Radio: Percentage of Box Office

When Chase and Sanborn early this year cut their expensive, expansive, one-hour variety show with Charlie McCarthy to 30 minutes and still kept its drawing power, they started something. Onto the chopping block last week went Bristol-Myers’ wry-face Comedian Fred Allen; others will probably follow him at expiration of their contracts. Allen refused to pare his Town Hall to half its former length; looked around for a new backer.

Into his place hopped popeyed Eddie Cantor, signed a contract that was something new in the big time.

In the heyday of vaudeville two types of acts got a percentage of the box office—those that were so uncertain nobody wanted to pay them much, and those that were good enough to draw crowds. Nearest thing radio has to a box office is telephone-polling Cooperative Analysis of Broadcasting (Crossley) surveys. Comic Cantor’s pay, based upon his C. A. B.

rating, will fluctuate with his audience. He will get a minimum of $10,000 per week for his whole show, will receive some $200 for each point he can add over a base rating of 20, equal to a $40,000 bonus if he averages 25 points or more for the 39 weeks of the season.