Variety (May 1945)

46 RADIO Wednesday, May 2, 1945 Transcribed Capsule Shows Add Up To Boff Biz and Everybody's Happy The radio sales market has been practically revolutionized by the transcription business. A quick sur- vey of the field recently disclosed that: (1) Open-end transcriptions arc the biggest thing on the market; (2) custom-built transcriptions, espe- cially If tied in with open ends for local sponsorship in cooperation with a national advertiser, are going over in a big way; and "(3) all this is be- ing accomplished without in any way cutting into the receipts of the net- works which do not use transcrip- tions. One of the top successes in the open-end transcription business is being recorded by the Fred W. Ziv office in N. Y. The outfit's "Korn Kobblers" show, a 15-minutc musical novelty, is in its fourth year now and is going out on 165 station*. "Calling All Girls," a quarter-hour variety program, is in its second year and-is being broadcast by 123. stations. "Pleasure Parade," a 15- minuter featuring Irving Miller's orch. Jimmy Wallington, Milton Cross and Bob Kennedy, lias been going out on. 20 stations under the sponsorship of Grove's cold tablets, and is being booked for 40 stations for next season. Under preparation by the Ziv of' fice are also a 15-minuto dramatic show as an open-end transcription, and a 15-niinute musical, both of which will be offered for sale soon The new "Boston Blackic" show which opened recently in New York locally over WOR, is being transcribed and will also be offered as an open-ender by Ziv. 5-Mlnute Package . A phenomenal success for a com- bination custom-and-open-end show has' been recorded by the production office of Mildred L. Fenton in N. Y.. In this instance, the Fenton office produced a five-minute package fea- turing Ben Grauer and the Barry Wood orch. Overall sponsor here is Cohn-Hall-Marx, a firm that sells fabrics under the trademark of "Cohama." "Cohama" tics in on local stations with local department stores. This show is going out over 155 stations, three times a week, and if already booked'solid for 39 weeks. Explanation for the growth of transcription business is relatively simple. Newspaper advertising is limited because of paper shortage, but advertisers have more money to spend tha,n ever. In looking around for ways to spend their money on radio, they find they cannot always use networks for various reasons. Some advertisers want only region- al plugs. Other firms, like some sell- ing drugs, may want seasonal con- tracts only. Networks, on-other hand, arc also rushed with more business than they ever had, and arc not able to provide prospective clients with the kind of tinie they want, espe- cially if the desire is for split webs. Result is that advertisers are turn- ing to the transcriptions. Advertisers find the transcrip- tions highly satisfactory for another reason," said one biggie in the field. "The quality of transcriptions, both programmatically and technically, has grown tremendously in the last few years. The platters are so well done now that, for the average lis- tener, they are as good as' live shows, although he is not kidded on what he is listening to. Furthermore, he gets top artists on the transcriptions in- stead of the second and third raters that platter packages used to carry." The entire development seems sat- isfactory to everybody all around.- It was pointed out that artists, too, like the transcription business. Ex- ample wat cited of Mildred Fenton's five-minute show. She recorded the entire 39 weeks in four weeks' time, during which artists could do other chores as well. The artists, of course, were paid regular AFRA rates for each spot. They'd get no more if they had to appear on a live show, which would have .tied them down for 39 weeks straight, at a specified hour, three times a week. WOV Scoret WOV, N. Y., had unusual gim- mick on its. programs Tuesday night (24) in connection with the San Francisco Conference. Believing the conference to be of vital interest to all segments of the listening public, yet too in- volved for the layman readily to understand, stations included a message on the conference in all its programs that night, each one couched in language for sundry airers specific audience. Zeb Carver discussed the con- ference in hillbilly lingo on- his program; Alan Courtney in "hep" jive on his, etc. There were also the usual formal com- mentaries. Gimmick attracted lot of favorable comment. M-G-M'« "M mIc fo r MIIIIobj" IvNITKB RDXAI.I, HRlfi CO. »ri<laj—CIIS-r-10 p.m., KMT «*.: LOU CLAYTON Lombardo Headlines 7th War Loan Program Guy Lombardo's switcheroo' on on the Blue, from Monday night's 10 o'clock spot to the Tuesday 9 p.m. slot, has been moved up a week, and the Lombardo orch will start on the new time on May 15\ instead of May .22. Meanwhile, the sponsor, Chelsea cigs, has given its half-hour Monday, May 14, to the Treasury Dept. for a show to boost the Seventh War Loan drive. Blue has pitched in a second 30-minute period, so the Treasury show will be on that night from 10 to 11 p.m. Lombardo .and his crew will do the musical portion for the Treasury show, appeals will be,made by Sec. of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau and Gen. Joseph Stillwell, and fea- tured performers will include Ray- mond Massey, Danny Kaye, Barry Wood and Bea Wain, 60 Programs In Bernays Running Columbus, May 1. ■ Institute for Education by Radio has revised plans for judging the Bernays Radio Award competition. Rules call for $1,000 prize to go to individual responsible for the pro- gram doing most to further democ- racy in America during past year. Award is one-time affair with all costs being borne by Edward L. Bernays, public relations exec. Norman Corwin, H. V. Kaltcnborn and Raymond Swing arc to be judges. Three had set aside a Sat- urday in April for judgment consul- tation in New York but Frisco con- ference upset plans. Revised scheme calls for Ohio State U. faculty com- mittee to prepare summary of each entry for submission' to judges in- dividually. Judgment procccdure thus becomes similar to that used in making Peabody awards. Thirty, shows are up for considera- tion. In all, 60 nominations were made by nation's radio editors; some network shows being submitted as many as five times. Nationals such as "Words At War," (NBC) "As- signment Home," (CBS i and "Amer- ica's Town . Meeting," (Blue) will vie with "New World A-Coming," (WMCA-N. Y.V, "Pathways in Peace." (WKRC-Cincy). "Philadel- phia's Junior Town Meeting," (KYW- Philly) to name a few, for designation as program best stimulating active community participation in planning, discussion, and action in significant problems of freedom, equality, and orderly justice. Winner announcement expected May 15. Inside Stuff-Radio WJR, Detroit, came up with a promotion idea which cost nothing hut seems sure to make the fens, the star; the sponsor, CBS and the station itself happy. The "Good Will Station's" good-willish gesture was made to Kate Smith and resulted iii more than 3,000 birthday cards from fans in five states .and Canada being boxed up and shipped off to her. Device started when a fan called up to ask how old Kate Smith was. Station's press agent, Dick Frederick, reported she was born May"1, 1909. Then writing some script for the station's flve-mlnute dally program of dial dope, he tossed off the idea that Kate's birthday was May 1 and "wouldn't it be a good Idea to send her greetings?" After Ed Kemp, the announcer, gave oitt the idea, the station announced it would take over the mailing of the messages to Kate Smith. • In sending the huge batch of birthday cards, v.p. Leo Fit/.putrlck, also announced that WJR's "Know Your Americans'' program on May 1 would be devoted to her biography. Officials at WJR feel the device is one which can be worked (o build up a closer relationship between fans and stars and also with the station. Hi, folks! I'm back and available— The horse ain't [he's still in Mehico] lllllii DON DOUGLAS LA. 4-1200 IE. 2-1100 NMIdty: AITHUR PINE DuPont Resigns CBC In Favor of His CJAD .Montreal., May 1. J. Arthur DuPont has resigned as commercial mgr. (Quebec region) of the Canadian Broi. Jcasting Corp. ef- fective the end of this month. He'll concentrate on operation of CJAD, 1,000-wattcr here for which he was granted a commercial license last November. Pittman Heads Coast Office, Radio for NL&B ' Hollywood, May 1. Frank Pittman has been appointed manager of the Coast office of Need- ham, Lewis & Brorby to direct their radio operations. He's been with the agency since Feb., 1944. Previously he Was with NBC for seven years. Pittman will continue production chores on Fibber McGee and Molly and "Great Gildcrsleevc." Gardner's Whodunit Erie Stanley Gardner, mystery- tome writer, is negotiating with Ralph Bellamy, film star currently in N. Y. preparing to go into a play, for the lead in a new radio who- dunit series he. has written. ■ Author reportedly has a couple of agencies interested in the stanza wherein the crime is dramatized and a court scene follows wherein the aidicnce participates in the solution. Gibbs' 'Playhouse' John Gibbs is offering a "Listeners Playhouse" idea around the trade. It's a stunt for daytime with a ro- tating author slant, the author to be picked via a public contest and the awarding of cash prizes through a jury. Elaine Sterne Carrington would act as "commentator" in her role as most prolific writer of serials (she authors three at' present, has a fourth pending). . GI returnees will find a great opportunity, for employment in the radio and electronic fields, according to Brig. Gen. David SarnolY. The RC.V prex has just published a pamphlet on subject, listing "among fields beck- oning to servicemen" the following: broadcasting, television, radar, radio- facsimile, radio relays, radiothermics, electron microscopy, supersonic*, aircraft and marine radio. The pamphlet is rounded out with a bibliog- raphy of suggested reading for GI's or returnees interested in following the subject. George E. Sokolsky, who saw radio's handling of the death of President Roosevelt a»'"vulgar," has a bedfellow who is somewhat sweeter in his expression but nonetheless critical. Partner is Norman Thomas, perennial Socialist parly candidate for the presidency. In last issue of Socialist Call, Thomas says radio "made a poor job . . . and the press wasn't much bet- ter." Like Sokolsky, Thomas, too, doubts the sincerity of radio's Roosevelt memorial presentations, holding that "some were highly synthetic—and poor quality at that." • Tendency of air shows to caricature racial minorities again brought forth a blast last week, this time aimed at the Wednesday night Nlles-Prindle "Ice Box Follies" show for Hires on the Blue. . Anti-Defamation League of B'nai'B'rith, in a letter to the sponsor sent via WJZ (N.Y.\ while point- ing out that such disparagement is unintentional, nevertheless indicted the "reprehensible characterization" on the April 25 program in dialoging a Jewish luggage store owner. League cited the inherent dangers in the repetitious perpetuation of minority groups. WOV (N. Y.) has inaugurated a new one-minute nightly feature. ''Lest We Forget," consisting of an item of N<J?.i or Jap atrocity obtained from reliable sources. - ' Item is heard as part of the 10 p.m. news roundup, given without Com- ment, with only" brief intro from announcer. CRAIG REYNOLDS ASKS lOOGFORBCASTlffr Los Angeles, May 1. Craig Reynolds, screen actor, filed suit for $100,000 against National Broadcasting Co., KFI, Biow Agency and others, charging the radio show, "Johnny Presents Ginny Simms," was lifted, from his own "Veteran's Campaign." Reynolds,' veteran of three years service with the Marines, claims he originated the idea with William A. Holmes, radio writer, following his discharge Jan. 1, 1944. Cast Changes in Line At CBS Timmarron Tavern A number , of cast changes are in progress in connection with the CBS western serial, "Cimmarron Tavern," which is written by Felix Holt. An older voice is being selected, Paul Conrad, for the Government "Seoul character, Morningstar Travis, in. re- placement of Steve Courtlcigh. Lat- ter returned to acting recently after a stint in the armed forces. Role of Ma Bufbrd goes to Jane Houston. John Dietz directs serial. WLIB Airs FDR Speeches During Mourning Period WLIB, Brooklyn, N. Y., is observ- ing ■ the official 30-day . mourning period for President Roosevelt. Every- day, at noon, this N. Y. Post owned indie plays a 3-minute recorded spot from the platters of Pres. Roosevelt speeches. Station's program department said last week observance will be con- tinued until'May 11. CBS Stock Action Philadelphia, May 1. Isaac D. Levy, v.p. of WCAU and director of CBS, reported sale of 800 shares of CBS class A common stock- during the period of March 11-April 10. in a report mode public today (Tues.) by the Securities and Ex- change Commission. The transaction left Levy's holdings at 35,876 shares. He also reported holding 21,3B0 shares of class B common CBS se- curities. W. E. Hutton & Co. reported the acquisition of 800 shares of CBS class A, while Joseph A. W. Inglehart, New York, reported his holdings of -that security at.v2,60Q shares. AFRS Gets New Building Hollywood, May 1. New building was opened here yesterday (Mon.) by the Armed Forces Radio Service to house its broadcasting, technical and short- wave departments. Expansion means a 30% increase in the floor space occupied by AFRS. THE TIME to Mart the wheel* of industry it indicated by the scrcrrb of factory whistles... and the kind of lime lhal. keep* the wheels of Industry going—advertising time—is what occupies Weed A Company, full time. \YK 1.1) \\i i i ■ ' \ I [' \ \ N . RAyHA 2L. k'.uniO" MAi