Variety (December 1950)

Wednesday, December 6, RADIO 29 «< HEAR Minneapolisi Dec. 5, Defendant in a suit brought by Liebenberg & Kaplan» local architects who alleged that $17,811 is still diie them on a $34,811 bill for services in drawing plans and supervising construction of the new KSTP radio station, Stanley Hubbard, KSTP president, set up the defense in district court that the architects had failed to plan a door that would hold six elephants; as agreed. Hubbard said he had specified that the first floor studio he built to support six elephants in order to permit the televising of such shows as the Shrine circus from within the station. He claimed in his testimony that the flooring should support six pachyderms ‘‘standing on their hind iegs/• He also asserted that the average African elephant is 10 feet high at^the hips and weighs between four and five tons. ‘ Washington, Dec. 5. -f Dr. Sidonie Gruenberg; founder of the" Child Study Assn, and a leader in child education, yester- day 14), criticized parents who at- tack the new forms of communica- tion media. “It is a waste of time time to attack them,” she said. ‘‘Ra- dio and television are here to stay and people might as well make the best of it. in my childhood parents complained that the telephone was ruining children, just as they .com- plain about television and radio.” She was speaking at a White House conference on children and youth. Radio and television may have an impact on the human race as powerful as that exercised by the invention of the printing press in the 15th century. Prof. Lyman Bryson, of Columbia U., and pub- lic affairs counsellor for CBS, said. He presided over a work group on the mass media at the conference. ‘I have the feeling,” said Bryson, “that we are passing through a transformation like that of the 15th century, when printing came in to replace the spoken word as the great, medium of culture,. Now, because of radio and television, the spoken word once more becomes the chief means of transferring cul- ture.” Others speaking in the work group—one of 35 such groups in- cluded in the four-day conference —decla^-ed that television is forc- ing a reassessment of the family stiHicture. “Children are being brought up so differently due to this new medium,” explained one educator, “that they are learning to adjust themselves to it much bet- ter than adults. Some studies which have been made indicate that chil- dren are able to study at home while the radio or television is on. And they can study and r.bsorb the program at the sanie time. That’js oecause of the way they’re being brought up.” ' Several educators pointed out that some top people assert chil- dren can learn only from reading books. This outlook was ridiculed with the explanation, that what they see and hear on television and radio is not necessarily bad, but can also educate theni. It was disclosed also that a spe- cial survey of television, ordered by Gov. Tom Dewey, of N. Y., has sent out 2,000 queries to ; parents for information. The committee in charge of the survey is also in the process of interviewing advertisers and IvV program personnel on ef- fects of the medium. ; WGAR's Rile Hike Cleveland, Dec. 5. In the face of ah upsurge in daytime televlslo' programming, WGAR, CBS affiliate here, has hiked its daytime rates 20% and other segments of the broadcast day 50%. effective Jan; 1. Current advertisers receive a year’s protec- tion under the old rates, providing they remain with the statiph pon- tinuously. Boost of 20% will affect the 9 a.m. to 6 p.m, period. From 7 to 9 a m. and 11:15 p.m. to midnight, the 50% hike is effective. Sales manager John B. Garfield said the rate increa^se was dictated by sub- stanlial increases in the. population of Greater Cleveland and by the “cost of’ddihg^Husln'es^.’^' ‘ " " Monroe’s Missouri Post St. Louis, Dec, 5. James Monroe, KCMO, Kansas City, was elected president of the Missouri Assn, of Associated Press Broadcasters at the annual meeting held in Jefferson City last week. Monroe succeeds Bruce Barring- ton of KXOK, the St, LoUis Star- Times station. Buy for Fri. ABC Following the cancellation of “Richard Diamond, Private Detec- tive,” by Rexall on NBC, R. J. Reynolds is negotiating to pick up the whodunit for the Friday, 8 p.m., slot on ABC. Camel cigarets has been looking for a Hollywood star Whose boXof- fice pull would be valuable in an AM-TV spread and has picked Pipwell. He’s already being fea- tured in a big newspaper and maga- zine campaign for the tobacco out- fit. Move would require nixing or shifting of “Fat Man,” curpently in the Friday night ABC mysterioso lineup. TONI DROPPING ‘GIVE’; SEEKING BOBBI SHOW Toni is dropping the Saturday afternoon “Give and Take” audi- ence participation show on CBS. However, the home permanent company is retaining the 1:30 to 2 p.m. time and is currently shop- ping around for a new show. Com- pany, in a budget rei-allocation, wants to put the advertising em- phasis on its Bobbi product and feels that “Give and Take” has too close an identification with Toni. Sally Benson Hudfc With ABC on “St Unis’ With the expiration of the NBG option on the radio and TV ver- sions of “Meet Me In St. Louis,” Sally Benson arrived in New York, Monday (4), for discussions on a possible joint deal, at ABC. She is prepating a sample script fornBarrori Polan, who manages all Benson properties fpr: radio and TV, including “Junior Miss” now on the air in its fourth year for Lever CBS is about to embark on an ambitious pne-hour weekly radio series, to be called “A Report to the Nation—With Ed Murrow,” which will, in effect, use the tech- nique and have the force pf the Murrow Columbia recording series, “I Can Hear It Now.” It was con- ceived by CBS board chairman William S. Paley, who has practi- cally committed the web to an open budget, and marks the first regular Gollaboratioh of the Murrow-Fred Friendly production aegis since Friendly joined the web a couple months back. “Report” may go into the Friday night 9 to 10 period, starting next week (15). Murrow will head iip the commentary, backed by a full orchestra conducted by Alfredo Anton ini, with an original musical score weekly by top composers. CBS will have tape recording crews in the field, with five recorders going day and night at themety'ork for ah exhaustive coverage of what’s happening in the world. it represents one of the most ambitious public service program- ming ventures, on a regular weekly basis, since the days of World War II and the Munich crisis. It will edver every aspect Of living, world and domestic; with UN, World af- fairs, public opinion, side bars on TV, radio, sports, the theatre, etc., for an up-to-the-minute presenta- tion of the world today. There will be weekly profiles of national figures (a la Time mag’s cover stories), etc. Cincinnati, Dec. 5, Bernard Musnik has moved up as eastern sales manager of the Cros- ley Broadcasting Gorp, by appoint- ment of Harry Mason Sttuth, vee- pee in charge of sales. Musnik succeeds Warreh Jen- nings, who resigned to join ABC’s national spot sales staff. Boston’s WCOP Going Boston, Dec. 5. Gene King, program manager of WCOP, Hub’s ABC outlet, is cur- rently on an international kick in the Hub, what with the ECA’s “Or- chestras of the World” series starting up; a live International Quiz optot ion set to go in jpoop- eration with the BBC; the trading of Thanksgiving greetings oyer WCOP and the BBC between the moppets of Boston, England and the Hub, and his nine-year-old youngster, already a radio vet of two years, set to represOnt all American kids at Christmas time over the BBC, The music series of the EGA will run for 15 weeks and will be broadcast by WCOP and WCOP- FM at 2:30 p.in. each Sunday, with ET’s ’ which have been made in Marshall Plan countries all oVer the World by leading symphony or- ciiestras. The International Quiz, starting this month, also will be a ! live, shortwave affair between I British and American colleges and ! universities, and in the Hub, B. U., i B. G,, 'Tufts, Wellesley, Brandeis, Simmons, Radcliffe and Wheaton I have already nodded approval on I their participation. King will play quizmaster on this side of the At- ;iantic, and Lionel Gamlin, ace (Continued bn page 38) Detroit, Dec. 5. First phase of the FGC hearing on news slanting charges against George A, Richards, o n e r of ! KMPC,' Los, Angeles; WGAR, Cleveland and WJR, Detroit, was expected to end this week, A newscaster was the only remaining witness scheduled to testify In |he, phase Involving KMPC. Last week’s developments were highlighted by an FCC order from Washington denying a request for postponement of the Detroit and Cleveland phases. Both FCC at- tbrneys and lawyers for Richards had requested the delay. FCC counsel, Benedict Cottone, indicated that he would appeal the decision. He said he needed the time to px’epare a rebuttal, Richards’ attorneys requested that the case involving KMPC be kept separate from the hearings involving the two other stations. A ruling on that motion is expected this week. . FGC attorneys offered testimony to refute charges by Richavds that FCC investigators suppressed evi- dence by permitting thousands of Radio Reports, Inc .—a monitoring firm in ,L.A.--disks to be resur- faced, thus destroying transcrip- tions of KMPp broadcasts. Cottone presented correspond- ence from the firm’s files to show that Richards’ attorneys were “well aware of this firm.” Mrs. Emily Timmons; manager of the L.A. branch of Radio Reports, broke into tears under sharp cross- examination by FCC attorneys. She had previously tertified that FCC officials gave her permission to destroy records of newscasts of Richards’ station. Under C o t ton e ’ s unrelenting cross-examination, Mrs. Timmons stuck to her story. Cottone tried to show that the radio officials had previous knowledge of the exist- ehee of the recordings. When Mrs. Timmons broke into sobs, the .hear- ing was adjourned. Mean vhile, Detroit’s Conimoh Council passed 3: resolution urging the FCC to renew Richards' radio license here “because of the out- standing public service he had rendered to the City of Detroit and the State of Michigan.” A . copy of the resolution Was sent to the FCC in: Washmgtoh. Washirigton, Dec. 5. Finally acting OR its long-stand- ing, celebrated Blue Book case, the , FGC has proposed to renew the license of the 50kw Hearst ra- dio station in BalUraore, WBAL, and to deny the application of' columnists, Drew Pearson and Rob- ei’t Allen; for the facilities Variety learned today. It’s understood the Commission voted four to two and that Com- missioner Robert Jones, whose ap- pointment to the Commission was opposed before a Senate commit- tee by Pearson, did not participate in the decision. It is expected that oral argument pri the decision will be requested by Pearson and Allen before the final ruling is issued. The majority, decision Was be- lieved to be based oh the conclu- sion that WBAL’s programming op- erations had so improved since the Blue Book was issued in March of 1945, as to warrant renewal of li- cense; The majority was known to be particiiiarty impressed by a reduc- tion in commercialization of the schedule from 90% in 1946 to 70% in 1947 and an increase in the station’s programming staff from about 25 to around 85. Develop- ment of new farm programs, a change in policy of selling time for religious programs to carrying such programs on a sustaining basis, and establishment of a program advis- ory council also appare/itly influ -1 enced the decision. A further ele- ment in the proposal to renew the license, it was understoo.d, was the’ belief that WBAL’s existing satis- factory programming operation is preferable to Pearson and Allen’s acceptable but unproven program commitments. WBAL’s application for renewal was designated for hearing by the Commissipn shortly after its Blue Book report, entitled “Public Serv- ice Responsibility of Broadcast Li- censees,” was issued. The report cited WBAL, among other stations, fpr over-commercialization, piling up of spot announceiTients. lack of public service programming, ne- glect of local programs, and .sale of time for religious programs. Following the Commission’s ac- tion in holding up WBAL’s license, Pearson and Allen filed an applica- tion for the frequency (1,090 kc) in Baltimore. The Commission then consolidated the renewal and the Pearson-Allen applications and extensive hearings were held from November, 1947, to April, 1948, be- fore Commissioner Rosel Hyde. AL BLAND TO WBBM WINh Basdrall Net Set To Roll for Fifth Year Chicago, Dee. 5. WIND’S Midwest Baseball. Net- work is set to foil for the fifth year, with the pacting last week by Liggett & Myers to bankroll the complete Chi Cubs schedule. This is the second year L&M has picked up the web for Chesterfields. Bert Wilson handles the play-by-play for all the home and road games via direct Wire. ^ ; Chi indie’s “Operation Baseball” has grown from a nine-station hookup in 1947 to 37 outlets last year, John Carey, WIND com- mercial manager, expects to line up over 40 .stationk’fof btxt feeason. 0. Richard Swift . ttilf why Honeymoon Is Over ail omHsing adltoridl faatura in the Hpcehiliig 45th Anniversary Number of Chicago, Dec; 5. , A1 Bland, program direptor at • KMOX, CBS owned and operated St. Loiiis station, i.5 being brought up to Chi to fill the program di- rector berth at WBBM, CBS Chi key; Bland takes over^i. Jan. 1 to fill the vacancy caused when for- mer WBBM program chief A1 Mo- rey was made program sales mah- ager.' Mark Russell of the WBBM pro- duction staff goes to St. Louis to fill the program berth at KMOX. Maurice Mitchell,, former head of Broadcast Advertising Bureau how v.p.-genefal manager for Asso- ciated Program Service, has launched an extensive program of sales aids for the transcription library. Unique approach is a “closed circuit” monthly sales meeting, which will be released regularly on a 30-minute platter. Mitchell wdll spiel together with guests from various mercantile fields. Addi- tionally, the new APS topper plans a series of regional clinics at w'hich subscriber stations will discus.s new sales developments, techniques and commercial. potentials of the li- bra'rj’. Program sales presenta- tions and spon.sor-promotipn kits wiH'iy(y .ste'pbcd up.' ' ' ^ ''' •' ‘ WLIB Gets Curt Vs. ACA Suit for $100,000 Tiled by WLIB, N. y., against the American Com- munications Assn. was. heard last week by N. Y. S’lpreme Court Jus- tice Dennis Cohalan, who granted a temporary injunction rtopping thi union from picketirig WLlB’s sponsors. Case had been original- ly filed in the state court, then shifted to federal court, where it was later remanded back to the state bench. Indie alleged that thr union en- gaged in a secondary boycott to de- stroy th^? statloiTA goodwill*' '