Variety (May 1941)

Wednts^j, May 28, 1941 RADIO 25 SHOWS WmiOlIT AUDIENCES Argentine Television Couple of 'Amateurs' Plan Importation of American Receives for Experiments—Phiico Report Baseless Bueno* Aires, May 27. Plans for South America'* first ex- perimental television transmitter are under way here with Indications that tests may be started by mid-July. Behind the plan are Julio P. Cal- velo, Argentine tech^Aical writer (who represents several U. S. firms In the electrical and allied fields) and Eduardo Grlnberg, whose father owns one of the biggest local radio and music retailing outfits. Figure that television is still a long way oft but it's worthwhile Investing 60,000 pesos right no^ (about $12,- 000). Both men have been active in the local Centro de Television, organiza- tion made up of pros and hams who have been meeting regularly for the past 10 years ""for study of the sub- ject. Some time ago organization tried elemetitary experimental broadcasts but expense was too great and they've since confined them- selves to study and discussion. Flans include a small-scale trans- mitter and Importation of three or four receivers. Part of the equip- ment for the transmitter has already been bought from RCA and imported through the local office. Willy Z. Smith, representative for several electrical firms here, planning to go to the States soon to shop for some other material. Attempt to bring in equipment without duty because of experimental nature of the worlc has failed so far but Calvelo and Grin- berg are still trying. Reports from States that a full- fledged commercial television station was to be established in B. A have brought nothing but puzzlement from radio people here. According to the report emanating from Philadelphia, Phiico Radio sent the equipment to one Fernando' G. Chavez, owner of LOS. Local Phiico o9ice has never heard of purchase or Chavez. (There is no station LOS.) F-M Web Cracks Ice Boston, Bfay 27. America Network,, Inc., new frequency - modulated station group, yesterday (Monday) closed its first commercial con- tract. The New England di- vision of Socony-Vacuum obli- gated itself for ■ daily news broadcast over F-M outlets spotted in various parts of th* New England area. It's the first F-M sponsorship deal involving two or more outlets and the first time that an advertiser has gone F-M on a daily basis.' The agency on the account Is J. Stirling Getchell. PAR CONSIDERS DUMONT TELE NEEDS Jap Tele'Tests Tokio, April 29. A series of test television broad- easts are to be made by the technical research Institute of the Broadcast- ing Corporation of Japan at Ka- mata-cho, Setagaya Ward, of this olty, every Friday in May and June. Since It made its first test telecast three years ago, the experts of the Institute have been improving on their system, with the result that their new transmitters and icono- scopes are now said t.. insure very clear reception. The Television Research Commis- sion, headed by (Thief Daitaro Ara- kawa of the Engineering Bureau of the Communications Ministry which was established for the purpose of utilizing television for military ends, has been jointly engaged in research work. In the commission are repre- sented the Army and Navy, Cora- | munications Ministry and television receiving set manufacturing com- panies, and the television depart- ments of Waseda, the Tokio Imperial and Engineering universities. When Dumont Television starts its commercial television, if licensed by the FCC, sUrting Jaly 1, It ii ex- pected that Paramount will have available necessary special films from its own producers to fill out a liberal portion of the programs. In line with this^ Par newsreel editors have been studying television requirements, - technique and other phases of the new medium. Whether regular Paramount newsreel clips will be available<=1s questionable but ultimately the entire newsreel tech- nique may be revamped to fit tele- vision. Necessity for telling any sort of a television story with the maximum of closeups and a negli- gible number of distance shots will be foremost idea followed in such re- vamping. Eight Stations Using Wax Programs Cot at Camp By Seller-Radioite Conrad CANTOR BACK Oa. 1; SAME mi SPONSOR Bristol-Myers has picked up Its op- tion on Eddie Cantor for next sea- son, and it will again ibe the Wed- nesday 9-S:30 p. m, spot on the NBC- Red. He goes off In June and returns Oct I. NBC-Red last week also got re- • newals from Procter & Gamble cov- ering the Truth or Consequence' series and Philip Morris Co. in con- nection with the George. Putnam news periods (Dunhill cigarets). St. Louis, May 27. Eight stations in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska are using waxes made of activities of draftees of those states at Camp Robinson, Ark. (35th Div). John Conrad, former gabber at KWK here, is doubling as production director and chief gabber. The set-up made by Conrad embodies the making of the record- ings at KARK, LitUe Rock, which has a direct line to the press sec- tion of the camp and the sale, at cost, of the platters to the stations that are building up good wIU by airing the activities of the men from their states. One of the biggest stunts was to record a concert of the camp's 319-man band on Moth- er's Day. Tbe stations using the waxes are KARK, KWK, St. Louis; WIBW, To- peka; KWBC, Hutch inson, Kans.; WOW, Omaha; WTMV, East St. Louis; KMBC, Kansas City, and KANS, Wichita, Kans. Bayuking .Baiter Stays On Bayuk PhiUie Cigar has renewed its Mutual contract for Sam Baiter's sports series for another 52-weeks, effective June 16. The account also intends to expand its hookup from i 40 to 86 stations. \ Ivey & Ellington, of Philadelphia, , is the agency. ■ • I Seek Warren (O.) OK Akron, 0., May 27. Frank T. Nied, Akron merchant, and Perry H. Stevens, attorney, have filed application with the Federal Communications Commission for authority to construct a radio station at Warren, O., to operate on 1,400 kilocycles with a power of 250 watts, unlimited time. The two plan to Incorporate with a capital of $30,000. New Haven—Dick Carlson, back as WELI announcer after several months' leave. Y Ci &ET Danny Kaye Lnkewarm to Kraft Bid All Present TdeTirion Rc- ccirers Lack Cluauicl 2, and New Sets Unlikely in W{ir Emergency — Coloni' him. Nevertheless,' Must Produce 15 Hours of Pro- grams Weekly Starling July 1 OTHER PLANS By BOBERT J. LANDBT Columbia and Di'mont will Join NBC on July 1 in a 15-hour sched- ule of New York City television un- der tbe recent rules of the Federal Communications Commission, which permit advertising' spcmsorship. However, the outlook, because of war conditions, plus manufacturing priorities and engineer scarcity. Is anything but buIlisU Just now. Perhaps the most ironic aspect of the July 1 start is that Columbia on tha newly created No. 2 channel will be la the somewhat fantastic posi- tion of putting out 15 hours of more or less costly programs in the knowl- edge that hardly a slngla receiver In tbe area is mechanically equipped to tune In «n Channel 2. Bcadjustment Problem Estimates vary but perhaps 2,00<> television sets exist in the metro- politan New York area. These have been getting service for a couple of years from NBC (channel one). One of the big problems of RCA-NBC is Its own policy with regard to the sets It has sold. They now require fairly expensive readjustments to ac- commodate other channels, plus Fre- quency Modulation and the raised television standards (from 441 lines to 525 lines). It is thought that all sets will need to be taken to ma- chine shops for the changeovers rather than have engineers call at premises for installation. In addition to its black and white service which is required by the FCC rules, Columbia will separately telecast its color television during the summer. Reception will be con- fined to sets owned by staff mem- bers. (Ordinary sets, If properly ad- Justed to the 375 lines of color, can pick it up in black and white.) Who's Who on Dial Under present conditions NBC has Channel 1; CBS, 2; Phiico in Phila- delphia, 3; Dumont, 4; WOR has a construction permit for channel 6; Bloomingdale's in cooperation with another department store, Abraham & Straus of Brooklyn, is earmarked for channel 8. (There are 18 com- mercial television channels theo- retically available for the future, but perhaps half that number is probable maximum for one area be- cause of interference dangers.) Question of program supply for the 19 hours a week Is not yet worked out Law requires that 12 of the hotirs shall be used up between 2-11 p. m. six days weekly and one hour must fall between 7:30-10:30 p. m. five nights. NBC's experience indi- cates programming (with summer fluctuation in favor -ot outdoors) ranges about like this; Percent Outside events 35 Studio 35 Film 30 Film supply is an imponderable. Film companies are opposed to prin- ciple of releasing to television. Para- mount because of its part-ownership of Dumont may be the sole excep- tion to a general riile of non-coop- eration. Another prevailing difficulty for NBC and CBS, of course, is the presence of ASCAP music on many film sound tracks. RCA-NBC television service has recently been averaging about eight hours a week. Staff has a backlog of several years' program experi- ence to help with the added burden of July I.. CBS and Dumont istart from scratch. NBC department under Alfred Thompson Agency Reported Asking Bob Bum* to Take Big Cut—Crosby's Mutual Yen Unconfirmed Sponsors' Jingles Most of tho musical Jingles used by nationally known man- ufacturers in spot ahnounce- ments «n the networks and in- dependent stations have been incorporated into a dance ar- rangement which Les Brown's band will use on the stage of the Strand theatre, N. Y. Outfit be- gins a two-week stay there June 6. Brown's arrangers have taken, the idea, dreamed up by the band's p.a.'s, and turned it out as a choral piece iscorporathig as many ot the Jingles as they coold obtain permission to use. m POP SHOW TO EMERSON mm J. Walter Thompson doesn't ex- pect that anything will materlaliza from the offer that it has mad* Daiu^ Kaye for several appearances on the Kraft Music Hall daring July and August Kaye would have to go to Hollywood for these broadcasts and the agency has found that the comic isn't anxious to make the trip unless there is a coincidental bid from a picture company. Plan had been for Kaye to make three or four stands on the Thurs- day night program after Bing Crosby had gone on his vacation. Crosby bows oat the middle of July. On behalf of Kraft it is tmder- stood tbe Thompson agency has urged upon Bob Burns a substantial salary cut from his present rate ot i compensation at $5,000 a week. His termer will run out next J^rraary Urst. Agency is taking (ack that It would like to retain the Arkansas eomic but feels his price is now out of relation to his popularity. This alleged fact Bums is said to deny and it Is not expected he will readily flaU in line with the agency's lin« of reasoning. New York office of the agency also reported Monday (26) that it knew nothing ot the story out ot Hollywood that Clrost^ bad re- quested that Kraft buy a supple- mentary 15-mimite period on ffaa Mutual Network so that he would be able to sing the ASCAP songs by which ~he is known' among i^no- ' graph recofd fansL Parks J<dmson and Wally Butter- wqrth wind up 'Vox Pop' series for Penn tobacco with tha Juna 26 broadcast 'Snd then succeed Bea Bemle for Emerson Drug (Bromo- Seltzer). For the first eight weeks for the new account, starting Aug. 4, they'll do two half-hour shows a week, one on NBC blue (WJZ) and the other on Columbia. But begin- ning Sept. 29 they'll do only the Co- lumbia series. Pair were offered a renevral for Penn tobacco, but turned it down for a higher amount, rq>orted be- tween $3,500-94,000 per show, irom Emerson. Kiesewetter, the agency on tbe Penn tobacco account, has not yet decided on a replacement and may not even continua using radio for awhile. Between their ^r""*/' !f declared W. a Lewis, net's program June 26 and their replacement of ,hlef, here for a fortnight to lay out Bemie m August, Johnson and But- - terworth will take their first vaca- tion since they started the show in Texas in 1932. Spot on Columbia, starting Aug, CBS FORECAST FUN-MINDED Hollywood, BJay 27, Dramatics and audience particlpa' tion programs will be given little consideration in setting up the sum- mer "Forecast' series over CBS> So 4, will be 8 p. m. Mondays, with 60- odd stations. Hookup of Coast sta- tions will be added in October, bringing the string to 74 outlets. Series on NBC blue, now filled by Bernie, and which Johnson-Butter- worth take over Aug. 8, is B p. m. Friday (with a repeat at 11:30). During the eight weeks they do the two stanzas, they'll be paid a double amount by Emerson. a collection of from 10 to 16 shows to calk the hiatus voids. Preference will go to music, comedy and variety, declared Lewis, adding that the cur- rent ASCAP negotiations, whichever way they go, will not be a factor in determining the formats of the sum- mer shows. Several new ideas and techniques will be tried out, Ijewis said, oper- ating on the dual premise of experi- mentation and showcasing for fall buyers. Series will be initialed July 14 but no decision has been reached on where it will be niched. Last The present "Vox'Pop' spot, 7dO '"''^y^^J*• F***.*?.* ^ p. m. Thursday on CBS, will be ^P°'2!","°^?^ "'^^^ - taken by 'Your Marriage Club,' now I Additional to the "Forecast* Hneup heard Saturday nights, for Wonder devoted to workers bread. Latter show wiU be sue-! national defense and those -in cecded Aug. 14 by 'Maudie' comedy- ■ a'"'"^ camps. Thought behind the dramatic series with Mary Mason,; ^^"'^ ''Of'?«5»JiJP.J!^^ for the same sponsor. Ted Bates is ^"^^ morale and emphasize the the agency for Wonder bread. i importance of their labors* to the ; __ ' country's defense program. Army . . 1 authorities have banned originations Morton has Thomas Hutchinson and'ijom the camps so the shows wDl Warren Wade as directors and will'have to be piped In on the loud probably re-hire some former direc- ' ^eakera. tors. At CBS. under Adrian Mur- | l^wIs said 'Free Company' would phy, execuUve director of the de- be resumed as soon as sufficient roa- partment, are Gilbert Seldes, Direc-' terial is backlogged for another tor of Television; Worthington Minor,' quarterly splurge 'against any and from legit; and Len Hole, manager opposition.' of television operations. . I Columbia is now completing mov- ' , ing into and setting up studios in LuthcranS RaiSe lOOG the Grand Central Terminal, two blocks from its transmitter atop the Chrysler tower. CBS television en- gineer-in-chief, Peter Goldmark, will also retain his color experimental lab on the fifth floor of the CBS home offices. Dumont's program director Is Will Baltin, former Jersey radio editor. Mortimer Loewl, Dumont v.p., is keeping Dumont's program ideas under wraps until a later moment but reveals Dumont has ideas of its I own not similar to others' serv- I Ice. For Station Improving ' St. Louis, May 27. The Evangelical Synod of Mis- souri, Ohio and Other States, which owns and operates KFUO, the Luth- eran station at Clayton, Mo,, near here, is raising a $100,000 fund for alterations and additions to the sta- tion. The station broadcasts the' in- ternational Gospel Hour every Sun- day p.m. Contributors to the fund, solicited via the ether, will receive a bronze KFUO souvenir pin.