Variety (Sep 1942)

Wtednfeeday, September'- 2B, 1942 RUDia 25 All Up-to-^hootiiig Radio Stations Need a Hlfar Program' Liaison Washington, Sept. 22. Has your radio station a war pro- gram manager on its staff? W. B. Lewis, chief of the radio bureau of the Office of War In- (ormalion, is aslcing each of the country's stations to name one. OWI has found that a good percentage of its broadcast material and tran- scriptions is going astray and is not getting into the hands of the right people in the stations. To make its efforts more effective OWI would like each 'station to name a war program manager who would be the official station contact with OWI. The name of the person chosen should be sent to the radio chief in Washington and thereafter all background material bulletins, transcriptions and specific Infortna- tlon regarding programming and policy, urgent campaigns and tele- grams relating to these will be ad- dressed to the war program man- ager for channeling within the sta- tion's organization. Background material pamphlets will, of course, continue to be sent directly to writers who have asked for them. LOCKHEED ON CBS MONDAYS Hollywood, Sept. 22. First aircraft outfit to buy air time \3 Burbank's Lockheed tt Vega. Quarter hour on CBS Monday nights bought with program format still undetermined. It goes transcontinental with re- peat for Coast. Lord & Thomas, Agency on the account, hasn't de- cided whether to originate the series here or in New York. Albert Barker at Issne In Transamerican Serial For Benton & Bowles Benton & Bowles agency is burn- ing at Transamerican over the writer setup on 'Don Winslow of the Navy,' which starts Oct. 5 as a live serial on the Blue network for Gen- eral Foods. Since it started five years ago as a recorded show, 'Wins- low;" has been scripted by Albert Barker and after it was given a 26- weck trial run by B. fit B. for the food account last season, it was bought again ftom Transamerican on B. & B.'s tacit understanding that Barker was to continue as author. Package price for this season was increased and B. Si B. on learning that Barker is not to write the pro- gram this season, the agency sought an explanation. Transameri- can reports only 'Barker Is not available' No other writer has been permanently assigned. Meanwhile, Barker, who was re- fused a riiisc by Transamerican to continue authoring the show, has resigned from the production firm and is now freelancing. He has taken over scripting of 'The Com- mandos' for CBS and is continuing various gratis writing assignments for the Government. In addition to 'Winslow,' he wrote 'Little Orphan Annie' and 'Terry and the Pirates,' as well as a General Motors re- corded show, all for Transamerican. Post Flakes Sponsoring Hal Burdick's 'Editor' H;il Burdick's one-man show, 'Ni.iilit Eriiior'. has been bought by Benton & Bowles for a weekly half- hour .sprciul on the Coast, starting Oct. 5. for General Foods (Post Br.Tii FlaicosV Pro'.;rani consists of straight nar- lalivc written and read by Burdick wiilKni rliamalization, sound effects or nui.-^ic. Footnote Chicago, Sept. 22. William Paley, president of CBS, speaking from London Saturday night on the/ roundup of world news, was cut off his own network by CBS-owned af- filiate WBBM. Paley's spieech overlapped the six o'clock mark and WBBM had a spot announcement to make. PAT FOR BLUE WAR SHOWS Kansas City. Sept. 22. The Blue Network became the winner of the seventh annual radio award of the American Legion Auxiliary. The award, which this yeai- was based on effective contri- bution to the war effort, was an- nounced at the Legion convention Monday (21). E. R. Boroff, v.p. In charge of the central division of the network, accepted the plaque. Among the Blue programs cited in the award were 'This Nation At War,' 'Children In War Time,' 'Listen, America,' "America's Town Meeting of the Air." 'Meet Your Navy.' 'Daughters of Uncle Sam,' 'Service With a Smith," 'Wake Up, America' and 'What Can I Do." JACK PEARL'S SUPPORT To Include Hall, Beynolds, Merrill— On 63 Mntoal Stations Brad Reynolds and Joan Merrill will share the vocal department on the Jack Pearl progi-am which debuts on Mutual Wednesday, Oct. 14 ,tor Cresta Blanca Wines (Schenley). Time will be 9: IS to 10 p.m. Morton Gould will direct the orchestra, Cliff Hall will feed Pearl and Billy K. Wells will write the comic"s material. "The hookup will comprise 63 sta- tions, with the broadcast originating from the Mutual Playhouse in New York. Pearl in his routine will refer to his origin as being Holland instead of Bavaria because "that man moved Charies D. Kean Heads Weed's New Hub Office Weed & Co. has opened a Boston office and Charles D. Kcan will manage it. Kean was associate professor of advertising and marketing at Boston University and had l>een connected with the Goulston agency and the Boston Post. WHK Goes 100^ Mutual Cleveland. Sept. 22. With a 45-minute Mutual network show, WHK-WCLE will become a full-time MBC affiliate. Sept. 28. Attilio Baggiore, famed tenor, will highlight show from Cleveland with comedians Joe Gentile, Ralph Binge and soprano Elvera Ruppel also supplying talents. Commented H, K. Carpenter, sta- tion general manager, on the change, "putting it simply, we will now exercise a greater deal of control over our own programs than ever before." Jack Benny's New Aide Hollywood. Sept. 22, Sam Clark, Warners exploiteer. goes with Jack Benny to handle pub- lic relations and personal matters aside from business management. He succeeds Harry Baldwin, who is in the service. Clark recently was rejected for military service. \mi mm Fuel Oil Copy Takes Precedence; [ Government Requests Running Heavy First Meetinn of Office of War Information to Re- vise and Plan New 'The- matic Allocation' Is Held in New York With 100 Admen Present LAROCHE UNQUOTABLE Presentation of a new 'thematic" allocation plan and two proposed serial 'cavalcades' were the two principal Office of War Information contributions to the meeting last Friday afternoon (18) with ad agency men and network executives at Radio City, N. Y. The gathering, first of a series to be held in New York, Chicago and Hollywood to ignite the OWI's planned drive to 'sell' the war to the country via radio, drew an attendance of about 100. Announcement of the new 'the- matic' allocation plan, under which the OWI will suggest various war themes to be integrated into the scripts of network shows, all on a voluntary basis, drew little open comment from those present. How- ever, the suggestion of special 'guest' serials on NBC and CBS evoked some controversy. Speakers for the OWI at the ses- sion included W. B. Lewis, head of domestic radio, and George Zachary, OWI's radio production chief. Ches- ter LaRoche made an 'off-the-record' t«]k supporting the role of com- mercial advertising in wartime, and Kay I^ser, prevented by plane schedule delays from appearing on time, was represented by an emo- tionally-rousing recorded speech In behalf of greater civilian participa- tion in the war. The controversy over the OWI's serial plan broke out when Tom Revere, Bates agency radio head, and Jack Mullen, of Benton & Bowles, expressed the opinion that it is im- practical After considerable com- ment from all sides. Revere finally suggested, as an alternative for the OWI plan, that the networks con- tribute the time for existing seriak and let the agencies then include Government messages in such shows. That was immediately opposed by tht networks, OWI reps and other agency men. Although the majority of agency and network men ap- peared to think there will be nu- merous difficulties in carrying out the OWI serial plan, they Indicated willingness to try. 'Gaest Serials" Under the OWI plan, various of the leading sponsored daytime serials would do a week each of extra broadcasts. Such weeks' shows would be outside the regular story line, but would have plot and situation using themes suggested by the Government. They would be written by the regular scriptcrs of the shows and produced by the same agencies with the same personnel. They would carry Government an- nouncements instead of commercial plugs. The networks have agreed to contribute the time and AFRA has waved its regular wage require- ments. CBS has set aside the 9:46-10 a.m. segment across the board for the serial 'cavalcade' for a 13-week min- imum, while NBC has promised the 10-10:15 a.m. period for at least eight weeks. Under the proposed setup, the Compton agency, for in- stance, might offer the Procter & Gamble serial, 'Against the Storm," for one of the weeks. Using themes and material .supplied by the OWI. co-authors Sandra and Gerda Michael would write a special week"s sequence. It would be aired in the 10-10:15 a.m. time on NBC and would carry plugs for the regu- lar 'Storm' broadcast on the same network later the same morning. Similarly, CBS serials would be heard at 9:45-10 a.m. on that net- work. It's admitted that there are enor- Wild Horse Stanley Minneapolis, Sept. 22. Stanley Hubbard, KSTP presi- dent and general manager, halted a runaway horse on a St. Paul street after hundreds of pedestrians and motorists had given it a clear jiath. Afterwards he explained to newspaper reporters that the boyhood he spent on a farm stood him in good stead in the emergency. MUST DECIDE BVCS FUTURE John Shepard, 3rd, head of the Yankee Network, has called a meet- ing of the Broadcasters Victory Council, of which he is chairman, for tomorrow (Wednesday) in Chi- cago. The board of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters will meet In the same town during the following two days (Thursday and Friday). Shepard's reason for arranging his gathering preliminary to the opening of the N.A.B. board session is to scout his council associates on the question of the N.A.B. taking over the financing of the BVC. When the BVC was created the industry as a whole assumed the operating costs of the council. The assessment form ula was a sum equal to a station's evening quarter-hour. The fund Is running out and it is now up to the council to determine a basis upon which the N.A.B. would do the underwriting for the future. Washington, Sept. 22. Spot announcements on behalf of the fuel oil conservation program have been temporarily given prior- ity over the "Treasury's spot time scripts pushing war bond sales. W. B. Lewis, chief of the radio bureau of the Office of War Information, has notified station managers that Secre- tary Morgenthau's department has agreed to have radio stations substi- tute fuel oil announcements for th« Treasury spot broadcasts during th« period up to Oct. 7. Regular mater, ial from the Treasury will continue to go to the stations but this is to be used only as copy ideas and back- ground material for the regular Treasury programs. OWI's radio chief admitted that the spot time asked for by the Gov- ernment for the United Nations, the Treasury and other official efforts 'make a pretty tight schedule' but emphasized the seriousness o( the fuel problem this winter. Importance of the fuel problem to the war effort and the health of the people has been underestimated, ha said, and is so critical that the Gov- ernment needs the help of the radi(( stations to tell the American people about the seriousness of the situation and what they can do about it. MEFF RUNYON MAY GO NAVY JOCKEY TO RESCUE Brooklyn diood Bank Benefits From WHN Appeal An appeal for volunteer blood donors to save a woman's life— broadcast by Dick Gilbert, WHN's singing disc jockey, Friday (18) af- ternoon—sent more than 20 persons rushing to St. Peter"s hospital^ Brooklyn, while dozens more telC' phoned offers of aid. The emer->. gency call for rare Type-B blood came in during his dally 1-2:30 plat- ter program and interrupted momen' tarily an interview with maestro Dick Jurgens, currently at the Strand, N. Y. "Fiankly, we were on a spot," a hospital spokesman said later, "as we had used all of that type of blood in our blood bank. Thanks to an amazing and immediate response, another life has been saved through the medium of broadcasting." mous complexities and difficulties, many of them not predictable in ad- vance, to be surmounted in carrying out the plan and that confusion may result among listeners. That may be particularly true in the case of cer tain local stations or repeat broad- casts, etc. However, OWI officials believe the difficulties may be solved if the various people involved per- sist in efforts to work them out. And they assert that even if the serial idea proves successful in only a minor degree it will accomplish something in getting vital messages to masses of people. It was stressed by these OWI reps that the entire plan i.s voluntary, so anyone who doesn't like it is not obligated to participate. Idea is to put the plan into opera- lion within a few weeks. Akron, O.—Mickey McClowry, for- merly of WHBC, Canton, O., is the newest addition to the WADC, Akron, announcing staff. He re- places Don Gottwald, who left the sttff recently to enter Akron Uni- versity. Mefferd R. Runyon, Cds v.p. in charge of managed and operated stations, may join the Navy shortly with a rating of lieutenant-comman- der. He would make the fourth CBS v.p. to have left the company for Government service. The others are Harry C. Butcher, W. B. Lewis and Lawrence Lowinan. Runyon has also specialized for Columbia in labor matters. Benton & Bowles Director Assignments Shuffled; Don Allen on'Winslow' Number of director assignments at Benton St Bowles have been re- shuffled. Don Allen, formerly script editor, will t>e agency supervisor on 'Don Winslow of the Navy,' starting Oct. 5, although a Transamerican staff member will probably direct the serial. Don Cope Is directing 'When • Girl Marries,' "Mary Marlin' and the 'Prudential Hour." Theodora Yates is handling "Young Dr. Malone' and Roy Bailey is doing 'Portia Faces Life.' 'Lincoln Highway' is tentatively slated to return to the air soon, but no director has been assigned to It. UPALINA ACCOUNT TO SCHWIMMER & scon Chicago, Sept. 22. Schwimmer & Scott agency has been appointed to handle all radio and newspaper advertising for the Congress Cigar Co., Inc., makers of La Pallna cigars. Agency takes over on Oct. 1, and is readying a comprehensive ether and publication campaign for their new account. B. P. Timothy Engaged For Free & Peters, Chi Chicago, Sept. 22. B. P. Timothy Joins the Chicago staff of Free & Peters, radio station reps, Timothy was formerly advertising and sales production mgr. of Griese- dleck Western Brewery Co.