Evening star., 1948-06-06

UEOduCdStClS . al Z ~ 3AAoAAAy AAAeSA SSeS~
in making a buck, an apology Is IN
order. If it will help any we will
resign in shame from our exclusive
after-shave club and forego the
opportunity to split cold bottle OF
bay rum with Lucius Beebe. We
will even learn the lyrics OF several
singing commercials and chant them
loudly on buses to fill the gap be-
tween now and the fulfillment OF
WWDCs dream of Capital Transit
Co. converted to FM.
Don't be ANNOYED at those
repeater COMMERCIALS. DON'T
be annoyed at those REPEATER
commercials. Don't be ANNOYED
at those repeater COMMERCIALS.
No. folks, don't be annoyed when a
radio announcer's words repeat and
repeat in your ear, night and day,
like the beat. beat, beat OF Cole
Porter's tom tom. He's not trying
to sell you anything. He's trying to
help you.
So that you, too. may be converted
and know the joy and contentment
of regarding a musical sales talk in
it's true light, we give you the
Standards of Practice of the Ma
tional Association of Broadcasters.
I'VE believe" says the Broad
casters Greed which serves as a
preface to the standards:
That we should exercise critical
and discerning judgment concerning
all broadcasting operations. to the
end that we may, intelligently and
sympathetically: '''
Contribute to the economic well
fare of all, by expanding the chan
nels of trade; by encouraging the
development and conservation Of
natural resources; and by bringing
together the buyer and seller
through the broadcasting of in
formation pertaining to goods and
services"
Now, don't snarl when the man
at the microphone tells you to get
up out Of that easy chair and go
to the drugstore RIGHT AWAY.
He's only trying to contribute to
your economic welfare.
X X
Radio, as a matter of fact, is off
on a wild binge of contributing to
listeners welfare more solidly than
merely by seeing that they buy the
proper pills and ointments. Variety,
the trade journal of show business,
has just played accountant for the
give-aWay shows and come up with
the startling information that $685.
600 in cash and merchandise is being
passed out weekly. That was the
figure as Of last Wednesday and it
may be even higher now. The way
to become a radio producer these
days is not to think up something
new in the way of entertainment,
but to devise a new system for
giving things away.
1t may or may not be imitation,
but program doesn't create much
Of stir II 1t settles down in a low
price bracket, giving away a puny
500, say, to every one in the studio
audience who has the wit to re-
member his own name or the good
fortune to be wearing shoes. The
mere listing Of the $4,000 in prizes
awaiting the listener who knows the
melody is Down in Alabam'" or
Amt Glad I Got Out de Wilder
ness" Is enough to lift stop the
Music" out Of the give-away class
and make 1t a hilarious comedy
show. The reading Of that list is
one Of radios most Historically RI
diculous moments.
The Columbia Broadcasting Sys-
tenn (Which is reported to have had
the first chance at stop the Music"
and turned 1t DOWN is leaping
heartily aboard the give-away band
wagon. The CHS version of "S.TM."
Is Sing 1t Again" (WTOP-Satur-
day, 9 PM, which awards 500 bills
to listeners who identify persons,
places or things described in special
lyrics to popular songs This one
has a jackpot. too, for naming the
owner Of a Phantom Voice." but it
was only 81 200 a week ago. That's
hardly worth the trouble of answer
ing the telephone. Some one might
call with $4,000 while the line is
busy.
Also new among the bank night
sessions is ABC's "Who Dun TIP"
(WMAL-Sunday, 4:30 pm), which
proves there are lot Of ways you
can give away money If you set
your mind to 1t. This one gives 1t
away for the naming of the villain
in simple mystery dramas and it also
has jackpot mystery. Another of
ABC's Santa Claus shows is GO
For the House" (WMAL-Wednes-
day, $50 pm.). This, as nearly as
we could determine, gives people
household furnishings for awhile
and then gives them a chance at
winning a house to put them in.
If they miss the first time, 1t seemed
to us, they get a chance to come
back next week and 60 for the house
again.
If broadcasting continue along this
path we're going to trade the radio
half Of our radio-phonograph in on
a set Of used Guy Lombardo albums.
\ II 4
Video Notes: Vaudeville, which
has been looking for some place
else to come back to since the night
club business fell apart after the
lush war years, may have found it.
1t is the opinion Of a number of
people in the television industry,
at any rate, that television is just
the place for vaudeville and vaude-
vile is just the thing for television.
The first major attempt to prove
this will take place Tuesday night
a 8 (via WNBW locally) when NBC
launches a gigantic variety show on
its Eastern network. Milton Berle
is to be the master of ceremonies.
The first of the major AM net
work shows to turn to simultaneous
television did so last Tuesday night
when I'VE, the People" was both
seen and heard over Obs, Accord