Variety (May 1941)

Wednesday, May 28, 1941 RADIO Chicago. Editor, Variety; This is an Open Letter to Chicago advertising agencies and clients who believe that it Is necessary to go to New York or Hollywood to secure the services of a qualified Radio Di- rector. Without quoting statistics I am willing to go on record with the statement that Chicago has produced and developed more experienced and qualified directors, producers, ac- tors, singers and announcers than the combined total from New York and Hollywood. Midwestern radios is fundamentally 'down to earth' radio and the men who have 'grown up* with radio en- girls do right well in the 'big' city— Niles Trammell, Frank Mullen, Syd- ney Strotz, and many others. But, until Chicago agencies and New York agencies with Chicago I branch offices, realize the impor- I tance of getting and paying for j proved directors in Chicago, we'll I continue to see the outside boys ' come and 'go.' I And the same applies to our talent. II challenge New York or Hollywood ; to produce better radio talent than I Charles Sears, Betty Lou Gerson, i Carlton Brickert, Harry Kogen, and ; Vincent Pelletier. i To my knowledge, none of the I above directors or talent has manu- factured automobiles, made break- sold How to Crash Radio tertainment In this region have pioneered in the creation and de- ifast cereals, canned milk or velopment of programs that have be- soap—but they do know radio. ' Yes, I feel very sorry for the agency or client who just can't find a Radio Director or talent in Chi- come a standard for the country There seems to be a widespread confusion in the use of the titles 'Ra- dio Director' and 'Radio Production Director.' A qualified Radio Direc- tor for an' advertising agency should be familiar with and experienced in the handling and direction of a ra- dio station—the creation and produc- tion of both musical and dramatic programs, selection of talent and writers, station facilities, time buy- ing, sales, advertising and mer- chandising problems. A Production Director may be an experienced mu- sician or actor, capable of directing talent and timing programs and as- sisting tl«c Radio Director. But, the Production man does not fulfill the requirements of an executive agency Radio Director. Who are some of the men in Chi- cago right now who justify consid- eration as qualified Radio Directors for advertising agencies? To name a few—Stuart Dawson, Bobby Brown a/id Walter Preston at Columbia; Jules Herbuveaux at NBC; and George Safford and Bill Klein at WLS. All of these men have Im- portant station and network posi- tions. They are experienced in every phase ojC radio broadcasting. Why are there not more men of this calibre associated with Chicago advertising agencies? Why? Well, I can name a few reasons— first, there are too many adver- tising agency executives who like to 'play around' with radio programs. It is much more fun to hire produc- tion men, writers, talent and musi- cians and then tell these people how to produce, write, act and sing, than to have a qualified Radio Director who could do the whole job without interference; second, a production man or radio salesman can be hired for less money than qualified radio directors will accept. An agency boasting Important clients and size- able billings will offer a big oppor- tunity for the 'right' man and offer him $100 a week! Network staff mu- sicians get $140 a week!; third, se- curity with a station or network is more assured, with less interference and meddling. An agency executive who would be insulted if a radio man were to criti- cize his layouts or copy will not hesi- tate to tell the radio man how to produce a program. After automatically eliminating the qualified radio directors in Chicago, the agency then finds it necessary to go to New York or Hollywood to hire production men at higher sal- aries than were offered in Chicago. And then, too, it is easy to under- stand that if a Chicago radio man runs down to New York for a spell, he is worth more. And on the other hand, I wonder why New York agencies seem to re- spect the abilities of Chicago trained menT Many of our local boys and NBC's Suit Vs. Garden Oyer Fights Is Argued An application by 20th Century Sporting Club (Mike Jacobs), Mu- tual Broadcasting Corp. and the Gijlette Hazor Blade Co. to dismiss a suit' against them by the National Broadcasting Corp. was argued yes- terday (Tiiesday) in N. Y. supreme court, with Justice Lloyd Church re- serving decision. The plea was made that the suit failed to state a cause of action. NBC claims the rights to broad- cast the fights from Madison Square Garden, operated by 20th. Century. Mutual also claims the rights, while Gillette Is th'e sponsor." cago. I wonder why? Zverett George Opxe. Diane Courtney, who recently started a sustaining song series on NBC, was sitting in the eighth floor reception room at Radio City waiting for a rehearsal Fri-. day (23) when Florence Sperl, of the Compton agency, rushed out of a studio, spotted her and demanded, 'Are you an actress?' As the singer hesitantly ex- plained that she wasn't exactly an actress, but was familiar with the mike. Miss Sperl interrupted, 'Well, I guess you'll do—come along with me.' It developed that an actress who had been called to read a dramatized' com- mercial on "the O'Neills' had failed to show up, so a substitute had to be found on a few min- utes' notice. Miss- Courtney handled the as- signment so well that she was given the job on the repeat show that afternoon over CBS and is now slated for audition for a regular dramatic role on the^ serial. A HinbiHy Colony BuOt Up Around lOOO-Seat Barn Run By John Lair Louisville, May n/ City hillbilly who made a success with mountain music is John Lair, and now he's returned to his native hills, where he has promoted an en- tire settlement near Mt. Vernon, Ky. Located in the foothills of the Ken- tucky mountains, L.air's project is the scene of the airing of Renfro Valley Barn Dance, formerly on WLW, but now heard over WHAS twice each Saturday night, and each week-day morning for an hour and a half. Renfro Valley Barn Dance has been signed to a three-year contract by Robert Kennett, WHAS program director, and will supply most of the hiUbilly music heard over the sta- tion by remote from Mt, Vernon. Traffic Is handled by teletype. Per- formers for the most part live near the settlement, which Includes a large barn, seating 1,000, a lodge:, tourist cabins, schoolhouse, etc., and plans are under way to build a hotel and construct an artificial lake. Performers on the hillbilly show engage, ia,3tarin us o cci ipations.-'many holding positions at the settlement, others occupying cabins, and all take part in the WHAS airings. EUensburg, Wash. Petition Up Before FCC June 2 Seattle, May 27. June 2 has been set as a tentativ* date for the hearing in Washington by the Federal Communications Commission on the application of the Symons Broadcasting Co. for a new radio station at EUensburg, Wash. To be operated on 1110 kc, with power of one kilowatt, unlimited time. , •n|«yWl«irt •vwiliM HOMM m >lh»> ■rt ulm to Mdi t m iiUmmt is* Mtmyr t*wm mn* CMI* kkCOTthv. Outa progfi mt4 •dwMrioiMl fMfww mim m amrt «f HwJ* nw<*mrUt»tAn» hii li fci. ftw i «« 5 iii«w tm»» h twrwjt» WtW «ftt IMiH hi Ml* mti W and WIW to ■ w»lc«iii» vUtor 4mt Itn^ StarKng, Ohte, locMad hi th» untral p«1 •! I»i« •»««• ii«<ir Crtiwibw*, MEET FI^EO 8EAUMAN AND FAMILY The Fred Beaumans were chosen at random as represent- ative of the thousands of enterprising form families who live in the wide, primary area of WIW and regularly dial the Nation's Station for information and entertainment. Mrs. Beouman Is a neighborly, efficient housewife who heartily endorses WLW's type of farm programs and en- tertainment. She says she gets a lot out of Jane Sheridan's interesting Homemalcer's Review. For help in planning his work-day routine, Mr. Beauman relies on WLW's agricul- tural programs, the market reports and weather forecasts. The agricultural data prepared especially for the Midwest farmer by the WLW Form Specialty Staff proves of great value to this conscientious Madison County farm family, {ust as It does to thousands of others like them. LJ MICH. i INDIANA j 1^ i r OHIO MT.triUIHG Mt father, la-yaar- M Mrry Mawinan fafcat waat prMa In hli FrTia-Wlnnlna Ha*t. Ilka pad, Jairy anloyt WlWi aariy morntng pro- aram* wMdi f aatiira mariiat, wealhar and news raport*. H. R. Qtett it thair laver- Ita aariy mornJotf naw( rapertar. lath Jerry and tlttarJaan ara acHvaly angagad In Faur-H Owb worlu REPRESENTATIVES: Naw 1«)i-1rmnvm*Atm Ireodcatflaq (. Talavliloa Carp. CUcoge —WLW. 330 H, MkUgoa AvtM*. %m FrMcbc* — M«rMtl«Mi Radia SalM. a A J|| MAM THE NATION'S WW liWW STATION