U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

world do you find enough subjects to lill a Monday through Frida) dail) s< hedule <>l editorials?" The answei : Within a lew weeks <>l die beginning, citizens dI my community have phoned, written <>i approached me personally with more things t<> write about ( han 1 have enei g) . Granted, an editorial writer musl be ;i fairly prolific writer to tackle the chore, but i! we broadcasters aren't in the communications business, then how else can you belter ticfine it? This may emerge as a new requirement lor the successful broadcaster. II so, this is an advantage to people ol my particular aptitude. The impact on my community has been very gratifying. No one issue 1 have presented has exploded into a world-shaking movement. But. conversely, I have rarely broadcast an editorial that hasn't drawn some comment. And in a city with only one newspaper and therefore only one editorial point of view, we have had a most pleasant reaction from the public at large and the commercial community lor our initiative in challenging that newspaper on issues that we feel are especially biased and poorly presented. WIN MARKS Managei KBOY Medford, Ore. EXPOSING THE PROOFREADER Your September issue featuring Radio in the Public Interest was indeed impressive. However, we were saddened to find WWDC Washington listed in the "no" column under the question "Does the station air editorials?" Indeed we do — about 10 a day, seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year — ever since 1958. In fact I have talked on broadcast editorializing to several state broadcasters' associations and at the Westinghouse Conference on Public Service in San Francisco. So please correct the impression that WWDC is not an editorialist. BEN STROUSE President WWDC Washington, D.C. LIKES HIS WORK The article on editorializing in your August issue is very interesting. I cannot understand, however, why KVOO (Tulsa) is not listed among the stations that editorialize. We have been doing a daily edi torial since July 1959. My editorials have been highl) successful. Several have appealed in the Congressional Record. Community groups have organized as a result ol two editorials. Dail) mail and calls concerning m\ editorials almost constitute a "second" job at the office. Editorial subjects run from local to state, national and international matters. 1 write and piesenl lliciti twice daily, 7:15 a.m. and a icpc.it at 12:15 j). m. T he average length is two minutes. Keep up the good work lor radio! GUSTAV K. BRANDBORG V.P. (tiitl General Manage) KVOO Tulsa GROWING UP IN GRAND JUNCTION I have read with great interest youi excellent article on broadcast editorializing. I agree wholeheartedly with your own editorial on the subject The Chance to Be a Man (August 1961). I couldn't help but think bow the article fits the history of KREX (Grand function, Colo.) and station owner Rex Howell. He was probably the first Colorado broadcaster to editorialize. He did it in defiance of f. Lawrence Fly's edict of the forties. He was in the forefront of the fight to establish broadcasters' rights to express editorial opinion (Mayflower Dec ision) . Your article will do much to encourage alert broadcasters to speak their minds on controversial issues and gain the awakened "sense of new responsibilities." If enough broadcasters respond, radio will truly provide a whole new dimension of service. ROY H. ADAMSON Secretary-Treasurer Western Slope Broadcasting Co. (■rand Junction, Colo. FIRST, BUT NOT LEAST lid. note: I be following Ictlci ErOQ) t he F( ( ■ is in reply to a I ,8. I< U>IO query on the Inst im station licensed whit li is still in operation.) Commission records show the following i n loi maiion on the currently op elating Im broadcast stations in the U.S. Call letters: WJBO-FM; location: Baton Rouge, La.; date application for license filed: June 1941; date af)f>lication fur license granted'. November IS. 1942. WWSW-FM Pittsburgh; August 28, 1941; May 20, 1942. WWJ-FM Detroit; Octobei 16, 1941; March 23, 1943. WEFM Chicago; Oc tober 17, 1941; January 15, 1942. WHFM Rochester. N.Y.; Octobei 23, 1911; January 29, 1942. WFIL-FM Philadelphia; March 13, 1942: September 9, 1942. WGFM Schenectady, N.Y.; Jul) 22, 1912; September 9, 1912. As can be determined from the above tabulation, WEFM Chicago was the Inst and thus the oldest licensed operating station; WHFM Rochester was the second licensed operating station; WWSW Pittsburgh was the third, and so on. The commission records readily available do not indicate the date any of the stations actually were authorized to begin broadcasting after applications for licenses were filed. However, in most cases at that time, authority was given almost immediately upon the filing of an application for a lie ense to operate. BEN F. WAPtE Acting Secretary FCC ' Washington, D.C. ■ KEEP YOUR EAR OiV . . . Radio Pelsebeat News Bringing the news sounds of the nation ALIVE! —SOUNDS THAT ATTRACT LISTENERS AND RING CASH REGISTERSJOIN THE GROWING RPN FAMILY OF STATIONS NOW! RADIO PULSEBEAT NEWS 153 27 Hillside Ave., Jamaica 32, N. Y. AX 1-4320 (For Sample Feed— AX 1-6677) U. S. RADIO/ Ortnhpr-Nru/Pmhpr IQfil