Variety (Sep 1942)

Wednesday, September 80, 1942 RADIO 29 NARROW THE TARGET Kay Kyser is right enough in charging that there are promi- nent men Who won't take their turn carrying the ball for vic- tory. He and others do well to hammer constantly the seri- ousness of the war, the need for maximum effort, the menace of inertia or disinterest. However, as quoted from Los .Angeles last week, Kyser's remarks have one unfortunate fact—they are badly worded, they generalize, they imply that networks and advertisers are in revolt against reasonable requests for co- operation. Such of course is not the case and the OWI, best of all, knows it isn't. It is not fair to embrace by implication advertisers, agencies and radio men who have been devoting a large amount of time, energy and money to help the Government. Nor is it entirely fair to imply or suggest or think that only one small group of persons know the morale or propaganda needs or the best and only methods to implement them. The democratic process is the process of cooperation and coordination. It has been bril- liantly exemplified by the OFF (and later by OWI) in the allo- cation system and radio war guide. In general this seems to be true about wartime propaganda and the attitude of people as people and officials as persons: the fires have to be lighted more often under officials than under private citizens. There is plenty of evidence that citi- zens are often way ahead of the officials. Kyser has re-discovered the power of simple talk, the efTec- ^tiveneas of everyday idiom. His ability to move throngs is a valid lesson of this war, but he seems not to sufficiently recog- nize and credit what has been done, what is being done. There 1b an enormous pressure of willingness in business. There is only a minimum of unwillingness or pouting. Unity It not «ncoura^ed by over-Inclusive generalizations that run grave risk oi giving sincere organizations unmerited stigma. Yiddbh Radio Accounts Feel Pinch of War Among th« sponsor oa^ualties oc- casioned by the war, and notable chiefly because of their effect on the foreign language radio market, are International Salt and Heinz. Both firms were substantial buyers of Yiddish radio, now they are out of the market International plugged its Sterling Salt Brand for us In kosher food preparation, Heinz its Kosher Baked Beans. With the tin shortage Heinz shifted to glass containers, but had to can- cel when it was unable to get enough tin and rubber gaskets to cap the glass containers of beans In substantial quantities. The kosher salt market dwindled with the tilt in meat prices and figures to prac- tically dry up when meat rationing arrives, since orthodox Jews kosher their own meat at home using a coarse salt, and with the price tilts they have been using less meat. NEW RADIO EDITORS Ven Wettberg at Newsweek—Abbott •n Time Mag Niles Von Wettberg is the new radio editor of Newsweek, succeed- ing Allan Finn, who enlisted in the Army. Bob Conley continues as re- searcher for the department. Lawrence Abbott, formerly music critic, is temporarily acting as radio editor of Time mag pending the ap- pointment of a permanent successor to Murray Morgan, who recently re- signed to take a scholarship In South America. Morgan succeeded Bob Fitzgerald several months ago. Sonya Bigman, researcher for the Time radio department for some years, Is on an extended leave of ab.sence. She's currently at Buck Hill Falls, Pa., convalescing from pneumonia. Helen Gorrell is filling in as researcher. Franklin P. Adams of 'Informa- tion, Please' set to open Greenville, S. C, 'Town Hall' season Oct. 12. RobsoD, MacDougall Combo Continoed b CBS' New Han BeUnd the Gun' The ^d Letter,' propaganda sus- tainer Wednesday fiignta on CBS, will be succeeded after tonight's (Wednesday) broadcast by a new morale series, "The Man dehlnd the Gun.' Latter will dramatize the story behind the manufacture of each of the various weapons of a modern army. William Robson, producer, and Ranald MacDougall, respective pro- ducer and writer of '22d Letter,' will hsve the same assignments on 'Be- hind the Gun.' While MacDougall has been working on the scripts for tho new series, Robson wrote the final two Installments of 'Letter.' STEVE FULD MISSING IN OCEAN ACTION Steve Fuld. 39, who resigned from CBS's station relations staff to be- come an ensign In the Coast Guard, has been reported as missing in ac- tion. The Navy Department has not as yet disclosed when or where. Fuld was with station relations for four and a half years. Before that he had been with Radio Sales, Inc., a CBS subsid. A mother, sister and brother live In New York. CORWIN STAYS AWHILE Linger! In England for Additional Background Material Norman Corwin, whose 'An Amer- ican in England' shortwave pro- grams concluded on CBS about a month ago. Is remaining In Britain three or four more weeks to gather material for a continuation of the series In the U. S. Although the plan is still tenta- tive, the Idea is to present the sequel shows as the Impressions of a re- turned American from England. Mark Woods' Vacation Mark Woods, Blue network prez, leaves Monday (8) on a two-week vacation. He'll vi.<!it Jackiionville, his home town, and a few of the network's outlets in the south. ON DX EXPECTED Government Operation of Shortwave T r a n amitters May End Collection of Nominal $90 Charge, Hoivever — Sales Spiels Sometimes Ironic to Iso- lated Soldiers, but Popu- lar Anyhow Networks' Financial Pace Holds Up: CBS a455KM) for August; NBC, $3,277,000; Blue, $935,000 OTHER STUFF OUT The United States Government's forthcoming lease of all air time of the nation's 14 shortwave transmit- ters has posed the question of what is going to happen to the commer- cials now on these outlets. It would appear obvious that they'd automat- ically be eliminated, except for the fact that the big sponsored shows that are carried on the DXers are the most popular with U. S. troops "abroad. Government can hardly af- ford to eliminate them, for they'd be practically irreplaceable. Problem is not acute on the com- mercials which stations originate exclusively for shortwave broadcast or for their networks, because, since the start of the war, such sponsored blurbs or programs have been virtu- ally non-existent. What's left of them, if any, will automatically die with the Government takeover. Acute situation applies to most of the big sponsored shows on the standard NBC and CBS longwaves. Broadcasting companies last winter hit on the idea of shortwaving these simultaneously with the domestic air- ing, platterizing them for rebroad- cast at a time of day more suitable for foreign listening, or both. $96 a Half-Hoor Sponsors have been charged $90 a half-hour for this shortwave flUip to their regular shows. It has meant nothing, of course, as far as selling their products goes, but it has pleased soldiers far from home, and thus been a nice goodwill gesture. Most sponsors make a practice of an- nouncing on the domestic broadcast that the show is also being h«ard by shortwave by U. S. troops abroad. As a matter of fact, as far as the commercial value of the DX shows goes, the plugs have sometimes had a reverse effect. Soldiers and civil- ians in Australia, Latin-America, Alaska or Iceland haven't relished being urged to go right out and buy So-and-So soups when there's not a store within 1.000 miles that sells anything like such a product. Nevertheless, Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen, Jack Benny, the Aldrich Family and a flock of simi- larly well-known sponsored shows have been the backbone of the enter- tainment program offered to troops via shortwave. And the boy.<! have never resented the commercials to the extent that it's cut into their en- joyment of the program.?. So, if it is found incompatible with Government operation of the kllo- watters to have commercials, it will be the servicemen in foreign climes who'll suffer. Unlikely is the possi- bility of the Government accepting coin for the commercials, so if they continue at all. It will be a break to the extent of $90 a half-hour for the sponsors. A compromise, of course, might be found in airing the shows with the commercials scissored. Ad- vertiser.? probably wouldn't seriously object, although it seems unfair that they shouldn't at least get a pa.s5ing mention in lieu of a regular commer- cial. Vance Babb's New Job J. Vance Babb, formerly NBC pres.s chief under Wayne Randall, has been appointed an associate di- rector of public relations of the N. W. Ayer agency, in the New York office. H. C. McCoy, named the other as- sociate, is In the agency's Philadel- phia office. The joint time sales for the four national networks this August was 2% above what it had been for the parallel month last year. It was the nar- rowest margin of the kind in years. The only one of the quartet that dipped into the minus regions was Mutual, namely 3%. Columbia was up 3%, the Blue Network showed an increase of 16% and NBC remained static. The General Motors hour ('Cheers From Camps') was probably the main factor for reversal of the trend which had marked CBS' billings during the summer of '42. As for the first eight months of the year all networks are still on the plus side. Mutual's margin is 59%, the Blue is 21% to the good, NBC holds by 5%, while for^CBS it's a bare 1%. The accumulative billings for the foursome from January to September of this year is $74,194,000. The comparative tally in 1941 was $68,211,000. NETWORK GROSS TIME SALES (Estimated) FOR AUGUST 1942 1941 % Blue $935,000 $804,000 -1-10 Columbia 3,455,000 3,350,000 -|- 3 Mutual 518,000 532,000 — 3 NBC 3,277,000 3,278,000 0 Total $8,185,000 $7,964,000 -f-2% FOB mST EIGHT MOlTrHS 1942 1941 % Blue $9,594,000 $7,927,000 -1-21 Columbia 29,550,000 29,144,000 -I- 1 Mutual 6,385,000 4,025,000 +S9 NBC 28,665,000 27,116,000 + I Total $74,194,000 $68,211,000 -f- • 'Front Page Farrell' Has Tie-In With Manpower Conunish Via Hanunond 'Front Page Farrell,' Blackett- Sample-Hummert serial on NBC for Kolynos toothpowder, is integrating a war production theme into the story line, in cooperation with the War Manpower Commission. Cur- rent thread has Sally Farrell, the hero's wife, getting a job In a war plant. Plot complications will work in various ideas promulgated by the WMPC. In preparation for working out the suggested themes. Bob Shaw, the writer, and Lloyd Rosamund, Air Features supervisor on the show, were taken last week on a tour of war plants In the New York area. They visited factories turning out planes and precision instruments, particularly departments using wo- men workers. Laurence Hammond, WMPC radio director, arranged it. TOM LUCKENBILL TO ESTY AS VICE-PRES. Tom Luckenbill has replaced Dick Marvin as head of the radio depart- ment in the William Esty agency. Like Marvin, Luckenbill is an ex-J. Walter Thompsonile. Luckenbill has the title of v.p. Marvin resiKned Monday morning (28) after Lucken- bill reported on the job. The change made a juicy topic of conversation around the talent end of the bu.si- ness over Iht Monday '28) and Tues- day (29) lunch tables. Marvin held the post for a little over three years. At Thompson, Luckenbill specialized in the Lux ac- count, serving as radio contact in New York. Cal Swanson will absorb this assignment. Philco Gesture Buy of Games; (It s 100% War) Philadelphia, Sept. 29. Philco Radio last Friday (29) signed up as sponsor of broadcasts of the University of Pennsylvania'! footbajl games, outbidding Atlantio Refining on the deal. Atlantic had been dickering for the games which it has bankrolled for the past six years, but was loath to pay Penn'a stiff price (reported at $30,000) be- cause its sales to the public hava been greatly curtailed this year due to rationing. But Friday, one day before Penn opened Its season with the Georgia Pre-Flight School, Sayre Ramsdell Associates closed for Philco. Philco is on 100% war production, so commercials will be utilized only to keep the name before the public ai a good-will gesture. Patriotic mes- sages, such as war bond sales, scrap collections, etc., will be stressed. KATE SMITH'S GUEST Russell-Blalr Combo Follows 'Morn- \ns Star' Excerpt Vaughn De Leath's Party BufTiilo. Sept. 29. WBEN Maff feted Vaughn De Leath with cake and ice cream on her birthday Saturday (26). Cake had one candle and .singer didn't .^ay how many were lacking, but laughingly arlmitted starting in radio as a 'child piodigy' 22 years ago. A 'pre-view' parly was held to allow Evening New.s photog to tike picture for weekly radio section. Rosalind Rus.sell and Janet Blair, cc-slars of Columbia's 'My Sister Eileen' picture, guest next week on thu Kate Smith show on CBS. They'll appear in an original dra- matic sketch. Also guesting on the show will be a name comic, pos- sibly George Jessel. Dramatic spot on this Friday night's (2) Smith program will be an excerpt from 'Morning Star,' the Emiyn Williams play currently at the Morosco, N. Y. Gladys Cooper, Wendy Barrie, Cecil Humphreys, Nicholas Joy and Gregory Peck, of thP legit cast, will participate in the broadcast. Probability for either this week's or next week's edition of the series is an original dramatic sketch, 'My Brother in Stalingrad,' by Sandra Michael, author of 'Against th« Storm.' Piece was originally done last Friday night (25) as a visual presentation at a Russian War Re- lief .show at the Academy of Musl^ Philadelphia.