Variety (Jul 1946)

Wednesday, July 3, 1946 UTLftitofr BADIO 23 NBC S TALENT FARMOUT PLAN Three R&R Execs Walk in Biggest Agency Spiitup in Years; Biz Goes Too Bi."gc*t agency' splilup in recentt years look place last week when three of the lop execs at Ruthrauff and Ryan walked. out and formed 'their own agency. The trio's break- away particularly ' affects the a"ency's radio dept., and will have a" drastic . bearing on its billings, since the three are taking a large ; chunk of the business with them. Exiling the R&R picture to set up their own agency were Don Stauf- fcr, vecpee who headed up the ra- dio operations; Heagan Bayles, also of the agency's radio braintrust, and Raymond F. Sullivan, veepee and, account exec. New outfit will be known as Sullivan, Stauffer & Bayles. In.' addition to Sullivan's Noxema business, trio is reported taking the American Home Prod- ucts billings with them, along with 40 of the R&R . personnel, including the -American Home Products con- tact man, John P. Cohane: Split up is reported to have been precipitated by the R&R top brass refusal to cut Sullivan, Stauffer and Bayles in on stock participation. Col well to SSB Setup Cuiug just as much comment in tlie trade as the Sullivan- SlaufTcr-Bayles breakaway from Ruthrauft' & Ryan agency last week is the decision of Robert Colwell to check out of J. Wal- ter Thompson agency to tie in with the new S-S-B agency op- eration; Report is that the Col- well exit from Thompson is im- minent. Colwell, who has been with JWT since 1928, has been one of the major sparkplugs in the agency operation for years and only recently was named head of the agency plans board, giv- ing him the status of exec vecpec in the overall 'JWT op- eration. Doug Coulter to F-C-B Douglas Coulter, former. CBS pro- gramming vecpee, joins Foote, Cone & Belding oh July 15. He'll become New York manager of the agency's radio dept. and spe- cial asst. to Hubbell Robinson, Jr., agency's radio head. . Trip, it's said, took the position that the' continued upswing in R&R bill iiigs. particularly through the war years, was in no small measure due to their combined energies and thai, instead of counting them in on a stock payoff as concrete recognition' of their services, the agency went to such other measures as lo bring in Fred B. Ryan. Jr., as prexy and F. Bourne RuthraufT (out of the service) into a vecpee spot to pave the way for their master- minding iho operation. ; Meanwhile, R&R has announced sonic new appointments to help fill in the gaps. Merritt W. Bariuim and Willson Tuttle were named as co-directors of the radio dept. Barnum joined the agency in 1937 as supervisor of nightime programs. In 1942 he went with the OWI and upon his return to the agency was elected a veepee and put in charge of programming. Tuttle, who join- ed, the agency in' 1938 as a. radio producer, has been in charge of. tal- ent for tlie past three years. Agency has also elected Charles T. Ayrcs as a veepee. 'Bands'to Hold Spotlight As Recruit Lure Unusual deal has just been ef- fected whereby the Coca-Cola "Spot- light Bands" three - nights- a - week show on Mutual will be sold outright to the U. S. Army Recruiting Serv- for eight weeks this summer, starting July IS. As a result, "Bands," which was slated lo go off the air for eight- week period after the July 12 broad- cast, will stay put, with the coke outfit bowing out of the picture com- pletely and N. W. Ayer agency tak- ing over the program 'o plug recruit- ments. Program spots Guy Lom- bardo on Mondays, Xavier Cugat on Wednesdays and Harry James oh Fridays. There's one interesting angle to the lend-lease arrangement that has cued speculation as to whether Coca Cola will be back in the fall with the same show and format. The "Spot- light; Bands" title is reportedly the properly of the coke outfit and not MCA, talent agency .on : the three- band show. Since Coca-Cola is re- linquishing its rights to_ the title for I he hoi-weather period," it's regarded- as conjectural whether the sponsor will revive "Spotlights" when it re- turns lo the air on Sept. 9, or make a 'switch in its programming plans. Anchor Hocking Finally Admits Xrime'Does Pay; Plans Sponsoring 'Photog' After blowing hot and cold for months. Anchor Hocking looks set this week to sponsor the CBS-pro- duced whodunit, "Crime Photogra- pher." Latter has been on network over two years, getting, plenty of moving around from time to time and night to night, holding a good Hooper despite that. At one time show hit over 12. Currently it leads the CBS sustained with 7.7. Crime" is based on a character created by George Harmon Coxe but* the radio series has been writ- ten after, the first few weeks by Alonzo Dean Cole. John Diotz di- rects and Robert J. Landry super- Vises. U.S. Steel's Guilder Back-But Where? U. S. Steel is definitely returning in the fall as bahkroller of the "Theatre Guild of the Air"-60-min- ute show. Whether it returns to ABC, however, appears lo be a moot point at the moment, with CBS re- portedly making a concerted pitch to wrap up the billings. Should the show exit ■ from the ABC roster, it would be the second full-hour Sunday night program to check off the network, leaving ABC 120 minutes of open time. (Show was heard last season in the 10 lo 11 p.m. period.) The Ford symphony show, heard in the 8 to 9 slot, is planning to move out. probably to Sunday afternoon on NBC. There's no definite decision as yet on the CBS overtures lo cop the U. S. Steel show, but one is expected shortly. A progressive step in radio devel- opment has just been taken by NBC, in its inaugural of a farm-out system for talent. The plan—wnich is as simple as, and akin to, the farm-out setup in baseball between major league clubs and their minor-league affiliates — embraces NBC signing promising talent to exclusive net- work contracts, and sending this talent to hinterland stations for ex- perience and development. The experiment was' begun three weeks ago when NBC sent Tommy Allen, young baritone, to WKY, Oklahomo City on. a 13-week loan- out. At end of period, Allen returns to-the network, to be replaced at WKY by other NBC talent. NBC is nW negotiating a similar deal in Buffalo. It also has a deal with KYW, Philadelphia, which has a show it's sending to the network, whereby NBC will , supply some of the talent, thus integrating the farm- out plan further. Plan, long-time idea of Clarence L. Menser, NBC's v.p. in charge of programs, was proposed, by him five years ago at various station meet- ings, but was deferred because of the war. NBC, proud of being a net- work of facilities, has also wished to establish itself as a network of people. It . has long cherished the idea, of developing talent as network people, rather than belonging to agencies or sponsors! Striving*for a- national network talentwise, Menser several months ago got $100,000 from NBC for tal- ent development. Money was to go specifically for talent development expenses. As an illustration, NBC heard a singer, Ward Donovan, an cx-GI, on its Welcome Home audi- tions. Chap had some promise but not enough to warrant auditions board signing to a contract. Instead of dropping him, however, Menser decided to pay for six weeks' coaching for Donovan. Then Menser auditioned the singer again and was so impressed with the improvement, that he signed Donovan to a network contract. Two weeks later NBC sold Donovan commercially, on his own program, and the singer is now being angled for by the films. NBC's farm-out plan, doesn't in- clude merely performing talent, but producers, announcers, etc., as well, plan applying to all phases of talent. System is also two-way. NBC en- couraging local stations lo send in platters of promising home talent, so that net can have first crack at this talent when it decides to move along, or is improved enough for the big-lime. Plan has many angles and pos-' sibilitics. according to Menser. It (Continued on page 32) Sale of WHOM, N. Y., to Generoso Pope Presages Fireworks; Political Past, Present, Loom As Stumbling Blocks Canada Dry's CBS Show Canada Dry has purchased the Friday night 7:30-8 p.m. period on CBS, returning in the fall with its first network show since it dropped sponsorship of "Information Please" back in 1942. J. M. Mathes agency is. currently shopping around for a show. Last time Canda Dry was on CBS was back in 1933, when it bankrolled the. Jack Benny program. Friday 7:30 slot becomes vacant when the Borden Ginny Simms show moves into the later evening segment being: vacated by. Pabsl. ABCsSUMM) (Tine and Talent) Al Pearce Sale Whatever casualties may be be- falling ABC on nighttime sponsor- ship, it's probably in the most, en- viable daytime position of all Jhe webs. As further evidence of how the future of daytime radio is shaping up, the network is in process of sewing up one of its biggest, con- tracts in months, involving an esti- mated $1,900,000 annual gross bill- ing on time, and talent. Deal involves sponsorship of the five-times-a-week Al Pearce after- noon show, with Armour picking up the tab, starling Oct. 1. It'll be sponsored on a 25-miiuites a day basis. It's an ABC-built show, with both time-talent benefits accruing to the network, similar to ihc ad- vantages reaped by . the web in its other network-built cross-lhc-board shows, such as "Bride and Groom," "Breakfast Club" and "Breakfast in Hollywood." Today they're- all sold out. add tip to millions in gross rev- enue and, of chief advantage to ABC, they can't be moved. Meanwhile. Necdhani. Louis & Bro'rby agency is dickering for the 5:15-5:30 slot on ABC currently oc- cupied by "Dick Tracy" for Derby Foods, subsid of Swift Packing Co.. one of the web's top coin spenders. Derby Foods plans plugging Peter Pan Peanut Butler in Ihc choice kid-lislening slot. with the takeover expected imminently. However, N.L&B agency will build a new show for Swift. BORDEN GETS PABST FRI. NITE CBS SLOT The Borden- 1 Ginny Simms show, which has been heard Friday nights at 7:30 on CBS, has top priority for acquisition of the Friday 10 to 10:30 period on the same web. which has been relinquished by Pabsl. Latter outfit moves over to Thursday night 10:80 on NBC with the new Eddie Cantor show in the fall. Move leaves CBS with only one half-hour evening period to rill be- fore it.can again hang out.the SRO sign. That's the Saturday 7 p.m. slot being vacated by Squibb's "Academy Award Theatre," which switches over to Wednesday night on CBS. $66,949,442 Grossed in 4 Months By 4 Major Nets, Topping Last Year Despite the commercial cancellations, of the past two months, the four major networks were way put in front on gross time sales for the. first four months of 1946, as compared with billings for the same period in '45. Mutual, in particular, climbed into new high figures. As compared with last year's $03,639,570 billings for the first four months, this year the four major webs racked up $66,949,442 for the cumulative period. The networks during April again topped the $16,000,000 mark, as compared with last April's $15,217,709 in gross, sales. NETWORK GROSS TIME SALES +• Negotiations were completed last week (subject to FCC approval) for the sale of the Cowles-owned WHOM, N. Y., to Generoso Pope; owner of II Progresso, largest Italian daily in America. The Cowles outfit had been anx- ious to unload the station for. a long time. It had been losing money steadily, but in recent months is re- ported to have perked up consider- ably with the return of its foreign- language schedules, a de-iemphasis . on the prestige aspects and putting the accent where the coin lies. How- ever, Cowles group felt that despite the fact the station is again operating in 'the black, it didn't sec too much future in it and decided to sell. Station fetched $450,000.. Just how far the sale will get with the FCC is something else again. The repercussions are expected to be thick and furious. Particularly in view of Pope's background and how he's regarded by pro-democratic forces in N. Y. These are' some of the develop-, ments that dan be looked for: 1. Once it becomes common knowledge that Cowles has sold the station to Pope, a veritable storm of protest is expected, with an exhaus- tive FCC probe into Pope's back- ground and his identification in past years with pro-fascist elements re- garded as inevitable. 2. If the FCC gives the sale an okay, it's regarded as equally cer- tain that the Mester Bros.,, whose ap- plication for purchase of the Bulova- owned WOV in N. Y. was turned down, will smack right back with a "what goes here? .If Pope's good enough for one station, we're good enough for another." 3. . Pope, it's considered certain, will convert WHOM into a 100% Italian-operated station, staffed com- pletely by Italians. It's reported that Pope'has already served notice he'll drop Polish, German, English, etc., broadcasts. 4. Such an eventuality will prob- ably give WOV the "out" its re- ported to have been looking for—to switch from Italian-language broad- casting to all-English. Thus the 'WHOM sale will change the whole character of operation of two of the N. Y. indies, with a resultant effect oil the N. Y. market. These are some of (he allegations that the FCC will undoubtedly probe. That up to the eve of Amer- ican entry into the war. Pope's in- fluential paper espoused the Fascist cause, and that he was honored by Mussolini. That he was made a "Grand Officer of the Fascist Crown Order or Italy." That, as a power in the Democratic machine politics in N. Y. state, he is able to deliver the „slate's very numerous Italian voles for the party. Pope came in for considerable criticism during the recent plebiscite in Italy because of the paper's pro- monarchist attitude and because of the daily's strong nationalistic (Ital- ian) tone' which, critics contend, doesn't jibe with a purely American outlook. NBC .. ABC CBS . .. Mutual NBC . ABC . . CBS . . Mutual (Estimated) FOR APRIL 1946 ...... $5,627,700 ...... 3,428,300 5.159,900 ...... 2,247,600 $16,463,500 FOR FIRST FOUR MONTHS (Estimated) 1946 ',. .$22,226,457 ..... 14,147,000 > 21,384,730 9,189,255 $66,949,442 1945 $4,980,920 31229.000 5.270.300 1,737,429 515.217.709 1943 $21,158,800 14.182,400 22.435.000 5,863,370 $63,039,570 Bolger NBC Show Hits Snag on 2+G for Star; Taylor's Two-Way Stint New Ray Bolger show auditioned last week by Biow. agency as re- placement for the Johnny Desmond "Philip Morris Follies" Tuesday night program on NBC has run into a .coin snag. . Bolger, via Wm. Morris agency, wants . $2,500 a week as his share of the deal, it's reported, but Biow agency, it's • claimed, regards ' the figure as too high. Set to co-head- line with Bolger on the show is Margaret Whliing. Henry Taylor has been set as the writer on the program, which gives him two-way Biow scripting opera- tion. He's also taken over the script- ing job on the Schick Monday night CBS show, which, incidentally, is now going on a. week-to-week basis.