Variety (Nov 1944)

14 RADIO Wednesday, November 1, 1914 Straus, WMCA, Working on Pub Service Platter Network for Indie Stations A transcription network o£ .jnjrt'e- pendent stations, airing public ser- vice programs on a swap basis, is.,a plan now being , worked'on '; by Nathan Straus, owner- of .WMCA, N. Y. indie.. In addition to the wax ■network idea, plan also provides for the stations to' be linked by .land lines for. simultaneous airing, .of ma- jor news events when such :pceasipns' arise."' •■; , - : . . !_•'. '/■:'■■ Idea for a "news' event" network almost mate) soiized l.tst June, for the invasion of Europe WMCA xt that time, had ananged . with some 300 iiid.es to hook up for D-Day news coverage.. WMCA'.havIng obtained .a news fecti f:-6:« BBC. Deal which called for cooperative payment; of the lines involved, fell through when jack of t me aid not pei .nit plans to be completed, Since then, how- ever, many 'of the-stat ions have re- peated their desire to participate in Mich an arrangement,". if.'.aJi'd, when. : . Straus'-idea for. the \Vax. web s-s that the public service type of-pro- gram on which WMCA is now con- centrating, is the only way indies can compete With big name pro- grams -offered, by the webs. An ex- change: of platters of such programs, .however, as envisioned, cannot be completed. now because, of the Pe- triUd recording ban, but among .shows WMCA will offer, when the platter stall is settled, will be "New World A Comiir," "Lei's Listen to a"Story,"■.'•Inquiring Parent,*' child psychology show, -.and the .station's series on adult education. Latter preoms Nov. .16. ;Swap deals, will be worked Out so. that original 1,0ns of other stations, will be 'citoulat.ee! among members of the chain. Another program WMCA. hopes to offer its wav afliiiarcs will be the ai> mgs of Congressional debates. Station has several plans on the fire for such a scries, pending action on the Pepper Bill, recently introduced, to approve mikes in both houses of Congress. ' •■''-'".,, - - /'.'•; 2-Man Newspaper Leon Goldstein, news head of WMCA, N,V., has five brothers ,ni the service scattered on sll fronts. It makes letter writing tough on Leon and another civil- ian, brother. So every Sunday they get to- gether and type out a family "newspaper", using regular daily, format, "stories" containing family news and gossip, etc. It's airmailed to the fighting Gold- steins, .;'■":;■'. ."■':•■■'.'".'.•■''..", . Thev call it the "Goldstein Bugle." . .:.".:•■'■■•■..;'vi-- NEWCOMERS TO KPAC . Port Arthur, Oct. 31. Dale C. Rogers has assumed 'duties, as commercial manager of KPAC. He's a Marine Corps" vet. Jack Daugherty has been named program director, coming here from KGO, San, Francisco. Sam Leavitt formerly with WBIR, Knoxwlle,Jia£_been named chief an- nouncer.. ;■;- .'.'■ '-. -"".- ';., '. • DEMMY'S ELECTION EVE BROADCAST BY CORWIN Norman Corwin shoved off for the Coast "last Saturday (28) to handle production chore on Democratic party's four-network shows to be aired from Hollywood election eve -in,', the .10 to 11 p.. m. eastern time. slot. ■■' ■.' •.;-.••: ,' '•■'.-':'--."■■ ; ' Format for the firing of the last gun of the campaign by the Dems will be decided by party toppers and Corwin after he contacts talent on his arrival out there. San Antonio.—Following three years absence from WOAI, Ken Mc- Clure, veteran .dean of Texas news- casters has returned to the post of news chief. » desk ' he founded in 1935. McClure also will handle pub- lic, relations for the station. Show Biz Names Dropped From Bond Platters To Allow Sponsorship Deals Washington, Oct. 31. It is no accident that show biz big names were dropped from the plat- ters included in the. Treasury Kit for broadcast stations ' during the coming Sixth War Loan. First three drives featured, discs by lop stage and screen people, but they were not locally sponsorable because the stars were, generally al- ready under.-radio contract. Result is,that many of the local radio, out- lets passed them .up- in favor fit something that: would bring in revenue; • - ' V. ■'•■■;•?.-. ..•.■-'-; ',■ -• ''•-' Beginning with the Fourth War Loan, Treasury started toi taper off. On the fancy names and the result was that little stations, With a chance to get sponsors for Treasury tran- scriplion-^,. went out -and sold them to advertisers. , This. - is the real reason there are no non-sponsorable transcriptions for the Sixth drive and-why Treasury material will be more widely used on the air than ever before., . .-,' /•;'' . "'■■;' ... Meantime, the Treasury is assured that the big radio stars, will give plenty of bond plugs on their reg- ular programs, so that their bond- selling talents will not be wasted. "Sunday at 4:}0," sponsored by The First National Bank g>f Boston, being broadcast over WBZ'frbin the Boston Opera House, nhicli seats 3,000 people. The program is an WBZ for a half-hour with a half-hour carry-over for the benefit of the studio audience. Entire hour is carried on WB'/.-FM. A symphonic orchestra of 45 pieces Kith Arthur Fiedler conducting.. Boston's largest live-talent fiiiigHini.. presented by an advertiser■ new to radio. fiiE First National Bank, of Boston <X<:w England's oldest and largest banking institution) and its advertising agency i,Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn) wanted a d ign'i lied type of pi o- . gvattt. . something of network quality to be broadcast locally. WBZ supplied the idea and produced the program called "Sunday at 4:30," •which bids fair to set a new high in nort- lie'twork broadcasts. The bank s depositors clamor for tickets to the opera house each week, which is filled before air time. The First National Bank of Boston is one of the country's 10 largest, with branches in Latin America, and 22 offices in Boston alone. WBZ is proud to co- operate with the sponsor, and the agency . . pleased to bring such a program to countless music-lovers in New England. Information on ofUef.>.t;■mlnhilitirs //«/«»'; KB'jSj Spat Sales WESTINGHOUSE RADIO STATIONS Ifie KYW • KDfCA v WOWO • WGL • WBZ • W B 2 A Chi 3Rs Confab Leaves FM Alone ...'.-/...;■■ Chicago, Oct. 31. In the face of FFC demands for definite commitments from educators, Essential if the 'FCC is to bold FM frequencies open lor them, teachers attending the School Broadcasting Conference here last week accom- plished little more at their eighth annual confab than they have, in the past,few years. Only really healthy sign noted by some educators and radio people, aware of possibilities of education, by radio, "was the urge of most conventioneers to start edu- eating teachers in basic uses of radio in. classrooms, spinet hing tha', should have been accomplished long ago it's generally agreed. Concern over the enormous,promotional job yet to be done, was cued by surprising ig- norance of the. subject, displayed by many in open forums.. ' . One femmc network rep whose job keeps her- on the road year round pointed out from the . side- lines that teachers attending the con- fab were, no- more ".ignorant' than: types she has met in.the provinces who are still treating radio as. they - would an electric toaster. Instead of making it part of their every- day. lives, many, brag -about never listening in, forgetting, that, their pupils have never known a world without radio,'•■whereas they, them- selves, have been gradually acquir- ing a taste for it. Common enthu- siasm, she declared, has to be; built before anyone can plan a sensible campaign. ">'?;•■'.- '"• •'. Besides the promotional .job to : be done among teachers, one school radio station director soffo voie'd that many of them, figuring too wide a usage will throw ihem out of jobs,, will have to learn hot to be Hfraid of the "new idea." .'.' Despite all the plugging for "new techniques in educational broad- casting" at Hhe meeting,, consensus seenis to be that new opportunities brought on by K,V1 in the postwar period \vil.l .create a junk. .heap of educational programs unless trainers themselves are trained,; and pronto!- 'Friendly Neighbor' Policy Spots Canada's Yal Clare On 2-Way War Assignment Detroit,. Oct. 31. Val Clare, news editor and. news- caster for CKLW, Windsor; Out., is enroute to the European war lhe«tr« to perform a dual service. Accord- ing to J. E.-Cairipeau'j managing di- rector of the station, Clare will in- terview and report on the activities of the .famous Essex-ScolUsh regi- ment, and others front Windsor, «s well as-Americans,from Detroit, just across the.'river: from the Canadian station. .' .'■■: . "It is .'expected.''' Campeau iaid, "that a portioni of Clare's reports will include transcribed interviews with Windsor and Detroit' men o di- rect from the fronts '' In a sense. Clare's trip is a.home- coming, for lie was born near Lon- don where he plans a reunion', with members ot his family he has not seen since 1926, Clare served with the Canadian Army in the last war. His itinerary will include Italy, where one of his sons was killed in action a.few weeks ago. SEATTLE SEGUES Seattle Oct. 3): Murray Eoggs,. formerly\ at KVI, Tacoma, : i s now amiouncing »i KIRO here, and Zena Peterson is now in the continuity dept. ..at the Seattle CBS outlet. King Mitchell, formerly salesman there, has ..gone to KTBI, Tacoma. ,- . .. ■- ; - .Harry Jordan, ncWsc.asler,' for- merly KOMO-K.JR, is now directing news and special events for KEVR. Seattle. New announcer at KBVR is Don Porter, formerly with KFWB, Hollywood: .runliiiuiiii; (4i Si*»!*'.KVeitf (ibow III Ui-n Mhi-i-;i3'» "ltl.\« K<H I S" lit C»|tif:iH Thrjilre JAN RUBINI World ruinous Violinist _OnvltH'f<>r