Variety (Dec 1942)

t8 RADIO Wednesday, Deeember 16, 1942 OWI s Plan to Co-Ordinate All Gov t And Charity Plugs Going on Natl Basis Jan. 4 After PhiUy Testing Raymer Gets WTAG On Rebound From Petry Philadelphia. Dec. \h. The Philadelphia area has been used as a proving ground for the Office of War Information's plan to co-ordinate the airing of all Govern- ment announcements. The plan is skedded to go on a nationwide basis gtarting Jan. 4. Under this system, which has been quietly tried on Philly's nine stations since the first of the month, all war agency announcements <ire standardized and cleared through the OWI. thus eliminating overlappin.? and insuring that the message is put across in competent fashion. Executives of Philly stations are enthusiastic about the new system, which is under the direction of Dr. Leon Levy, radio consultant for the Philadelphia region's OWI and prexy of WCAU. The use of these an- nouncements, either in the form of e.t.s supplied by the OWI or scripts read by station gabbers, is entirely voluntary and outlets are free to either use or reject any announce- tirely at their convenience. Dr. Levy said the experiment has proved successful here and would probably be tried in other Pennsyl- v<inia outlets starting next week. Regional setups are being organized in other sections of the country by the OWI so that ;.ll will be in readi- ness for the nationwide OWI-radio tieup after the first of the year. This is how the new plan works: All Government announcements are handled through either the na- tional or regional OWI office. If the announcement has a national inter- est, recordings are sent to the station from Washington. Most of them are in the form of onc-minule tran.scrip- tions. Present plan is to limit na- tional announcements to lb'"c of the total, with a limit of 16 per day for indie stations and 12 for network or affiliated sl.ilions. The .nnnouncements will include Government information, including announcements from the armed ser- vices: the OPA. the War Manpower ConiTnission. the Office of Defense Transportation and similar war agencies: civilian defense committees, scrap drives, food conservation and the like. In addition, all charity campaigns must clear their messages through OWI. This precludes the demands of in- dividual charitable organizations for free time, once the bane of a pro- gram directors' existance. WIBG, PhiUy, Into New Bldg., but Still Part Time WIBG moves tomorrow (Wed.) WTAG, Worcester, has turned its niitional sales representation over to the Paul Raymer office. The sta- t;on, now NBC, becomes a CBS basic April 1. 1943. Edward Petry resigned tlie WTAG representation due to the circum- stance that John Shepard. 3d, has moved his WAAB from Boston to Worcester. Petry has agentcd na- tional spot for all Shepard properties for the past eight years. ARBITERS GET AFRA.M DISPUTE Dispute between the American Federation of Radio Artists and the Chicago office of Blackett-Sample- Hummert is to be settled by an arbi- tration hearing Friday (18) in New York. American Arbitration Assn. panel consists of Herman A. Gray, professor of law at New York Uni from its studios in suburban Glen- side to its new headquarters in the heart of town. The station last year was granted an increase in power from 1,000 to 10,000 watts, but because of priority difficulties has been held up in its completion of a new transmitter. Until it's completed, WIBG wiU continue broadcasting at 1,000 watts, part time. Under its new power the station will be on fulltime. Of- ficials of the station expect the new transmitter and other equipment finished shortly aftet the first of the year. itronc: All over Soadieni Calilbtiiia people litteo to Bob Andencn't 11 p.m. newt. But more impomnt, all over Soutbem Califoraia ■re dealers who pfofit next moraing firom his taUtmambip, Vot the tales tuccett of the KNX 11 p.m. news has been rt> matkabk among the walk-in-and-pay-cath types of busineis, to whom this program is available on a participating basis. It's a way for you to tell your stoty to Southern Califoraia's .vide-awake buyers through an tttaUitbtd, ptoved, Columbia- produced news program for practically pin-money prices. Available spots are limited. Get full details quickly from the nearest Radio Sales office. KNX RESUITS lIKE THIS: If A mn't ththhr hu ami ths KNX II p.m. oewB coatiaa- ouslr for S2 weelu. 1i A tsuJ) nuitr hu lucd ii caatinuoiulr foe it wtcks, t motion piciiue tbeaiei 30weclu. # A nutatim ami (Ot otden for of bii ula pciR. 4r A ipttUlty step ftold Btep-ios tad ctoddoas, re- newed time tfter time while iiocks listed. * A nuitr ur duUr lold used ctrs. renewed iliree times. COIUMBIA'I STATION rOH AIL lOUTHEtN CALIfOtNIA Owned and opetated by the Columbia Broadcasting System • Reptcsented by Radio Sales with offices in New 'York, Chicago, St. Louis, Charlotte, San Francisco m NEW YORK CITY . . . The Radio Trade Is Discussino: Lvnch that NBC's press chief is tossing for Columbia's new head p.a—Lever Bros.' uittltni;ness to acquire 7ti/ornintioii, Flense' as soon as George Washington Hill iLiicky Strike) tets go—Advertisers' quandary on pinc/ifltttinp pro- grams while their name comics ore in Great Britain—Flood of $pot biz oil N. y. sra(ioii& Tcsti/tiiie /ro7ii Jictcspaper strike. Jimmy Durante will do a repeat date on the Camel 'Caravan' (CBS) Friday (18) Turns has picked up the option on Horace Heidt (NBC) for another 13 weeks Mort Busselt, of Morse International agency, is up for induction in the Army in January. John Gibbs to Chicago last week for agency confabs on his 'Lone Jour- jney' show for Procter & Gamble Helen Coule an added starter in the jcast of Fritz Blocki's 'Audition Preview' premiere tomorrow night (Thurs- day) on WJZ-Blue Shift of time of the rebroadcast forced Leslie Woods to drop a lead part on the "Kitty Foyle' serial, due to a conflict with 'Bright Horizon,' on which she plays the lead. She's also a regular on the 'Joyce Jordan' series....'The town's radio actresses, figuring on Solomon's 1,000 wives, were licking their chops in anticipation of plenty of femme parts, now that 'Light of the World' has reached that part of the Bible story. But authoresses Kay and Adele Seymour, adaptors of the serial, blitzed all hopes by keeping the wives out of the script. However, Solo- mon is written as a potent glamour boy. The Charioteers renewed for another semester on the Crosby-Kraft show Jack Hoins, of the CBS press department, who, as 'Pop, the Air Raid Warden,' has been writing the 'CBS Mail Bag' letter to ex-networkers in the service, now also writing the 'Radio Roll Call' of Columbia shows, which is sent out weekly to service publications in the Army and Navy camps and bases... .Scripter Ann Barley, now with the War Department, in New York last weekend... .Gordon Auchinclo.'is has learned to steer his car with his knees, so he can tie his necktie while he drives from his Wilton (Conn.) home to the train in the mornings Gerda Michael, co- authoress of 'Against the Storm,' knocked over by a cold last week and a third to be appointed. Gray is AFRA's selection, "Tompkins is the B-S-H appointee and the third will be the 'impartial' arbiter chosen by the AAA. Issue at stake involves recordings of two B-S-H serials, 'Light of the World' and 'Lone Journey.' Former is produced in New York by Trans- american and is heard on NBC for General Mills. 'Journey' is produced in Chicago by John Gibbs and is heard on a slip NBC network for Procter & Gamble. In neither case is the production office involved in the dispute. Recordings of the serials are made from dress rehearsals, which are not specifically covered in the AFRA- commercial code. The union claims such device is a prior recording, for which the code specifices that a set fee must be paid. B-S-H argues that it is the .tame as an off-the-linc re- cording, for which no extra fee is required in the present circum- stances. About SG.OOO is involved in the case. cause of a digestive'ailment On his Truth or Consequences' show Sat- urday night (12) Ralph Edwards had a woman contestant give a 30- second spiel for War Bond purchases. Before the show was over a total of $407,000 in sales had been made by stations on his chain. Woman was given a trip to Fort Logan, Colo., to see her soldier son, a new outfit, and a phone call anywhere she chose. Strike Mopup Continued from page 3S LoewSs theatre chain for announce- ments and al.so did much spotting for Broadway legit shows. In ad- dition, i; accommodated employment agencies. WNEW took batch of one- minute blurbs from the RKO and Loew film chains and the Shubert legit group, all of which were studded among the station's regular record pla.vin^ .schedule. WNEW also sold five-minute participations on Zeke Manners' hillbilly show to the Radio City Music Hall. WABC, CBS key. and WJZ, the Blue Net- work's local originator, also took some of the business offered by the theatre operators. With radio suddenly becoming the only source of news for between 7.500,000 and 8,000,000 persons, the N. Y. stations acted quickly to meet the need. WOR added several news periods through the day and night. One of these. 11:15-11:30 p.m., was exclusively local in content. The first five minutes was devoted to spot news and the remaining 10 min- utes to quoting from the commenta- tor columns that failed to get to their readers that day. WMCA expanded its hourly N. Y. Times broadcast from three to five minutes; WNEW extended its hourly program of Daily News bulletins from five min- utes to 15 minutes, while WINS worked out a special group of news- casts in cooperation with the Mirror and the Journal. WQXR allocated several extra news periods to the World-Telegram. WOR also had its 'Uncle Don," in his regular 6-6:30 p.m. period read the comic strips from the dailies. Bailey with Pearton Chicago, Dec. IS. W. K. 'Bill' Bailey, former Chicago territory manager for Spot Sales, Inc., has joined the local office' of John E. Pearson Co., where he will be associated in the representation of midwe.stern stations. Prior to joining Spot Sales, Inc., he was in the station management field, having started with KOIL, Omaha. IIS HOLLYWOOD . . . Dick Mack, who produces the Sealtest program, wanted to find out if 20th-Fox was really in earnest about banning guest appearances by its stars on NBC and the Blue network due to the recent Jimmie Fidler- Gene Tierney cigar smoking incident. He went ahead and booked Regi- nald Gardiner for a guest spot, then turned his scripters loose on a routine for the actor. It wasn't long before Mack found out what he wanted to know. P. S. Gardiner won't be on Sealtest program Thursday (17).... Bob Hope treking coastward after being east for weeks....The guessing is going on around Columbia Square as to the identity of the captain who dre.'ssed down an old pal of his at the station (a private) for greeting him with 'Hi. pal.' Officer told off his old buddy about the respect his title commanded and if it happened again he would be reported to his outfit ... Lud Gluskin, who was in line for a Navy commission, accepted the music assignment on the two Orson Welles programs on CBS. He figures that with the 38-year limit on military service (he's in his early 40's) there's little chance of being called into active service right away. He lakes over the baton on the Welles shows from Bernard Hermann, who returns east for a staff job with CBS Edgar Kobak hiked back cast after checking up on the Coast with Don Oilman, Blue network headman here... .Shirley Dinsdale's ventriloquism was crowded off Eddie Cantor's program by too many other elements and too little time to develop the spot. She'll be used occasionally as a guester Bill Henry renewed as commentator on NBC by Denlyne... .Jack Richardson heading NBC's re- cording division, now that Bob Scheutz is in -training for his Navy com- mission at Phoenix, Ariz*.. .Eugene Le Pique now at the NBC console. fA' CHICAGO . . . WLS will again sponsor the Christmas Neighbors Club, an annual holi- day charity project aimed to furnish equipment to jhildren's hospitals, orphanages and other in.-;inn;ons. This will be the eighth consecutive year... .Herbie Mintz, who has been conducting a memory chatter and piano program over WBBM, is being sponsored until Jan. 1 by the Emmco Insurance Co.. of South Bend, on Mondays. Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:30 p.m. CWT Early Maxwell, WMC, Memphis, sports commentator, and Mrs. Maxwell, WMC songstress, were Chicago visitors last week Margie Peschel. WGN press department, will wed Bert Wessels, of the- Coast Guard, Dec. 19 Reinhold Schmidt, basso profundo on the Carna- tion program, will sing the role of Peter in 'Hansel and Gretel' presented by the Chicago City Opera convpany on Dec. 19 The National Barn Dance program on Dec. 26 will not be open for the public, but just for WLS sUff members and their families as a Christmas party "The Deacon,' Howard Hoffman's program of home-spun philosophy, has been renewed on WGN for 13 weeks through Roche, Williams It Cynnyngham Pete TafTlinger has replaced Al Rice with the Maple City Four. Rice is in,the Army The Carnation Dec. 21 broadcast will mark the eighth annual children's Christmas party. 560 Kt nOLLMBIA