Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1945)

WSAM SPEAKS WITH AUTHORITY IN THIS STEADY TRIPLE MARKET The triple market of Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland is a stable one — composed largely of residents native to Northeastern Michigan. The industry is diversified, keeps right on working and paying through good times and bad. Northeastern Michigan is a rich, reliable, responsive market, and the radio voice that commands its attention is WSAM. NORTHEASTERN MICHIGAN'S ONLY NBC STATION SAGINAW BROADCASTING COMPANY 610 Eddy Bldg. Saginaw, Michigan NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE — HEADLEY REED CO. seCl MANY PRODUCTS FOR MANY ADVERTISERS WHP, Harrl.burg WIBX, Utlca WMBD, PeorU. WSBT, South Bend Wildroot Shampoo GEORGE E. HALLEY TEXAS RANGERS LIBRARY HOTEL PICKWICK, KANSAS CITY 6, MO. %fcCSAN MTMU1 i. CHlrtCH PRODUCTION rC Page 86 • November 12, 1945 Newscasts (Continued from page 20) them resemble more a legal brief than items of news," said the CBS general attorney. Lauterstein, Spiller, Bergerman & Dannett, attorneys for Mutual, in a letter dated Oct. 31 said that no legislation should be enacted to deal with news broadcasts because (1) it would violate the First Amendment to the Constitution; (2) the line of demarcation between news reports and expressions of opinion and political propaganda of commentators "is at best a shadowy one"; (3) the airways should be open not only to news reports but to news analysts "who exercise sound judgment in the preparation of their materials and in the broadcast thereof". Legislation would impose an "intolerable burden" on broadcasters and would be difficult to enforce, the MBS attorneys continued. It would lead to a "deplorable result" and might either unduly restrict commentators or "lead to their ultimate elimination from the broadcast field". The attorneys admitted there may have been "some abuses in the past", but they have not been of a serious character and "in the main broadcasters have done an excellent job of self-policing in this field". In judging commentators Mutual does not seek to impose censorship but to "assure a completely balanced schedule of news analyses and commentaries," the letter stated. "Legislation can only serve to straitjacket the broadcaster and to interfere with freedom of speech and this, in our opinion, would be deplorable in view of the excellent record of broadcasters and the steps which they have taken to police their own activities," the MBS counsel concluded. Whether the Committee will recommend legislation requiring stations to label commentators as such and to distinguish between news reporting and commentaries depends on a study of the networks' replies to Mr. Adamson's letters, his office said. Text of Mr. Adamson's letter follows : "This Committee receives many critical letters covering certain socalled news commentators who engage in expressions of opinion and personal prejudice to such an extent as to overshadow the news and emphasize the element of propaganda. "Hostile public opinion seems to be growing and I am convinced that some measures must be taken by the stations or by Congress to clearly separate political propaganda programs from real news broadcasts. "I would appreciate an expression of opinion from you as to what should be done and what can be done. "I hope the situation will make it unnecessary for the Committee to 22 New Standard Stations Authorized In 1945 in Spite of War Restrictions are already in operation. One of these (WKWF), operating on 1600 kc with 500 w power, is located in Key West, Fla., and is believed to be the most southerly station in the nation. The station enjoys another distinction: it is one of the two operating at 1600 kc. The other is WWRL Woodside, N. Y. Lifting of restrictions on construction was reflected in authorizations issued in October, totaling six. These included a regional channel station with 1 kw power. ALTHOUGH wartime restrictions were in force much of the time, a total of 22 new standard broadcast stations were authorized since the beginning of 1945, according to FCC records. Most of the grants were made under former FCC policy permitting stations in areas lacking primary service and where the facilities would be useful to the prosecution of the war. All but two are for 250 w stations. Nine of the stations authorized New standard stations authorized since January Permittee & Location Call Frequency Letters (kc) Power Robert W. Rounsaville, Cleveland. Tenn. WBAC* 1340 250w Loys Marsdon Hawley, Conway, S. Carolina WLAT* 1490 250w Midwestern Broadcasting Co., Cadillac, Mich. WATT* 1240 250W Voice of Talladega Inc., Talladega, Ala. WHTB* 1230 250w John M. Spottswood, Key West, Fla. WKWF* 1600 500w Hugh G. Shurtliff, Charles A. Shurtliff, Mareby Cardella (Delia) Shurtliff and Cleo Agnes Center, Santa Maria, Calif. KSMA 1450 250w The Brockway Co., Massena, N. Y.__ WMSA* 1340 250w Herman Anderson, Tulare, Calif. __ KCOK* 1240 250w Albert E. Buck & Merle H. Tucker, a partnership, d/b as Gallup Broadcasting Co., Gallup, New Mexico KGAK 1230 250w Richard W. Joy and Donald C. McBaln, d/b as Palm Springs Broadcasting Co., Palm Springs, Calif. KCMJ 1340 250w The Corinth Broadcasting Co. Inc., Corinth, Miss. WCMA 1230 250w Indiana Broadcast Inc., Indiana, Penna. WD AD* 1450 250w Centre Broadcasters Inc., State College, Penna. WMAJ* 1450 250w Louis N. Howard & Ellis H. Howard, d/b as Jacksonville Broadcasting Co., Jacksonville, N. Car. WJNC 1240 250W Boulder City Broadcasting Co., Boulder City, Nev. KBNE 1450 250w Mississippi Broadcasting Co. Inc., Macon, Miss. WMBC 1400 250w Kenneth Edward Rennekamp, Oil City, Penna. WKRZ 1340 250W Blanfox Radio Company Inc., Norton, Va. ** 1450 250w Jere N. Moore, Milledgeville, Ga. _ WMVG 1450 250w Centennial Broadcasting Co., Portland, Maine ** 1450 250w Birney Imes, Jr., Meridian, Miss.__ WMOX 1240 250w Raoul A. Cortez, San Antonio, Tex. ** 1300 lkw *In operation. **Call letters not yet assigned. 1, 1945 follow: Hours of Operation 1-16-45 1-16-45 4-17-45 4-24-45 4-24-45 5 8-45 5 8-45 5-15-45 6-19-45 6-19-45 6 26-45 7 10-45 7-17-45 9-18-45 9-18-45 10 3-45 10 9-45 10 9-45 10-24-45 Reed Comedy ALAN REED, formerly Falstaff Openshaw on CBS Fred Allen Show, and Irene Tedrow replaced Gene and Kathleen Lockhart as Rudy and Fanny Nebb on weekly half-hour comedy series, The Nebbs, on MSB stations. Elgin Holiday Programs FOR FOURTH consecutive year, Elgin Watch Co., Chicago, will sponsor twohour Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day broadcasts, with overall talent and production costs reported as $120,000. Thanksgiving Day program on CBS stations, on Nov. 22, Thursday, 4-6 p.m. (EST), will be beamed by shortwave to occupation forces overseas. Don Ameche is m.c. with talent line-up already including Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. Fibber McGee and Molly, Jimmy Durante and Gary Moore, Frances Langford, Elsie Janls, Cass Daley, Lina Romay, Lauritz Melchior, The Charioteers. Ken Carpenter is announcer. Broadcast will offer salute to victory and marks 40th anniversary of Elgin Watch Co. Both holiday programs will originate from Hollywood with Earl Ebl as producer and Bud Paganucci, writer, for J. Walter Thompson Co., agency. recommend the passage of remedial laws. The stations and commentators should give this question carefull consideration." Delay Promotion CONSOLIDATED ROYAL CHEMICAL Co., Chicago, recent buyers of Eight and One Co. (cold tablets), subsidiary of Ford Hopkins Co., Chicago, for an undisclosed sum, will not promote the product until next year, it was announced last week by George Wruck, advertising director of Consolidated. Agency appointment will also be made sometime next year, Mr. Wruck added. "Yeah — but yuh ain't back on WFDF Flint— yet!" BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising