Variety (Jan 1948)

40 RADIO Wednesdny, Jaiiaary 14, 194S ILGWU in Five-Way Spread on 11 As $100,000 Hub Station Gets Set Boston, Jan, 13. •t- International Ladies Garment Workers Union passed paipers on its $315,000 building tor Its Union Health Center this week and an> npunced its FM outlet here would follow Ghattanooga on the «ir before thi end of 1948. The Tennessee station is skedded for a March debut, with other union FM-ers to be lo- cated in St. Louis, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Union still hasn't got FCC clearance on its New York plans. - Union picked !;up its FM channel In 1946, when it Was granted one- of the eight slots " here. AH the eight local stations applied along with the ILGWU^ but WXEX was denied. Union, according to Fred- crick F. Umhey, exec sec of UjGWU, considered making a bid for WORL last year, but thumbed it- down to t>ur5ue its own FM plans. These include distributing special FM sets sold at cost to union mem- bers in order to insure a local audi- ence. No figures are available on current numbers of FM sets in op- eration in the vicinity, but con- sensus is that 10,000 would be over- estimating. Recent supply of porta- : ble FM tuners on market 1$ going well, but is only a Atop in the AM , bucket. According to Umhey, ILGWU has no plaiis to turn its FMers into a web, even if the FCC does grant a N. Y. franchise. N. Y., with its more than 200,000 ILGWU members, is the spot the union wants most, and looks to the current rehearing for a break in the long Paily. News- Methodist Gihimsh deadlock. Local stfttlon, to be located on top floor of the-Harrison ave. property acquired from the Mass. General Hospital, amounts to about a $100,- 000 investment, including a 400-foot tower planned for Medford Hillside. Broadcast. plans call for commer- cials with a lot of ^public service typeprogttkinS) forums, classical mu- sic, disk «hows, etc., but no local staff has so far been set up. Techni- cal equipment is RCA with 20,000 watts, and engineers are listed as • Raymond'Wilmotte, Inc., and Paul DeMars, with Stanley Davidson as architect and Morris Novik as ILGWU radio consultant. The Health Center,, servicing the 12,000 local union members, plus an additional 12,000 In th<e Boston area, follow.the lines of the N. Y, Center. Total investment comes close to $450,000. New Leap Year Look Philadelphia, Jan. 13. The Leap Year "gimmicks" get oil to a flying start in Philly this month. One of the ladies in attendance at the "Breakfast at the Click" show, conducted by Leroy Miller, will win herself a real, live, handsome escort, all done up in cellophane, when, the show is broadcast Jan. 17. The "prize"^one of the town's best-lookmg male models—will be on exhibition during the broadcast. Tiie winner will have the "hunk of man" as escort forv, a tour of the city, dinner, a show and dancing. Miller will pick the winner from the studio audience. Anybody Wanna J(Hn a Network? Network execs in New York cocked a skeptical eye this week at Information forwarded to them by atfiliates concerning the overtures Of a new "network" called Radio America, Inc., witb headquarters in Denver. An unsigned letter received by stations from KAI stated: "If you are, or are not, on a national net- work. Radio America, Inc., a new network, offers you the opportunity to increase your income. Badio America, Inc., offers: 1. All lines, loops and installations at no cost to you. 2. 18 hours daily of programs written and played by people of 'distinction' in radio. 3. One cost oaly and no hidden charges or off- sets. 4, No vicious time clearing agreement that causes you to lose local advertisers. You clear four hours at the start, thereafter you clear at your discretion. 5. We pay your full rate card, less agency and station representative commission, for national commercials in excess of the four howes. 6. At the end of each year we divide our profit, be- fore taxes, injto two e(iutl parts and return one-half to the stations on a pro-rated, hourly basis for national commercials carried . . ." One station informed the web to which it is affiliated that the phone number on the RAI letterhead turned out to be the Newhouse hotel In Denver andjhat the station was plugged through to a man who iden^ tified himself as Paul Titus, formerly with the Southwest Network and other regional webs. The station re- ported Titus told them BAI was be- ing financed by "a large brokerage house in the east," that seven hours' time had already been "committed to large national advertisers" and that 208 stations already were "committed" for RAI proglrams. Shoppers Get Own Airer In Mempliis Try Memphis, Jan. 13. Something new in advertising- merchandising, a broadcast, beamed direct to the shippers in a particu- lar chain of ctores, took to the air over WDIA; Memphis yesterday. Called "Beam-LineiSelling," the plan was worked out hy Bill "Frot- ter, formerly of WREC and KWEM, and Ernest Cummings, ad agency exec, with Frank A. Gaia, president of the Weona Food Stores in Mem- phis and Shelby County^ Twice daily, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., WDIA broadcasts an hour-long pro- gram direct to shoppers in Weona's 140 groceries and markets, with each quarter-hpuE sold to co-sponsor ad- vertisers of various brands handled in the stores. Each store is equipped with a specially-designed radio which locks on the WDIA wavelength for the full hour, automatic time clocks turning it on at the time of the pro- gram and off at the' finish. . Entertainment is composed of re- cordings of top tunes as shown in the various polls—'but no. classic music, hillbilly stuflE or torrid' jive. Just the nicer pops that please the averaga housewife' customer. Back- ers figure average of at least 50 cus- tomers per store will hear portions of each hour broadcast, a guaranteed listening audience of at least 14,000 actual shoppers per day at the very moment of their presence in the store, not to mention . the normal tuner-iners at home and elsewhere Who will&lso bfe heariiig the Weoha plugs. Frank J. *Ke:egan,. director of the Memphis School of Radio Broad- casting, -is acting as master-of-cere- monies for the programs, which have been copyrighted by Radio In- stitutional Advertising, Inc., of Memphis. ^ Stunt is set for one year and is be- lieved to be the largest deal for rai^o hours ever contracted for in Memphis radio ■ circles—more than 600 hours per year. Of Gimmicks Is WOR's '48 Programming Motif WOB, N.Y., has decided that block programming's the thing. And that personalities are a better bet than gimmicks in winning and holding listeners. In line with this new tack in program department thinking, the station is about to turn over its first 1948 leaf by thoroughly overhauling weekday afternoon schedules. The accent, while different, won't be anything new or revolutionary, all of the shows being blueprinted for early cross-the-board intros being of the audience-participation quiz category. In the lineup is a new muscal quiz emceed by John Gambling, replacing his "Rambling" gab stint; "Movie Matmee," from the stage of the Palace Theatre on Broadway, with Florence. Pritchett or Johnny Olsen as emcee; Prince and Princess," described IS a "junior Queen for a Day" for teenagers; "Nickel a Name," a jackpot idea which Phil Tonken may emcee. AU would be ^0-minute five-a-weekets. Also in prospfict for the new af- ternooit sequence is af least a 15- minute pickup of Martin Block's Mutual disk stanza, clearance to carry his Krel-sponsored stint hav- ing finally been granted by WNEW, N.Y. indie. No definite time slots or starting dates have been set for any of the shows, but it's expected-they will be preemed within a few weeks. Also hot yet determined, according to WOR programmers; is just what current WOR or Mutual airers will be knocked to open time for the new lineupi . ■ From the ProAiction Centres CP Transfo: (hi M Faces Test Question of whether a construction permit for an FM station may be sold by the holder to another party has been posed'by the application of the New Bocliclle Broadcastmg Service, ■ Inc. (originally the Brook- lyn Broadcasting Service) of New Rochelle, Y., to the FCC for per- mission to transfer its CP to Jv^ian H. Gins of Great Neck, N. Y. CP's being greatly in demand, par- ticularly in the N. Y. area, the com- mission's action on the case' will be watched closMy. The New Rochelle outfit, owned by Edgar Sandford and Lawrence Goldring of Brooklyn, received a conditional grant for FM station WGNR in November, 1946. Last year a final construction permit was granted. No construction has yet been started, however. The holders propose to transfer their CP to Gins, who is secretary and part owner of Julienne Sports- wear, N. Y„ . for $6,000, which, it's said, would cover out-of-pocicet ex- penses. The consideration involves only the FCC authorization and a lease for the station site, but no equipment or other facilities. Phaiy'sWFILNowHasA 4-Way Spread—Tele, AM, FM, Facsimile Philadelphia,- Jan. 13. With inauguration on facsimile newspaper service on a regular daily schedule, WFIL last week became the first station in the country to offer four-way service, operating on all,four broadcasting media of ampli- tude modulation, frequency modula- •tion, television and facsimile T'spro- duction. Meanwhile, station officials said a new building will be completed Within a few weeks to house all of WPIL's television facilities, the first unit built exclusively for video in the country. WCAU also amiouMC-ed the Phila- delphia Evening Bulletin's facsimile, this city's first regularly scheduled daily facsimile service, which went into operation May, 1947, will in- crease its power to 10 KW next month when the WCAU-FM trans- mitter begins operation. Travel Agcy. Gets Religion In New Spot Campaip station reps last, week encountered one of those things rare in spot broadcasting, an account that wants to buy anno'uncements following a religious program. Account in this instance is a travel agency, Land, Sea & Air, .which speciattses in trips to Rome and the Vatican. Preference asked by the account's agency, French & Preston, was for spbts after Catholic programs in such communities as Boston, St. Louis, Detroit, Buffalo, Chicago and Cleveland. fiV NEW YORK CtTV ... Mutual prexy Edgar Kobak out calling on Carolina' and Georgia af- filiates. And program veepee Phil Carlin to the Coast for web huddles,.,. . ABC prez Mark Woods hosted toppers of Farnsworth Tele,*; Radio, the Met Opera Assn. and Warwick & Legler at the Sherry Netherlands follow- ing "Auditions of the Air" preem Schuyler Chapin moved out of NBC's Intern'l division to direct WNBC's "Salutes" to neighboring cities Sara Welles, wife of WNEW flack Bert Briller, has penned a piece for Madam- oiselle mag called "Two In a Bed"... .Robert Saudek getting double hand- shakes, with birth of a, daughter (his fourth child) coinciding with his elevation to ABC veepee of public affairs... .General Motors publishing pocket-piece reprints of Henry J. Taylor's airditorials. . NBC Tele squeezing in office space in ABC's 2nd floor lobby at Rock Center Mutual's Elsie Dick to address the Fairfield; Conn., PTA Friday (14) on "Backstage in Radio",-.. .Ray Morgan, packager of "Queen for a Day," "Heart's Desire," etc., around town for 10 days.',. .Janet (Corliss Archer) Waldo due in Jan, 26 from the Coast for a week of show-going between broadcasts... .Abe Schechter bedded by grippe. .. .Ted Pearson, veteran spieler, tabbed for the narrator's spot on duPont's "Cavalcade" Rosemary Rice into a running role in "Song of the Stranger"?,. .William Wise publishing house bankrolling a new Saturday afternoon "Record Handyman" disk show with Dick Dudley on WNBC—Russell Maloney no longer identified with the scripting dept. of Fred Allen's show. Freelance director Ed Downes out,of Norwalk hospital after recovering from second-degree burns suffered in explosion of gasoline-soaked rubbish ... .Leona Powers and Frank Thomas, Sr., into the "Young Widder Brown" cast. Helen Carewe and Guy Sorel with "Rose of My Dreams." Muriel Starr new to "Our Gal Sunday." William Lynn added to "Lorenzo Jones" roster Mutual looking at a package with Wendy Barrie, David* Ross, Max SChulman and Eddie Dunn in a panel which atttempts to fill out in- completed limericks submitted by the audience... .WOR'S Eugene Thomas billed as chief speaker at a N. Y. City Hall ceremony next Sunday (16) marking Benjamin Franklin's birthday. Stanley Silverman, assistant publicity director of the United Jewish Appeal in N. Y., hit the jackpot this week as a scripter. CBS used one of his pieces for its "Liberty Road" stanza Monday (12).• Tonight (Wed.) Silverman's scripts will be aired on CBS' "March of Science" and NBC's "Big Story",.. .Wendell Noble shifted his Kaiser-Frazer "Newscope" show "from Hollywood to Washington starting last night (Tues.) to intro inter- views with Congressional biggies. Stanza, incidentally, is-in the midst of a $135,000 prize contest, top giveaways being the sponsor's cars.... Ogden Kn»p^ has checked out of MCA and'has moved into Foote, Cone & BeldSng's radio dept. on the American Tobacco account. Bea Wain and Andre Baruch,-co-chairmen of the "disk jockey division" for the 1048 March of Dimes, have waxed instructions to all fellow platter spinners for plugging the drive. Dislcs are being shipped to all stations.... Agent Ted Lloyd has tied up with Feldman-Blum, Coast talent outfit Mutual shifting Alan Lomax's folksong session to».Sundays at 1:30 and "Hospitality Club" to Saturdays at 4:30... .NBC newsgabber John MacVane elected head of standing committee of U.S. broadcasters at the UN .. Ezra Stone'directing a legiter, "Molly & Me," in rehearsal for a Philly tryout next iacnith.,..Henry Morgan, who's been on a fishing trip'in Florida as guest of Richard Porter, veepee of Roche, Williams & Cleary agency, hops back to N.Y. timwrrow (Thurs.) night to guest-narrate ABC's "Candid Microphone." m HOLLjwooD .;. . For long years BUI Boyd, cinema's "Hopalong Cassidy," has resisted the tempting lure of radio. Don SUarpe an'd Chuck Koren finally'talked him into it and now he'i being offered around as a package western after getting,-a trial spin on KFWB's Preview Theatre of the Air George Travell, former stage actor and director, will be the master of the cue on the televising of the first show out of the Orsattl agency Arlene Osraan, Who columns "Just In the Family" for-the Pasadena Independent, is now airing it for an automotive service on KWKW in the Rose Bowl City Boh Coleson went for a second'Cutting at the infirmary but should be up and around in a w«ek.,. .Two of Standard Briandjs^ Coast shows drew new commercials due to shift of Fred Allen to Ford. Chase & Sanborn and Blue Bonnet margarine rides with "One Man's Family" and the Charlie Mc- Carthy Show drew Tenderleaf Tea and Royal Pudding... .Rexall is now underwriting two "strip artists" on KNX, having bought the six-a-week newscast of Nelson Pringle. Their other entry is Tom .Hanlon, who deals in sports... .State of Idaho has bought station breaks and announcements on KNX to plug its famous spuds....The weather being what it was last week through the midwest and back east, ABC's shipment of recordings of the GrOucho Marx and Abbott and Gostello shows failed to get through in time for the scheduled airings so the net gave the platters a i-ide from here. - « First to rush to Jimmy Durante's aid' when he was hospitalized for surgery was his old side Itick, Garry Moore. So when Sir Jeems couldn't make the Kansas City kick-off of March of Dimes, "his boy" hopped a plane to pinch hit on the big show Harlow Wilcox, one^of radio's top sales stimulators, has turned seriously to television and got himself named head of a new department of Rockett Pictures, which will turn out video subjects. He came to radio from the stage and has applied himself dili- gently to tele for the past few years,.. Edgar Bergen will go trouping through the south yrith his air gang through most of February, timing his New Orleans call for the Mardi Gras. They'll also put in at Houston and Dallas before turning for home.. ; .Robert Taylor rides the Fitch Band- wagon with Alice Faye while Phil Harris is in Denver with Jack Benny to tilt the lid' on the March of Dimes TJrive... .Ed Helwick's heW-bOTn Was an eight-pound boy, which will give him new inspiration in pounding out scripts for J. Walter Thompson shows... .Ralph Edwards went for an "outside" tieup to sweeten -the loot for the wiriner of "The Walking Man" contest and accepted from Hal Wallis a sound projector, screen and year's rental of films in return for a few plugs for Wallis' upcoming film, "I Walk Alone". ABC Ups Ted Oberfelder Theodore I. Oberfelder stepped up from assistant to director of ABC's advertising and promotion last week in the wake of Ivor Kenway's eleva- tion to veepee over these depart- ments as well as research. Oberfelder^ who joined the web nearly two years ago, is an old hand in the ad-promotion field. He started 20 years ago with Lennen & Mitchell as a copywriter, went to Hearst Radio as promotion director in 1934, then in 1937 to the Phila- delphia Inquirer in the s'ame capacity. Later he held similar jobs With WCAU and WFCL, botlt to PhUly. IN CHICAGO ... Annette King chirping on "Breakfast Club" while Patsy Lee recovers from recent attack of virus pneumonia Fahey Flynn, WBBM spieler, weds Mary Baker in Zahesville, Jmi. 17....John McPartlin will handle tele national spot sales in NBC's central division . .Dick Larkin nbw stafll larking for WIND,...Bud Billiken award was pimie4 °» Mutual's "Hos- pitality Club" when it originated here last Sat. (10)' i . .feruce Macfarlane, son of the late W. E. Macfarlane who biz managed the Chi Trib, has joined WGN's news staff—Two Ton Baker, up and about after bout with pneumonia, vacations in Arizona the rest of January Shows moving in for visits include "Theatre Guild" (18), "Queen For a Day" (19-23), and "Lum 'n' Abner" (19-22 and 26-29)... .Disk jock Dave Garroway and Sun columnist Dale Harrison exchanghig rounds of bona fide potshots via their respective media....Margaret Jancovich is latest addition to Mutual's traffic dept—Radio ed Uimer Turner has launched new tele show, "People in the News," on WBKB. "Calling All Detectives" jackpot of $825 was won last week by the daughter, of Prank Finn, member of Chi detective force... .Clark Dennis subs on "Breakfast Club" while Jack Owens vacations in Honolulu next month When recent blizzard disrupted Mutual lines to KROS and KHMO the stations continued to broadcast web fare by recording WON programs,.. .Beatrice Ann Gehrung, WTMJ scripter, and Delwyn Schubert of Manitowoc, Wis., have set a June wedding date.