Variety (Mar 1942)

Treasury Weighs Views on Discs That Local Stations Could Sell to Sponsors Washington, March 10. Lively interest in the possibility of getting new Treasury Dept bond- promoting records that might be gponsored by local advertisers—thus turning an unptofltable public serv- ice into a source of limited revenue —is being shown by broadcasters. Hints that the Treasury may alter present policies so the cooperating stations can get some reimbursement brought prompt responses. The first cays man contained a score of inquiries about the possi- bility of obtaining platters which could be offered for local sale. Nothing has crystallized in this di- rection, but the reaction to the first tip probably will spur Vincent Cal- lahan and his aides to perfecting the vague suggestion. Though entirely willing to devote all possible resources and efforts to raising money for war expenses, ra- dio Industry leaders have been irked lor months over the Treasury's re- fusal to compensate—even indirect- ly—stations which have been throw- ing in gobs of gratis time for bond plugging. Especially since news- papers, magazines, and direct-mail outfits ore deriving bh Income. Be- sides buying large amounts of spac?, the Treasury baa furnished mats— both copy and illustrations—that, newspapers have Induced public- spirited concerns to Include In their displays. Broadcasters, though, have t)een giving away their fodlitles all the time. The present series of Treasury .platters can't be sponsored. Under- standing with the talent was that no Jnoney-maldng would be toler- ated.. This enabled tlie Government to enlist the help of radio and screen personalities who otherwise -would have ballced or wanted a royalty or have ~ been prevented by contract terms from participating. If the response Is sufficient, Cal- ilahan is disposed to arrange for a new bunch of ^Isci. that could be tumtabled at some local advertls- •r's expense. MAKING A RECORD WITH KAYE IS THE PAYOFF Cleveland, March 10, Klalne D. Beatty, 17, high school student, wai named winner in "WSK.- WCLE's contest (ft) to determine the V}utstanding amateur vocalist,' Stunt was sponsored by BUrt's, Inc., and the ' Cleveland Phonograph' Mer- chants'. Association, Miss Beatty will leave for Chicago In April where she wlU make a re- cording with Sammy Kaye. Miss Beatty will also be heard over •WCLE's *Mutual Goes Calling' pro- gram. Network Premieres (Morch 11-21) March 17 'Gnldlnir W«l»t,' serial, replac- ing 'Mystery Man,' 2:15-1:30 p.m., dally, NBC-Red (WEAF); Gen- eral Mills (WheaUes), Knox Reeves agency. March 19 Dorothy Thomi>son, news l!om- ment; 8:45-9 p.m;, Blue (WJZ); Trimount clothes, Emil Mogul agency. March 20 Col. Stoopnagle (F. Chase Tay- lor), variety; f-l-M pjn., Fridays, Blue (WJZ); Ontario province, Walsh agency. WBBM Transmitter Must Move, Navy Rates Old Tower Aviation Hazard Chicago, March 10. WBBM Is moving its transmitter from Glenview to Itasca (HL), the move being necessitated by a de- cision from the United States Navy that the Glenview tower and trans- mitter constitutes a hazard for flyers at the Glenview airport With the Navy Interested, Colum- bla-WBBM has been able to procure materials under a priority rating and construction on tiie new transmitter will go ahead at full speed for A new 660-foot structure. Montreal, March 10. Starting tomorrow (11) for an In- definite run over CKAC, French lan- guage Independent station, once weekly. Imperial Tobacco, Ltd. (Sweet Caporals) sponsors 'Le R^- lie-ment du Rire' (Laugh Rally), produced by Whitehall Broadcasting Co. Fans are asked to send In Jokes on given subjects and these are conj- pared ..1th Jokes thought up by the judges. If the fan beats the Judge he or she gets substantial money prize. Judges are Gerard Delage, OvUa Legare, Hector Charland and Fred Barry. Show will also be aired on French stations CHRC, Quebec City and. CKCH, Hull. Kent-Johnson Runs WJZ AU-Night Disc Medley ■WJZ, New York, key station of the Blue network, starts a local all- night recorded show Monday (16). Stanza to be titled 'Say It With Music* will be available for spon- sorship, with five nightly announce- ments priced at $400 a week. There will be three-minute hourly news siunmaries, with spots available as tione signals, station-breaks, etc. Program running from 1-7 a.m. dally will be produced by Alan Kent and Gfaiger Johnson, who will also handle It on the air. Station experimented with all- nlgl)t operation for some- weeks after U. S. entry Into the war. WEAF, New York outlet for NBC, also operated all night for a while at that .time. WABC, Columbia's key station in New York, and WOR, the local Mutual outlet, have had all-night policies for some time. Krents Succeeds Williams At Council for Democracy Albert N. Williams has resigned as radio director of the Council For Democracy, New York. He was on salary directly to the CounclL' He will be succeeded by Milton E. Krents on assignment* from the American Jewish Committee who has recently been serving as radio con- sultant to the Office of Civilian De- fense in Washington. . Conncil Is In a transitional period since failure to negotiate a merger with the Citizens Victory Committee. Williams Is returning to freelance radio work. Dinah Shore Buys Freedom ' Neblett Trying Chicago Chicago, March 10. Johnnie Neblett, for the past couple o^ years with KWK, St. Louis on sports and special events, has quit that town for Chicago.and free-lance radio. Has signatured with the James Parks office and is set to turn out a five-minute narration series tagged Heartbeats Behind -the Headlines,' which will be directed tiy Ted MaC' Murray. ■ Williams Shaving Renews True or False' on Blue WllUams Shaving Cream ha« re- newed for its "True or False* pro- gram on the Blue, with the new contract taking the show through June 30. The show will start soon on a tour of army camps. JOKE-TOPPING SHOW ON CKAC Wednesday, March 11, 1942 'Can Ton Top ThU7' Joe Laurie, Harry Hershfleld and Senator' Ford conduct a 'Can You- Top This?' Joke rally, apparently cimiiar to the aboye Quebec pro- gram. Kirkman's Soap sponsors on WOR, New York, local only. Menkin's Suit Would Still WMCA's (Freedom) Show Lawrence Menkln, radio script writer, filed suit yesterday (Tues- day) In N. Y. supreme court against WMCA, Inc., seeldDg an Injunction against the radio program entitled, •Voice of Freedom,* scheduled to premiere today (Wednesday). Plea for a temporary Injunction restrain- ing the broadcast will be argued today (Wed.). Menkln claims.'Voice of Freedom' Is an exact replica of his script 'Mr. V,' written by him In July, 1041, and submitted to Walter Craig, program director of WMCA. Script was re- jected on the groimds It was un- timely, plaintiff'says, but he clauos 'Voice of Freedom,' sponsored by Freedom House, was evolved In Feb- ruary, 1942, by WMCA. Hard to Avoid Newscasts NAB. Warns 'Alibis Don't Go Tht front page of the weekly bulletin of the National Association of Broadcasters (dated March 6) under the heacUnc 'We Got a New Job' talks very frankly to broadcasters about what's expected of them. Briefly what's expected is some Ingenuity and leadership, at least as much showmanship as they display In advertising, at least as much Independent know-how and toiow-what as they are capable of when perspnal profits are at stake. N.A3, says it In tl(ese words: The aovemnient has just handed radio the biggest selUng job it has 9ver tackled. Here it is: SELL THE PEOPLE THE WAR PRODUCTION PROGRAM. Sell it, and sell it hard. ^ Sell it morning, noon and night. Sell it until there is 'sweat and action on the production line to match the blood and action on the battle line.' And we're riot to say 'tpll us what to do and we'll do it' TJiofs out the tuindoio, like 'business as usual' The government has given us an order. Ifs up to us to sell the goods. We have the facilities. We have the time and talent. And, whales more, we know how to sell. J} we can make people buy anything from baby food to tombstones, we surely can figure out a way to sell them on the idea of getting to work to save their own skins. And if we don't —well, we all know what thai means. Mutual's February 11Z1% Over 1941 Meantime CBS Network Grosa for March, 1942, Likely to Be First Dip Since 1939 . •H- San Antonio, March 10. Texaco is set for newscasts over station KABC with Tommy Reynolds of the KABC news staff. Company has been airing a series of newscasts over the Texas State network, but Is finding that in many dtles a majority of stations are airing .newscasts at the same time as the Texaco news cast, . ' They have therefore arranged for local stations to broadcast newscasts at other-times In the morning, pref- erably prior, to other heavy morning newscasts periods. Jack Hurdle to Coast for S. Temple Shor, Other B.&B. Shifts Jack Hurdle, itaft director of Ben- ton tc Bowles, planed Saturday (7) to the Coast to take over direction of the 'Junior Miss* program, .-with Shhrley Templei for the agency. Hell replace Mann Holiner, regular direc- tor' of the Fannie Brice show, who was brought hi at the last minute to handle the 'Junior Miss' debiit broad- cast. Hurdle will probably stay .on the Coast with the program for at least 13 weeksi possibly permanently. Series Is sponsored Wednesday nights on CBS by Procter Se Gamble. With Hurdle's departure, there is a general shift of Benton Sc Bowles di- rectorial assignments. Don Cope, who recently retutned after a lengthy ill- ness. Is again handlhig the Gladys Swarthout-Deems Taylor show on CBS for Prudential, plus 'Mary Mar- Iki' on NBC-Red (repeat on CBS) for P. tc G. Fritz Blockl, recently im- ported from Chicago, directs 'We the Abbotts', on the Red for Best Foods, 'Kate Hopkhis' on CBS for MaxweU house, and the New York cut-in com- mercials on 'Junior Miss.' When 'Ab'botts' and "Kate' go off. the air in few more weeks, Blockl will be given other assignn^ents. Ken MacGregor, who has been di- recting 'Abbotts,' has gone to Chi- cago on a more or less permanent assignment to direct the WGN oper- etta series. Including the three prize contest winners. ' Roy Bailey Is di- recting 'Portia Faces Ufe' for Gen- eral Foods on the Red, and Theodora Yates is handling Uncoln Highway' for Shinola on the same network, Kirby Hawkes, the agency's radio head, who went to the Coast to help ready 'Jimlor Miss,' will remain there three or four more weeks. • Cash-Pufl Deals Again Proposed As Chiz Biz Spurts in Confusion 4t- Dinah Shore has setUed her con tract with the General Amusement Corp, for a cash payment of $0,000. GAC claimed that its convenant with Miss Shore had two years to go. Miss Shore has yet to work out a similar settlement with NBC. Under the management contracts which bound her to NBC and GAC she was to pay each 5% of her income. Donald Hamilton at WOR Donald Hamilton has joined the etafle of WOR, New York, as office manager of the program department, a new position. He was formerly with the "personal loan department of the.JfatIonal City Bank and before thaf assistant man- ager of Norman Bel-Geddes & Co„ Inc., Industrial designers. One effect of the recent batch of network commercial cancellation has been a resurge of activity among those small ad agencies that special- ize in ofl-the-rate-card deals. They're back to circularizing station men with a conglomeration of per-inqulry plans. In no instance do they name the account. Most of the letters give the impression that the agency Is seeking to gather a list of acquies- cent stations before making a pitch for an account that might be sold on a per-inqulry arrangement From one such agency, stations last week received a questionnaire that ran to closely-typed pages. All products, It wrote, were to be sold on a money-back, guarantee, and the stations were to receive at least 30% of the' selling price. The question- naire asked for all sorts of case his- tories dealing with the station's ptill- ing power on cash-down offers. Lieut. Bpward Nussbaum Assigned to 'This Is War* . Boword Nussbaum, Blue staff, pro. ducer and asfIstant to Harry Frazee, production head.of the network, has resigned to take a First Lieutenant's commission In the Army Air Corps. He Is assigned to the four-network •This Is War* series, assisting Nor man Corwln. Besides being the Blue's produc' tlon aide on This Is Wat,' Nussbaum was network production man on the Elsa Maxwell show for Ry-Krisp, 'Sid Morse Into Air Corps Sid Morse, of the William Morris agency radio department, has been accepted by the Army Air Corps and leaves March 28 for training, HeTl be stationed at Maxwell Field, Ala, Add: Doc Brinkley's Grief Del Rio, Texas, March 10. According to a statement made by. United States District Attorney Sam Rorex of Little Rock; Ark., 'Doc' John R. Brlnkley, former:goat gland operations wholesaler, would be brought to trial there about June 1 on indictment charging mail fraud in connection with his sex-reJuvenatlon advertisements. ' liast Septemher the 'Doc,' his wife, and six other persons were Indicted on the ground that his mailed liter- ature 'falsely pretended' that he 'had found a real substance which, when properly administered, would restore to normal sexual vigor sexually weak men and women.' At the time of the indictment Brlnkley was In a hospital at Kanstts City, bedridden from a' leg amputa- tion. He' la at preesnt on a Texas ranch, location of which Is being kept a secret, trying to regain his health. Mutual Network last month had a ' gross sale* Increase of IIZ.1% over February, 1941. Hie billings for February, '42, came to $938,185, while the gross that prevailed for the like -month of 1941 was $442,167. The ac- cumulative total for the two first months of '42 Is $1,962,697, or 107.2% better than it was for the parallel period of 1941. Columbia will show at the end of the current month (March) the first dip Into the ttibiua region since March, 1939. CBS' gross billings for the current month will be Wider the figure for March, 194L The last minus stretch for that network b6gan In April, '38, and ended last {ull year. PhH Sphalny (drk Play More Mifibry Stations; White Along for BBD&O Phil Spltalny's 'Hour of Charm' program for General Electric opened another tour of army camps 'and naval bases with a show last night (Tuesday) at Ft Bragg, N. C. It was not broadcast All-glrl orchestra plays tonight (Wednesday) at Camp Stewart, Ga., and does Its NBC broadcast Sunday night (16) from Bay Front Park, Miami. No dates have been set so far for next week, but the March 22 broad- cast will be from the Miami Naval Air Base. Non-broadcast shows will be played March 24 and 28 from Chapman Field,- Fla. Regular broad- cast March 29 will be from (jamp BlanSlng, Fla., and a non-hroadcast d^te will be played March 31 at Quantico (Va.) Marine Base, on the troupe's way back to New York. Full production crew is'being taken along on the trip-.by Spltalny. Dave White, the producer-director for B, B. D. & 0„ leaves tonight (Wednes- day) after handling the 'Schaefer Revue' broadcast on yEAF, New York, for the agency, and will then stay with the troupe throughout the tour. Also going along are Jack Meakln, I^C production man; Ed Whittaker, the engineer, ahd Alton Alexander, continuity writer. During White's absence the 'Schae- fer Revue' will be directed by his assistant,' Dick WendeUcen, Guests on the show arc John Feeney arid the Three Jesters, tonight (Wednesday); Hazel Scott, March 18; Harry James, March 25, and Dave Rublnoff, April 1. Program Is a local on WEAF, New York. It Is also a B. B, D. & O. ac- count Spltalny will have his own p.a., George D. Lottman, plus Jim Burke from the agency paving the way for his Dixie camp tour. Weston HUI to Sherman Chicago, March 10, Weston Hill, former v.p. and copy director of the Kastor agency, join- ing the copy department of the Sher- man Sc Marquette agency. HiU was formerly with Blackett Sample-Hununert and Ruthrauff & Ryan agencies. Robert Wamboldt West; Compton's Ralston East Robert Wamboldt, who recently Joined the Compton agency produc- tion staff, left Saturday for the Coast to take over supervision of the Ran- som Sherman show there for Proc- ter & Gamble. Gilbert Ralston, the agency's net- work production supervisor, who went to Hollywood some time ago to launch the Sherman program on CBS, Is due back to New York around April 1.