Variety (Dec 1942)

Wednesday, December 9^ 1948 BADIO 2T Thompson Agency Centralizes Time-Buying Within Media DepL To Better Service Its Clients The J. Walter Thompson agency has reorganized Its time-buying cet- up to the extent of making It an In- tegral part of the media department. Time-buying at Thompson since 1929 has functioned Independently of the spac^-buylng department and had been part of the radio department Under the new method of operation, Linnea Nelson, head time-buyer will come under the direct authority of Arno Johnson, who has lust been named director of media as well as research. Miss Nelson had pre- viously reported to John U, Reber, v.p. in charge of the radio depart* ment The question of centralizing all media had been under consideration by Thompson officials for some time. There had been a growing opinion within the agency that the client's interests would best be served if the radio phase of the account were dovetailed with the account's other media operations, and the latter placed In a position where they could profit from the wealth of merchan- dising angles and viewpoints gained In the use of the newest medium, radio. Some agency men are of the opinion that such centralization will be the accepted mode within the next few years. Shirley Bootli, Gardner And Stn Erwin WiO Guest for Kate Smith Ed Gardner and Shirley Booth, leads on the 'Duffy's Tavern' pro- gram on the Blue network Tuesday nights for Bristol-ltlyers, will guest Friday night (11) on the Kate Smith show on CBS for General Foods. However, they will not work to- gether. Gardner will do a comedy spot and Miss Booth will read a monolog condensation of The Waltz,' a Dorothy Parker sketch. Miss Booth plays the lead in the original company of 'My Sister Eileen,' at the Hitz theatre, N. Y. Stuart Erwin will be the guest on the Kate Smith program Dec. 18. playing the lead in The Sound of Your Voice,' an original fantasy by Robert Presnell. For the Dec. 25 broadcast of the series, Charles Taze- well's 'The Small One' will be read by Miss Smith and Ted Collins. It's a Christmas annual for the program. Miss Smith and Collins will play the leads in 'Master Map of America,' an original by Paul Woodbridge, for the dramatic spot on the Jan. 1 broad- tast. - The series is directed by Harry Ackerman for the Young 8c Rubicam agency. Good Enough Buffalo, Dec. 8. Early this month WEBR pur- chased an organ, but it hasn't been heard on the air yet. Reason: Station has never had an organist. Perhaps Symph Isn't the Right Thing for Kids Cleveland, Dec. 8. A list of approved juvenile pro- grams, drawn up by the evaluation committee of the Radio Council of Greater Cleveland, has been re- leased by organization president Mrs. Walter V. Magee. The report recommends no programs for chil- dren presented on the five week days, but lists the following Satur- day shows: 'Let's Pretend,' 'Story Time.' 'Story Teller.' 'Little Blue Playhouse,' 'Pan-American Holiday' and 'God's Country.' Sunday listings are: 'Family Hour.' 'Wings Over Jordan.' Andre Kostelanetz and Uncle Henry's Dog Club. Radio Council, although Including several adult programs, failed to ex- plain why It disregarded such shows as Quiz Kids, 'Band Wagon,' N. Y. Philharmonic, NBC Orchestra, Cleveland Symphony and other cul- tural broadcasts. Council held round table meeting on 'Radio's Important Place in a World at War' in Higbee lounge Friday (4). Industry representatives were Ralph Vorden, WGAR; Hal Metzger, WTAM; Eleanor Hansen, WHK, and Mrs. Dorothy Lewis, trav- eling representative of the National Assn. of Broadcasters. ACGYS. SE[ NO Figure Film Names Will Maintain at Least Occa sional Radio Contact, Even If Gratis Because of 2SG Income Ceiling — Some Cuffo Appearances AI' ready NEW FACES THREAT MARJORIESPRIGGSNEW TREASURY RADIO HEAD Marjorie L. Spriggs now heads the radio section of the Treasury De- partment's War .'Savings Staff, re- placing Charles J Gllchrest, who re- signed to take a lieutenancy in the Navy. She had been the section's chief of women's and children's pro- granu. Miss Spriggs was formerly pub- licity director of WBZ-WBZA, Bos- ton. On 'Cavalcade' Production Norrls Houghton joined the radio staff of B.B.D. & O. Monday (7) as program coordinator of the 'Caval- cade of America' series. He had been a member of the ieglt production staff of USO-Camp Shows, Inc., and before that was director of dramatics at Princeton. WALTER CASSELL TAKING PARKER'S SQUIBB SHOW Walter Cassell, Metropolitan Opera baritone, replaces Frank Parker on the Squibb program, starting Monday (14). He and Parker will both par- ticipate in the latter's finale of the series Friday (11), which will origi- nate at the Merchant Marine base at Sheepshead Bay, N. Y., where Parker will report fop duty Monday. Before being added to the Metro- politan roster this fall, Cassell had been doing guest appearances on va- rious commercial programs, his latest having-beer. Sunday (6) on the An- dre Kostelanetz show for Coca-Cola. He will continue the present policy of popular and semi-pop songs on the Squibb series, which airs Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, 8:30-8:45 p.m. on CBS. Eleanor L. Larsen directs the pro- gram for the Geyer, Cornell fit New- ell agency, and Jack Lewis writes the continuity. Clear Channel Service Director Due for Army Washington, Dec. 8. Victor Sholis, director of the Clear Channel Broadcasting Service, will soon go into the Army. He was de- ferred until Dec. 26 to wind up his business affairs. Sholis organized his office in February, 1941, for the independ- ently owned 1-A clear channel sta- tions. Prior to entering radio, he had been special as.^istant to Harry Hopkins in the Department of Commerce. Shells may be succeeded by Allan B. Miller, his assistant. The radio heads of several major advertising agencies harbor the be- lief that network commercial pro- grama won't, after Jan. 1, suffer anywhere near the drought In film name talent as is now generally an- ticipated. Agency officials feel that there will be quite a number of top Hollywoodites who will be inclined to maintain at intervals a radio con- tact with their fans, even if it means working without conpensation. Sev- eral such non-salary cases, accord- ing to the agency men, have already occurred, and they are confident that many other establish^ screen stars will go on allying themselves with network commercials, particu- larly If the program's prestige and listening rating strikes them as right. The agency execs admit that the no-pay instances to date have ap- plied only to stars who had already committed their services for a broad- cast, and found later on that their earnings for the current year would exceed those for Use period of 1941'. The salary ceiling which went into effect last month made this stop or- der effective as of Oct. 3. The regu- lation limiting net income to $25,- 000 takes effect Jan. 1. These agency Impresarios contend that regardless of the policies as- sumed by some studios toward radio, the average film name will continue to recognize the advantage of an oc- casional air link. If not, it win be okay with the agencies. They will find new people to take the place of current stars, and when the newcomers reach a certain point in national prominence the film studios will start bidding for the latters' service, with the result that those stars who elected to stay off the air will find themselves faced with competition from a con- tingent of fresh personalities. As the agency sees it, a fill star, in order to maintain top popularity these days, must keep herself or himself before a radio as well as a theatre audience. CelUnc Still Problem There appears to be no general agreement among top-earning radio artists as to the course to pursue under the Government's $23,000 in- come ceiling. According to the American Federation of Radio Artists (Continued on page 34) Now That McNutt Is Manpower Czar, WMCs Radio Dept. May Be Tops of All Govt. Bureaus Premieres (Dec. 0-19) Dee. IT 'Audition Preview, audition- tryout of legit scripts,' with Fritz Blockl directing; 3-4:30 pjn., Thursdays, WJZ-Blue; sustaining. 'Cavalcade Buys Agency Package With Producer Hollywood, Dec. 8. First complete program packaged by a talent agency on the Coast has been bought by Batten, Barton, Dur- stine tc Osbom for DuPont's 'Caval- cade of America.' In the wrap-up are Hector Chevlgny's script. The Man Who Wouldn't Be President,' Edward Arnold as star and Z. Wayne Griffin, radio head of the Berg and Allenberg agency, as producer. Grif- fin produced several 'Cavalcade' broadcasts here when he was with BBD&O. B&A agency will continue to wrap up other shows with talent drawn from its list. A second show for Du- Pont, Involvlnt; Alan Ladd, is now In negotiation. Griffin Is proceeding on the theory that agency productive power has been hard hit by the draft and en- listments, and package programs par- tially solve that problem, with pro- ducer end writer Included in the deal. CHI U FORUM MOVES SUN. SPOT FOR WEST. REVUE Chicago University has agreed to move Its Sunday afternoon 'Round Table' program back a half hour to 2 p.m. and Wcstlnghouse will debut a musical program In NBC's Sabbath 2:30-3 p.m. Jan. 10. The cast of the '.7estInghouse ses- sion will comprise John Charles Thomas, Lyn Murray chorus, Mark Warnow orchestra and John Nesbitt James Clark, former WWJ and W4SD, Detroit, announcer, has com- pleted officers' candidate training at Camp Robinson, Ark. Sponsor Auditions, Buys and Puts Show on Air All In One Day Washington, Dec. 8. With Paul V. McNutt emerging as head of the nation's entire manpower setup last week, the War Manpower Commission radio department, un- der Laurence Hammond, director, will probably be drastically expand- ed as planned for the last several months. It will likely become the largest radio department of any Government bureau. Numl>er of writers, directors and researchers will be added to the staff. Budget for the enlarged setup will be al- lotted this week by the Office of War Information. War Manpower radio department has thus far been using two different methods of getting Its messages across. One Is through Its own pro- !Trams, "The Show of Yesterday and Today,' Sunday afternoons and 'What's Your War Job?' Wednesday nights, both on the Blue network. It has also spotted messages and guests on various network commercials. Current theme of the agency is that local communities should work out their own manpower problems on the local front New project of the Manpower Commission Involves recorded shows by name commentators, for broadcast on local stations throughout th« country. Kate Smith, Gabriel Heat- ter, Edwin C. Hill and Lowell Thomas are among those already making recordings urging women not normally employed to take jobs in war plants. Collins, Off 'War JoV, May Do Own 15-Min. Manpower Program Ted Collins has withdrawn from the 'What's Your War Job?' pro- gram Wednesday nights on the Blua for the War Manpower* Commission, and will probably do his own week- ly 15-mlnute show on CBS for the same Government agency. He's working on the new series with Raymond Rubicam and Laurence Hammond, of the WMC, and with CBS. Reason Collins dropped off the program was difficulties in travel- ing from New York to the remota orlelnatlon spots without Interfering with his dally participation with Kate Smith In her noon talk series on CBS for General Foods. Under- stood he has made arrangements with the food firm and Young 8c Rubicam, agency on the account, to pipe him Into the dally Smith shnw from wherever he may be for tha originations of his forthcoming se- ries for the Manpower agency. The new show, like. the Collins spot on 'What's Your War Job?,' win consist of Interviews with war plant workers. Meanwhile Hammond Is subbing as remote Interviewer (or 'What's Your War Job?.' with Mllo Boulton and Woody Herman's or- chestra doing the portion originat- ing in New York. Grovex Laboratories, through the Seeds agency, has bought three 15- minute periods on WOH, New York, to plug its bromo-quinine and vita- min pills. The deal was set in virtu- ally record time. Musical show, 'R'elody Lane,' was auditioned Mon- day afternoon (30) of last week and went on the air that night as a regular Monday, Wednesday night series. Other stanza, 'Rumor Detec- tive,' started Sunday afternoon (6). Cast of 'Melody Lane' includes Jerry Wayne, Pauline Alpert and Louise Wilcher, with Bruce Elliott, or the WOR staff, directing. 'Rumor Detective' is written and spieled by Troman Harper, with Joe Ripley as announcer. All three :>tanzas are heard locally only. Jon Duffy With Marines As Combat Correspondect San Francisco, Dec. 8. Jon Duffy, shortwave producer and news announcer at KWID, San Francisco, left yesterday (Monday) to join the Marines as a combat war correspondent. He has been broad- casting to Australia and the Far East for the last five months. Before Joining KWID, Duffy was as.sistant manager and program di- rector of WNOE, Mutual outlet in New Orleans, and previously was with WSMB, New Orleans, and WCPO, Cincinnati. Wanted: a March King Chicago. Editor, 'Variety': Even with radio as an instantane- ous star maker there is no military band or orchestra, after a year at war, to build a 'name' comparable to Sousa's In the last war. How about airing the best, and polling for the winners? Horace Kinsey. Corning's Xmas Plug Corning Glass Works is going on • 12-day campaign of transcribed an- nouncements to plug Its Christmas tree ornaments. Starting data of tha schedule Is Dee. 13. B.B.D. Sc O. Is the agency.