... . . .; ' \ ; " ■::V'V; F-M WNCA DECIKSES ADS ON FN mcipu By WILLIS WEENER -San iPrahcisco, Aug. (B; ■ Press got a' ■ ptcyiew Friday (2) of the west's first Frequency Modula- tion station, installed atop Palace' hotel for use in connection with F-M reception demonstrations at N. A. B. conventibn headquarters in St. Franqis hotel Wednesday (7). Station went on the; air :Saturday with. 15- hour sked. ot live and transicribed shows. ' • . : Shipped here from Radio Engi- neering Labs, . Long Island - City, ; 1.000-watt transmitter operating on 43.4 megacycles under call WlOXLV, was set . up in. foijr hours under sii- pervisioh of Frank GuntHer, REL chief engineer. In appearance, grey units standing six feet tall resemble conventidrtiil transmitters^ except for extra heavy shielding.. Circuits also heavily filtered. to prevent stray in- ductances, fatal to successful opera- tion in high frequency spectrum. Guntlicr outlined' briefly benefits of F-M. in way of high-fidelity re- ccpton and pointed out that most receivers this fall will be equipped with, a F-M channel to cpver new band. In other words,; turn of switch will give fans F-M; just as it first introduced them to short-wave. Paul de Mais, y,^. in charge of. en- gineering for Yankee network, dut- iined operation of F-M in east, whsre 12 stations now use Major. Avm- :strphg's system.: -Stated that high fidelity, of F-M so- far superior,to present network lines that rebroad- casting works out better, than .phys- ical link for web operation. Told how tjiey tried it with chain of seven stations with okay results. . ftii.s Reiniger, REL sales manager; a dded that John ; Shepard, IIJ, .pf Yankee, is working but his own siring of 40-odd F-M's. Rooftop: rig pperated here- tinder auspices of KSFP, which is ban-, dling all programming. Working with Gurithor ' .. local:Vstatibn's. ;vet • techhijcal director, Dr. R, V. Howard. ■ Series of programs giving a; digest of advertising in New York dailies, with. full. credit to; the . advert'sers and .Ticwsp^pers,.'' started last " week Qvcr WMCA, New York, under sponr "Bor.'sfiip ofTP'arnswprth Raafd ISTTel?^ visipn. \IVs/..a, iS^hiinute show :(re- viewed ■. this IssUe of VARiF/ry) at <i p.m. :Moridays through Frifliay Ken Farnsworth (no relation ) :wni do the commentary on the seiries. wh ich, is tabbed 'Good New.s ,in Ad- vertising.' Show follows the line rc-; c'ently . : inaugurated : by ..the • NeW.s- paper PiVI, which prints the fnbws' in ads carried by other dailies. Hpw- f ever, PM accepts no ads itself. (SheparcL- plans, to call jnXeeting\in Clncago in co'iiple of weeks to fur^. ther his promotion of F-M neiwofk. Lnvitos:. 'ib.iU go to some 40 broad- casters.) . :■ ::'.■.:■ .:■■ '■■•:: . ■■: Khapp Monarch Shaver ..-. •K^napp .Monarch, pt j . Chicago, makers: of ; electric . jrazow, have SJgned. with the NBC blue./ Will .sponsor ^Sunday^ rtprni^ news dramatizatioh over 44 statibns start* ing Sept. 29. Will be heard 11:45 to 12 ndon. Editors of Newsweek will proVIde .the 'material ;: San Francisco, AiJg. p. . . American Spc'iety ; of Composers, Authcts and/Publishers took another stab, at getting- a hearing before the convention of the National Associa:- tidh of Brdadcastbrs, which opened at the Sain Francis ; hotel. J^eSterda'y (Monday ), when ; it sent' the dele- gates a circUlar telegram: urging thit a representativevdf the performing rights prgahizaltion be' given such% an dppcrtuhity. Dispatching of/: the wires was so timed that tlie station men have them at hiand before they went into the iriitial:sessipn of the convention: : ■' , The telegram read as fbllows: . .: 'It is urgently suggested that before the present issue as be- tween ASCAP : and the chains : reaches a stage . whicll may ;seri-. ously interfere with deyeloprnent ■ of the radio industry and With; in-\ dependent station operations there should be an. open discussion and ■ forum for the information of all • concerned. ASCAP is entirely ' .Willing and in fact solicits ah op- porturtity to participate in such a discussion.; We made a previous.: suggestion to. this effect .addressed to President , Miller, who advised us that program as scheduled left no tirne to fit such a matter in. We, therefore, address this telegram to each delegate registered as attend- . ing the NAB convention in the hope that from the floor there may cohie the riequest that the netvyrork representatives present participate with the independents and ASCAP representatives in a frank, free and open discussion ot the Whole . subject. You may reach us by telephone at Exbrook 0893 or tele- ; gram 'addressed to pur San Fran-: Cisco office. 111 Su'tter .building.' ' William Murphy Steps Up, Robinson Joins Agency Chicago, Aug. 6. Wjlliam .Murphy, who has been . continuity: assistant' at NBC here, has been elevated to the head of the continuity department .by prograrh manager Jules Herbuveaux. ■ Murphy takes over from Ken Robisbh .Who jeayes NBC continuity, department after sdrne four years to join 'the . Neisser-Meyerho agency payroll here as ciiief scribbler, of the '3cattergodd Baines': sliow fer-Wrig- ley's jaw-exercJser..-: : ■" ' t ♦♦ ♦>♦> ♦ »♦♦»»♦»♦t♦t »» X♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦>♦♦♦♦»♦♦»♦♦♦»♦»♦♦♦4 »♦♦♦♦♦♦♦4 4f♦♦♦4♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦» »♦♦»f♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦< : Sah FrancLsco, Aug. .6. .' Sail :.Francisco .tui'iied'..- its choicest brand of weather. Dele- gates .are still .curious a'bout what thai soupy fog looks like. ■;. Lewis Allen Weiss,, of the Don Lee: Network, .always the. ..sartorial bloom at the cdnv.etitidhs.; Thi time it's a seagrepn, outfit. A! Nelson, NiBC's local chief, func-; tioning as the proverbial :paper- hanger with the etc., trying to keep everybody glad that they came. Don Gilman, NBC's Coast v.p., trdUped in Sii rid ay • w ith a mob f rom the Bohemian Grpve. Buffalo, Aug. 6. Frederick j Eima.rii-perger; radio announcer; knoAvn -. ijrofessibnaliy: ias Fritz :Ei:rrians,.\ljied::a: voluntary -per; tition in bankruptcy here last' week listing liabilities of $11,000 and as- sets of .$2,000. His ; wi.Ee,:: EHzabieth,.: also filed at. the same tihie; .' .-..::.'.... ;: Einiahspcrger, briginiany Conducted the German hour: for WEBR Irorti Old Heidelberg, an .ea.st side cafe^ Subsequently, .he eniceed .German, hours for SWBNY. and 3 co\.iple of I^ew Ume ACCOUnC an^l his wife have been operating a :taycrn suburb. "Wjllian>§ville, ; Buffalo They're Vei-y Busy at WCCO ^ St. Paul, Aug. 6, . Hale Byer.s, WCCO ■. newscaster. married Edna Alice Anderson on Cramcr-Krasselt. agency of ..Mil- Friday, .hi regular:day.:difif;- waUkee: has the account. Was back on the job next day. . George Storefi who's interested in more statioris than Dun & Brad- street, ' here, nirig getiip but it was for the warm- er climes. Because he didn't have a hea%'y dinner rig Streibert had tb. turn down, a ,couple formal dinner invitations. Glenn Snyder, of WLS; Chicago, Missed around the St. Francis lobby over the weekend.' He was reported as having been seen somewhere on the way tq San Frariciscp, \vith pnf source qudting a:prairie schobner:as thb transportation meahs.:. ':• NlBC tossed a; staiift dinner Sunday night .(4) so that the :Goast gang could meet thev; new president ■ of the network. Attendance nurnbered 51. ..' ::•:; ;■:•:'■. . •.. - ■ Frank E. Mullen,: new ;exec::. v^P'. of NBC, interviewed by Jennings Pierce: on vFarm:: aind .Home : Hour Monday.; (5). Mullen, who: drigj-. hated hinterland feature, spoke of radio s place ' agriculture. . .Tracy Moore got .plenty. back-, slapping. . N.evv .N net sales chief for Western Division foimerly was. mi?mber df . San :Franciscd.; NBC crew. ■■■:':. ' ' ' ■■ Ed Kobak, NBC blue chief .from N, :Y.,. beat . convention: i iitp town by tWp ,days .' - order to give local "staff pep-talk :pn Blue. .Did it at n dinner staged by Al Nelsbn in Mark Hop- kins hptel. Mutual Network addrned . bHttort.-r holes with the: customary gold car- nations.. :, Ray Specter- among the agency mieh present. Carrie 3,000 ■, nriile.s, he. explained, sb that . when he^ dictated a letter to a;. station : operator . :he. wpuld have a pretty igpbd; idea of the fellow's facial reactions. : Piathe News ' coverage ■ pf / N.A.'B. convention virtually stolen by NBC. Clip includes talk by. NBC p'rcxy Niles teammell : ih' his suite at .S Francis, shbts. of Trammel! registerr irig for riieet 'and view of NBC ex- hibit. " Also incldded are rad; day ceremdnies at Expo (3); Wherein Stephen Early presented plaque to Neville Miller, head of/^N.A-B, Avith FCC chiairman : James L. Fly look-' ing oh.' Frank yail camereed with Clip due .back - for local showing, ■Wednesday .(7), closing, day of., con- ventiori. : Staff , of. WJSV, Washirigtdn;. pulled a rib on Harry G, Butcher, CBS vice-president, in. Washington, ..when he plari^ed .biit : last .Friday . ( terid, the .N,A.B, \ convention iri HSaii Francisco. Exec had been scheduled to leave the previous Monday (29V, biit: was;detained on :busine5s each day Uritil Friday.- Wheri -he fmaily left he was given an airport soid-ofl. by a deiegation from the WJSV stu- dio,;receiving a badly wilted bouquet With tiie explanation it had been ptirChgsed • in- anticipation of his. Monday departure, . . ~. - Ei^ht representatives, fromthe Cowles' stations are at the conven- tipri; :They arfe Robert Tincher and Phil: Hpffman of WNAX; Yankton; S^ Dak.; Sumner Quarton, Bill .Quar- ton and Don Inman of WMT, Water-? loo arid Cedar Rapids; Ten . Erins, Craig Lawrence and Luther Hill of KSO-KRNT, Des Moines. . Convention romance developed bie; tWeen; Wilbur Michael.spn. stepson p{ Lloyd Yoder. and' Helen Hedges, daughter of Bill Hedges, NBC' v.p., frorii New York. Hedges, ■.accom- panied by his twg daughters. . Helen and Peg, and wife, Meg. stopped off in^ Denver to see Yoder. Interval sa\y quick rpmantic developments between ..younger set. .; Ted Striebert, ot WOR. paused In Seattle enrpute from Banff:to N.A.B.,. accompanied by wife.- - Fleet of ■ five NBC-bannered Lin- coln' Zephyrs met web arrjvals in San Francisco, ' Provided by . Al Nelson, KPO-KGO: irianager, chauf- feured vehicles ai^e on call 24;hpurj;: a day during convention fbr use pf NBG delegates: .Only delegate not welcoriied Was Verndn Pribble, df WTAM, NBG Cleveland station, who fooled everybody by arriving day early. - ' Mezzanine of Hotel St. Francis is devoted to convention displays. Big- gest flash i.s that of BMI music: Al.so an elaborate piresentation of N; A; B, itself. NBC expects tb signal Start of. con- struction on' now San '.Fraricisco headquarters during convention. Five-story structure will be located at Taylor and O'FarrelL Kern TImps, manager. of KPRC, arid King Robertson, chief engineetw- of KTRH, aire representing Houston at the convention. L. B. Wilson, head man of WCKY, Cincinnati, CBS affiliate, flew In alone (saris Jean, his Wife), arid will fly right back. ■ : Walter Damm, Paul Spearmari. Judge Sykes developed pastime of making transcription in , John Shep- ard's suite, all of which tliey later destroyed. . Western Electric is exhibiting 25 riipdels and 45 drawings from ariiong those entered., in na.fion-Wide -arChir tects' contest to design '. ideal trans- mitter aiTd transmitter hoii.'iin for modern broadca.sting. Winriers were .selected by Beaux Arts .Club of New York. . \' v- r Mrs. Ted Streibert won telephone raffle at San ''Francisco Fair;- called Brooklyn. N. Y:, home to find* out how children were. : Reggie Soheubel 'hit jackpot ma- chine at Frisco Press club. . INS :t6.s.sed special luncheon and entertairiment to woo broadbaFters.: Only new.s service, to take .active' P^rt in :meet, .affaiir- included'.hoCk of talent. :■'■■ ■. '. Line Dellar got break In Exam- iner with full. iSage ' spread head lined 'American System of Broadcasting.' Explained importance of N, A. B. in. preserving .freedom. Linnea ,.•: Nelson commuting be- tween convention and local Thomp- sbn .office:.to sl?o\y: how skilfully she. ' cab mijc: business with leisure. . Melt Ruriyori, CBS station opera- tions v.p., kept his M &'-0 and iJfilGS contingent in /long .sessions at the Mark Hopkins : Saturday... It's the orie time annually that the boys let clown their hair and tell what they think of one another when it: comes to operatipn, - Ben Befnie Goes On Pain Killer III FaH If the delegates: attend all the jML Cktail parties that, are, being staged for ;'(^mj this cdnventibn will; rate as" ,topi5l in wear. and tear .on the .inner linings, ; NBC and CBS are only. tWo df the wide-open, .'bases.. Ben Bernie is...set for the 1940-41 ,broadcastihg season with a i.vew .spon- jjor, .Brbmb-Seltzer: (Emerson Drug). Gets going.Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 8. p.m., -dn the NBG'blue. Format of program is yet to be de- termined... ■ - ■ ; .; Ted Streibert,. WOR general man- aged and: Mutual v.p', -expressed rnuch chagrin about not having had the inside on the sartorial habits of San Francisco before he packed- for the trip west. Had brought an eve- KENYON At D.C. agency • Stepheri.- 'ili::Kenyon ; j .the Donahue & Coe agency, N, Y,, will be on:general executive dulie.s, - He shifted over from Lord Sc Thomas after three years with that prgariization as account .executive. Previously Kenyon was ait account exce with J. Walter •Thompson,