Variety (May 1941)

Wednesday, May 7, 1941 P^fHETY RADIO 3S HOMEY' APPEAL WORKS OUT RADIO'S STERLING POINT Recent events within the broadcasting trade, and more especi- ally outside the trade in Washington, confront the leadership of the industry with the realization that its public relations should never cease. This has brought up, as a natural cor- rollary, the question: 'What is radio pul)lic relations and who does it?' Executives, probably because they ar.e businessmen rather than showmen, have not always willingly admitted what must seem to many as crystal-clear, namely: radio won its popu- larity and keeps it only through great programs and great personalities. The imposition by bureaucratic authority of any new set of rules 'or regulations 'which would have the net re- sult of driving ofT large advertisers and with them the favorite entertainments of the American people' would cause a snow- storm of protesting mail. Perhaps even—this may sound fan- ciful—mass meetings. Badio owes a debt of continuous gratitude to its great pro- grams and great personalities. These are like the cables of a suspension bridge stringing from tower to tower' and support- ing the whole traffic below. The network favorites not only sustain the weight of networks but of the entire system of broadcasting by holding up the volume of listening. The most furtive hitch-hiker advertiser is only on the air because radio is made and guaranteed and great through talent. HOME FOLKS LIKE KATE SMITH BEST Cooperative Analysis of Broadcasting Data Shows 'Songbird of the South' Is Strongest in Dixie — Mid- dle Income Level Is Stratum of Popularity Cut Across Many Different In- come Levels NEW FARM SURVEY Kate Smith is surely one of the best public relations assets broadcasting has. Not only CBS but X'BC and MBS and every broadcaster may acknowledge this truism. Kate Smith is a planned radio result; a consciously directed kind of a career; a diamond cut to specifications. Kate Smith herself is both a trademark and a symbol. The trademark analogy is more immediate to the sale of packaged goods. But its effec- tiveness rests upon the symbol which is part of the entertain- ment formula. If it were possible to place side by si<le a recording of the early Kate Smith broadcasts with the latter day broadcasts, it seems clear that what would emerge vividly is a picture not only of the growth of the Kate Smith symbol and tlie Kate Smith ma- turing artistry, but ilso a tracing of the improvement of big time radio itself. And it wasn't bad to start with. This Kate Smith section of Varu- tv is one step in many steps taken-bv all the parties concerned to make public relations capital of a successful program and its star. To regard this as merely a routine 'promotion' is to lose the true significance. Coflins' Philosophy is To Build Talent On Merit —Not Ratings Two radio character actors, Minerva Pious and Charles Cantor, are developing a comedy routine on the Grape-Nuts show as 'The Pot- ters.' A pair of funny-voiced goofs the association and the build-up rep- resent a daring innovEtion—trying to create a comedian team from scratch on a big league showcase. This is telltale of Ted Collins" confi- dence in his own judgment and in vivid contrast with the typical radio producer of today who will buy nothing, try nothing, «-30mmend nothing that hasn't already scored a hit or piled up a C.A.B. Blunt fact of today's radio plan- ning is that sponsors and agencies lack the basic element of creative showmanship—picking 'em ahead of the general agreement and then manufacturing that agreement. It might also be suggested that if a lot of people don't, Collins does believe radio can make values, because it is radio. — By EDGAB A. CRUNWALD Kate Smith's billing 'Songbird of the South' is no misnomer. Judged on the basis of the radio industry's favorite indoor sport—toying with statistics—the General Foods' star consistently piles up better ratings in the South than anywhere else. In the last (1939-40) Cooperative Analysis of Broadcasting compre- hensive report, Miss Smith's 'evening stanza rated 63% better in the South than in the East; 46% better in the Midwest than in the East, and 50% better on the Pacific Coast than in the East. This does not mean that she has a punko Eastern rating, but it does indicate pretty clearly that the far side of Pittsburgh is better stamping ground for her than, say, Boston. Kate Smith apparently goes best where America is 'homey' and friendly. Which certainly makes sense. Her 'Noonday Chats' stanza ex- hibits the same forte character in the South. But this time the Pa- cific Coast (where news commenta- tors always find plenty of ears) nearly overtakes the Dixie strong- hold. If assigning her Eastern rat- ing an .index number of 100, then her Southern rating is 193 (which means 93% better), the Midwest rating is 131, and the Pacific Coast level is 191. Note that between Dixie and the Pacific Coast there are a mere 2 percentage points. Middle IncoDie Level Any attempt to classify Kate Smith's listeners by income levels comes close to being sheer nonsense. But a rough idea of the situation is possible. In the evening, Kate Smith—like the great majority of her contemporaries on the networks —rates best among the middle in- come class. She does differ from the averages of the hour programs, however, in that her second greatest appeal is among low income classes, whei-eas the other 60-minule pro- grams on the whole appeal second- best to the upper income classes. In other words, whereas most hour programs appeal first to the middle income groups and second to the upper income groups, Kate Smith appeals No. 1 to the middle class and No. 2 to the lower class. In the daytime, her series follows VICTOR M. RATNER Director of Promotion Columbia Broadcasting System Kate's Theme Played By Indies as Salute Celebration ceremonies that marked the Kale Smith 10th anni- versary included the playing of her signature song 'When the Moon | Comes Over the Mountain' by such I independent, ASCAP-liccnscd sta- tions as WNEW and WMCA in a : sporlsmanly salute. Other indep- | pendent stations throughout the country, also having ASCAP fran- chises, are getting recordings of the numbers and are also broadcatin^ them as part of the tribute. $5,092,176 for CBS Time Since Kate Smith's entry into network commercial radio her spon- sors have spent more than $5,000,000 in ether facilities alone. In the table below, prepared by the Vaiuett Research and Information De- partment, the time expenditures are chartered by year and by spon- sor. Summer replacement programs, etc., have been subtracted where necessary: CONGRESS CIGAB 1931 $99,626 1932 383,401 1933 247,833 Total 1934. 1935. HUDSON MOTOES $16,714 166,460 Total ATLANTIC & PACinC 1935 $159,600 1936 555,560 1937 : 275,275 Total $730,860 $183,174 $990,435 GENEBAI FOODS 1937 $242,125 1938 719,565 .1939 899,737 19^0 1,326,280 Total GSAND TOTAL. $3,187,707 $5,092,176 almost exactly the pattern of all other multiple-per-week stanzas. The middle income group is first; the lower group second, and the up- per group third. Of course, all of the foregoing fig- ures are based on metropolitan areas only. What about her rating among the farmers and the coun- try-village crowd? On the Farms In its latest rural vs. urban report, issued this week, the C.A.B. charts Kate Smith's position approximately as follows: Her evening program rates 46% better in cities than in rural areas, the exact rating in big cities being 25.7 as against a rating of 17.6 rural areas. She places among the 20 top-ranking shows, both urban and rural. The Kate Smith daytime stanza (daily) rates 17% better in big cities than in agricultural communities, with a rating of 8.8 in cities and 7.5 on the farm. She ranks sixth in preference in cities, and 30th in farm communities. However, since the research work on the rural vs. urban study was conducted in early March, Kate Smith has subsequently improved her city-rating to the point where it gives her No. I ranking among all daytime stanzas. This is one of the very few instances where one of the serials has been pushed out of top position by a show which is based on a personality instead of tears-and-terror. Guest Talent Appearing On Kate Smith Series A Roster of Show Biz This is a partial list of personages who appeared on Kate Smith frolics: r<uthfir Aillpr. BrlDn Aticrnc. Prnnk Alh<^rlHon. Sum Altfjood. JitdUh Andcrfton. .niJwnnI Arnold. Kny Bnlnlftr. rullulnh Itnnkhead. Joan nnnkfl. Rrod Darker. F.thel nnrrymore. John nnrrymore. Jamcn JVirlon. Ralph Tlellnmy. Constnncr Ilcnnctt. IrvlnR Jlertln. Ben Dftrnlp.' John Uol^A. t'hnrtes noynr. nnclielle Hudnon, Honry Hull. Wnltcr Huaton. Hum Jaffc. Dentrlce Kay. Jnckle Kelk. Walter Klnnclla. Adelaide Klein. Oortrude f/awrpnca, Frnncffl I-'-derer. EKtclle T..ovy. Ted Lewis. Tnullne Lord. Frank Lovejoy, raul Luknn. Bort Lytell. Gilbert Mnck I*'re<]r)c Mnrrh. Marico. J. T^]wnr(1 BromberK fluKh Mnrlowe. SHOWMANSHIP PROBLEMS The Full Hour Is Avoided as Too Tou^h by Most W. B.. LEWiS Program Vice-rresldent Columbia Broadcasting system Many radio showmen run away from the full hour as from a plague. It is not hard to know why. It is the hardest, toughest assignment in radio. It is not twice as hard as a half hour, but rather in geometric ratio of increase. It is no accident that so few hour programs remain on the air. In bringing together the elements of the pretentious Kate Smith re- i vue for Grape-Nuts Ted Collins has r appreciated the value of the i 'bridges.' Jack Miller,—as'-lhe mu- sical director, carries a vital respon- sibility. This was increa.sed by the ASCAP-BMI (ighl as was the chore ■ of arranger Tony Gale, i , Ted Stracter is chorusmastcr- 1 pianist, a young man with advanced notions. The chorus includes Doro- ; thy Rochelle, Dorothy Lanham, 'Frances M. Campbell, Mairy Mar- j gnret Mullen, Imelda Rose Mullen, Kathleen Mullen, Gene Lanham, Robert Wacker,' Andrew J. Love, I Harold S. Cooke. Rllllc Burke, nmrlle Cnnlor. MorriA f\TrnovMky. IJkn CliaHO. Itny ('olItnH. KlnL'Mloy (Villnn. OlndyH ('fiopcr. I-'rnnk (*riivf>ii. John Cruvfn. Ted DcCor.iln. Dudley Dlffif''''. Jimmy DiiritniP. Klorenre rCliIrldRC. Leff Krlckflon. Prnnr'o.*! Fnrmer, i'i\T'.t\i\n. r'-nrrr-II. I'liikcr Konnplly. Molly I-'l^'lil. Hurry KltzK^^nld. Ilcnry Kondn. N. nnn Sc M. Davlfl. Tony rj.ilc. Unity (jTirilo. John Clfirfli-lcl. (lladyM Gcor^p. ''iriicc (Jetn K''- MurCnld flllinorc. imrolhy ClHh. Uulh (3'trdon. Johnny <;r^''n. J.icklc ""IrlincH. Jon flail. Waller llamp'W-n. Jl'-lf'ii Iliiyos. Jfitn llr>rrfhc>lt. Dcnni.H ilocy, .Miriam llophlnii. (nn Morlln. Raymond Manaey. Helen ^fcnken. Burcec*! Meredith, rhillp Mcrlvale. CheHter MorrlH. .McKiiy .MorrlH. Julian Noa, OlHon and Johnson* Canton Ortodn. .Minerva Ploun. T.iilHe Rolner. Bill Bolilnson. KdwArd O. Roblnvon. Flora Bobfion. Itadio Uot;ucH. Krlk Bnlfp. Kofulind BufiHCIl. Mnriha .Scntl. Al ShQun. Marian Shockley, CurncllQ Oi)A .Skinner. Kvernlt Sloan, .Smith and Uale, Kuril Stone. VA Sulllviin. M:irKarci Sullavaa. Sylvia Hydncy, Franchot Tone, A rihur Trearlier, Clalro Tff'vor. Vlchl Vota. llcfflna Wullare. Murk Wiirnow, KlhPl WaterH. Orfion Welkfl, Ireeno Wicker. WILLIAM GITTINGEB Sales Vice-President Colombia Broadcastlof System