Broadcasting (Jan - June 1940)

FM APPLICATIOISS ' REACH 121 TOTAL ;TOTAL number of applicants for ,FM facilities reached 121 as of April 25, with the FCC still receiving them at the rate of two or three a day. Twenty-one have been added since publication of the last supplementary list in the April 15 Broadcasting. Another supplemental list ^was published April 1, and a log of applicants up to the time of the March hearings was carried in the March 15 Broadcasting. Of the 18 FM stations already jlicensed, Jansky & Bailey's W3X0, Washington, during the last two weeks has applied for a shift from '43.2 to 43.4 mc, and "W8XVH, Columbus (WBNS), has applied for "10,000 watts in lieu of its present 250 watts on 43 mc. William G. H, Finch's application for 117.91 mc. in New York has been amended to "ask for 43 mc. New applications filed between 'April 15 and 25, like most of the others, are all from existing broadcasting companies. The applications were from the parent com . panies of the following stations and masked for the following facilities: WTEL, Philadelphia, 1,000 watts /on 42.4; WHKC, Columbus, 1,000 on 42.6; WHK-WCLE, 1,000 on 43.4; WDAS, Philadelphia, 1,000 on 42.8; WNEW, New York, 1,000 on 42.4; [WHOM, Jersey City 1,000 on 43.6; iWIBG, Glenside, Pa., 1,000 on 43.8; iWSTP, Salisbury, N. C, 1000 on 43.4; WORD, Spartanburg, S. C, .1,000 on 43.6; KTRH, Houston, 5,000 on 43.4; WMBG, Richmond, '1,000 on 42.8; WHAS, Louisville, '1000 on 42.6; WFTL, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 1,000 on 43.2; WDAF, Kansas City, 1,000 on 43; WMAZ, Macon, 1,000 on 43.4; WEOAWGBF, Evansville, Ind., 250 on 43; WICA, Ashtabula, 0., 1,000 on 48; KSD, St. Louis, 250 on 42.6; iWHAZ, Troy, N. Y., 250 on 42.8; ,WJIM, Lansing, Mich., 1,000 on 543.2; KFVD, Los Angeles, 250 on 43.2 and 50 on 117.19. WEAF's New Plant I ;'WITH foundations completed and brickwork rising rapidly, indications are that the new WEAF transmitter building at Port Wash ' ington L. I., will begin operating in September, according to Ray ' mond F. Guy, NBC facilities engi ; neer. Construction work on the new transmitter started in January, 1940, following the removal of equipment from the old site at Bell . more, L. I., by Skinner, Cook & Babcock. It is being erected at an approximate cost of $280,000. Cotton Textile Tests COTTON TEXTILE INSTITUTE, New York on April 29 started a test campaign to sell Blue Denim, using part live and part transcribed announcements five times a week on farm programs of WHO, Des Moines; KMOX, St. Louis; KMBC, Kansas City; WOW, Omaha. Discs are recorded by NBC. More stations will be added if the test is sliccessful. Agency is Donahue & Coe, New York. EXECUTIVES of Graybar Electric Co. held a luncheon in New York April 24 to honor President Frank A. Ketcham, observing his 40th year with the company. KFRU COLUMBIA, MISSOURI A kilowatt of power on 630 kc. daytime with 500 watts at night. A Sales Message over KFRU Covers the Heart of Missouri FIDELITY ATTITUDE OF PUBLIC TESTED AN INDICATION of consumer opinion on FM and high-fidelity reception was reported recently in a study conducted by Samuel E. Gill, market research analyst of New York. Working on the assumption that if consumers were conscious of the value of high-fidelity, they would attempt to obtain the highest reception possible from existing receivers, Mr. Gill interviewed several hundred radio-equipped families in areas with low noise levels regarding the use of tone control on their present radios. Mr. Gill found that only 15.3% of radio listeners keep their tone control toward the treble, which is the point of highest fidelity. The listeners turning the control toward the base were 24.2%, halfway 15.7%, and 44.8% reported they changed the control for different programs. Consumer opinion of television receiving equipment was also studied recently by Mr. Gill, who found that the price of equipment was the largest single deterrent to immediate purchase on admission of some 55% of the several hundred families interviewed. One-third of those interviewed believed that television was not yet perfected enough to warrant an investment in a receiver, while 30% of the group which considered the price too high had no idea as to actual television prices, comparing the cost with the purchase of an automobile or a grand piano. The effect of the recent FCC rulins's on consumer attitudes was slight, the survey showed, inasmuch as less than 5% indicated that they would purchase sets if the FCC gave the receivers its OK. ASCAP Under Scrutiny By Justice Department WHETHER the Government will revive its anti-trust suit against ASCAP may be determined soon at the Department of Justice, it was indicated April 26. Victor Waters, special assistant to the Attorney General, who was assigned full time to study of the case several months ago, is in the field making an independent check, and was in New York during the April 22 week. The suit against ASCAP, naming some 130 defendants, was instituted in 1935 and is still pending before the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York. It seeks dissolution of ASCAP as a monopoly in restraint of trade. The case has been on the deferred calendar for the last several years, when the parties failed to agree on a stipulation of facts. Philco to Sell Stock PHILCO Corp. at a special meeting in Philadelphia April 26, voted to change from a privately-held to a public corporation with common stock to be placed on the New York Stock Exchange at $3 per share. Present par of common stock is $100 but this would be exchanged 33 1/3 for 1, with present stockholders dsiposing of a portion of their holdings. Additional stock would be sold to retire all outstanding preference stock. Corporate management would remain the MODERN INDUSTRIAL BANK, New York, on April 29 started weekly transcribed broadcasts on WMCA, New York, as repeats of Gabriel Heatter's 9 p.m. program on WOR, Newark for the same sponsor. Agency is Metropolitan Adv. Co., New York. New WSLB on the Air THE NEW WSLB. Ogdeivsburg. N. Y., 250 watts on 1370 kc, went on the air in latter operation for fulltime operation under the direction of Joseph R. Brandy Jr.. onetime Notre Dame football star who is president and co-equal stockholder with Harold .1. Frank, local merchant. Mr. Brandy is also president of the Ogdensburg Advance-News. BEECHNUT PACKING Co., Canajoharie, N. Y. (Beechies gum), on April 14 started a 13-week schedule of transcribed station-breaks twice daily seven days a week on 25 stations throughout the country. Agency is Newell-Enimett Co., New York. International News Service Gives Credit to WPEN As the First Station in the Country to Broadcast the World-Shaking News of Germany's Invasion of Denmark. • WPEN Carried the News 30 Seconds After it was Flashed by INS, which had a Clean Beat of More than an Hour over Every Major News Service. WPEN Is always on the Job, Always Doing a Good Job of Bringing News to its Large and Always News-Hungry Audience. WPEN Has News Periods Available for Sponsorship 1000 Watts PhUa. WPEN • A splendid opportunity for increased sales is waiting in Western Canada this year. A Record Wheat crop on a firm and rising market, together with tremendous war orders, is putting millions of dollars of new money into circulation among Canadian farmers, cattlemen, fruit ranchers, miners and oilmen. This means greater potential sales for your product in Western Canada. Make these sales at a low cost by placing your program on — THE ALL-CANADA FOOTHILLS GROUP (All Bzsic CBC Stations) First in Listener Preference Wrhe for Audience Figures CKCK Regina, Sask. Moose Jaw, Sask. Lethbridge, Alta. Calgary, Alta. Edmonton, Alta. Trail, B.C. CKOV Kelowna, B.C. Representatives: U.S.A.-WEED and COMPANY CANADA All-Canada Radio Facilities Limited IBROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising May J, 1940 • Page 77