Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

6 delivered by RCA so far, and Nasman insists he's making haste slowly because he must start with "perfect" picture. After tests this week under variety of conditions, including network pickups, he's finally satisfied. "We have a terrific lineup of sponsors," he says, showing us the list, "but I'm bound to lose a few unless we get going soon." WFMJ-TV will be an NBC "must". Staff has been "dryrunning" local shows for a month, while engineers probed transmitter's innards, and should have hard time explaining away any flubs. Station is starting out by moving in on its AM-FM facilities — in both studios and transmitter house. New $500,000 building and 1000-ft. tower are planned. "If Channel 73 turns out to give less fill-in than the lower channels," Nasman says, "the 1000-ft. tower will more than make up for it." Owned by Youngstown Vindicator, only paper in town, station has excellent promotion backing, will go all-out when it begins telecasting. Transmitter is located only about a mile from WKBN-IV's, minimizing problem of orienting receiver antennas. WUTV is still hunting site, has sought land nearby and has discussed with WKBN-TV and Truscon engineers the possibility of putting its antenna on WKBN-TV' s tower, side-by-side with the WKBN-TV antenna in "candelabra" arrangement. If permanent site isn't found soon, WUTV will erect temporary antenna on tall building downtown. Personal Notes: Gustav B. Margraf, NBC v.p. & gen. attorney, named v.p. in charge of talent & program administration, reporting to program dept. v.p. Charles C. Barry; Thomas E. Erwin appointed v.p. & gen. attorney . . . Fred Shawn appointed NBC director of program administration, reporting to Mr. Margraf, as will Hal Kemp, mgr. of talent office. John Ray el promoted to TV program mgr., reporting to Tom McAvity, national program mgr.; Rayel succeeds Carl Stanton, now director of film div. . . . Wm. P. Robinson, Crosley Broadcasting Corp. v.p., appointed gen. mgr. of its WLWA, Atlanta (formerly WLTV), succeeding Wm. T. Lane, who had agreed to stay until all details of transfer from old owners were completed . . . George W. Fuerst, ex-ABC, named NBC-TV Spot Sales rep in San Francisco, succeeding Cai-1 Nielsen, resigned . . . Paul A. Walker, FCC chairman, honored as 50-year member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Founder’s Day dinner in Washington March 7 . . . Gordon W. Olive, veteran director of engineering, Canadian Broadcasting Corp., retires from CBC at end of month, presumably will be succeeded by his asst. W. G. Richardson . . . William M. Materne, ex-spot sales mgr. of ABC-owned radio stations, appointed sales mgr. for both TV & radio stations . . . David H. Hedley, ex-adv. promotion mgr., Cosmopolitan Magazine, appointed mgr. of sales presentations, NBC adv. & promotion dept., reporting to v.p. Jacob A. Evans . . . Samuel Goldwyn Jr., just out of Army, joins CBS-TV as producer in new & public affairs dept. . . . Howard O. Peterson, sales v.p. of KMTV, Omaha, has resigned to become gen. mgr. of new KTVH, Hutchinson, Kan. (Ch. 12), succeeded at KMTV by Arden Swisher, ex-WNAX & KOIL . . . Van Beuren DeVries, ex-WMAL-TV, Washington, to be program director of new KRTV, Little Rock, Ark. (Ch. 17) due on air in April (Vol. 9:5) . . . Spurgeon (Spud) Chandler, ex-Yankees pitching star, who retired from playing in 1947 and quit recently as Yankee scout, named sports director of WSB-TV, Atlanta . . . Everett Holies, staff commentator, named director of MBS Washington operations, succeeding Hollis Seavey, now heading Clear Channel Broadcasting Service . . . John Bates named TVradio director, Lambert & Feasley . . . George McGovern. ex-NBC director of sales development, named director of research, Wm. Esty Co. American Women in Radio & Television Inc. (Doris Corwith, NBC, president) holds 1953 convention in Atlanta Biltmore Hotel, April 30-May 3. Network TV-Radio Billings January 1953 and January 1952 (For December reports see Television Digest, Vol. 9:5) NETWORK TV billings were $17,447,905 for first month of 1953, reports Publishers Information Bureau, up from $15,071,559 in January 1952. CBS-TV nudged within $200,000 of NBC-TV, threatening latter for top place for first time. All-time TV high was $17,462,216 for December 1952 (Vol. 9:5). Network radio held reasonably firm in January, totaling $13,873,362 vs. $14,925,095 in December and $14,519,511 in January 1952. CBS as usual led in radio billings — nearly $1,000,000 ahead of NBC. The complete PIB tables: NETWORK TELEVISION Jan. 1953 Jan. 1952 NBC $ 7,521,553 $ 7,259,307 CBS 7,321,386 5,074,643 ABC ... 1,604.892 2,020,461 DuMont _ 1,000,074 717,148 NETWORK RADIO Jan. 1953 Jan. 1952 CBS $ 5,157,346 $ 5,161,397 NBC 4,260,555 4.357,353 ABC 2,669.327 3,301,479 MBS 1,786,134 1,699,282 Total ... $17,447,905 $15,071,559 Total $13,873,362 $14,519,511 Note: These figures do not represent actual revenues to the networks, which do not divulge their actual net dollar Incomes. They’re compiled by PIB on basis of one-time network rates, or before frequency or cash discounts. Therefore, In terms of dollars actually paid to networks they may be Inflated by as much as 40%. Figures are accepted by networks themselves, however, and by the Industry generally, as satisfactory Index of comparisons & trends Joseph G. Csida, editor of Billboard Magazine, onetime RCA record div. executive, has resigned effective March 20 to become v.p. & gen. mgr of the 4 music publishing firms controlled by George & Eddie Joy, namely, Santly-Joy, Oxford, Hawthorne (all ASCAP) and Trinity (BMI). He will also handle talent management. New offices are at 1619 Broadway, New York. Roger Littleford, co-publisher of Billboard, becomes acting managing editor. Kingsley H. Murphy, 68, onetime publisher of the Minneapolis Tribune and a member of the board of Minneapolis Star and Tribune Co. (Cowles), died at his home in Minneapolis March 4. He owned KSO, Des Moines, at one time controlled WTCN, at time of death held interlocking stock interests in "WCCO & WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, along with Ridder newspapers and CBS. Quiz of FCC by House Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee, started Feb. 20 (Vol. 9:8), resumes March 12.