Broadcasting (Jan - Mar 1949)

Heads House Subeommit'tee APPOINTMENT of an 11-man subcommittee of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee to study matters pertaining to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, was announced March 3 by Committee Chairman Robert Crosser (DOhio). The SEC-FCC-FTC subcommittee was one of four named by Rep. Crosser. Others named were transportation; public health, science and commerce, and petroleum and federal nower. Named as chairman of the subcommittee on the three regulatory agencies was Rep. Alfred L. Bulwinkle (D-N. C), who has been in poor health and is presently receiving hospital care. Rep. George G. Sadowski (D-Mich.), an advocate of considerable liberal legislation, was appointed vice chairman of the committee and will shoulder the responsibility, for the present at least, of the committee's activities. Subcommittee Purpose The subcommittee, which in previous years had been designed to handle exclusively communications matters, has a ratio of seven Democrats to four Republicans. Three Democratic members. Reps. Bulwinkle, Sadowski and Dwight L. Rogers (Fla.) are past members of the full Commerce Committee. Democrats who have not previously served on the full committee are Reps. Eugene J. Keogh (N. Y.), John A. McGuire (Conn.), George H. Wilson (Okla.) and Thomas R. Underwood (Ky.). Republican subcommittee members, all with previous service on the full committee, are Reps. Carl Hinshaw (Calif.), Leonard W. Hall (N. Y.), Harris Ellsworth (Ore.) and James I. Dolliver (Iowa). 1894 penjamm ifWc^onalb 1949 BUCHANAN & CO. Expands 1. A. Opeeation BUCHANAN & its creative and Mr. Polangin Co. is expanding service facilities in the agorrcy's Los Angeles office with the appointment of Frederick N. Polangin as vice president and executive head of the Los Angeles office and Charles Coleman as vice president in charge of all commercial a c Montgelas, presi counts, Rudolph dent, revealed. Mr. Polangin in addition to heading the L. A. office will continue as head of the West Coast motion picture department. Mr. Coleman, who for the past BENJAMIN A. McDONALD, 55, general sales manager of Westinghouse Radio Stations Inc., died in Philadelphia March 2. Death reportedly resulted from a heart attack, less than 12 hours after his return from a vacation in Florida. Mr. McDonald was a native of Mallory, S. C, and spent his early life in Parkton, N. C. He held executive positions with the Seaboard and Illinois Central railroads in Norfolk and Chicago before entering the radio field in 1930 in Philadelphia. He worked on the sales staffs of WHAT WLIT and WFIL, all Philadelphia, before joining KYW Philadelphia in July 1940. Mr. McDonald became sales manager of the Westinghouse-owned station in December of the same year. Appointment to the post of general sales manager of all Westinghouse stations came in June 1943. Mr. McDonald is survived by his widow, Mrs. Louise Lawrence Mc Mr. McDONALD Donald, and one daughter, Mrs. Chester R. Messervey, both of Philadelphia. Funeral services were held Saturday. RICHARDS DENIED Personal Hearing Refused by FCC BY A VOTE of 4-1, FCC refused last week to grant G. A. Richards a personal hearing, in advance and possibly in lieu of the scheduled March 16 hearing in Los Angeles, on charges that he had ordered station employes to slant the news [Broadcasting, Closed Circuit, Feb. 28]. Mr. Richards, owner of KMPC * . Los Angeles, WGAR Cleveland and WJR Detroit, had conceded in a petition that "portions" of the charges were true, expressed "sincere regret" and asked for "an opportunity to offer personally . . . his assurance that they will not recur." He also asked that if the scheduled hearing were still deemed necessary after his appearance, it be held in Washington rather than Los Angeles. In denying his petition, the Commission left the way open for him, "upon conclusion of the presentation of all other testimony and evidence in the proceedings, to request the presentation of [his] testimony in further public hearings in Washington." Hyde Dissents Comr. Rosel H. Hyde dissented from the Commission's decision. He noted that Mr. Richards had recognized that a personal hearing would not preclude FCC from proceeding with its investigatory hearing if one still seemed appropriate. A grant of the petition, Mr. Hyde maintained, would be consistent with the principles of the Administrative Procedures Act. The majority ruled, however, that most of the grounds cited by Mr. Richards in support of his reseveral years has been Buchanan's Los Angeles creative head and account executive for commercial accounts, will continue to handle all commercial business. quest "may be fully met by the opportunity presently available to the petitioner to appear and give testimony at the hearing now scheduled for Los Angeles before Comr. E. M. Webster." "The very purpose of ordering an investigatory hearing," FCC said, "was to afford the petitioner full opportunity to be apprised of all the charges made in connection with the foregoing matters and to allow him full opportunity to present his testimony with respect thereto." The order continued: ... In view of the large amount of information now in the possession of the Commission, which appears to present unresolved issue of fact, it is not possible presently to conclude that the procedure suggested by the petitioner will result in a more expeditious determination of these proceedings; and . . . many persons who may have information concerning the matters in issue and who are located in Los Angeles, CaUf., may not have fuU opportunity to present relevant testimony. . . . ... In the light of the crowded condition of the Commission's calendar, the Commission en banc will be unable to sit in hearing for the extensive period of time which may be required for the type of hearing requested by petitioner. Comrs. Paul A. Walker and George E. Sterling, who were absent from the city, did not participate in the decision. The investigation originated as a result of charges filed by the Radio News Club of Hollywood alleging Mr. Richards ordered KMPC staff members to slant news against members of the late President Roosevelt's family and against certain minority groups. AWARD TO NBC AAUN to Honor Network NBC will be the recipient on March 12 of an award presented by the American Assn. for the United Nations for "outstanding record in the past year in the field of public service programs" and "efforts toward the building of a better-informed public opinion in support of the United Nations." Announcement of the award was made last Wednesday by AAUN. NBC President Niles Trammell will accept the honor on behalf of the network at the fourth all-day conference on the United Nations, at New York's Roosevelt Hotel. Clark M. Eichelberger, AAUN director, will make the presentation. The network has co-sponsored, for the past three years, with the organization and The National Education Assn., nation-wide observances highlighting the work of the world organization. KLAC PARLEYS Atlass Ready to Take Over FINAL negotiations are under way for the ultimate acquisition of KLAC Los Angeles by Ralph L. Atlass, president and general manager of WIND Chicago and board member of WMCA New York, and Benjamin F. Lindheimer, Chicago political, financial and sports figure. "All that remains is the formality of signing contracts," Mr. Atlass said in Chicago Thursday. The transaction is conditioned upon approval by FCC to sale of KLAC-AM-TV and KYA San Francisco by Mrs. Dorothy Thackrey to Warner Bros, for package price of $1,045,000 [Broadcasting, June 28, 1948, Jan. 31, 1949]. Warner Bros, must resell KLACAM since it already owns KFWB Los Angeles. Price for KLAC is reported as "approximately" $400,000. Mr. Atlass has been conferring during the last month with Col. Nathan Levinson, Los Angeles representative of the movie firm. KLAC is assigned 570 kc with 5 kw day and 1 kw night. Mrs. Thackrey also is owner of WLIB New York and the New York Post. CASSIDY, DAVIS Get Overseas Press Awards HENRY CASSIDY, NBC's European news director, and Elmer Davis, ABC analyst, were scheduled to receive awards Friday night at the annual dinner of the Overseas Press Club of America in the Waldorf-Astoria, New York. Mr. Cassidy was to be honored for "best consistent radio reporting on foreign affairs during the last year" and Mr. Davis for "best radio interpretation of foreign news." The dinner was to be given for Gen. George C. Marshall. Secretary of State Dean Acheson was to be one of the principal speakers. Page 50 • March 7, 1949 BROADCASTING • Telecasting