Broadcasting (July - Dec 1943)

WJW Akron Move Set For Hearing Request to Change Co. Name, Transfer CP, Also Set APPLICATION of Akron Broadcasting Co., formerly WJW Inc., to assign voluntarily its construction permit for a 5,000 watt station on 850 kc in Cleveland to the WJW Co. was designated for hearing last week by the FCC. Also set for hearing was an application of WJW Inc., licensee of WJW, to change its corporate name to The Akron Broadcasting Co. WJW Akron, now operating with 250 watts on 1240 kc, is owned by William M. O'Neil, son of the president of General Tire & Rubber Co.' which purchased the Yankee Network last January. Yankee is not connected with WJW, however, and Bill O'Neil is not identified with his father's company. Cleveland Move WJW Inc., licensee of WJW, was granted a construction permit by the FCC on Jan. 20, 1942, for a station in Cleveland on 850 kc with 5,000 watts, and on Dec. 2, 1942, was granted a modification of the permit to move its studios to 815 Superior Ave., Cleveland, the transmitter to be located in Cuyahoga County. Mr. O'Neil next asked the FCC, June 16, 1943, for permission to change the name of the licensee corporation (WJW Inc.) to The Akron Broadcasting Co., and as The Akron Broadcasting Co. to assign the construction permit for the Cleveland station to a new organization, The WJW Co., also owned wholly by Mr. O'Neil. He also requested assignment of the WJW call letters to the Cleveland station, proposing that the present WJW, operating on 1240 kc, would remain in Akron under the new requested call of WAJV. The applications, filed through the law offices of W. Theodore Pierson, asserted that the purpose was to separate the construction permit for 850 kc from the 1240 kc license. The licensee would then conform to the FCC's ruling with respect to retention or sale of the Akron local. Three weeks ago the Buckeye Broadcasting Co., a new partnership [Broadcasting, Aug. 9] filed with the FCC an application seeking the 1240 kc Akron facilities which would be vacated by WJW in the Cleveland move. Negotiations have been started with Bill O'Neil for purchase of the Akron facilities, it is reported, but they have not been completed because of the uncertainty of the status of the Akron outlet after the new WJW begins operating in Cleveland. THE UNITED BROADCASTING Co. (WHK-WCLE) Cleveland has contracted with Press Association Inc. for the special AP radio wire. Service will include telescripts and hourly summaries in addition to the AP dispatches. NEW RADIO NEWS team makes its debut as Ned Calmer (1) and Major George Fielding Eliot (r) check scripts with Warren Sweeney (center), CBS announcer for the newscast, sponsored by American Oil Co. Program is aired Thursday, 6:00-6:15 p.m., and marks return of the sponsor to radio advertising. Amoco also sponsors Sunday CBS quarter-hour with Ed Murrow. Present at initial broadcast were (1 to r, standing) : E. F. Kalkof, adv. manager, and C. F. Hatmaker, vice-pres. American Oil Co.; D. J. Smith, vice-pres., Pan-American Refining Corp.; E. G. McKeever, vicepres., American Oil Co.; Paul White, CBS director news broadcasts; Joseph Katz, president Joseph Katz Co., Baltimore, agency in charge; William C. Gittinger, CBS vice-pres. in charge of sales. Eugene Carr Joins Dick Richards As Assistant; Leaving Censor Job APPOINTMENT of Eugene Carr, for the last 16 months in the Broadcasting Division, Office of Censorship, Washington, as assistant to the president of the Richards stations, was announced last Wednesday by G. A. (Dick) Richards, president of WJR Detroit, WGAR Cleveland and KMPC Los Angeles. Mr. Carr assumes the newly created position Oct. 1, and resumes Mr. Carr Mr. Richards his association with the Richards stations, which was interrupted when he joined the Censorship Office as assistant to J. Harold Ryan, assistant director of censorship for broadcasting. In announcing the appointment, Mr. Richards said it was a step he had been contemplating for some time. With the growth and development of the radio industry in general and his stations in particular, he added, "there has sprung up an increasing need for someone to coordinate the program policies and public service features that are common to the three stations we operate." Mr. Richards also emphasized the great need for "definite postwar planning along programming and public service lines, as well as in the fields of FM, Television, and other new possibilities which the period following the war will open up". Mr. Carr's first assignment, Mr. Richards said, is to "assist in every way possible to make the contributions of our stations, and stations throughout the country, more effective in helping to bring the war to an early and successful conclusion". During Mr. Carr's 16-month tenure in Washington, he has traveled extensively throughout the country contacting broadcasters on censorship problems. He has covered some 40,000 miles in attending 133 meetings with about 2000 broadcasters representing 584 stations. Well known in the industry, Mr. Carr was assistant manager of WGAR before joining the Censorship Office. He was also active in NAB work, particularly with the Sales Managers Division, which he headed as chairman in 1941-1942. It was during his chairmanship of the Sales Managers Executive Committee that, the campaign was launched for the Retail Promotion Plan, now being offered the industry. Mr. Richards, a pioneer station owner in Detroit and Cleveland where he launched WJR and WGAR, several years ago took over operation of KMPC, as an independent outlet. His associates in these ventures are Leo J. Fitzpatrick, executive vice-president in charge of WJR, and John F. Patt, vice-president in charge of WGAR. Following the Board of Directors meeting in Cleveland last Wednesday, at which the appointment, was voted, Mr. Ryan stated in Washington that the Office of Censorship consented "with infinite regret." He said Mr. Carr had been of great assistance to his office and had done a "marvelous job" particularly in his station contacts. Appointment of a successor is not now planned, he said, because OC is running so smoothly that it is just a question of keeping it on the track. Control of WSAV Passes To Daniels Through Gift ACQUISITION by Catherine Murrey Daniel of 32 shares of stock in WSAV Savannah as a gift from her father, E. E. Murrey Sr., gives her and Harben Daniel, her husband, control of the station with a combined holding of 70.66% of the stock. Mr. Daniel, WSAV general manager, owns 39.66% in his own name. Arthur Lucas, who died in Atlanta last July, relinquished control of WSAV nearly three years ago with the sale of 32 shares to Mr. Murrey for $3,200, reducing his holding from 50.33% to 39.66%. Mr. Daniel is vice-president of the Liberty National Bank Bldg., Savannah. N. W. Brandon, commercial manager, owns 3.33% and Aaron Shelton, former chief engineer of WSM, Nashville, and technical advisor of WSAV, owns 6.66%. Heads WBZ Sales C. HERBERT MASSE, of WBZWBZA sales staff since 1937, has been promoted to sales manager of the New England Westinghouse stations, according to announcement by General Manager C. S. Young. He succeeds Frank R. Bowes, recently inducted into the Army. Mr. Masse is married and the father of two children. He studied advertising; at Harvard's Graduate School of Business Administration; entered radio in 1934 and joined WBZ-WBZA three years later. He is a member of the Boston Power Squadron and the U. S. Coast Guard Temporary Reserve. Preview of Congress REP. VIRGIL CHAPMAN (D.Ky.) will be the second on the schedule of WLW Cincinnati to participate in a series of broadcasts, Voice of Congress. He will give four 15-minute talks describing the outlook on legislation likely to come up when Congress reconvenes Sept. 14. The series on WLW started with similar talks by Rep. Clarence J. Brown (R.-Ohio) publisher of seven Ohio newspapers. Rep. Chapman is a member of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, of which Brown also is a member. 'Swap Bulletin' THE SWAP Bulletin, a by-weekly publication issued by the NAB to assist broadcasters in securing hard-toget pieces of equipment by exchanges among themselves, is doing its part to get tubes into sockets where they will do the most good. A recent issue carries this notice : "Sell your surplus old junk tubes through the Swap Bulletin (transmitter tubes, 250 watts or more, that are in repairable condition). Your junk properly repaired may keep some station on the air. Remember, teamwork does the trick." Club Women Aid Program AS ONE OF MANY organizations cooperating in promotion of listener interest in For This We Fight, produced cn NBC in cooperation with the Twentieth Century Fund and the Commission to Study the Organization of Peace, the Pennsylvania State Federation of Womens Clubs is offering a prize to the member who submits the best article on the postwar planning series. Page 32 • August 30, 1943 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising