Broadcasting (July - Dec 1936)

Cleveland • 610 Kilocycles We Dominate the Foreign Market WJAY IS THE ONLY RADIO STATION IN CLEVELAND CONCENTRATING ON FOREIGN PROGRAMS That Means When You Use WJAY You Broad, Cast to 60% of Cleveland EDYTHE FERN MELROSE Manager WJAY Cleveland Carnegie Hall CHerry 0464 Representatives Weston, Frykman and Allen Paley on Superpower (Continued from page 12) local advertisers, while delivering the same coverage as it delivers to national advertisers, the net result is apt to be an actual operating loss on the sale of local advertising, which must be compensated by an artificially high rate to national advertisers. An economic paradox results which makes the superpower station's problems harder. "The third disadvantage for the superpower station lies in the multiplication of its numbers. Here I should like to fall back upon questions. Can 20 or 25 superpower stations be as successful as one? Will the existence of many 500 kw. stations tend to equalize and nullify the advantages of each, although it does nothing to nullify the heavy investment and operating cost of each? In other words, isn't it dangerous to project the phenomenon of one superpower station into the commonplace of many?" Effect on Other Stations MR. PALEY concluded further that "we must face honestly the almost certain fact that if superpower is admitted under the rules, it will appear in cities and markets that have little possibility of supporting it without detriment to local program service, and will extend so widely that it becomes a commonplace." As to the effects upon regional network stations, Mr. Paley said: "Perhaps the most serious problem which confronts these regional stations which are now on one of a Co" ,v the networks, and which lie within the future service area of a superpower station, is the fact that they must face the probable loss of their network affiliation." This loss, he added, would entail loss of audience, loss of revenue from the network and loss of network sustaining prestige programs. "The addition of network programs," he said, "seldom fails to double the habitual audience of a station, even within its own city. The subtraction of network programs seldom fails to reduce that audience by half." As for the effect upon local network stations, CBS found only disadvantages and dangers, and Mr. Paley pointed out that in two cities on the CBS network the addition of superpower would in all probability lead to the dropping of seven stations now on the network. Similarly, non-network stations would suffer, he added, if signals from distant stations swept through their communities with three or four times their present strength. Cross-examined by Chief Engineer Craven, Mr. Paley said that it was his estimate that in all but few cases rural residents now received substantially good day and night coverage. With superpower, he said, that coverage would only be slightly improved. Asked by Mr. Craven whether his testimony was meant to be purely economic rather than engineering, Mr. Paley said that the two subjects were interrelated and that his effort was to "advise caution". TELEVISION IN 2 YEARS Paley Disc'oses CBS Budgeted For Big Investment WAYX Goes on Air THE NEW WAYX, 100 watter on 1200 kc, recently authorized for Waycross, Ga., was to be inaugurated Oct. 12, using a composite transmitter with Collins Radio Co. speech input equipment. Owner and manager of the station is S. P. Sapp. Jack Murray, formerly with WRVA, Richmond, and WGST, Atlanta, is commercial manager. F. M. Fortier, formerly with WXYZ, Detroit, and WOOD, Grand Rapids, is chief announcer. John Tobola, formerly with KELD, El Dorado, Ark., and WFMJ, Daytona Beach, Fla., is chief engineer. Rolls Razor to Place LEE & SCHIFFER Inc., New York (Rolls razor) in December will make up a spot schedule to start early in 1937. Kimball, Hubbard & Powell Inc., New York, is agency. Saturation Point In Radio Sets At Rockford, Illinois WROK at Rockford, Illinois, is conducting its annual listeners' survey this year on the house to house basis, starting with Rockford. Preliminary reports on the survey show that 96 out of every 100 Rockford homes have radio sets ; out of every 100 radio homes 97 listen regularly to WROK : and 60 say plainly and enthusiastically that THEY BUY GOODS ADVERTISED ON WROK. Cover northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin with WROK, Rockford. THE significant disclosure thi CBS is bulwarking itself agains the imminent advent of television which he estimated is close q hand, was made by William a Paley, CBS president, in his stat ment before the FCC allocation hearing Oct. 6. Mr. Paley was cai tioning the FCC against requirini heavy financial commitments \\ stations at this time, especial! for superpower in view of fort]1 coming changes in the art. "In television alone," he said, "I is my opinion, after a study < European developments and knowledge of television's stati: here, that the broadcasters ail less than two years away fro : commitments of many millions 1 dollars. Columbia's budget alone over $2,000,000— for experiment broadcasting work in this ne field. Many more millions mu follow, in the public interest, b fore there is any hope of return "Now what about the cost superpower ? Our careful estimat. of the cost of 500 kw. stations iif dicate a burden of over $10,000,0( of capital investment by the broa casters — with an additional opera ing cost of between $3,000,000 ar $4,000,000 a year. These are n guesses but careful estimates H engineers and accountants. Knov ing the economics of broadcasts as well as we do, I feel justified saying that if the burden of co of superpower is thrown upon tl industry at almost the same tin it is faced with costly develo ment work in new fields, one i the other is very apt to suffer." Mr. Paley had returned fro; several months in Europe only tl week before, and his statement i| dicated he had studied televisic while there. Earlier in the summc Paul Keston, CBS vice presider; spent several months in Euroi during which he also studied tel vision exhaustively. New KMOX Studios WHEN Major Bowes salutes SS Louis Oct. 22, during his CBi broadcast for Chrysler, he will alt, turn a key, which, by means of photoelectric cell, will open til doors of the newly constructs studios of KMOX, Columbia ke station in St. Louis. Fifteen tho sand square feet of floor space the St. Louis Mart Building ha' been added to the 25,000 squa feet already occupied by the st tion, the addition including a larj reception room, musicians' loung new "Magic Kitchen" with its ow auditorium seating 175, ten net executive offices, a continuity roo ! and an additional broadcasting st dio. The station thus now h;V eight studios, ranging from small one for speakers to the R dio Playhouse which seats an aud ence of 400. Roosevelt v. Landon Yale v. Harvard Lewis v. Green NEWS is your best bet this fall. TRANSRADIO Page 70 • October 15, 1936 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertisin