Variety (Oct 1946)

56 RADIO Wedhesddy, Oclober 9, 1946 CIRCLING THE KILOCYCLES Cincinnati-^Bcn Werk, who has been doing farm programs on WKRC since last April, became director of the station's new setup in that field thiis weelc with inauguration of a Monday through Friday morning series originatinj; on his modernized experimental farm near Lebanon, O., 28 miles from Cincy. His places now called Farm 55 after WKRC's dial spot, is, stocked with prize cattle from some of the finest herds in the country. "Amazing Stories" has for its lead 50,000-word novelette "The Return of Sathanas," which McKenna wrote in collaboration with Richard S. Shaver, of Philadelphia. This is about the 10th story they've done together. Hartford — WKNB, in neighboring | New Britain, on Monday (7) devoted its entire day toward prornotion . of the New Britain Community Ghest drive. The entire broadcasting day (sunrise to suniset) was devoted to playing musical requests tor li.sten- ers with pledges. Pittsburffh^Ann Christy has been added to WJAS staff to do "Around the Town" program every morning at 9:15, a show slated for femme ap- peal Miss Christy was formerly radio director of Howard Wesson advertising agency in Worcester, Mass., and also taught radio script writing at Worcester Junior College. Ted Newlin added to sales staff at WWSW, with Marty Cohen, who was made a salesman when Allan Trench left to go with WCAE, switching back to head publicity and promo- tion for local indie station. PiUsbiifeh—Pie Traynor's nightly sports show on KQV at C.-.'iO l\as finally .snagged, a - bankroHer, after being on a sustaining basis since he joined the station more than a year ago. Duquesne Brewing Co. has bought the regular quarter-hour spiels o£ onetime Pirates third-ba-se great and later also manager o£ local National League entry; and has al.so hired Ken Hildebrand, free- lanee announcer, to handle the com- mercial chores. Another sports en- try for .same sponsor is Chester Smith, sports editor of Press, ,who has been signed for 15 minutes every Friday: night at 7:15 on KQV for duration of football season. Kansas City—Western Auto Sup- ply Co., headquartered here, added 29 sdations to the coverage of its air showi "Circle Arrow Show," which originates from WLW; Cincinnati. Show, aired at 10:30 Sundays, cele- brated its first anni last Sunday with the increased coverage. Cleveland—A clash of personali- ties is believed responsible for the resignation of Earl Harper as head of the WJW sports bureau and as special events director. His suc- cessor as sports gabber is Jim Dud- ley, of Detroit. Also leaving the "WJW' staif is Howard Lund, an- nouncer. ' Des Moines—Betty Wells, director of women's affairs, KRNT, Des Moines, is conducting a two hour class weekly on radio acting as a member of the faculty of the Drake University radio school. ' Wynn Hubler Speece, "Your Neighbor Lady" on KRNT and WNAX, has been appointed chair- man of rural women's committee of the Assn. of Women Directors affili- ated with the NAB and will serve on the program of the Women in Radio conference scheduled for Rookford college Oct! 19, Jon Hackett, ace sports announcer for KRNT, has instituted the "Quar-: terback Club," for luncheons every Monday noon; with coaches of all high schools and colleges in the vi- cinity as guests of honor and Hackett himself acting as emcee for the autopsies. Hoyt't S-Way Pilch Cincinnati, Oct. 8. A schoolboy pitching wonder at 15 when he started his 22- year career in the major leagues, Waite Hoyt now ranks as tha iron man of bigtime - baseball announcing. On the official clos- ing day of the National League pennant race he announced three games simultaneously. With the Dodgers and Cards floundernig into a pennant tie in seperate games that day, Hoyt announced both, working off a telegraph feed in the WCPO studios here. In addition, he did his usual play-by-play from another wiire feed of the Cincy Reds-Pirates contest. Hoyt had warmed up for his triple- header the previous day by air- ing both the Brooklyn and Cincy tills at the same time in the afternoon and the Cards' game at night. Former pitcher did a telegraph- ic description of the first Car- dinal-Dodger playoff game, with his station plugging in Mutual's Red Barber for the second and clinching game in Brooklyn. h»de Stitf-Radio Though Mutual carried the Al Jolson testimonial ballyhoo cuflo across the country, the cuff ended at Don Lee's Coast segment of Mutual and was carried in Hollywood by Dorothy Thackrey'a indie outlet, KLAC. Else- where on the Coast it's presumed that stations other than Don Lee outlets also toted the show since the regional net's spokesman stated none of th« Lee chain would touch what was regarded as a commercial. In explain» ing its attitude, the Leeside said too much cuffo time is given to film companies for such obvious advertising;, adding that since cash is taken from many for picture plugs, it could not ladle out largesse with one hand and rake in coin with the other. At the last minute the event was Switched, after much bally and fancily printed invitations, to KLAC. Another amu^ ing side to the event was the frantic efforts of KLAC to get in a plug for itself. Mutual got in a couple of breaks before KLAC was mentioned while doing the chore Don Lee, and, in effect Mutual, refused. So, in the middle of a Mutual plug KLAC swung the axe and cut in its own gabber for a mention. Show was piped from KHJ, Mutual-Don Lee local outlet where Coast portion of the event originated, to KLAC, via Radio Central! Piltsbureh — Bob McKenna, chief annoiincer of WEDO in McKeesport, Pa., and formerly on . the staff of KDKA in Pittsburgh, is branching out as a writer of adventure yarns for the pupils. November issue Of St. Louis.—Shearer Chevrolet Co., of St. Louis, is bankrolling eight broadcasts over KXOK immediately following Army gridiron games. Programs will feature John O'Hara, sports broadcaster. Alb&ny—The National Commercial Bank and Trust Co., largest of its kind iti Al'oany, is now sponsoring Fulton Lewis' commentaries over Mutual and WABY, five nights a week. • ■ WCFL to State Case At Special Chi Hearing (12) Washington, Oct. 8. FCC examiner Sam Miller will reopen the Chicago FM hearing at a special session here Saturday (12) to permit Maurice Lynch, WCFL manager, to testify on new program policies of the AFL station. The AFL will assure FCC that hereafter i t will make time available for con - troversial issues, a practice not fol- lowed in the past. At the same time, the Drovers Journal Publishing Co., one of the dozen bidders for a Windy City FM slot, has petitioned FCC to set aside its September 19 grant of a metro- politan FM outlet to WJOB, in near- by Hammond, Ind. Drovers says the. Chicago applicants were told that Hammond's two metropolitan chan- nels had been reallocated to Chi- cago, and therefore WJOB should be considered in the same hearing as bidders for the big city. With the grant to Hammond. 12 Chicago applicants are now bidding for only eight remaining channels, instead of nine as they exp'ected; /WE'RE ALL PACKED .REGGIE CONSISTENT AUDIENCE?....THE ''1280 CLUB" SHOW HAS 27,000 REGISTERED MEMBERS.... wov S "12110 CLtjil^* program ctijoya on« of targeal metro, pftlllaa fvening audiencM liaicniog lo »ny New York indepetident •Uliaa baw««t the Hooper ;«liMking houn of 6:30 and 9:00 p.n. And wfaM i> noni , ' . Ilia "1280 CLUB" wllh !e7,000 regiXixed' memberi delivery'|hi> lirfral average andienee al the ktweat coal jier tidener. A frw parliripaliog |Mri»dii are available, thll'^N! or aii JlighiB a weelE. ' ,«Ali'H k,V/CIU G«.i.ial M(it;i.a« '; ■ ; JOWN ». f6AI(SOH, !:Cl.,NoiH«p, Flacks Hal'Davis and Virginia Travers, of Kenyon & Eckhardt and Compton agencies; respectively, look Daily News radio ed Ben Gross with them to Philadelphia last w"eek (3)-to. cover Tom Breneman's "Breakfast In Hollywood," which originated from Philly for one time as part ol the Bulletin's charity drive. Now they hope that Gross doesn't get a chanc» at reviewing any of their shows until his wounds have healed. They missed train reservations, were snafued on hotel accommodations, finally got Gro.ss a room at the Bellevue-Stratford. Then a fire broke out in one part of the hotel. Gross" room was made the press roorn by local reporters and photogs. Finally, thejt got to the broadcast—late—and almost got pinched for trying to buck a crowd of 5,000. Outside of that, it was a successful party. National Father's Day Gbmmittee, already working on next year's setup, are dickering for several shows of the transcribed "Famous Fathers" series put out by Kermit-Raymond Caxp. Shows will have to be re-recorded for the purpose. One of the programs will be a combination of highspots from several shows representing some of the fathers who've since died, such as Otis Skinner, Colv Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., and Jimmy Johnston, for a 15-minute nostalgic piece. Platters will be used on about 1,000 stations from May 15 to June 15, "Famous Fathers" series was originally produced in 1940 and continued active through 1944, for one of diskdom's top moneymakers. Show racked up over $300,000 gross for 26 quarter-hour programs, on one occasion. A.side from extra fees to be paid to AFRA, Father's Day purchase means that much more gravy. Tribute to success of 'Veterans Administration's first 13-week disk series —"Here's To Veterans!"—is factf«>that many stations throughout the coun- try have already booked the second "Here's to Vets" series which begins in November. Joseph L; Brechner, director of VA's radio service, said that 721 stations are now carrying the 15-minute platters. Disks now in usa feature top-name network talent, regularly heard on "Hit Parade," "Kay Kyser" and other high-Hooper show.s, with brief me.ssage on vet benefits introduced at beginning and end of the entertainment. Shows in the new series, .starting Nov. 1, each a capsule version of the regular network offering, are Meredith Willsion, Tommy Dorsey, Wayna King; Evening With Romberg, Dick Haymes, Contented Hour, Chicago Theatre of the Air, Howard Barlow, American Melody Hour, Jack Smith, American Album of Familiar Music, and Frank Morgan, Forty-nine stars and 12 bands will be featured. , ; Smart stunt with a wire recorder was chalked up in Washington last week by WTOP, the CBS-owned clear channel outlet. With the quarterly report of John Stee.Iman, the Reconversion Director, due out on Thurs- day (3) the station cornered Steelman the evening before and got a per- sonal report from him on the wire. Next morning, as the report Was re- leased, WTOP immediately went on the air with the recording—a clean beat for the station. Sponsor Scouts Talent Unusual twist of emcee on one program being sponsor on another is case of Hunt Stromberg, Jr., "boy" producer of two Broadway legit hits, "Red Mill" and "The Front Page." Stromberg starts a new program on WOR, N. Y,, tomorraw (Thurs,) night, 10:15 to 10:30 p.m., titled "Scout- About Town," in which he will introduce weekly new, profes- sional talent he finds in New York. First one is Monica Lewis, nitery singer. Sylvan Levin's orchestra assists. Stromberg is sponsor of spot an- nouncements for hiS; two shows on the Barry Gray (WOR) program, running three one-minute live an- nouncements for each show nightly, seven nights a week. "HIRES TO YA* FOR SECOND YEAR HIRES SUNDAY PARTY ARC, COAST-TO-COAST ]