Variety (May 1941)

24 RADIO WedncBday, May J 4, 1941 CBS May Use Scripts Mead Of Dance-Bands; forecast' Revived CBS program heads are readying preliminary plans to substitute an assortment of scrint shows for the dance band programs In the 11 p.m.- to-midnight spot across the board. Nothing has been approved or even submitted to the network executive board so far, but the staff producers and directors have all been dele-- gated to line up various dramatic end variety program ideas. Number have already been outlined and are being mulled as possibilities. In addition, CBS is again planning to present a 13-week series of 'Fore- cast' shows similar to last year's. This layout is also-merely tentative as yet, but in general the scries is expected to be spotted Monday nights again, with half-hour portions of each night's offering originating In New York and Hollywood. As before, each stanza is to offer en Individual formula for prospective sponsorship and each is to have name talent. Series will probably start early in July. Idea of the script shows in the 11- 12 p.m. slot Is more or less a re- vision of the plan CBS program heads had in mind last, fall for the 10:30-11 p.m. spot, but with certain added factors. For one thing, the absence of ASCAP music from the network may have reduced the audi- ence for the late-evening dance band remotes. It's figured that because the late hours cannot readily be sold and are losing listeners under the present setup of dance music offerings, the substitution of dra- matic, variety and novelty programs should hypo dialer interest. In addition, it's felt that the 11-12 p.m. period might be used as a permanent tryout laboratory and showcase. Various program and pro- duction Innovations could be tested. Also the time might be used for training the junior members of the producer-director staff. AFRA SIGNS CONTRACTS FOR THREE IN CHICAGO Chicago, May 13. American Federation of Radio Artists here last week signatured full AFRA-shop agreements with three local stations, WAAF and the two Ralph Atlass outlets, WJJD and WIND. This concludes a long series of ne- gotiations and sets AFRA member- ship requirements for performers on both sustaining and commercial shows. ^ > Simmonds Reps TSN . Fort Worth, May 13. Lincoln P. Simmonds of the Texas State Network is now sales repre- sentative of the web in New York City.. Simmonds has been active in the work of the regional web throughout this state. ^ Has been representative of the' In- ternational Radio Sales, and prior , to that was with the John Blair or- ganization. Pacific Coast Radio Puzzle DUNCAN COFFEE TEST Mathew Chappell, of C. E. Hooper, Comments Upon Listening Di£Ferences of Western Zone — ■ — ■■ Editor, Vabiety: A story appearing on page 45 of the Wednesday, April 30, 1941, issue of VabTety, entitled 'Pacific Radio Listening Is. a Puzzle,' alleges that the research executives of the net- works are 'deeply puzzled' by the fact that Pacific Coast ratings on network programs are consistently Lone Star Chain Plus Five Othera Get Series—Steele Agency Handles San Antonio,-May 13. . Radio test campaign has been set on the Lone Star Chain plus five other stations, making a total of 11, i„,„._ jv,„„ iu„„.„ i„ by the Duncan Coffee Co. Program. ^^"^^ ^ geographic will feature' Bill Bryan and Trudy Wood, with scripts written by Phil Alexander. Set through the Steele Agency. « Series begins tomorrow (14) and will originate in the studios of KTSA here. Lone Star, stations to carry the broadcasts are KGKO, Fort. Worth; KXYZ, Houston; KRIS, Corpus Chrlsti; KGNC, Amarillo; and KFYO, Lubbock. Supplemen- tary stations in Dallas, Beaumont, Weslaco, Shreveport, and Albu- querque will also air the program. MEET H. G. KESTER AND FAMILY The family off H. G. Kestar Is r«p« resentfrtivs of the thousands off farm families In the midwest to whom WLW Is on integral part off dally life. Mr. Kester, a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation/ cultf- votes 240 acres in Dorlte County, OhIO/ which Is more than 90 miles northwest off Cincinnati. The Kester ffarm Is a model off intel- ligent, progressive forming typi- cal off that found hi the WLW area. Mr. Kester is one off the many mid- western fformers who appreciates the ffoct that WLW is making a conscientious effort to give the fformers through its clear channel ffacillties not only the best in en- tertainment/ newS/ ond up-to- the-minute weather reports/ but also the most timely and compre- hensive agricultural data thcrt can be assembled by Its iivge staff off specioilsts. km, Miioy* Mm %m4mf »*nA«^ CM- ■rtM nil«Hy t* Mm W —^ ■rf m i * lavM* and Mm C«b- _f >i II I li 11II ^^mM^a ■t Mm WbHiil VbM Mta •! w A mm* mm* c l isX«ii In < Or. KMtw, hm bmr blMilii* fell fln* Imm wtHi —m, Iowa*. pralmWlWi ■«oii» Ctity l»»t«m mat If #t«nt Mwi mp— H* IMi l iii fmm Hmt ■i»t«rtolwli n «» wM — Ku MiOi— Mm li nMm t%mw H Sir ttmm MMMr«l»tM Jmm C IMUr. UwaS K«M*'« MOa tavotttw pmnM M* f«Mm'» ' ' Ika UaM af Mm WwM, ■ 1 MUnl I areas. We of C. E. Hooper, Inc., find it e.xtremely difficult to believe that any network research men are either 'deeply puzzled' or puzzled at all by this well-known phenomenon. The solution to this puzzle was found some time ago. The answer is found in the second of the two speculations to which you refer—that morie people are 'not at home' on the Pacific Coast than are 'not at home' in the basic network area which is composed of the East and North Central regions. The first of your two speculations—greater sophistication on the Pacific Coast than in the East, is quite ground- less. The solution of the 'puzzle' may be illustrated by comparing the fig- ures for the Pacific and North Cen- tral areas obtained by 'coincidental' study for all broadca'st periods on Sunday evenings during the four months, January through April, 1940. The total interviewing sample di- vides itself, necessarily, into three groups: homes in which radio sets are in use; homes where someone is at home but no radio set is in use; and homes where no one is at home. The data for the Pacific and for the North Central areas in Local Time are as follows: North Pacific. Central. 35.1% 41.0% Sets in Use At Home Not Listening 34.5% Not at Home. 29.7% 38.3% 20.2% 100.0% 100.0% Figures based on the total sample such as the above show that there is actually less listening (sets in use smaller) on the Pacific Coast than in the North Central area. However, the 'not at home' figures show that this group Is 47% larger on the Pacific Coast than in the North Central area. Or, to put it another way, the North Central area has an 'available audience' (those who are at home and awake) of 79.8% on Sunday evenings while on the Pacific Coast the 'available audience' is only 70.3%. It is from 'available audience' that radio re- cruits its Listeners. It is this quan- tity, not the total sample including 'not at home,* that must be used in comparing radio's effectiveness in recruiting listeners in different areas. The 35% set in use on the Pacific Coast means 51% of the 'available audience' in that area was listening. The 41% set in use in the North Central ..means that 51% ol the ^available audience' in that area was also listening. The 'puzzle' ia solved. ' The 'recruiting efficiency' of radio during this period was identical on the Pacific Coast and in the North Central area despite the fact that 'sets in use* in the latter were ap- preciably greater than in tht former. Matthew N. Chappell, Technical Director, C. E. Hooper, Inc. RCA's Quarterly Dividend Radio Corp. of America last Fri- day (9) declared quarterly dividends on both the first preferred and 'B' preferred shares. Dividends cover the second quarter of the present year ending next June 30. Directors declared 87 %c on th« first preferred and $1.25 on the 'B' preference issue, same as In the pre- vious quarter. Both are payable, July 1, to stockholders' on record, June 6. CBS' June S Payment Columbia Broadcasting System maintained the pace set originally this year on dividend payments when It declared a 45c. di-wy on both Class A and B shares. CBS already declared 45c. payable earlier this I yes'- Latest distribution will be made, June 6, to stock holders of record, May 23. «MJf| BAM THE NATION'S VW liWw STATION