Broadcasting (Jan - Mar 1949)

GRANT TO EUGENE 1 lew Fulltime on 1280 kc NEW FULLTIME standard station was granted by the FCC last Monday to Eugene Broadcasters Inc., Eugene, Ore., associated in ownership with local daily Register-Guard. Facilities awarded are 1 kw fulltime on 1280 kc with directional array at night. Estimated cost of construction is $32,570. Guard Pub. Co., publisher of the Register-Guard, is 54.5% owner of Eugene Broadcasters. President and 1.4% owner of the grantee is Alton F. Baker, president and 63.5% owner of the publishing firm. Mr. Baker also has minor interest in Tribune Pub. Co., Tacoma, Wash., which owns KTNT (FM) there. William M. Turgman, RegisterGuard managing editor, is second vice president and 1.4% owner. Like interest is held by Sam Bronaugh, paper's business manager, as treasurer. Earl R. Meissner, owner. United Supply Co., Portland, Ore., and radio engineer, is first vice president and 25.8% owner. Roger J. Houglum, instructor at Eugene Vocational School, is secretary and 15.5% owner. Illlllllliiillillllllllllllllllllllllli^ WPJB (FM) Providence, R. I., has extended its operating schedule from an 11 a.m. sign on to 7:30 a.m. weekdays, and 9 a.m. on Sunday. Sign off is at 11 p.m. AS promotion stunt, KGO San Francisco has fixed its postage meter to print on all outgoing mail short advertising box plugging an ABC or KGO program. Current ad promotes the Richfield Reporter. Recently a listener in Willits, Calif., wrote to John Harvey, whose Home Digest and Home Institute programs are heard daily on KGO at 6:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. respectively. The listener addressed his letter: John Harvey— American Broadcasting Co. — San Francisco. — The Richfield Reporter has switched to ABC. KGO 810. A Good Grip "TO GET a Finn Hold on Kansas Sales, Hire WIBW (Topeka)" is title of station's promotion piece which features a plastic and metal egg holder. To open a hot boiled egg hold it with this gadget, and . . . "to open up a hot sales record in Kansas, hire WIBW," is the message the station offers. It also states that more "Humpty Dumpty" egg holders are available. Newspaper Assistance WHEN television arrived in San Francisco, Bay Area newspapers went all out to promote the "new baby." The Oakland Post-Enquirer published a SERVICE DIRECTORY Custom-Built Equipment U. S. RECORDING CO. 1121 Vermont Ave., Wash. 5, D. C. STerling 3626 TOWER SALES & ERECTING CO. Radio Towers Erection, lighting, painting & Ground Systems 6100 N. E. Columbia Blvd. Portland 11, Oregon C. H. Fisher, Agent Phone TR 7303 REPRODUCER REPAIRING SERVICE ALL MAKES-SPECIALISTS 9A & 9B NOW-48 HOUR SERVICE BROADCAST SERVICE CO. 334 ARCADE BLDG. ST. LOUIS 1, MO. Electrical Tower Service Corp AM-FM-TV Bases — Ground systems — transmission lines, painting, erection, dismantling 524 Hillcrest Terrace, Creve Coeur, lil. Phone 3-9846 — Peoria, III. Philip Merryman & Associates • Heatherdell Road • ARDSLEY, N. Y. • Dobbs Ferry 3-2373 RADIO CONSULTANTS * VACANCY YOUR FIRAA'S NAME In this "vacancy" will be seen by 15,500 readersstation owners and managers, chief engineers and technicians— applicants for AM, FM, Television and jFocsimile facilities. Write or wire . . . BROADCASTING ml i 1 [Ml THE STATION m V I I THAT COVERS BOTH ■ ■ ^WmWm HALVES OF THE III 111 II "vflNGOuveRORen" 14-page supplement on Christmas Day, containing news and notes about radio and television and lots of ads. The ^an Francisco Chronicle followed with the same type of supplement early this month. And the San Francisco CallBulletin is selling papers with a giveaway contest gimmick — "complete the following sentence in 50 words or less — I would like a television receiver in my home because . . . — and win one of ten TV sets." Meanwhile KPIX (TV) San Francisco reports the number of TV sets in the area has more than quadrupled since it took the air in midDecember. By Jan. 1, station reported some 3,500 sets had been installed. Figures were compiled by Northern California Electrical Bureau. To Keep Them Informed A SPECIAL weekly bulletin to each member of Edward J. Petry Co., its national sales representative, is latest promotion stunt of KOIL Omaha. Letter carries notices of time availabilities, business prospects and a reproduction of current advertisements, such as its car cards promoting the GE House Party. Traffic Problem Contest CONTEST on "How to Eliminate Atlantic City's Traffic Problems," has just been completed by WFPG Atlantic City. To promote the stunt WFPG placed thousands of "traffic tickets" on windshields of parked cars. Contest was started on Sheldon Gross' Town Crier program, and Mr. Gross, news and special events director of the station, announced that Herbert Elliott was the winner. Mr. Elliott received $400 dollars in prizes and a special plane trip to New York, including a guest appearance on Stop the Music. Everyone is Switching TIE-IN promotion of CKEY Toronto provided the news that its Mickey Lester Show was changing its time period. For one week prior to the switch, Mr. Lester interviewed prominent Toronto citizens, such as Mayor H. E. McCallum and the chief of police. Conversation at each interview was deftly maneuvered around to the fact that Mr. Lester was moving his disc show from 11:05-12 p.m. to 8:05-9 p.m. spot. On the day the change took place the Toronto Star carried four ads, each with a heading to the effect that someone was "switching" . . . "Mayor McCallum Switches to Mickey Lester's New Time . . ." PERSONNEL BOB COVINGTON, promotion manager of WBT Charlotte, N. C, has been elected vice president of the Charlotte Advertising Club. SPRAGUE VONIER, WTMJ-TV Milwaukee promotion department, is the father of a boy, Thomas Victor. ELL HENRY, publicity director at ABC's Central Division, has been appointed a member of Chicago Assn. of Commerce publicity committee. WILLIAM TUSHER, of ABC Hollywood publicity staff, is the father of a boy, Mark. With lighted billboards, such as the one above, KVOO Tulsa calls attention of passersby to the "stars" of its NBC programs. Ten such billboards are on display throughout the city. Each month different NBC "stars" ore featured. Page 60 CALL FORJOE • In Canada, RADIO REPS January 31, 1949 FRENCH RADIO Operations May Be Cut 20% FRENCH National Radio (Radiodiffusion Francaise) is in for a 20% cut in its 1949 operations unless Parliament undergoes a quick change of heart, it was reported Wednesday by Robert Sturdevant, ABC Paris correspondent. Unless additional funds are made available, it is expected that either reconstruction projects, including television, will suffer or program expenditures will be cut. The latter alternative appears more likely, said Mr. Sturdevant. Meanwhile, Radiodiffusion announced a six-day "Carnival of Member AFCCE * the Airwaves" in Nice at which it will propose creation of an International Radio University. Forty foreign radio men, including rep" resentatives of ABC, NBC and CBS in Paris, will attend the event, scheduled Feb. 19-26 in connection with the regular "Carnival of Nice" held each year at the Riviera resort. BROADCASTING • Telecasting