Variety (Jul 1944)

Indies' Failure to Entice Clients Laid to Poor Quality Programming Expected ballooning of local pro-* gramming has failed to materialize in spite of time shortages on the net- works and spot time shortages on the indie locals. Held chiefly to blame is the fact that the locals themselves have failed to capitalize on the situa- tionand develop airers attractive_to i commercial sponsors. The .indies;, it's, generally felt, are inissing out on an ideal opportunity to sell sponsors on the desirability of regional advertis- ing by virtue of the poor quality shows they have to offer. As to ar- gument that production of salable air shows runs into too much money considering the single outlet, agency men point to the airers .carried by web local outlets. « Cost of production of the Louis Soboi-Bordens "Bright Lights 'of New.York" show which is heard via WOR N: Y.. runs between $2,700- S3.100 per week, which isn't consid- ered a prohibitive sum for a locally sponsored- show.; Same station's Eclelbrau session, "Keep Ahead." runs on an even smaller budget. Pro- duction costs for local shows on. a sustaining basis would come even lower since talent would be willing to go along with show on smaller salaries contingent upon increases when sale was consummated: The soap operas have always been- low- budget shows which garnered good audiences and their $1.500-$2.S00 are not out-of proportion to local opera- tions and beyond what sponsors are willing to pay for local time. With the. investment of, a : little money and certainly more imagina- tion, it's ' .felt, '•' the independent locals could corral some of the big national sponsors who are seeking web time, but can't get it. Latter would undoubtedly settle for local time.if the quality of the airers offered was any guarantee of reach- ing a definite audience. -It wouldn't only prove a boon to advertisers seeking radio bally for their prod- -—ttete-otit^would-gU^_uer fo r m e i s a n - other market for their talents. Point-. . ed put that there are many topflight singers, comics and dramatic actors and actresses who get -occasional' guest shots, but. whose name value is hot. sufficient to warrant spotlight- ing on network shows. Outstanding- local sessions could utilize .this tal- ent, at the same time providing the stations -themselves 'With substantial income from established advertisers. Chi Radio Writers Want Showdown on Where They Stand on Hating the Axis Chicago, July 11. ... Approval will be sought;! at '■■ to- night's (Tiies.) rheeting. of the Mid- west Region of the Radio Writer's Guild oh a resolution recently passed by the -Eastern Region and election of officers will take place. Resolu- tion to be voted: upon provides that radio: writers, will not adapt any novel, short story, play' or any ma- terial unless written by members of the Author's League. .M turn the RWG will ask that the Author's Guild adopt a similar resolution- in legiircl to material written.by mem- bers of the. Radio Wi iter's Guild. Other items on the agenda will be reports on progress made by Ben Meyer; labor attorney; in Working out new, wage scale contracts; a dis- cussion on " whether, writers shall write to. hafe Axis enemies or not, and a report. from the membership committee. Pauline Hopkins, Sid Gerson and Ruth Moenck are run- ning unopposed for the offices of re- gional vice-president, treasurer and secretary, respectively. Eight coun- cil members will also be elected. Boake Carter Goes Off, Client Aims at Ferames Chicago, July 11. Chef. Boyardee Food Products have bought a 25-minute Saturday morning spot over the Blue. Network to replace the Boake Carter broad- casts heard over Mutual, Carter does his last shdw for Boyardee on July 28. New show will be framed for women's appeal and Will probably include Beaulah Carney, home econ- omist .It will be heard 10:30-10:55 a.m. (EWT) Saturdays over Blue's full network of 192 stations starting August 19, with delayed broadcasts tor the Mountain and Pacific coast areas. Contract is for 52 weeks and went through the McJunkin agency. Airing Dems Dress Rehearsal For Convention Gears Big Show to Radio - Chicago. July 11 Tipoff on what to .expect in way of radio deportment at the Democratic National Convention, starting here .inly 19. was seen in the conduct of the Democratic State Convention held.-at the Stadium, last week, When everything was geared to radio time. ';'' ;;'. '' • .. -'<• - ' Before the broadcasts Bruce Campbell, chairman of the cohyen- tion, gave instructions to the audi- ence on how to act while they were oh the ah- and worked out a series of signals for their guidance. They were instructed to raise the roof when the broadcast started, with the result that the deafening demonstra- tion exceeded anything heard at the Republican convention; although there were less people in attend- ance. All during the air time the auo'.ence was controlled by Camp-, bell, as well as the speakers. Sen- ator Scott Lucas digressed a bit dur- ing: his' .speech and was reminded, while speaking, that lull advantage must be taken while they had the radio time. Mayor Edward Kelly gave his speech with one eye on the control booth and other important talks were spotlighted during the broadcast. After Kelly's speech, which was the .last of the pro- gra m med a 1 r talks! he p I ace e m p t i ed in a hurry, although there was other business on the docket, . but Camp- bell didn't care. He had his audi- ence for sound effects While the prb- ceediivgs were being aired. ;'.'%.' . 'Omar' Folds Tent Amid Stampedes ; Chicago, July 11. Stampede of midwest bobby-sox aiid knee-pants brigade to a ■premium offer "on "AdvetiTiu'es of Omar," tran- scribed 30-minute show aired\ over H—■!at-ior,s -1 a:sed- ha voc with deliv- eries in the four cities where Omar, Inc., Omaha milling and baking firm, does door-to*-door delivery of bakery. goods. ■ : Show has gone off the air for the summer but in order to hold the Sat- urday morning juvenile audience oyer the vacation, a lag-book was offered to each child who would give their names to the "Omar man'''when he called; Response was so great that sponsor had to call off deliveries to avert injury to the youngsters who stampeded the trucks when they ap- peared. In Indianapolis 4,500 stormed the trucks on the first day of the offer, a like number hi Milwaukee and Omaha and nearly 3.000 in Co- lumbus. Drivers with routes to be serviced had to work into the small hours in order to complete their . rounds. '. The Omar show, written and pro- duced by Herb Futran through the MacFarland. Aveyard agency here, goes back on the air in the fall Via platters. A recent coinci- dental door-tordoor survey of 6,836 homes showed an average 16.8 rat- ing, 23.2 on WBNS, Columbus; 20.6 on WTM.T. Milwaukee: - 14.9 on WFBM. Indianapolis, and 8.8 on KOWH, Omaha; ... Borden's Top Coin 4-Show Splurge; Mulls Wynn Show Likely sponsorship of program starring Ed Wynn by Borden's Dairy Co. (for Hemoi points up company's growing importance as a radio spon- sor iii the last year. Outfit had spon- sored "Bulldog Diummond" since 19.42. through its Horton's lee Cream subsid but addition of the Louis Sobol "Bright Lights of New York" session aired by WOR and the Fannie Hurst-Blue stanza which bowed in Saturday (8). gives Borden's a healthy representation on the air- waves. :; ': ;, : Addition of the; Wynn show to list would bring Borden's lip into the millioti-dolfar-a-year; billing , class for radio.. Reaction to Sobol show, which is heard only via the. local outlet, was responsible for increased interest in radio and subsequent air- ing of the Hurst session. Newspaper space shortages had cited .their spon- sorship of "Bright Lights." Styles-Costello 1-Minute Spot Eyed By Politico Time Buyers As Sock Pattern Field Tops Exec Staff To Dictate WJJD Policy; Hoare, Others Will Stay Chicago, July 11, With the takeover of WJJD by the Marshall Field interests July 5, a three-man executive committee com- posed of Marshall Field, Clem Ran- dau, business manager of Chicago Siiii, and Carl J. Weitzell, will dic- tate the policy of the station. The executive committee -members,, upon transfer of the slock, will become officers of the corpora'.Ion with Field as president; Randau, v.-p. and Weit- zell. secretary-treasurer; ' Present plans call tor all station personnel, headed by-Art Haare, general'manager, to remain in their present positions during which time permanent operating; policy of sta- tion will be worked out. According to Randau, it will take approxi- mately 30 days from July 5 for an audit to be eonsumated by both sides -preparatory to the stock transfer. Majority stockholders include H; Leslie Atlass. Ralph L. Atlass. Philip K. Wrigley arid Arthur M. Linick. Dispute between WJJD and Chi Federation of Musicians was re- newed in reconvened hearing before regional War Labor Board last week, without results. Musicians continue to press their demands for a number of record turners in addition to the regular staff musicians at the station. NAB Code Target Of CIO Committee Washington, July 11, The one-minute radio spot may reach a new importance this year among time buyers for political or- ganizations. ,',..'.-.' It can be dynamite, according to Rep. John M: Costello (0;, Calif.), who was beaten for renomination at the recent California primaries. The Hollywood Congressman got up jti- the House; the day Congress '. re- cessed for the summer, (o tell. his. colleagues how Hal Styles licked him. Costello blamed it on the CIO Political Action Committee, which has ; apparently developed a new technique for spot announcements. He gave the following verbatim script of one transcribed spot an- nouncement:' RECORD: I Wag absent. I was ab- sent I was absent. I was absent. WOMAN: Good heavens! Stop that: record. It must be broken. No one could "be absent that many times. ANNOUNCER: Oh, yes. Congress- man Costello 'actually- was. He hold* the Congressional record for ;ab- . senteeism. On 20 vital issues, Cos- tello was absent 11 times.' You pay him $10,000 a year, and Costello is the champion absentee in America. He. is. the. original little man who wasn t there! RECORD: I was absent. I was ab- sent, I Was absent. WOMAN: Stop it! I can't stand ;it! •'.-' ,y ■-••;/; ',.-■: - :>■ ::■ ANNOUNCER: The only ; way to stop Costello's record is to vote for Hal Styles on May 16. Hal Styles will support our commander-in-chief. Back the boys' bullets with your bal- lot. Vote for Hal. Styles'. The one-minute spot has been used for a number of years in political campaigns all over the country, but nothing like the job done in the C'o.s- tello-Styles campaign had ever beeti attempted before. Politicos here/ studying the Cos- telio speech in the Congressional' record; have caught on,'and the last weeks of the election campaign are GROUCHO TAKES LAST QUAFF OF THAT BEER Duffy's Barmaid Hollywood. July 11. Ed Gardner has obtained a "Miss Duffy" for his radio show next sea-. man. ] ■ Gal who will play part is Florence Robinson, who was in "Personal Ap- pearance" stage' show both in New York and here. ' Hollywood, July 11. agency; has-'Cleaned- up/rHr"vW".'rf£l! with Grolicho. Marx and the weeks owed by the comic On this current commitment have been forgiven. Suinnier ' j>£inp jfcith Kpnny R;»ker. and Robert Armbrusle'r's music car- ries on through to Jan,;6 when the. Danny Kaye show tees up. Deal for Phil Raop to write and direct the Kaye stanza- has reached an impasse and there's some talk he may. cast his lot with Marx this fall oh a show being negotiated by William Murray •>'( the William Morris ageh.cyi Paul Warwick re- turned; to New' York last, weekend without disclosing whether Dick Mack, producer of the- Marx pro- gram, would be retained as the agency director on the. Kaye show. Aftermath of the Kaye package buy foi $16,000 brought to light re- ports .that Warwick initiated the Kaye negotiations after Fred Allen had refused a package offer of $25.d00 weekly. Comic is. said to 'nave blown the overture with the clincher tha t he didn't care to Work a beet show. Webs Start Shifts To Pacific Zones St.epped-up coverage of the U. S.- Japanese Pacific war by. the major networks, with combat. c.o\ respon- dents taking posts on American War- ships in that area, became a reality this week. The Blue network has shifted Bill Ewing and Bill Baldwin, news announcers stationed in Hono- lulu, to battlecraft, and also ordered Clete Roberts from his post in the South ''Pacific-Australian 1 '-, area 'to a secret assignment on a U. S. vessel. Army cooperation in securing complete coverage of the far-flimg Pacific fighting territory also took a definite turn for the better when it was learned that Capt. Abe Sehech- te'r, former head of the NBC special events division hi N. Y.. had been ordered from a Washington assign- ment to Gen. MacAi-lhur's, headquar- ters a.s chief radio liaison, and head of the radio division. G. W. Johnstone. Blue web news and special events topper, reportedly will go to the Coast early in August, wi'.h reports that he's skedded to go on to Honolulu and possibly sev- eral points in the South Pacific, to oversee the setting up of coverage for his web, .'■ • ;, Moves follow, closely on the. heels !}l % .i.eetins! last week, as, reported MOji'te.' Variety,' that the U.'S. Navy has set.machinery- in rho- tion lor speedier transmissioir;'. of battle news;in the Pacific. The ses- sion, attended by hews chiefs Paul. White. CBS. John Whittmore, MBS, Bill Brooks. NBC, and Johnstone, for the networks, and several Navy of- ficers headed by Lt. Cmdr. J.; Harri- son Hartley, USNR^ resulted in the drawing up of a seven-point pro- gram to bring the neus to the U. S. radio aiidience without censorship troubles, etc., that lioid up coverage currently. . ■ Claim that "the National Assn, of Broadcasters Code may raise serious q uestions u nder the anti-trust laws" i s"made~b7ThTTJT6~ToTT^ annoiintenicnt with an intensity and shrewdness never before tried. Committee in a radio handbook to be published soon. Code is tabbed ' a private document put out by some broadcasters, and having no stand- ing whatever in law or before the Federal Communications Commis- sion." .', ': '>'•' .'■ Primer on use of radio is the first move in labor's drive for air time. The handbook explains labor's claims to radio time aiid means for union locals to obtain such time and what to do when they, get it. Particular stress is laid on fact that broadcast- ers don't own the air but merely the means of broadcasting and that they are licensed to use the air waves on franchise from the people through their agent, the ©bvern- ment. vY'.-; ' ■''/''.' . Handbook further reveals that PAC proposes to demand air time to reply to anti-labor statements made over network programs, point- ing out that refusal by any Web of I paiii. Services were held July 8 in such time puts the broadcasters in a | Los Angeles. Danny Danker Dies On Coast at 41; Started Mass Agency Swing to FT wood .;.-; Hollywood, July li. Daniel Joseph Danker, Jr.. 41. one of the outstanding agency figures in radio for the past lO-y.earS, died sud- de.nly.of a heart attack July 5 in his hotel bungalow in Beverly Hills: He had returned to his office at J. WaN ter Thompson that day for the first lime in six weeks, having been put on the rest, cure by his physician. Apparently in good health on his re- turn and unaware of the heart con- dition. Danker died withing a few minutes.after complaining of a chest Gene Rouse Takes Over Blue Programming in Chi Chicago. July 11. , Gene sRonse, who has been head .of the Blue Network's ".central divi- sion news and special events depart- ments, has b^en appointed program director of the Blue here effective immediately. He succeeds James Stilton, who entered the Marines last week. : particularly vulnerable position when license renewals come up be- fore the FCC. Action against local broadcasters by union locals is also recommended and locals are cau- tioned to get refusals for time in writing. Copies are then to be sent to. FCC and PAC which will file them for use at future FCC hearings. Locals are also advised to demand representation on ' NAB listening councils, to present labor's views in councils' program evaluation and production activities. Primer explains types of airers aiid emphasizes advantages of dra- matic material as opposed to talks. Spot announcements are also under- lined^ Latter will probably be first entry by labor into broadcasting set- up if plans now under consideration jell. Extensive campaign via spots jsibeing worked out by CIO which is also eyeing FM licenses as pro- viding a foothold in the broadcasting field. The more powerful locals are seeking AM outlets with United Starting as an office boy with the Thompson agency in New York upon his graduation from Harvard hi 1925, Danker moved up fast, in the com- pany after he was dispatched to Hol- lywood to open a Coast radio office. He was soon after made executive manager of the Hollywood office, raised to vice-president in 1937 and last year elected to the board of di- rectors. Danker, more than any one man. is responsible for the swing 1° Hollywood some years ago by agen- cies and its present eminence as origination point of glamor and com- edy shows. From the time he moved Lux Radio Theatre, his pel. to (he Coast from New York there was a; steady stream 61 programs to cash in on this new western bonanza— glamor. *".•.'■..'•'"■.' It wasn't easy for Danker when he hit the Coast 15 years ago to solicit film-star testimonials for Lux soap and incidentally sell the picture stu- dios on the value of radio. He finally broke down the resistance of studio Automobile Workers seen as first ..die-hards and the surge westward by station in ] other agencies became almost a inass movement. In'the past 10 years lie had signed checks for film and radio stars running: into' iiiany millions. Quiet, unassuming and wi:h 3 greater personal acquaintance in the aim business than any Other individ- ual, Danker for a time was known as the unofficial mayor of Holly- wood. A score or more of film stars got their first taste of radio under his tutelage and went on to head their own programs, Danker leaves his widow, Lorena Layson Danker, former film actress: seven-year-old daughter Suzanne, and . two ..sisters living in Boston. : labor group acquiring new drive. Pamphlef ends with sample Scripts for talks, spots and dramatic skits and. a series of questions to be an- swered by union locals. Material re- ceived in answer to these questions is regarded by CIO-as ample evi- dence in. the case of labor vs. the broadcasters when showdown battle develops. ' , Houston. — KTRH Broadcasting Co. has filed an application in Wash- ington for permission to construct a new $50,000 .high frequency broad- casting station.