Variety (Sep 1941)

S6 RADIO Wednesday, September 3, 1941 Inside Stuff-Radio Vakipi y was used to tee off a plug and the paper itself was given a boost In an advertisement prepared by Leighton & Nelson and read by Col. Jim Healey, commentator, on an evening WTRY, Troy, program for Central Super Markets. Message was phrased as follows: ' 'V.sp.iin v, went the old adage, is the spice of life.' VAniirrT also is a theatrical trade journal that comes out every week and is virtually a Bible for show folk in every field. For as long as I can remember, the weekly Varicty carried a small ad for a London restaurant which modestly boasted 'The best coffee in England.' Since the blitz, the ad has been missing. I've wondered if the coffee house had been a bomb victim. Maybe we'll never know for sure—but the lack of that small ad proclaiming "The best coffee in England' aroused my curi- osity. Of course, anyone who has ever traveled in Britain, or' on the Continent, will tell you that getting a good cup of coffee is almost an im- possibility over there. Fortunately, it's no trouble at all around these paiU, for Central Markets have Sweet Life Cortee at all of their 12 big markets—and you can't find finer coflee—no matter how much you pay for it.' of out-of-town newspapers. They are to be informal, off-the-record and ; intended as background stuff to the station's regular publicity. First let- ter, sent Thursday (28) dealt with the recent death of Floyd Neale; the stations new FM transmitter; caricatures with the mat service; new han- dling of program changes and an invite to be guests of WOR when visit- ing New York. Pat Barnes, early morning performer on WEAF, N.Y., is circulating among hospitals in that area albums containing some 5,000 postal cards he has received from vacationists this summer. Several weeks ago Barnes gagged during a program that since this was vacation time he ought to be getting some postal cards from his listeners while on their vacations. The cards poured in by the mailbag and Barnes started putting them up in albums, and the albums increased accordingly. Cowles newspapers—Star Journal and Tribune—now have- no less than five column writers on WCCO, CBS station in Minneapolis. They're George Grim, Star Journal radio editor; and Cedric Adams, Virginia Safford, Charlie Johnson and Jimmy Robinson, also columnists and department editors on the two sheets. Merle Potter, film editor and columnist on another Cowles' newspaper, the Times, has a WMIN program. When Byron McGill, KDKA's, Pittsburgh, sales promotion manager, ac- companied Rosey Rowswell, who broadcasts Pirate games over KDKA and WWSW, to Washington, Pa., to take pictures of a baseball game sponsored by Wheaties recently, he never expected to be carried out un- conscious. But that's what happened. While McGill was taking movie shols of youngsters scrambling into the field, the second baseman threw a ball to the catcher. The catcher missed it and the ball caught McGill on the left eye, knocking him cold. Among the spectators were a nurse and doctor, who rushed him to the Washington hospital. When McGill came to, he saw Lloyd Chapman, KDKA news editor, bending over him anxiously. So that the evening wouldn't be a total loss, he directed Chapman to finish out the film, with pictures of the operating room, including the patient, in the throes of being treated for a forehead wound and a badly bruised eye. New York script writers are considerably miffed at a major agency's practice of discriminating against writers at this end when it comes to paying off on scripts for a show which originates from Hollywood. These writers complain that the agency has for years gone out to the Coast months before the program's new season was due to start and paid top prices for scripts, and then later turned to New York writers for fill-in continuities at much lower prices. In other words, the N.Y. writers feel that if the account involved can afford to pass around $1,000 per script in Hollywood it should maintain the same fee level in New York, and not the $500 limit as has been the policy. Philly radio execs are singing the praises of a competitor. Dr. Leon Levy, prexy of WCAU, who is now on duty as head of the radio section of the U, S. Naval Intelligence. On the job for less than two weeks. Dr. Levy has cleared aside all the red tape and petty annoyances which made it tough for any radio man dealing with the navy. . He arranged for the broadcast of -the launching of the first vessel at the Cramp's Shipward. at Port Richmond, here. Prior to his appointment, it took days of conferences and arrangements before lines could be in stalled into yards where naval vessels are under construction. Now a letter or a telephone call to 'Doc' and you're all set. Camp Wolters, Texas, has been found by broadcasters to be a hotbed of talent. Latest use of the soldiers on the air was when KRLD, of Dallas, took some of Uncle Sam's boarders to the Baker hotel lobby In Mineral Wells and gave a show which was put on the air. The players were Mike Sweeney, formerly with Chicago Civic Opera for six years; Don Kyser, former vocalfist for Horace Heidt's band; Jimmy Chapman, formerly with Jan Garber's orch; Bob Tiffany, from Ted FioRito's band; Art Davis, Johnny (Scat) Davis' trumpet-playing brother, and JTrank Livingston, Scat's piano player .before the draft hit. Jerry Danzig, publicity director of WOR, New York, started last week to send periodic personal circular letters to several hundred radio editors Michigan's Greatest Star JOINS Miciiigan's Greatest Station THI OOiOOWIli STATION WPEN, Philly, has added a novel twist to the introduction of its '950 Club' show of recorded popular music. The program is divided into 15- minute portions, with each one featuring the platters of a single name band. At the start of the 15-minute period, the bandleader is heard intro- ducing his own program. This has been done by the recording of the baton-waver's voice, plugging the program and introducing the disc Jockey. The stunt had its initial bow Aug. 18 with Vaughn Monroe. USW STATION...COUmm MOUeMTIHA SYSTEM 0. A. Mdut*, PIBIL * IM FHipatrick, He* rm. Uwim Petay « t wm m i. be;. thMmi BtpmMtotira A somewhat volatile radio adman, whose feelings are anything but pro- Axis, almost created a situation in a near-Yorkville German-type restau- rant when he had the string band play a medley of Jerome Kern music. He finally requested one of Kern's more recent tunes, 'The Last Time I Saw Paris,' which the maestro—whether for reasons of discretion or other- wise—disclaimed knowing, whereupon the radio man started to put up an indignant customer' squawk. As an exploitation idea, WOR execs recently had painted on the roof of the New York building in which its studios are located the designation 'WOR—Dial 71' in white letters several feet high. Fact that it could be seen from transport planes several miles away pleased the execs—until they realized it would also make an ideal target for possible air raid attack. In view of Mayor LaGuardia's agitation for civilian defense planning, the boys are now pretty unhappy about the whole thing. J. M. Mathes agency declared last week that Schick Razor will go through with its sponsorship of "Duffy's Tavern' on a guaranteed 26-week basis, starting Sept. 18, and that there is no reason for any one connected wHh the show to worry about the Schick connection being cut short because of the material priorities situation. The CBS hookup, it was added, will be 62 stations, whereas last season 'Tavern' had 55 stations. The time will be Thursday, 8:30 to 8:55 p.m. Jack Hylton, the London maestro, who, getting U. S. radio scripts for usage over BBC, got 39 more from Eddie Cantor, with the latter's com- pliments as a salute to Britain's courage in the crisis. These are reenacted abroad by BBC players, with credit. It's all part of the British stiff- upper-lip campaign for national morale. By special permission. Bob Campbell, WCCO, Minneapolis, announcer, was allowed to have his selective service physical examination two weeks ahead of induction. The examination revealed what was unknown to Campbell before—that, due to a fracture when he was a youngster, he can't turn one hand completely palm upward. He was rejected for service. Unique arrangement has Val Bjornson, KSTP, Minneapolis, staff news analyst, appearing regularly on program of a competing Twin City sta- tion, WLB. Moreover, he's presented as 'KSTP news commentator.' 'WLB is University of Minnesota non-commercial station. Miami sUtion WQAM's Norman MacKay, as a promotion stunt, sent out boxes of native limes as 'a little something for your Iced tea; can aUo use it on fish, and also goes swell in pie or gin..' KROW's, Frisco, latest contribution to national defense Is an auto wind- shield sticker, designed by manager Phil Lasky, reading 'Climb In, Buddy you defend the U.S.A., here's a lift along the way.' Call letters of KGFI, Brownsville. Texas, were changed with FCC per- mission to KEED. Station is owned and operated by the Eagle Broadcast- ing Co., on 1490 kilocycles with a power of 250 watts. WCOP, Boston, has been gradually dropping its foreign language pro- grams. Only four now remain and they will leave the air as their con- tracte expire by fall,' explained manager David Lasker. NBC Would Switch Winchel From Red To Blue on Coast NBCtBlue has approached Lennen & Mitchell, agency on the Jurgens account, on the idea of switching the repeat of the Walter Winchell pro- gram from the Coast Red to the Coast Blue. Winchell then would be following the Jack Benny program, whose recorded version Is slated to go over the Pacific Blue from 8:30- 9 p.m., local time. Agency has given no indication of warming to the idee. "Tha Parker Family,' another Jurgens-Woodbury program, would move along to the PaciBc Blue, com- ing immediately after the Winchell repeat. Winchell Is now heard via the Blue in the east. Lucas & Jenkins Deny Have Deal for WGST; Pickard Group Ditched Atlanta, Sept. 2. Sam Pickard and his associates in Southern Broadcasting Stations, which has WGST under operating lease, have so far given no indica- tion whether they will resort to legal action in opposing Governor Eugene Talmadge's leasing of the outlet to Lucas & Jenkins, theatre owners. Deal with L. St J. is supposedly for 10 years at $50,000 a year. Luca» & . enkins denied today (Tuesday) thai, they had a direct interest in the renewal of the sta- tion's license with the FCC, but they were merely concerned with co- operating with Georgia Tech, the licensee, in protecting its interest in the outlet. Pickard's group has already filed a petition with the FCC as intervenor in the- renewal and transfer approval proceedings. Rumor had it that the governor had called Pickard in some weeks ago and gave him a choice of signa- turing a release for a sum of $5,000, or losing the station immediately. Pickard, a former CBS v.p., subse- quently took up the situation with James L. Fly, FCC chairman, but it is not known what satisfaction he got from that quarter. The South- ern Broadcasting Stations' lease with WGST, which is licensed to the Stata of Georgia, has until 1950 to go. The state has been getting about $30,000 a year as a result of this contract Storm Levels Antennas Of Two K. C. Stations Kansas City, Sept. 2. A 75-mile an hour wind, which climaxed widespread rain and elec- trical storm in this area last week (25), destroyed two antenna towers of KMBC, both located in rural Johnson County. Same storm toppled the tower of KCKN atop the Kansan Bldg. here. Newest KMBC tower, a 644-foot vertical radiator, partially demol- ished a two-story frame house when It toppled. It also leveled high ten- sion wires and power in the area was shut down. Station was oS the air. for eight hours. KCKN was able to continue broad- cast without loss of time, but with a weakened signal. Red Cross Sponsoring ♦Whispering' Jack Smith 'Whispering' Jack Smith, on NBC until recently and still on some of that net's television programs,'began a new sponsored series over WMCA, N. Y., Monday (8). He has been bought by Red Cross Shoes for two five-minute song periods daily, 11:55- 12 noon, 6:25-6:30 p.m., Mon.-thru- Fri. Set direct. Sam Browns Apart Sam Brown, announcer at WMCA, New York, advertised yesterday (Tuesday) in the N. Y. Times that ha will not be responsible for debts incurred by his wife. Dawn. He declined to say whether or not ha and his wife are separated or if he Is contemplating divorce, She is understood to be a former show- girl. SCRIPPS-HOWARD] RADIO, INC. •(NO)<VlLLe- TfNNESStE- 5000 W. DAY; 500 W. NlgJ*^,