Variety (Aug 1946)

Wednesday, August 7, 1946 NeUett Nibbles Candy ^ Confab Rem for Coin Doring Heat Doldrums Chicago, Aug. 6. One way for a thesp to keep the wolf away from the door during Inyoffs, the summer, doldrums or what-have-you is currently being demonstrated by Johnnie Neblett, boss of Neblett Productions, Chi ra- dio package outfit. He got a check last week for $3,750 for one after- n,oon show, and here's the story: Show was a commercial layout for the National Confectioners' Assn., which held a convention at the Stevens hotel. Leo Burnett agency, which handle the NCA ac- count, got a query from the outfit for a certain kind of show, involv- jng candy ads (from the Satevepost and Life) which come to life, and also for skits demonstrating the nu- tritional value of candy. To sim- plify matters, Burnett turned the whole deal over to Neblett. Latter set it all up in the hotel's main ballroom. Neblett emceed, of course, and betweentimes skits—all written by Judy Tom, Noblett's "Story Goes" scripter—were put on in the side booths, with 12 Chi radio actors participating. . During the acts, and between, Dave ' Bacal played the organ. Neblett paid the cast and Bacal (scale, of course) out of the $3,75() check—and also for the scenery. A special sound system had to be installed, too, with eight mike outlets, including Neblett's and Bacal's, and that came out of the cheek, too. Withal, what the pro- ducer had left for himself was still in four flguries. New field for people in showbiz is called "pictorial revues" by Neblett. Strictly for big conventions, sales meets, etc., Neblett says the hardest p:irt of it is the writing. With re- hearsals taking up only a few hours. He's also been signed to put them on for American Meat Institute and 4-H Club conventions, and some other groups are also negotiating. 0 I "HIRES TO YA'" FOR WCOND YEXK HIIIS SUNDAY PA«U AK. COAST-TCCOAST ] DID YOU EVER DREAM of ewiilH9 foMT rhrtr freiit oertt hi the cowrtry for yowr fatw* bom* sit«7 WOULD YOU Line TO HAVE beariH9. bathing «Md fishing or yew front deer, with large eM shade trees and ossored seclusion, within one hour of New York City. Three miles from stores, beaches, etc.? THEN HERE IT fS 4 choice river front acres en the upper Saugatuck Rivier, Westport, Conn. . . $12,000. BOX «75. VARIETY 1S4 West 4«tli Street. New York 19 ^AG Lends In 83 Out Of 96 01 tb» 96 pertodi per «Mk , nH4 W Hoepcr Ibti.' Apt. '46) to A* Wotcwritr er«a, WTAG t«<Mii (» an<» l< <i ,.,<(l<»».,iei;ond,.iR/.rt# ren^n- »r4«4 iMVr* per, wtkr"" Wiley Invades Pitt Via WCAE, Gordon 6aDM.C. Pittsburgh, Aug. 6. Fletcher Wiley organization will invade Pittsburgh, on WCAE, next week (12) with same set-up Wiley has in several other cities, the "Sun- rise Salute" six mornings from 6 to 7 and the half-hour "Housewives Pro- tective League" five afternoons at 1:30. Gordon Ball's being sent here to do the programs. Couple of months ago, John Trent, chief announcer at WCAE, left to join Wiley and has since been placed in charge of Boston and New Eng- land territory. There had been talk at the time of holding Trent for Wiley in Pittsburgh, since deal was cooking at that time, but it was de- cided to, give him the new berth inasmuch as it was figured that new voice and personality, rather than one known to listeners here, would be better for the Pittsburgh break-in. Negotiations for WCAE spot have been carried on for several months now between Wiley and Leonard Kapner, head of the local Hearst sta- tion who recently stepped out of general managership of Hearst Ra- dio on account oi his health to con- centrate exclusively on the Pitt out- let. Ball arrives this week to take- over, after get-togethers with" Galen Drake, Wiley's man in New York, and Trent in Boston. Radio Reception Figures In Conn. Property Values Hartford, Aug. 6. For the first time in Connecticut and possibly in the'nation, the qual- ity of radio and television reception has been recognized legally as a fac- tor in property valuation. In in- creasing damages to a property owner (or land condemned for a highway. State Referee Alfred C. Baldwin has ruled that favorable conditions for reception .of radio and television programs are an cle- ment of value in real estate. The referee allowed increased damages to a property owner for land con- demned for a highway. In a report filed in superior court and accepted by Judge Edward J. Daly, Referee Baldwin had increased from $1,250 to $4,652.45 the dam- ages to be paid by the state high- way dept. for taking about one-fifth of an acre of land owned by Italo and Pasquale Martiiio in Wood- bridge. 'The land was needed for an extension of a highway. According to the referee, the Woodbridge properly is so located that tests have determined that it is unusually good for radio and tele- vision reception. Italo Martino, chief engineer for WDRC in Hart- ford, had equipped his home with radio and television equipment for both personal and professional ex- perimentation and reception. He has also done television consultant work based upon his experimentations and works at his Woodbridge home laboratory. The referee decided, in making the award, that the passing of automo- biles on the highway extension near the Martino home would interfere with both radio and television de- ception. He therefore upped the property damage above that set by the state highway dept. KNPC Hits Road Hollywood, Aug. 6. Re-powered KMPC here, the "Sta- tion of the Stars," now approved for hike from 10,000 to 50,000 watts, will cover all league games of Los An- geles Rams (football) via specially assigned itinerant sportscaster and .spoci.il lines from spots around the country. Signal Oil has signed to spon.sor the play-by-play, starting Sept. 29 and running to Dec. 8. Games wi*l be broadca-sl by Bob Kelley. station's sports editor, who will tour with the team, broadcasting on U con.sccu- tive Sundays. Richards' Danghter Hurt m Anto Smash Hollywood, Aug. 6. •Rozene Richards, daughter of G. A. Richards, proxy of WJR, Detroit; WGAR, Cleveland, and KMPC, Los Angeles, was seriously injured in an automobile accident in Beverly Hills last week (30). She was driving within a block of her home when her car was struck by another and turned over. She suffered a broken back and serious head injuries. Miss Richards just recently was graduated from Stanford Univ. Her father divides his time between De- troit and Beverly Hills, and the family was due back in Detroit this month. . . WFII'S 'PAGES OF TIME' Philadelphia, Aug. 6. Wully Biillciwouth, formerly of "Vox Pop," will launch a new .•^how over WFIL tagged "The Pages of Time." which the station will platter and syndicate. . Show features Butterworth read- ing from old newspapers from all parts of the country, slaiulng news analagous to events of today. Locally. "The Panes of Time" will be a part of the Philly Inquirer's daily news show at 7 p.m., timed to coincide with delivery of Bulldog edition on newsstands. Networks Dizzy In Arg. Switches Montevideo, July 30. Supervision of radio matters has been switched about so often in Argentina that broadcasters are dizzy—not knowing whether to present scripts for revision in Govt. House, or at the Central Postal Dept. During the pre-Peron election pe- riod, a Direction of Radlodifusion was set up, under the Press and Propaganda Secretariat When the Sect. W.-1S dissolved, radio was handed over to the Ministry of the Interior. In pre-revolutionary days, radio was controlled by the Radio Div. of Telegraphs and Communi- cations. Now, apparently, the re- volutionary period has come to an end and radio has been switched back t'' the Tel. and Comm. Sect. This in itself isn't much of a change, because as soon as Pres. Peroh took over he appointed his old friend, Senor Oscar Liiis Nico- lini, as Director of Posts and Tele- graphs. Formerly Nicolini had been Director of Radiodifusion. Nicolini recently married Pcron's mother-in-law, and in Oct. 1945 these family connections nearly proved Peroii's undoing. At his first press conference, Nicolini made it clear that he had IK) intention of fostering plans to nationalize Argentine radio System, but he also made it clear that the govcrninent won't relax control in any way. The Posts and Telegraplis Dept. is traditionally under super- vision of the Ministry of the In- terior. The new Minister, Senor Bor- lenghi. an ex-Union leader, is a supporter of either nationalization or of an even more rigid control oit whatever goes on the air. He is re- ported to be at loggerheads with Nicolini on these matters, and some political observers believe the Min- ister will resign very shortly and that Nicolini will take- bis place. It was Borlenghi who once led a del- egation of about one thousand sup- posed commercial employees In an invasion of Radio £1 Mundo's stu- dios as a protest meeting to pres- sure the station into supporting Col. Peron, and he has always dis- liked radio stations. If the Cabinet change does take place, it's anticipated that radio control will be switched again to the Ministry of the Interior, once Nicolini rules there, as Peron's en- tourage insists that NicoUpi must remain in charge of radio control. Slip Tween Cup and Mike New York.- Edilor, Variety: "Those 40 Seconds" you wrote about in last week's issue was fine but I believe I caught something more significant than the story covered. While Biir Stern was beg- ging his station for the extra seconds to (.-over the rundown of the ball at the cup lhal would decide whether Herman Barron would make the putt that would put over 10 grand in his pocket, a number of millions, like in/.ticlf, .sat on the edge of the cliair iund wiiited. What an opportunity Ipicsciilrd itscK to a fast thinking i 1 iidio sliition manager to hold up the Fiaiik Morg;m .•;how for the extra time needed for that putt and give the Morgan sponsor the credit for al- : lowing the extra time. I know what it would have done to mc; I would h.nvc stayed tuned to the station. In- .<!tea(l I wa."; so mad I promised niy- isclf I would never n'^aih listen to the . Morgan program; which, by the way, ' is one of my fayorites. I Yoiir.s for more nimble brains, in '. ra<lio, I H. Wayne Pierson. Fundamentalist Sect Files With FCC for Its Own Outlet In Knoxvilk Argent. Announcers Win After Threat to Strike Montevideo, July 26. Following considerable noisy agi- tation, which included picketing of the principal Argentine radio sta- tions and threat of a strike or "work to rules" sessions on the air, the Radio Announcers' Union inked a deal with the Broadcasters' Assn. which secured them all the wage increases they had demanded, plus improved working conditions. The union is now working on negotia- tion of better pay and work sched- ules for announcers on the provin- cial stations. The broadcasters accepted the an- nouncers' demands, after Radio El Mundo had signed a separate deal with the union—and forced the other outlets to follow suit. Announcers are now split into three separate categories. A, B, C. Minimum wage Tor Class 'A is $S5 dollars monthly, and minimum for Class C $65. The union agreement also provides for a six-hour working da^, with a maximum stretch at the mike of. two. hours at a time. The agreement sets up rules gov- erning disnriissals, etc. 4- Washington, Aug. 6. Stymied in their efforts to buy air time, Fundamentalists,. religiou.V sect, have, filed for an outlet of their own in Knoxville, Tenn. Move follows pattern of Buffalo (N. Y.) Tabernacle, religious group which put in a bid for a station of its own when FCC nixed its contracts for air time with the Buffalo Broad- casting Corp. Fundamentalists raised a row at the FCC and on Capitol Hill mth the House Committee on Un-Ameri- can Activities when Scripps-Howard station WNOX, Knoxville, refused to sell them time. The Knoxville station, like many others through- out the country, said it had adopted a new policy not to .sell religious slots but to pro-rate free time equal- ly .imong all sects. Knoxville application' of the In-*' dependent Broadcasting Co. is signed for Rev! J. Harold Smith, one of three Fuiidamentalists who stormed ■ the Capitol in protest against Scripps-Howard. The other two are his wife, Myrtice Smith, and Mar- vin Thompson, former U. S. Army sergeant. Application says they will sell time freely for religious broad- casts.. Meanwhile, attacks from church groups, the Hearst newspaper chain and Capitol Hill are expected mo- mentarily on FCC's. atheist d^ision. . SUMS ONLY im nsnmn wHiH m Km$c snvica mnmt pnojtcT WAS msj Hmo noui tut FM MY tKOW AHP CAU Mt PHIl tVAHt, THAT'S THKlt TtAHS tACK-ClOSl TO A THOUSAMO fARMCASTS AtOI ImporUnt fann radio newt wu nude ia '194b let jiut aboat this time of the year. Witb 49% oT the Heart of America bciog raral, KMBC lecogniicd a need for even a crcater farm serTiee progianuning—allhoogh the station long had been a leader in Tnain**''''''|f a fnU4hne &nn department, exclnaive market- casta and nual enlerlainnient. To enumerate aU the iaaavov^ menta and impntant contrUmtiona made bjr CMBC Sirwiea Farms daring the past three years woaU feetof books. Vital cx| iperimcnta have ried out with soil binding and. vides, fertilisicra and seeds. Dozeaw of been nondnctc^ for 4-B, FFA and other frna barean ff— A P«ters, Inc. Sine* 1928- Basic CBS Starion for Mbteuri and Kantat OF KANSAS CITY