Broadcasting (Jan - June 1936)

Kendall, Lafount Mentioned for FCC To Replace Payne FRIENDS of Judge John C. Kendall, attorney of Portland, Ore., who has appeared frequently in radio cases, are urging his appointment to the FCC as a successor to George H. Payne, of New York, member of the Telegraph Division, whose two-year term expires next July 1. Western Senators have had Judge Kendall's name placed before them and it is understood that he will have strong support for the Republican minority vacancy. If appointed, Judge Kendall probably would merely replace Payne on the telegraph division since it is regarded as unlikely that there will be any changes in the Broadcast Division. At the same time it was learned by Broadcasting that there is strong support also for the appointment of Harold A. Lafount, of Utah, former Republican member of the Federal Radio Commission, who has been residing in Washington since he failed to get an appointment to the FCC when it was formed in the summer of 1934. A Westerner Wanted THE FACT that Senator Wheeler (D.-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee, which has charge of radio regulation, has expressed dissatisfaction with the failure of the Roosevelt administration to select a far Westerner to the FCC, and the fact that Mr. Payne has been the center of dispute within FCC ranks, at odds particularly with Chairman Prall, who holds a seven-year term, lends force to the belief that Mr. Payne will not be reappointed and that a Western Republican acceptable to the New Deal and to Western Senators will be named. Mr. Prall and Mr. Payne both hail from New York State, and the far Western states were left unrepresented when President Roosefelt appointed the new seven-man Commission to succeed the Radio Commission. It was learned upon reliable authority that President Roosevelt has indicated the appointment can be recommended by Senator Wheeler and that Senator Wheeler has indicated he has no candidate from Montana but is inclin-^d to go along with the recommendations of his Democrats colleagues from Washington, Senators Bone and Schwellenbach. Senators McNary and Steiwer, Republicans, of Oregon, are known to be favorable to Judge Kendall if he is willing to be named. Judge Kendall, 50, a native of Bemidji, Minn, and a 1909 graduate of the University of Minnesota, first became interested in radio about five years ago when he represented the Portland Better Business Bureau in its drive against Robert Gordon Duncan, known as the "Oregon Wildcat," who operated a small local station later ordered off the air. Since then he has represented various Northwest stations before the Commissions, including KGW and KEX of the Portland Oregonian and KVI, Tacoma. He has also been a member of the American Bar Association's radio committee. He was a circuit judge in Coos Hearst Acquires Two Southwest Outlets; Roosevelt Seeks Others KTSA and KNOW Sold to Publisher for $225,000; President's Son Options WACO, KTAT and KOMA Mr. Roosevelt SALE of KTSA, San Antonio, and KNOW, Austin, Tex., both units of the Southwest Broadcasting System, to Hearst Radio, subsidiary of the William Randolph Hearst newspapers, for $225,000, was reported to have been consummated Feb. 26. Neither Southwest Broadcasting System nor Hearst Radio made any formal announcement at the time. It is understood the arrangement was made subject to FCC approval. Simultaneously it was learned that Elliott Roosevelt, son of the president, who has served as vice president and sales promotion manager of Southwest since last September, has acquired options in his own right covering the proposed purchase of the remaining three Southwest stations — WACO, Waco, Tex.; KTAT, Fort Worth, and KOMA, Oklahoma City. So far as could be learned the options are for an undetermined period, and the amount was undisclosed. In another quarter it was reported that young Roosevelt had made the purchase arrangement for all five stations, but with KTSA and KNOW "earmarked" for Hearst. There was mention in this connection of a $50,000 option payment by Mr. Roosevelt. The latter was to be in New York during early March in connection with the negotiations, and it was hinted that Arde Bulova, watch manufacturer broadcaster, was financially involved. The negotiations were conducted with A. P. Barrett, of Fort Worth, principal owner of Southwest, and Lee Armer, Southwest president. Employes Given Notice SOUTHWEST, it was reported, had given notice to employes that ownership would change hands March 1. The inference was that all employes on the San Antonio and Austin stations, as of that date, will be under personnel management of Hearst. In San Antonio, the Hearst newspaper is The Light. There is no Hearst newspaper in Austin. In the Feb. 15 issue of Broad Bay, Ore. for seven years until 1928 when he went into private practice in Portland. Many of Mr. Lafount's friends, including several Senators, are known to be fostering his appointment to the FCC because of his long service on the predecessor Commission. Mr. Lafount became a Radio Commission member only a few months after it was created in 1927, succeeding the late Col. John Dillon. His name was on the original Roosevelt slate for the FCC in 1934 but was dropped at the eleventh hour to make way for another Republican appointment. CASTING it was reported that negotiations were understood to be in progress for the sale of the five Southwest owned stations. The price was stated to be in the neighborhood of $750,000. Mr. Armer, however, stated that reports of consummation of any sale at that time were unfounded. Stations now owned by Hearst are WCAE, Pittsburgh; WBAL, Baltimore; WINS, New York; KYA, San Francisco; WISN, Milwaukee and KEHE, Los Angeles. In addition there is now involved in litigation a purchase arrangement under which Hearst seeks to acquire WMAL, Washington, now operated under lease by NBC. The Southwest system of seven stations constitutes the Southwest arm of CBS. In addition to the five-owned stations involved in the Hearst sale and the Roosevelt option, other stations are KRLD, Dallas, and KTRH, Houston, both Southwest outlets but under other o\vnership. KTSA operates on the 550 kc. channel with 5,000 watts day and 1,000 watts night. It is now managed by L. L. (Jake) Jacquier. KNOW is a 100 watter on 1500 kc, managed by James W. Hagood. The stations on which Mr. Roosevelt has acquired options and their assignments are: WACO, 1420 kc, 100 watts, managed by J. W. Pate; KTAT, 1240 kc, 1,000 watts, managed by Sam H. Bennett, and KOMA, 1480 kc, 5,000 watts, managed by Neal Barrett. Mr. Roosevelt became Southwest vice president last September when he resigned his post as an executive of the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce. He is in his 28th year, and has resided in Fort Worth for about a year. His wife is the daughter of a prominent Texas oil operator. San Felice Is Buying DEISEL WEMMER GILBERT Co., Detroit (San Felice cigars) has completed the purchase of six and seven running news and sports broadcasts weekly on various Midwest stations, and is now working on placements on other stations in Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York. Stations already contracted are WADC, Akron; WHBC, Canton. KFRC, Cincinnati; WHK, Cleveland; WBNS, Columbus; WHIG, Dayton; WSPD, Toledo; WKBN, Youngstown; WO WO, Fort Wayne; WFBM, Indianapolis; woe, Davenport; WHO and KRNT, Des Moines; WMT, Cedar Rapids; KSCJ, Sioux City; WOW, Omaha. San Felice also has a joint deal with United Cigar Stores and its agency. Young & Rubicam, for spots in that sponsor's MBS program. The San Felice account is being handled by S. M. Epstein Co., Detroit agency. Mr. Maland Corn Belt Network Uses Rebroadcasts Eight Stations Join Group to Pick Up Programs From WHO A UNIQUE new network, keyed from the 50,000watt WHO at Des Moines and feeding commerc i a 1 as well as sustaining programs to its member stations, gets under way March 9, linking eight Middle Western stations without the medium of telephone lines. It will be called the Corn Belt Wireless Network, and will comprise, in addition to WHO, whose programs will be picked up, the following stations: WOC, Davenport; KOIL, Omaha; KFAB, Lincoln; KMBC, Kansas City; KMA, Shenandoah, la.; WNAX, Yankton, S. D.; KFJB, Marshalltown, la. The network, according to an announcement by J. 0. Maland, vice president of Central Broadcasting Co. and manager of WHO, is an outgrowth of successful pickups and rebroadcasts of WHO's signals by various stations with which WHO has been cooperating. The setup starts with four of the stations fed a daily morning commercial which has been on WHO for the last five months. The sponsor is seeking to widen his daytime coverage using talent successful on WHO. Other sponsors are reported to be considering the full .string of stations. Aids Smaller Stations THE "wireless web" is regarded by its promoters as a new development in commercial radio. The programs are to be picked up with special receivers in the participating stations and rebroadcast, all programs to originate in WHO studios. Authority for the network operations without connecting telephone lines comes under FCC ruling number 177, which says: "Licensee of any broadcasting station may, without authority of the commission, rebroadcast a program of another broadcasting station, upon authority of the licensee of the station that originates the program." Success of the venture, it is believed by its originator, Mr. Maland, will lead to a new field of comm.ercials for smaller stations not now affiliated with major stations. It will make available for them talent which they could not obtain for their own studios. APPLICATIONS of publishers of the Bismarck (N. D.) Tribune and the Grand Forks (N. D.) Herald for new stations on those communities have been dismissed by the FCC at the request of applicants. Chrysler CBS Series CHRYSLER Corp., New York (Chrysler autos) returns to the air March 12 on 49 CBS stations, Thursdays, 8-8:30 p. m., with Mark Wamow and Chrysler Imperial Orchestra, Alexander Gray, baritone, mixed choir of 14 and Charles Hanson Towne. Title of the program, booked for 52 weeks, is Chrysler Air Show — Performance by Chrysler. The mixed choir will be broken into the Chrysler Six (male) and the Chrysler Eight (female). Direction and production will be in charge of the CBS production department. Lee Anderson Inc., Detroit, is the agency. Page 8 BROADCASTING • March 1, 1936