U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

HOMETOWN U.S.A. Station log ► News: The concept of radio editorializing using the talents of either the station's staff, responsible citizens in the community or the listeners themselves has been gaining impetus in the past few months. Among the many stations reporting their addition of this feature to their programming is KQBY San Francisco. Sherwood R. Gordon, president of Gordon Broadcasting and owner of KQBY, delivers the editorials himself. He states "Our approach to editorializing is based on our belief that the broadcast medium has a responsibility to stimulate thought on matters of community concern." WLOD Ft. Lauderdale has followed the trend by introducing its "Minitorials." KMOX St. Louis includes in its lineup a daily program entitled "Sounding Board," featuring different civic or business leaders who answer questions phoned in by listeners. A similar programming plan has been reported by WTOP Washington, entitled "Opinion Please." Volatile topics such as crowded court dockets, crowded hospitals and segregation have led to the creation of a one-hour broadcast series carried by station WMCA New York. Radio editorialists have been honored recently with a number of awards. Reporter Dick Blumenshine of WOOD Grand Rapids was honored by the Radio and Television News Directors Association, according to the station, for presenting his editorial series "The Wasted World," a discussion of Grand Rapids' skid row. Another award winner for editorializing on the air was Carl de Suze, WBZ Boston. The New Hampshire Council on World Affairs awarded Mr. de Suze the Annual World Affairs Citation for his broadcasts on world affairs. A continuous news service has been reported by WfS Columbia, U. S. RADIO • January 1961 S. C. The WIS "Radio Newsreel" service is produced in 15 minute blocks, each with live minutes oi world news from NBC and 10 minutes of local news, spoils and weather. Listeners <.m tune in anytime from 10 p.m. to midnighi Monday through Friday and hear a newscast within 15 minutes. ► Programming: A new idea in audience participation programming has gathered some momentum over the past few months as stations have picked up the "sing along" format. Based on the "Sing Along" type of recordings made popular by Mitch Miller, the program depends on audience participation. Listeners who wish to participate send their names and phone numbers to the station. 11 they are called by the station and can sing the lyric to the recording on the air, they receive a prize. WEBR Buffalo, one of the first stations to use the "sing along" format, devotes its entire programming structure to the theme. In the program's promotion, WEBR prepared a newspaper tabloid section that carried lyrics to 200 songs which listeners can use if and when they are called. Othei pi omotion m hemes include taped station ID promos l>\ Mitch Milk i and Les Paul and Mar) Ford. Six "sing along" numbers aie played on the air each hour. WABC New York used the "sing along" format for two days; othei stations applying the format to cither programming or promotion are WMNI Columbus and WMIL Milwaukei . ► Public Service: Four Chattanooga stations, WAPO, WDEF, WDOD and WDXB last month banded together for an "intra-city network program" to help sell Christinas seals. Disc jockevs programmed music alternately in 15minute segments, using public service ET's and spots provided by the Hamilton County Tuberculosis Association. Transcriptions featured the voices of local people speaking for the drive. Fact sheets provided by the association listed such facts as "84 percent of the money collected stays here," and "you got your Christmas Seals in mail today . . . mail back tomorrow." Stations cut in and out of each segment with the cue "This is Intra City T.B. Network." • • • CALIFORNIA BROADCASTERS ASSOC. elected new officers and directors at annual meeting held in Fresno. Back row (I. to r.): Ellsworth Peck, District 3 Director (KWIP Merced); William E. Goetze, outgoing president and ex-officio member of the 1961 Board (KFSD San Diego); Hugh Turner, District 2 Director (KTIM San Rafael); M. F. Woodling, District I Director (KHSL-TV Chico). Front (I. to r.): Alan Lisser, re-electee vice-president for radio (KWIZ Santa Ana); Joe Drilling, president (KJEO (TV; Fresno); and Louis S. Simon, the vice-presidtnt for television (KPIX San Francisco).