Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1949)

IDEAS on FM's status are exchanged by these delegates RCA Victor Div. promotion dept.; Dr. Millard C. Fought, at a business meeting of FM station executives, radio distributors and manufacturers in Philadelphia [Broadcasting, Nov. 14] (I to r): Hugh Boyer, Zenith Radio Corp. district manager; Raymond F. George, Phiico Corp. national sales promotion manager; Walter L. Lawrence, president of Fought Co., New York, monogement consultants; Lawrence M. C. Smith, WFLN (FM) Philodelphio president; Edward L. Sellers, executive director of FM Assn., Washington, D. C, ond Raymond S. Green, WFLN generol monoger BLOOD APPEALS D. C. Outlets Aid Co-worker PROMPT action by WRC Washington, followed by complete cooperation on the part of radio and television stations in the nation's capital Nov. 17, probably saved a life. Ed McGinley, WNBW (TV) engineer, developed complications ■while undergoing an operation at Garfield Hospital. Transfusions ■were ordered. Mr. McGinley had received over a gallon of blood, when the hospital started to run out of the rare type needed. WRC, where Mr. McGinley had been a recording engineer, was informed. WRC's newsroom and announcing staff immediately contacted other stations in Washington with a plea for station break appeals for blood donors. So effective were bulletins and personal pleas from disc jockeys that switchboards at stations were all but swamped. WTOP received a volunteer call from Connecticut. WRC and WMAL each received 70 calls. The following morning, the hospital reported Mr. McGinley out of danger. Washington area stations cooperating were WOL WWDC WMAL WINX WEAM WTOP WASH (FM) WRC WTTG (TV) WOIC (TV) WMAL-TV and WNBW (TV). FRANKLIN ELECTED Is RWG President PAUL FRANKLIN, Hollywood writer, was elected president of Radio Writers Guild to succeed Erik Barnouw at RWG membership meetings in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago Nov. 17. In New York, Sheldon Stark was elected regional vice president, succeeding Welbourn Kelley. Other New York region elections : Delegates to Authors League Council— Arnold Perl, Howard Rodman and Messrs. Stark and Kelley; to Regional Council (two-year terms) — Pete Lyon, Philo Higley, Hector Chevigny, Robert Newman, Julian Funt, David Cogan, Jack Bentkover, Ira Marion, Norman Ober and Messrs. Perl, Barnouw, Rodman, Kelley; holdovers for one more year — Robert Cenedella, Sylvia Berger, James Hart, Daisy Armoury, Lillian Schoen, Nelson Kramer, Harry Bailey. Florida Top network station in excellent market. $70,000.00 Texas Profitable fuUtime facility in a booming area. $115,000.00 CONTACT THE NEAREST OFFICE OF THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVES BLACKBURN-HAMILTON COMPANY, INC WASHINGTON, B. C. Jamu nr. BlMkborn Wa*klBet«a Bide. Iterllne 4341-2 MEDIA BROKERS CHICAGO Harold R. Murphy 333 N. Mich. Ave. Bandolph 6-4550 SAN FRANCISCO Ray V. Hamilton 235 Menteomery St. Exbreok 2-5672 COLLEGE RADIO Wide Use Commercial-wise WIDE use of commercial stations for radio programming by fouryear colleges and universities is emphasized in a survey completed by Kenneth Christiansen, of the Stephens College, Columbia, Mo., Radio Education Dept. According to Mr. Christiansen, the conclusions best answer criticism that commercial radio is giving little cooperation in educational broadcasting ventures. His figures show 226 institutions using commercial station outlets for radio programs and 15 colleges and universities using TV facilities of commercial stations. Also revealed are 280 colleges and universities using 980 outlets for radio programming activities. In addition, Mr. Christiansen's survey points out, five institutions are using a nation-wide network, four using state-wide networks and three using regional network facilities. Eighty-seven institutions carry programs over their own educationally owned and operated facilities, including 31 AM, 18 FM, 45 wired-wireless, four commercial AM and three commercial FM outlets. Boettiger & Summers NEWLY-FORMED Boettiger & 'Summers Advertising Agency, Charlotte, N. C, will include the handling of radio accounts, according to Audrey Summers, firm's partner. Miss Summers formerly was associated with WBT Charlotte as publicity director. Prior to the establishment of Boettiger & Summers, she was with Appliance Service Corp., affiliate of Southern Appliances, as sales promotion specialist. Mr. Boettiger was associated with Ayer & Gilbert, Charlotte advertising agency, for two and a half years following a seven year service in the army. Agency has its offices at 317 No. College St. CENSUS DATA Marketing Aid — Hauser RADIO and television set data in the 1950 U. S. decennial census will provide important material to aid marketing, according to Phillip M. Hauser, acting director of the Census Bureau. Addressing the Market Research Council meeting in New York Nov. 18, Mr. Hauser said significant changes among U. S. populace and institutions as a result of the war will be shown by combined data produced by the decennial and the current censuses of manufacturing and business. The Bureau does not make any systematic attempt to get information relating to advertising media, Mr. Hauser said, but "two fundamental important types of data of this character will be available as a byproduct of other census objectives. "Statistics will be made available as usual on the distribution of radios throughout the land (including both AM and FM although they will not be shown Separately). Also, for the first time statistics will be available on the presence of television in American homes. The availability of these statistics in relation to the size and characteristics of consumer markets and channels of distribution needs little elaboration from the standpoint of marketing research potential," he said. Plans Quality Checks Mr. Hauser explained the bureau will provide quality checks measuring the degree of completeness of the enumeration, and various aspects of the quality of the results. He said the new bench mark statistics for population, housing, agriculture, business and manufactures also will increase the opportunities of the bureau to provide sampling services to marketing groups. Tons of Sausage THERE'S a butcher in Huntington, W. Va., who is really sold on radio. During the recent strikes which stymied business, he decided to do something about giving it "a shot in the arm." Jake Brumfield marked his sausage down from the average 40^ lb. to a special 25^ lb. and then told everybody in town about it by sponsoring a Friday night football game over WPLH-AM-PM Huntington. By noon Saturday, his entire stock of sausage — three tons — was sold. When Jake's market closed that evening only a beef and a half and three hams were left. Demand for the sausage continued during the next few days. Mr. Brumfield prepared and sold six more tons. Page 70 • November 28, 1949 BROADCASTING • Telecasting