Variety (Nov 1940)

so RADIO Wednesday, November 20, 1?»40 PHILIP MORRIS LOOKS Old Gold, Camels Also Exploit the Fringe Market—- Corn Stuff Pays Off Through Loyalty of Audience ■'■ • + - '■ " ■ ■ ■ ■■ ■ Philip Morris may go in for hill-, billy shows on a wide scale. If it does it will be by the regional net- work arid local station route. Reg- gie Schuebel, the Biow agency's ra- dio director, .'said lastweek that so' fal- it was merely a matter of exam- ining the possibilities of hillbilly fare and finding out what was avail- able. It;would, make Philip : Morris' first b id for the rural trade on a special- ized probram. Old Gold has been doing it for the past several •:weeks with a Ranger transcription series, while Camel has had its 'Grand Old Opry House' out of WSM, Nashville, tor the* past two seasons. ; Two sources that the Biow agency has already inquired into for its hill- billy ; entertainment are the Michi- gan Network and Western Radio Sys tern. Theory .'■ that has caused these cig manufacturers to gravitate toward this , type ' of entertainment is that it does a highly effective, job in getting to people who listen strictly to local stations and whose loyalty' to such programs produces a comparatively strong percentage of tales. \-..- , : Biow agency last week denied the report that it planned to .restrict its Philip Morris musical .programs on NBC and CBS to BMI tunes during the next few days so as to get a line oh listener reaction to this.:ciass : of •ong fare. It was explained, that, it would go on using only some BMI music until that time the networks notified it to drop all ASCAP tunes. WHO Golden Gloves tournament will be Jan. 24 and 31, Feb. and 14, to be held at the; Shrine audi- torium, Des Moines. Bill Brown, WHO sports ec'itor, is director of the tourney. That Rinso Look Hollywood, Nov. 19. Sartorially, Ed Ward G. Robin- son's 'Big Town' crew^ should run up the'highest CAB rating in town. Ukase from Ruthrauff Sc Ryan agency decrees formal or semi-formal attire for all per- ; formers. Thumbed down . sweat- shirts, . sports regalia and^Other Hollywood garb. San Francisco, Nov. 19. Application for 50,000 kw for KQW. San Jose;: was'filed with the federal government this week by Ralph Brun- ton of KQW-KJBS. Request for per- mission to erect plant at Alviso cost- ing between $175,000 arid $200,000 was entered with specific reservation that power jump is to become effec- tive only if station moved to 740 kc as skedded under Havana treaty thus achieving CBS affiliations If wave-change goes through and power boost is granted, KQW would become CBS outlet in January, 1942. Probably would take over studios in Palace hotel, at present rented from CBS by its outlet, KSFO. : : Meanwhile in January of this year, the Brunton station loses its present web affiliation with Mutual-Don Lee, duplication of service with KFRC being given as reason. WSB BRINGS IN 13 TO SWELL TALENT Atlanta, Nov. 19. : Filling requirernents; Under its ex- panding entertainment setup,. WSB has added 1^additional musicians and singers to its staff. They've been assigned to fly*', sustainers, two of them started since the signing of this new batch of talent, most of them ex-rnetwork artists. All of these performers and the productions oti which they appear are under direc- tion of John Lair and ' Glenn Hughes, formerly, of NBC's Plantation Party. ' Those added to WSB's talent staff are: ~K] •'. . / ' ' Dwight Butcher, formerly on NBC's Renfro Valley; Hank Penny, CBS entertainer; Harpo Kidwell, formerly with Plantation Parly; Marvin Tay- lor and Doug Spivey, Rerifro Valley 1 Pine Ridge Boys; Lewis DuMont, from Beverly Hillbillies, Hollywood; Bbudleux Bryant, fiddler from Chat- tanooga; Warren Sykes,. harmonica player; and the Four. Cumberland Valley Girls of Renfro Valley. WSB's program schedule lists fol- lowing shows on which this talent appears: Around the Cracker Bar- rel, daily at 8:30 a.m.; Dixie's Farm Hour, daily at 5:30 a.m.; Little Coun- try Church House, Monday through Thursday at 10:45 a.m.; daily variety shpws at 1:30 p.m.; and Saturday Night WSB Barn Dance at 10:30 p.m. Rambeau Reps WHB Kansas City, Nov. 19. WHB has appointed William G. Rambeau as national'sales represent- ative for the station. Rambeau will also; provide national representation for the Kansas State Network in the territory outside Missouri.. Kansas, arid / Southern Nebraska and Iowa. Bryan P. Murphy, Kansas City, rep- resents the KSN in these states. Never Before On The Air (An Occasional Department Devoted to the Unique, the Unprecedented and the Slightly Amazing in the History of Broadcasting) Americans In Canadian Army Camp Vox Pop will originate "somewhere in Canada' Nov. 28. Wallace. Butterworth and Parks Johnson will quiz members of the armed forces of the Dominion, but subject to military censorship requirements. It's sponsored by Kentucky Club Tobacco arid believed to be first time a Yankee radio program has come out pf a foreign army camp. : A Deaf and .Dumb Quit • In connection with the Community Fund, Station WGAR, Cleveland, , conducted a quiz of the deaf and dumb. Finger semaphore translated ': by Wayne Mack. - V; . : .\, <: : Makes Program of Man's Collapse When a visitor had a heart attack Tuesday (12) in WCPO's Cincinnati sidewalk, studio, Tom McCarthy, who was at the teletype preparing one of his newscasts, signaled for a switchoff of musical recordings in an-upstairs studio and made a special event of what transpired before him. : The Life Squad was summoned and McCarthy described how the. fire- men worked to resuscitate the victim, bundled him in blankets and removed him to General Hospital. . Pays, for Radio Series In Advance Welfare Finance Corp. tried WSAI, Cincinnati, during the election, liked the results, contracted for Dick Bray's spbrtscast. Then came the develop- ment that ■bowled over WSAI: sponsor sent a five figure check paying for the radio time in full and in advance. DEPLORE INFERENCES Esty Scouts But Says It Doesn't Necessarily Mean Anything: William Esty agency stated last week that even though it was scout- ing the field for some new shows. it wasn't to be inferred that the quest involved replacements for Camel's 'Meet Mr, Meek' . and Bob Crosby programs. No decision, it was said, has been made on the renewal of these two. shows. Their renewals come up the first week in December. The agency, it was added, has some new accounts that want to go on the air. WEXL, Royal Oak, Increasing: - Detroit, Nov. 19. FCC has approved boosting the operating power of WEXL, in Royal Oak, from 50 to 250 watts, bri un- limited time. . Manager J. B. Sparks said the station would begin operat- ing on its increased power as soon as a new antenna. and new trans- mitter building are completed, prob- ably within 90 days. 9 Milwaukee, Nov. 19.. With the acquisition of 'Informa- tion, Please' on Friday, nights) WTMJ is now broadcasting . nine quiz shows .a week, five of them net- work programs, the other four sta- tion shows locally, sponsored. There is at least one quiz every day in. the week, ' and on some days two or three. '' The NBC shows include Truth or Consequences,' 'Battle of the Sexes,' Kay Kyser and Dr. I. Q., while the local quizzes with cash or merchan- dise prizes include the Sidewalk Re- porters, on at noon five days a week; Song Doctor, on every weekday; 'Hot Off the Gridiron,' on every Sunday, and 'Winsom,' on every Thursday night. -. way TOWARD MUTUAL AS No. I NETWORK FOR NEWS Book* Carter for United Airlines, Arthur Halo for Richfield Oil, Gabriel Hoattor for Liberty Mag* azine; Fulton Lewis and Dorothy Thompson for various sponsors, Raymond Gram Swing for Gen- eral Cigar, Wythe Williams for American Safety Razor! TOWARD THE SUCCESS OF A STATION OPERATED NETWORK In its growth from 3 to 161 sta- tions, Mutual has hold to one belief: the best Interests of broad* casting are served by a network where stations receive a full share of the profits and retain local autonomy of operation. TOWARD RENEWALS ON EVEN LARGER HOOKUPS The makers of American Bird Products, Bayuk "PhilliesVblufj coal', Gillette Blades, LaRosd Spaghetti, Wheeling Steel, Rich- field Oil, White Owl are among those whose greater sales meant a saleS'Wise increase of stations*