Variety (Oct 1948)

32 BADIO Wednesday, Octolicr 6, 1948 Seattle Production at All-Time Low; Bad Sales Picture Affects Programs Seattle, Oct. 5, • Local, live radio production here Js now at an all-time low, having slipped there gradually in the past year and a half. Radio executives give two reasons for the present situation. One is expectation of heavy expense when station's in- augurate television here. Other is the more competitive market for the advertising dollar both among radio stations and with ■ competing media. The picture for talent here Is pretty gloomy but sales for the fall and winter season, particularly among freelancers and independent • producers, are much better than ■a year, ago,; so situation is expected to get better rather than worse. ■Program departments certainly aren't to blame' for the lack of live shows because every station in town has good shows on wax or in script form waiting to be sold. - Sales departments can take the blame, but it: isn't because they aren't trying. Never has the mar- ket here been so demanding and cautious so if the boys on the street wrap up more contracts for tran- scribed shows or newscasts it's chiefly because the sponsors shy from any live talent costs. . Advertising's Uphill Fight • Another damping effect on sales, according to the .sales managers, is that adverti.sers in this area have never been conscious of the neces- sity to put money into radio it they want to achieve resuljs. It's ah uphill, fight all the way, say the .contract getters. Effect of low sales picture na- turally has its elTect on program- ming and ease of using network feeds and/or transcribed package shows presents an easy out that is latched on too often perhaps. An- other charge leveled at local sta- tions by critics is that they'll go all out on a local production and ; build it up with talent and publici- ! ty, then drop it completely before j the show has a cliance to build an I audience. ; Televiision picture here probably I won't be clarified for a year or so. I First and only license is held by 1 KUSC (Radio Sales Corp.) which hopes to be on the air with test patterns by November and ' with a weekly schedule a month later. There are six applicants for other i three available channels, among ■which are three network outlets i and one indie station here. These stations. know that when and if they get video licenses they will be faced with heavy, expense and if they can go into the new medium ■ with some surplus, the going will be easier. Low ebb of radio production is not out of line with other branches of show biz here. There is no vaude; niteries are virtually nil, and dance band business is lowest ! it's been for many years. Hope all i around is that coming fall and i winter season will bring hypo in all lines. Morrissey's 50G Suit Vs. Hope, Durante Skit A "Brooklylii USA,'" skit Which I Bob Hope and Jimmy Durante did I on NBC last April 27, has brought ! on a $50,000 damage suit in the N. Y. federal court. Suit was filed last week by Will Morrissey, independent iilm produ- cer, who demands, in addition to the damages, an accounting of I gains and profits for alleged : in- I fringeraent of his rights to "Brook- ! lyn, USA," which he says was per- ■ formed on the aiv without his per- imission. I Defendants named are Hope, Du- ; rante, Hope Productions, NBC and ■ Lever Bros;, sponsor of the show. 5G Moppet Payoff Boston, Oct. 5. , A Hub moppet who accom- panied her mother to the "Give and Take" sliow beamed from WEEI .simply because her mother had no place to leave her, wound up with the show's $5,750 jackpot last week. - Helen Gallagher, 10, was asked what the secret noise was by m.c. John Reed King as a.joke -for the audience on hand to see the net show aired out of Boston. She promptly replied it was the noise of a pencil sharpner, and the stag- gered m.c. paid off. POWERS' BALTO SWITCH AFTER 11-YR. REIGN Baltimore, Oct. 5, Surprise switch here this week took Ralph Powers, 11-year early ayem fixture on WFBR to new (daytime only) outlet WBMD. A consistent topper on ratings for morning shows on WFBR, Powers has. built a big following with all the devices of the usual getter- uppers including disks, patter with a stooge, Phil "Creampufl" Crist, time, weather, news and personal items. Three-hour show titled "Morning in Marylandv' will be taken over by CJrist and his brother, Jim, now on station's announcer staff. New Powers airing will mm a four-hour stretch across the board and is claimed to hit a new high in local payoli for radio talent. ABC Balks at Admish For Giveaway Airer, So Conn. Gets Cuffo Show Bridgeport, Oct. 5. Booking of "Go for the House," ABC's John Reed King-ra. c.'d giveaway, Sunday l3) by Ritz balU room ran into legal snag which resulted in two performances. Program was originally skedded to be broadcast from Kitz ahead of Larry Green band date at $1.30 per, but network balked late last week at possibility of FCC banning prize broadcast with admission tab. It was then decided to stage a free session of the show at 4 p.m. Sun- day which was transcribed for the broadcast at the regular, 7 o'clock .time, and another paid perform- ance at night which did not go on the. air. Merchandise was given away botli times. i ■ The evening combination un- broadcast program and dance drew about 1,000, Which, was not profit- able to Ritz, according to Joseph R. Barry, operator. FCC RAPPED BY REES ^^^^^^^ Foi'ni^l protest against teiephohe calls on "Chesterfield Supper Club" to identify the mystery voice ha9 IjeeiJ iileS with N^^^ Procter & Gamt4^^^^^^^^i^ Mtisie Corp. bt Amei'i<^i ir^iiiresenting Ralph Ed- wards. Niles- Trammel], it's said, had assured the P & G agency; Comj^ton, that the stunt would not b^. permitted, but it \Vas used on last .Tuesday night's Jo Stafford program foK Chesterfield. Last season Trammel I prohibited voice riddles on "People Are Fun- ny" and reportedly: told Edwards that his device of personality clues and calls on long distance tele- phone would be protected. Ches- terfield device calls for out-of- lowns off stage, but this is claimed to be a- subterfuge to avoid direct conflict with the: Edwards stunt on his current "Mr. and Mrs. Hush" ; contest. .. . -'■'"■■v:. „_ . _..-,,*.—/, I Chesterfield stunt calls for iden- FflR flfC Tfl ATHFISTSl^'fi'^al'o" a Aim star s voice cut run lU ilinEIiJiaji„ ^^^^ program, with awards Wasliington, Oct. 5. lof bonds and $1,000 contribution to FGC's decision protecting the | Motion Picture Clinic. Winners of Students' Experimental Station Minneapolis, Oct. 5. WCMU, student-operated radio station, has permit to broadcast on experimental basis to Univ. of Min- nesota residence building, after summer trial. ■ Kids interested In raiiio me- chanics do the work. Present broadcasts are music; 7 to 11 p.m;, Monday through Friday. WTI6 dominateslie |id Paul W. Mortncy, Vke-Prct.—G«n. Mqr. Wal»tr Johnion, Attlttant Gcm. Mgr^Slt. Mgr. WTtC'f 50,000 wofti r«prci«nled RAllonally by Wted * Cm. right of atheists to use of the radio i.s "ambiguous" and needs to be clarified, according to Rep. Edward H. Rees (R. Kan.). The Congress- man asserts that the Commission ruling allowing atheists broadcast facilities, is a misinterpretation of the Constitutional guarantee of ; free speech. Rep. Rees attributes the Commis- sion ruling to "so-called 'liberal' I and left-wing minds in Washing- ■ ton" who cannot enter upon the ' radio i-egulatory field "without in- jcurring -the righteous anger of I every . God-fearing man, woman land child in the United States." j He declares the FCC ruling el.an?es the guarantee of "freedom '.of religion" to "freedom liom ; religion." I The licensing power of the Com- mi.s.^ion, he adds, "should not be used to grant radio time to athcr ists and others who are intent upon destroying -the institutions which have had such an important part in building our nation." a spell-down are rewarded by call- ing friends or relatives out. of town to identify the voice, which on the opener was Rita Hayworth.- Both MCA and P «t G contend that the phone calls and mystery voice are too close to the Edwards for- mat, a lift from the Edwards crea- tion, and are asking that'"Truth or Consequences" be given the same protection thatTrainmell accorded the show against the encroach- ment by "People Are Funny." Oboler Homing From Congo With 13 Tele Reels, 180 Hrs. Tape I Cape Town. ' Edi(or. Variety f I Here We are . in Capetown, wait- ing for .a ship to take us back after .all these months of safariing.; We hope to be back in New York I aroiiiid Oct. 15, which means this . little African jaunt has taken us taway from home almost eight ; « >r 1 • • D. •! i'liontlis. We're terrifically tired race leChniCian Mnke 'll'clastmo;nth intheCongorcally : iM'as a beating), but we've got 13 ,P"n«3P<*'fs. Oct. 5. ' reels of television piclui-e.s and Strike notice against five Twin have recorded almost 180 hours of Cities radio stations was filed by ;broadcast material. We've used up broadcasting ; tech-1 two Soundmirrors, a generator,; being in- | and two converters, and have b^en 5 Twin Cities Stations AFL radio nicians, 63 technicians volved. Notice was filed by Thomas Kachelinacher, union attorney, against WMIN, WTCN, WDGY, KSTP and WLOL. Kenneth Hance, vice president of KSTP and in the Belgian Congo, Ruanda Irundi, Kenya, Uganda, Portuguese East Africa, Mozambiciue,"Northern Rhodesia, Southern Rhodesia, Be- chuanaland. Orange Free State and the Cape Province. On tape and film we've got some of the aniraalSj. some of the some- of the kings and spokesman for station operators. said stal ions have been negotiating j soiiie of tliT natives 'with technicians in attempt to [settlers some of tl write a new contract. Present some of the excitement and''laugi]i two-year contract expired Sept. 30. i ter and music that is Africa Harry Hanson, state labor con 1 ciliator, said meetings between sta-, „„„„,,;^^^ „ , tion representatives and Local 1210 "'awlmg on my eyebrows law provides for 30-day cooling off ■ period between filing notice of in-]', tent to strike, and strike itself. Novv you cain understand why 1 am crawling; on my eyebrows. > I will be scheduled tliis week. State ,'j"^"' "if*- "f,!"'"' -^red Ziv nor IJohn oinn nor the Morns aijency nor niyself had the slightc;! Con- ception of the physical beating this trip would entail, but it's done, anri n ■• ioiCi i iand I think successfully. I believe Aol Kentmg 4Z(1 M. Annex ^l^^'j's enough excitement and ■ ATir- • <Y-.1 , , X, ■ 'good sense in what we're bringing ABC is getting off the hook this back to make both an exciting and month lor rental of conMdcrable , meaningful .series. By the time we annex ouicc space ai ii west 4j!d ,get back to New York we'll have street, N. Y AH of the web de-igone 36,Gfi0 miles; can you blame partments which had to be shunted i^e if, for a little while, I refuse ito this location because of over-!to raise my foot any hikher than the railing at a milk bar? ■ AreH Qboler. I crowding at Radio City headquar- Iters vvill be moved into the net's j new Television Center on 66th I street by Nov. 1. I Murray Grabhorn, vecpee over owned-androperated facilities (both AM and TV), will be the principal executive affected by the shift. De- partments at 42d street, besides O&O, include the WJZ, N. Y., staff, local, spot and co-op sales, and part of the ABC ad staff. WHPH^ Hub Baseball Rights Thru '50 Season Boston, Oct. 1. Broadcasting and televising rights for all home games of Hub's \ Brave$ and Red Sox have be€tn toutM... u I Tl ;signed by WHDH cairying through Pittsburgh—Carl Ide, quitting ' insn „„„ KDKA staff, has sold his school for season. The Atlantic Refining Co. radio announcers to George Held, local package producer and head of his own transcription plant. School was founded by Ide and Pierre Paulin, another KDKA spieler, and later operated alone by Ide when Paulin left town. Ide is heading for New York to free- lance, at the same time taking n part-time specialist job at WNJR, Jersey City, where he will do news and Narragansett Brewing Co. jointly .sponsor the broadcasts with Good- all-Sanford, Inc. joining thein in picking up tab for video. This season's video coverage of ball games was parcelled out, by WHDH to WNAC-TV and WBZ- "TV and unless WHDH's applica- tion for video Jianncl is okayed special events and an evening disk i same, arrangement may be ncccs' jockey show. isary next year.