Variety (Sep 1946)

44 RADIO WINS Does it in Own Way l-Continuea from page 33 protection. Those paying higher i lion permit under its old _ Hearst ratns will be given immediate, re- bates after Nov. 1. The station will not differentiate between local and national adver- tisers.. The nev program structure is ex- pected to be announced in the next few weeks. For one thing, the sta- ownership, acliiall.v has that new 50kw transmitter built arid ready to go on the air right now. A permit to start using the new' tran.smitter daytime is expected from the FCC any day.' There is a bit oC trouble as to nighttime iise o£ the more powerful transmitter, its sifinal- interfering with, that of WHN, tion has not yet completed the ro.stcr ' [,,g Metro-Owned N. Y. indie. But of WtW advertisers who will add | tuat technical troublt is expected to . the N, Y.. market to their previous,; overcome, through engineering coverage. But tliere were indications that, for the nonce, the term "New York origination" i as, a label, for. sock showmanship will lose mucli, of its meaning. .It was freely expected that, witliin the next few . weeks, tests, within a: couple.p£ months, WLTB Also Reshuffles Personnel & Programs In a move designed to help set the . . 1 pace of the hoped-for revitaliza- WINS will be read.i to take from j 1,0,, of N(;,.v York's independent sta- four to six hours of new program- ■ t,ons, WLIB has undergone radical ming dail.v, all of it originating from changes in program policy and per- Cinrmnati. WLW spends about $1,- , sonncl. Station, which divides its .000,000 a year for live programming: [ allegiance between offices in the ^-comparing favorably with net- [ York Post building arid studios work flagships in tliat department, ' if, Brooklyn and Manhattan, has .let alone any of the other N. Y, in- ' been losing money steadily for sev- dies. And the Sho.use-Dunville tearh does not expect to lose an oppor* tunity to charge some of that pro- gramming cost to the N.; Y. opera- tion. .- Part of the WLW know-how ex- pected to be brought to WINS is ex- pected to be in public service pro- gramming. WLW has been known to set aside a solid hoUr at peak listr ening periods to public service shows, stacldng into that 60-minute period a number of local and na- tional ^'causes" like welfare cam- paigns, health drives, etc. It was ex- pected that the same kind of pro- grammihg would be done in New Yorlc, fitted to the needs of the dif- ferent locale. "V One other development at WINS, about which there has been little said, is the fact that the station, which had a 50,000-watt construe- WDRC HARTFORD 4 CONNECTICUT er.al years. fflid-August of, this year being: the :high point in net billings for one week, with almost $3,000 in the till. : Cueing the shakeup is the promo- tion o£ Ben Bowker, former chief foreign correspondent of the New York Post and commercial manager for WLIB, into the general manager spot at the outlet, following the resignation of Edgar. Twomley, who formerly held the post. Also out after resigning to do free- lance writing is former pro- gram director Leonard Carlton, who is replaced by Chicagoan Lee Randon. No one has been named as yet to the post of sales manager, vacated at the end of June by Robert M. SchoUey, but the sales staff has been upped to five mem- bers and the naming of a chief is expected. Together with the sales depart- ment, promotion and publicity staffs 1 have been increased. Chief flack ! Rhea Diamond, formerly with WNEW, is assisted by Irwin Rosten and Eleanor Charles, while former United Features promotion director I Fred Methot has Judy GroUman as l a new staffer, with other additions I expected. Sales staff now consists. I of Mrs. Asya Zucker,- Sylvia Ansen, I Ray T. Murphy^ Gene Kraemer, and Richard W. Baldwin. Kraemer was formerly with NBC and .Katz agency, while Murpiiy was. with the McGilvra agency. ' . ■ According to Bowker, the entire programming base of the Station is to be broadened. Formerly WLlB programmed light classic and pop- ular music platters almost exclu- sively, seldom venturing intp the realms of live programming and almost never dipping intp jazz. Now more than a dozen new pro- grams are in the mill, and a more general musical policy has been in- stituted for the platter shows. Outlet isM' liOOO-watter operating on a daytime basis onl.y, although FCC application is in for permis- sion to go fulltime on 10,000 watts. "As long as we have to limit our operation to daytime hours," said Bowker, "We're going to pilch our shows straigilt to the biggest day- time listening audience, ■ the house- wivoK" RchuU is that WLIB is planning a series oC homemaker pro- grams, plus platter .-ihows wliiolv feature Art Ross, former ,leen<.age emcee. College Tie-ins Tie-ins are also planned with local university dramatii' departments, for presentation of live drama shows. Another program is ex- peetC'd to feature on-the-spot re- views o£ plays, taken with, a wire- recorder in theatre lobbies- from house audiences. Local color pror . grams;, taken with the recorder in various parts of the city, have ijeen presented and will continue. Payoff on the program schedule is time given to newscasts. With a complete staff oE its own, headed by Cliff Evans who acts as "city edi- tor," station will present a 10-min- ute news program every hour on the hour, just dovible the lime nor- I mally given, and staffers will be sent I out on assignment like regular re- porters. Special emphasis . will..be. given local ne\v.s events. ; Entire program policy, besides hitting to the housewife, will fol- low tlie'FCC formula for sticking closer to local coverage, rather than attempting big productions which could be better left to networks. Election time . this', fall will feature a special "Meet the Candidates" pro- I gram, in which local party nominees I will be presented in debate and in- terviews. ■, ■ . Meanwhile, station : production stafts and methods are in for a streamlining. Studios are in Brook- lyn and the New York Post building, plus space rented from an uptown outlet, Station execs are searching for new quarters for offices as well as studios. According to prexy Jackson Leighter, more, personnel changes are in the ofling, and a fully changed fall programming schedule will be ready by mid^Septemberi '*Joe Powers = Continued from pase 3 W«"<lne8(liiy, Sepfembcr 11, 1946 FRENCH GOVT. ASKsIs. TO STOP ALGIERS RADIO Politicos Continued from page 33 mm TOWN FROUCPROVES IT... and every day 'TheHomeTowii Frolic" delivers in Hoaa Town j-roIJo .., M*"* *"*. 26. 1946 "nzutuxfanuuuaaauuxi^I^^rmu (THEME :up/jip (jjjOSR) MILLER OOOb^FTERNOOH EVrnms. THIS r<: . ' '■' EDITION oy THE HOME Su iTi. v '^'''"'^^'^O™- foms. ...»T YOUR reS ^""^^ *»«> —HOME loTO m»"''^"^"'"'^°?n"™»iTH.!roD<ya V3 TIMES AS MANY FAMILIES per dollar as any New York network slatioii,,. VAt least 2 TIMES AS MANY FAMILIES per dol L lar as any New York independent station! Another Ueason Why * •. WAAT delivers more listeners per dollar / in^orthJersey-Ameriea'8 4th Largest JHarket*-than any other station, includ- ing all 50,000 wattersi Soure* Pulu of Norrti Jwlty ,nd ilmlvi R,l« ond bgia (C«cliidl<<« IglMl cotli) • j» * S i ■ i « »■ * be divided equally among all con- tenders. As a result, broadcasters either pass up the political . requests' entirely or charge twice the com- mercial rate, for them—as compen- sation for the shoving around that chip-heavy sponsors talie during the political season. So far as is known, only one broad- casters have political time free dur- ing recent stale primaries. This was Roy Hofheinz of KTHT, Houston, who solved problem of demands for political time from Teiias candidates by setting aside a two-hour period every Saturday on which any con- tender could argue with any other in a public-forum type show. Some candidates have already' complained to FCC that they can't afford to pay the double-rate for radio time even when it's coming to them. They line up with some of the 1948 strategists in plugging for a rtile which would require sta- tions to give a minimum 15-minute slot to candidates for State and National posts. Move is bo u n d to CO m e u p aga i nst equally tough opposition, with FCC loath to move in any direction, it is speculated. form or have not been known at all, and some have never been broad- cast on any net betore. Included in these categories are George Rosen- thal, Diana Der Hoovanesiany Jenue O'Brien, Mary CumnvinRs, George Rosentlnal (the only scripter thus far having sold two shows to this program), Waller liackelt, and Jonah V. Johnston. More so than any other show on the air at present, the show has rapidly developed into a "writers'' show'' in the sense that it has opened a wide market for treolancers who can do, on this program, almost any- thing they like to do. Format of the show, wl^erein "Joe Powers," smalltowri radio announcer, reads a news item and segues into the story behind the item, is suclr as to permit widest leeway to the writers to de- velop'their own themes. : In Orst three weeks, show has run I the gamut from stark tragedy to comedy, has touched on fantasy, has tied up With such current problems as the position of the ex-GI, and has had just plain, ordinary romance. A remarkable record on tlie sliow is that, out of about 60 writers who have submitted outlines or script!!, almost half have sold their shows or have at least been ordered to do their stuflE on spec. Reason is that, wliile.-on'.policy restricts the show to "name" writers, there is no so- licitation even implied among non- pros as in the case with so-called "workshop" type programs. James Hart, who is cditor-|»ro- ducer for "Joe Powers." has let scripters know that there is no "typi- cal" script for the program, in order to encourage development of as much new stor.y material as possible. Hart, furthermore, plans on taking no more than two scripts from any one writer in any month, to make sure that he obtains fresh view- points In all his scripts. This means, of course, ttiat if tile show stays on after its initial 13-week cycle, there will be room on it for a minimum of 15 freelance writers. Chances for the show to stay, around for a while seemed good. Replacing "Light of the World," and "Valiant Lady," the show faces the Libby-sponsored "My True Story," on the ABC net, which has a 4.8 rat- ing,_and started out: by bucking I NBC's "Lone' Journey": in the 10- 10:15 a.m. slot Latter is now going over to CBS, after building a 2,3 rating since returning to the air in April. Judged Hooperwise, there- fore, tlie "Powers", program was not deemed to be facin.g any tougli pp- ' position, if it can hold an audience on its own account. At least one agency was definitely interested in sponsorship of "Powers" this week, but the feeling was "let's wait a bit longer." Regardless of sponsorship, how- ever, "Powers" has already Ijeen spotted by scripters a-S one of the best freelance Outlets in the marlcet at present. PAG Swings Into Action , , Washington,.. Sept: 1ft, Well in advance of the November elections, a militant PAC-CIO is launching campaign for radio time to tout its favored candidate.?. Cam- paign was touched off in series: of speeches by CIO prexy Phil Mur- ray in past two weeks and wound up in heated editorial in CIO News of Sept. 9, flailing monopoly growth in radio, press and pix, and calling on CIO membership to work for legislation to break the concentra- tion in these fields. . Mean-while, CIO-PAC kicked at FCC,last.Thursday (5) over refusal of WMT, Cedar Rapids, to .sell spots to ' PAG on ground the broadcasts were controversial. Claiming that the same political spots were being carried by Several other lowa sta- tions, the Cedar Rapids Industrial Council charged WMT with "unfair discrimination" in allocation of its alrlime, Herbert Eveland, chairmaTi of the Cedar Rapids .Council told the FCC the station said it would accept the anitouncements if spon- sored by the "Bernliarlrtor-Coiigres.S Club" but not by the PAC. !•"« ill S ft « dr-ii «»«•«■-«*■< H*»wd ^^.^^^ The French governntient is request- ing the State Dept. to discontinue the wartime arrangement permitting it to use the Algiers broadcasting station as a relay for its news bulletin, also relayed from London. Algiers broad- casts will cease on Jan. 1, 1947. Move is said to be a polite gesture of the French towards the Soviets, who object to coverage of their Um- ' ritory through Algiers station beins I used for: American broadcasts.; Warwick, Lawler Eye Souvenair Fluff Merger Hollywood, Sept. 10. Chief item, on the agenda for the board meeting of Audience Records; which got under way here this wcolc, will be a possible merger of the newly-formed;platter company wiiTi Souvenair Records, iirm recently established by C. P. ("Pete") Jeagoi, ex-ABC veepoe. H. Paul Warwick. I AR prexy, and T. Newman Lawler I of the O'Brien, Driscoll and Raftery law firm, arrived from N. Y. yester- day (Monday) for the'hoard meet. Proposal as outlined by Warwick does not call for AR to absorb the Souvenair Arm but to aftiliate with" it. Both companies are planning platters on the same idea of round- , ing up the fluffs committed by the top radio names and it's believed that a merger would work to the mutual benefit of both. AR has al- ready signed to get its material from such shows as Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, Fred Allen, etc., and' Sou- venair has already pressed albums of fluiTs from the Tom Breneinan, Don McNeill and "Can You Top This?" programs. Souvenair also has signed for Phi'.co to distribute its material. It the merger proposal goes through', con.sequently, Philco will also prob- ably distribute the AR pressings. Do You Need .■■ a ■ ■. Rehearsal Hall? FOR YOUR BAND RADIO PROGRAM LEGITIMATE PRODUCTION We have available a large ballroom —Monday to Friday morningf and afternooni. STAGE 34x12 WITH FULL EQUIPMENT REASONABLE RATES CONVENKNT LOCATION Phone SU/7*3000, Banquet Deporfment RIVERSIDE PLAZA HOTEL 253 WEST 73RD STREET NEAR BROADWAY, NEW YORK LIKE THf NAME OP ON A PLAYsji WIRE ALL OVER THE INDIANAPOLIS BUYING AREA WHERE SALES SUCCESS DEPENDS ON THE PRESTIOI OP THE STATION YOU USl BASIC NBC • 5000 WATTS JOHN E. PEARSON COMPANY RepreSen/ofiVe* AFFILIATED WITH THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR