Variety (Jul 1944)

9-r RADIO Wednesday. July 5, 1911 Palmer Urges Radio Audit Bureau To Remedy Survey 'Doubt, Disbelief ■ Chicago, July 4. + Need for an Audit Bureau of Radio with' a single yardstick of audience | measiii ement. was, forcibly brought out iii a speech before the Chicago Radio ■Management-Club here- last- week by. Fred A. Palmer, manager WCKY.Cincinnati. Palmer stressed the fact' that; such an organization would be able to command the same respect, that the Audit Bureau of Cir- culation enjoys in the newspaper field. "Such an organization," he. said ' would relieve the radio Indus r trv Of being a whispering gallery of rumors, . doubts and disbeliefs of most. present-day surveys." |L B Wilson, WCKY prexy, told "Variety" several weeks ago that consideration, of such a move should be No, 1 on the NAB convention agenda— Ed. I One of the chief criticisms of sur- veys todsy. Palmer pointed out, is the. size of the sample.. How for ex- ample, he said; when there are two. or. "three radio listeners contacted during a quarter hour can you divide them amOng.as many as five broad- casting stations, as in Cincinnati, and more "in Chicago. 1 . Many of the sur- veys- are made by telephone calls from homes by women who are not properly supervised,, he.pointedout. "A- standardized plan would avoid pre.-eiit .duplication" he said, "It IS estimated. ■ that between three and five million dollars .annually is being spent: in this;country for surveys in approximately 33 markets. If we could avoid duplication, it is my 'opinion ba. surveys we have taken, there could be surveyed: more- than, a hundred .markets at ;ho- additional expense." In the matter of duplication he brought out . that .in some towns' Where three, four or. five surveys are going on at" the same time,-.efforts are: "being made, by city councils to pass ordinances forbidding telephone survey's entirely. : "'; ; -''Y Palmer offered two plans for rem- ; edying the survey situation, one for the present and a post-war plan. He suggested, that an independent bur reau of five people be set up: one from the NAB, representing the sta- tions:, one from the networks; one from the four A's, representing the agencies arid one. from the ANA. representing the national advertiser or client. This bureau would es- tablish a standard method of meas- Philly's'Catholic Hour' Philadelphia, July 4. A new religious program', "The Philadelphia" Catholic Hour," starts next week on W.FIL. Believed first lime -local. Archdiocese has tied up tt'itli a station on a continuing show, "[ It'-wiK be aired each Sunday after- noon and will be pr&duced under supervision of Rev, John H. Donnelly, University Of Pennsylvania chaplain, and Rev, A. L. Qstheimer, Of Roman Catholic High. School. , Blue's Production Div. Blues in Chi -"-■'■'/• '-:Chicago, July 4. -Major shakeup in the Blue Net- work's central division production department is . seen , .with the de- par'...r. «; of James Stilton, program director who. joins, the Marines to- morrow: .<5>; as a , com missioned of-, fleer.; Network, officials here, have long been dissatisfied With the at- titude,of the production department iri; ;.refusing '.' to' give hearings to writers, actors, directors and others, which was a complete reversal of the ■• network's policy of "it's always easy :to do business v/ith the Blue." Changes are being held up pend- ing the arrival this week of Mark d upon the cost of some of the | Woods, and, Edward . J. Noble. De- cision as to. whether" to seek a hew production head from without the organ Nation, or up a Blue staffer to the top production snot will be made at that time.' During their, stay here Noble and Wood will again confer with Burridge Butler on the sale of WLS to the Blue Network. Dull Convention? Chicago, July 4. Jack Ryan, NBC local: pub* licity head, is a master of self- defense and :has his arm in a sling a/nd a cracked collarbone to prove it, Here's how -it hap- pened; ' . '•-,-. •":■' ■'■ ■..'".■,.:;-,;"■•- '-'-.' During the Republican Con- . vention. Ryan invited Ca'pt. ^Tom Knode, of NBC's Washing- ton office, -who isrmedically-dis- :charged , and wearer of the : D.S.C., to hiriiome. Ryaii pro«_ ceeded to demonstrate how to defend oneself if attacked in a barroom by smashing -, a glass stein and using the jagged edges . as a weapon. Capt. Knode argued he could fend oft such an attack by commando methods so Ryan went through the motions V of breaking the.stein, lunged in . a' gesture of assault and. found himself on the floor. iNot.the face on the barroom floor). Ryan claims ha proved his point, theoretically, and the fact, that the captain finished un- harmed and he ended tip in • sling, was pure coincidence: From the Production Centres Lever Bros. Purchase Of Pepsodent May Cue Agcy. Switch on Sinatra Show Chicago, July 4. Strong possibility that the Vimms Frank Sinatra ' show - might move eventually from J. Walter Thomp- son to Foote, Cone & Belding was | seen here last week with the pur- chase of the Pepsodent Co. by Plans call for the mov Blue Snares Top Spot on All-Round Chi GOP Coverage ..:'. Chicago, July 4. Roundup of the four networks' coverage-of th& Republican National Convention appears to give the Blue Network the No. 1, slot with' the best all-around coverage; Mutual, with several top flight features, tied for second place with NBC. whose main claim to, fame was ; the .five-, minute network interview' with Gov. Dewev at Cleveland, where the GOP urement and the minimum number . . of contacts in each market and it ] „ _ would be up to them whether to use "'S o' all ^ever Bros, drug products coincidental telephone, door-to-door. I to Ch.cago under the general super- direct mail,. or a combination of several. A- complete checking su- pervision would be used on the sur- veys. Existing survey organizations would do the jobs, which one could do it best for the least money and all based on requirements as laid down by the Aduit Bureau of Radio. Other plan Suggested the same bu- reau of live members with work en- tirely handled' by the Western Union, pointing out that before the war the Western Union actually.' made tele- phone surveys and door-to-door sur- veys already ha-e trained super- visors. This plan would also put re- turned, disabled veterans to work in making surveys, the one armed man j can make door-lo-door calls; the vet- j eraii who lost a leg can dial a tele- vision of Charles Luckman, prexy | of. the Pepsodent Co. who .for many |.years has been on (he Closest of terms with Foote.--Gone & Belding in developing the Bob Hope show. Lever Bros, purchased the tooth- paste company for an estimated SIO.000,000 with Francis "A.,Count- j way, president of Lever Bros., han- dling. Principal, stockholders of I Pepsodent were Kenneth Smith, [ A. D. Lasker and Luckman. Rest of the stock was closely held by a ■ lew ton executives. - : .'phone-, anclso down the line. 'Parker Famfly' Gets B-M Go- By Bristol -Myers - "Parker Family" work alter,.:*} . th current 13"w:66k the is; dropping Friday Blue' net- : expiration of-the cycle: Program budgeted at about $2,000 weekly, has been occupylug the period'from 8:15 to 8:30. p,.m,. invariably hovering around the . 3 /rating mark. Last Hoop.ei ating. for the stanza was i.'L.. ;v,Sponsor reportedly has been disv, sr. >:iot! with the,show for a long .time ptid .is ..currently negotiating with. Blue web execs for a half-hour ■ slot to put in a. new'show,, format ~of •which is still undecided. ,:. - Doherty. Clifford & Schenfleld is the agency on the "Parker" account. WARING-PHILCO DICKER COLD; WHITEMAN STAYS I Negotiations between Fred Waring for , hi>- Pennsylvanians band and j.choir to join Philco's "Radio Hall of f B"ai'n;e"'"i'aiifti 'to fell'"are;- the week-- (•end. Paul W.hiteman Continues 'as I maestro. Waring, who has another bid from J. Walter Thompson (Owehs-IllinpisV,:. will probably take L that 'although, that s not set. i. Waruigs proposal with Philco also : called for taking over of pro- duction-writing responsibilities, with : "Variety." of course. Continuing as judge of the show biz -frames, and j other personalities, selected for the | Hall, of Fame. ■:,, ' YY '- ■ : . Whitcman -has 'been' co-emceeing [ the summer replacement hour on the Blue w ith Glenn Riggs.: regular an- nouncer on. the show, who continues: A personality to., co-headlin'e HOF. with Wh.iteman has yet to be decided upon between now-and Sept. 3 when the .'Fame" series resumes. Deems Taylor-was e'mceii.the first 26 weeks. Bob--Wamboldt. present .producer- di.re.ctpi of. the summer series, con- tinues: at the helm, with. Eddie Saul- paugh .is aide.. " Ernest Truex's NBC Show • NBC has waxed a , new comedy : drama willi. Ernest Truex in the lead for a sustaining evening spot. Decision, whether to air it or . not will be reached this week. ; ■'■'- New; Ifork.^-With the appointment of Ralph liowite as WLIB asst. chief engineer, station, now boasts a husband-wife: control room team, Mis. Wini liowite having joined the station six. months ago as an engi- neor. -•'■-,•'■,": '•'.-, -■- •;. '' ...,'• nominee's plane stopped for refuel- ing en route to Chicago. CBS won the cellar position with; Bob Trout's smooth delivery, on the color of the convention its standout feature. ;- ; Blue Network plan of coverage called for each of its 10 top commen- tators to specialize on one particular phase of. the convention, with G. W. (Johnny) Johnstone, the Blue public events chief, doing a- "Cecil B. De- Mille" on which of the commentators had the best air material at a given moment. Johnstone, as a result of the Blue's unique setup, was able to syphon'off all the run-of-the-mill in- terviews and concentrate on those men who had a "hot" story or per- sonality ready to put on the network. Running the entire setup on the "order of a newspaper city 'room, Johnstone created a competitive spirit hitherto unknown to radio. Lineup of- the commentators was Henry J. Taylor, policies of the Re- publican, party; Bill Hillman. GOP foreign policy; Earl Godwin, human interest; H. R. Baukhage. Reublican farm program;' Ray Henle, political analyzing: Leon Henderson, domestic policy: Martin Agronsky, effect of the GOP foreign policy on the armed forces; Mark Sullivan, general color* Harry Wisme.r. . roving reorter, and Patricia Daugherty, women's angle. Mutual's top honors were shared by Fulton Lewis. Jr., who did a top -dj-'awej:. .ruouiu^ . _Cftmjiie,ntary, job. from the .speaker's platform;! Leo CfieVne. whb was easily tli* . dark horse of the convention with an amazing knack for facts and figures on. the statistics and personalities of the Republican party; and Jack Brickhouse, WGN staff announcer, who did one of the top ad lib jobs from-the floor' of the convention'.; NBC's.Kenneth Bangiiart achieved the unexpected by putting" Mrs. Janies A. Farley on the network;with, "fthe declaration' that "she intended voting the Republican ticket in the coming election.":.- , ' h: . -.: : ' :. : ■ .,Ace . commentalprs handling the big show; for NBC included H. V. Kaltenborn, Lowell Thomas, Morgan Bcatty. Ben Grauer, Richard Hark- .ness and Mary Margaret McBride, who handled the women's angle. CBS coverage of the convention was a clambake for Bob Trout With most other top CBS.-'men forced into the background. Resultant one-man snow and a general so-what attitude on. the part of CBS men who fig- ured that the whole affair was scheduled to. be. a very dull walk- away forced Columbia Into the cel- lar position in spite of the elaborate plans made lot covering the con- clave," Y v ':-.:>::'• .: ''" :-Y / V v ••'••' ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ IN NEW YORK CITY . . , Nila Mack, CBS director of "Let's Pretend" and other programs, is 're'; ■•: ported on the road to recovery after an illness of two months. She's ex- : pected back in two weeks. In the absence of Miss Mack, Richard Sanville ' has been producing "Pretend." Sanville, incidentally, is on a full sked,,- having been assigned to "Wilderness Road," sustaining five-a-week strip, '-, andlhe new Vicks "Dangerously Yours". , .Norma Anderson, secretary - ^' * Ray Knight, head of the Blue network production division, has resigned to-go overseas with a USO entertainment; unit; She's an actress., . .Be--; cause of the repeat show on Tuesday nights at 7, of the Blue net's Satin- . day morning sustainer. "Land of the Lost," Cyril Armbruster has giveii n ;l : ■direction of "the Scahound." afternoon serial, but will continue to .super-' ', vise scripts and casting. Direction will be taken over by staffers Bill Marshall and Winifred Lenihan.' Understood that comic strip .rights for - I syndication have been sold to King Features, :. :., ; : '■:■, - . . Gregory Abbott, voice of Paramount Newsrcel. joined WQXR annoiinc- . ing staff Monday (3K.. '.'.'Bans Jacob, WOV across-the-board news commen- tator, started at: new. air time Monday. (3.i at 7:15 p.m., having been heard for more than two years 15 minutes earlier,,. ."Wake Up. New York,'' Peggy Lloyd's early six times .weekly program on WOV, celebrates its first , an.ni today (5) with a boost in time from; an hour to 90 minutes. - Dick Smart, *'Abie's Irish Rose" announcer, into the Marines July .26. with a commission . . .There's a slight coin detour in that Peter Loi re "Journey Into Fear"; air package, the sliding scale arrangement actually calling for $2,250 for the first 13 weeks, $3,500 for the next 39 and $4,001) thereafter,Earl McGill, back from his .vacation, directing the Jack Pepper show. « ' ■; ■-■ :■ ':.-.'-.'-."•. .,■":,-..■' '■V.--'-Y' ;V ' : :-.'■. .'• Three-year-old son of Irwin Rose, radio publicity contact for fight pro- moter Mike Jacobs, drowned in Morristown, N. J., last week. Youngster was grand-nephew' of Jacobs./. .Geo. Crandall, CBS public relations boss, to Somerset T&e^mGScyTtcy^twixw& k's.ieil MaU'el ehtarClar k, of'-,. CBS programing writing department, doing Continuity for new Mildred Bailey Wednesday night show,.. .Fayette Krum joined CBS scripting de-- paitment on Monday (3). She. had been in retirement oh her farm in Pennsylvania. A radio scripter for the past 10 years, rhe was last ideni- fie'd with the "Girl Alone" program Virginia Rooks has resigned from CBS script division for a prolonged rest. ■ '.:. '. ., ^ ■Y ';; -■ Lee Sweetland. replacing John Charles Thomas, on the Wcstinghouse show for four. Weeks starting July 23.,. .Ben Marko, Who was contributing to the Patsy Kelly show on a free-lance basis, hail been signed as a steady scripter for the airer to work with Cy Howard... .Fred Robbins now nar-' rating training films for Wright Aeronautical Corp.... .Maxir.e Keith, who" has joined the Caples agency to head up radio and television activities, is alo continuing her, WOR-Mntual show in addition. Miss Keith, Incidentally, major domoed her initial video presentation last night (Tuesday) over the DuMont facilities. • •;., .". •-/'".-":..""•'. ,-'- .•;.- • ".'■-..' IN ' CHICAGO '.Y; -';'; Y ;' ' /. Chicago Radio Management club disbanded iU weekly management meetings for the summer last week. Luncheons will resume Sept: 6..,. Alice Cornell, who does the "Song Collector" show over NBC, has published a book of poems... .Willard Waterman joined the cast of "Women in White" la st week. H e wil l pla v the part of Dr. Wilton. Harry Elders has been added to the same show as Dr. Landis. Cecil B. DeMille was the .guest'-star on the "Yo'ur America" Union Pacifla show last week. . . .Vincent Pelletier, announcer on the '-Carnation Con- tented Hour," was operated on at the St. Francis hospital, Evanston, last week....King Park, who has received his commission as a second lieuten- ant in the Marine Corps, wiil leave for training at Quantico July 22.... Jonathan Snow, former newspaperman, succeeds him as sales promotion manager at WBBM-CBS here. Y-Y- : - Schutter Candy renewed "Starring Kurt Massey" show last week. Pro- gram is aired over the full NBC network Jack Brickhouse played tha role of George M. Cohan in "Minstrels of the Masses;" Chicago Theatre or the Air show, aired over Mutual last week,.. .Betty Ross. NBC artist, who has joined the WAVES,-will be inducted Sept. 1.. ..Top flight NBC execu- tives in for the Republican National Convention included Niles Trammel, Frank Mullen,: C. L. Menser, Frank Russell and Sidney M. Strotz.... Ahh« Sterrett has been added to the cast of "Right to Happiness" as Jinny Carson.;,,- Y •.;,-'.' i"'.''.' "'■':.''-■' ;.-v'". FUltpn Lewis. Jr., Mutual commentator, had to have 10 stitches taken after cracking his head on a steel beam during the Republican Convention .. .Dr. Roy Shields, musical director for the NBC Central Division, is vacationing... .Danny O'Neil's wife and neyt»bx>m son flew into Chicago last week to see the CBS singer Frank W«bb, KDKA, Pittsburgh, a Chicago visitor this week Ed Bailey, NBC Central Division sound effects head, to New York for a vacation and to see his wife; a WAC, stationed at Ft. Slocum... .June Shielman, WTMJ soloist, was awarded a year's scholarship by the Milwaukee Journal. Singer competed in the "Hour, of Charm" semi-finals. She will continue on the WTMJ staff while in school. Lew Goodkind, Hildred Sanders. David Dole and Genevieve Lemper comprise the Radio Management Club committee, appointed to work with the NAB convention committee, due here in advance of the convention next month to make final arrangements for the meeting, ...CBS commen- tator John Daly went through the campaigns in North Africa, Sicily and Italy without a scratch, but got himself tangled up in one of those banner parades on-the floor of the convention and went back to New York with a beaut of a shiner. . - • , '. -'•' Added to the cast of NBC's "When a Girl Marries" are Staals Cdtsworth as Phil Stanley and Tess Sheehan as Nettie.. . .Phil Bowman replaced Rpx W.!.nsor_as director on the NBC "Ma Perkins" show.. . .Katherine An- derson joined'thTca.si^ s RignTTo~»fi-p"prhaar* last***?*. -> ; -r- ••-<- IN HOLTA WOOD '..'. m - "~ V v ' *" Bob Presnell, producer of the Orson Welles stanza for Compton. will make another affiliation when the show is closed out July 19. .. .Capt. Joe .Tjhompson, former NBC producer on the Coast, is now running the Amer- ican Expeditionary Station in New Hebrides:. . .Harry Kerr, one of the writers of Lux Radio Theatre, dons his Navy blues Aug. 15 and checks in at Tucson with rating of lieutenant, j.g.,... .Mahlon Merrick directing 28-piece orchestra for C P. MacGregor album.. . .Don Bernard east to con- fer with new soap sponsors of "Blondie"..;, . J, Walter Thompson testing all manner" of talent as replacement for Bob Crosby, who became a Devil Dog ever the weekend with rate of lieutenant... .Phil Leslie, script aide of Don Quinrt and "Fibber and Molly,", providing the story line and doing the final editing of the Charlotte Greenwood show. Ray Singer has bowed out and Ray Allen is now dreaming up the gags... ."Man Called X" was put on wax last week at CBS for Lockheed's inspection. : Harry James still in the running, however,, for the aircraft, who takes oyer th<* last half hour of the Lux spot for an eight-week summer span... :Edgar Bergen awarded Order of Vasa by King Gustav of Sweden for his contri-, bution to the advancement of American-Scandinavian relations ...Jack Sayers heading for. New. York, on Galjup survey,,confabs.,. .Ona Muusoit now gossiping aboiit film and radio people on KNX,.Y.Dick Gibson vacat- ing his talent buying berth- with Ruthrauft & Ryan to take another port- folio with the agency in New York.. . .Gordon Hughes. CBS produce!, parted with his appendix.... Anne Brenton, CBS music clearance head on- the Coast, will pass a month at the home office... .One time announcer, Frank Goss, made his captaincy .in- the Air Forces : the hajd Way, comi ng .up"in two years from a buck private... .Larry Berns ancTAl Levy rolled up their sleeves'and are punching away to develop new shows and taleivl for CBS. .. .Gwendolyn Shepley Peacher succeeded Francis Farmer Wilder as director of Education: foi- CBS Coast network... .Edward Keeler left Don Lee sales staff to become halt owner of Western Advertising Agency.