Broadcasting (Jan - Mar 1950)

At Dead ine... FCC ORDERS HEARING ON LIMA CHARGES HEARING on year-old charges that Northwestern Ohio Broadcasting Corp. was trying to sell its WIMA-AM-FM Lima, Ohio, three weeks after it got its AM grant [Broadcasting, Nov. 22, 1948] was ordered by FCC last Friday. Hearing was set for Feb. 28 at Lima. Sky Way Broadcasting Corp. of Columbus, Northwestern's rival in AM case, had claimed property broker's representative approached Sky Way President Gustav Hirsch on Nov. 11, 1948, and said Northwestern had authorized sale of AM and FM properties, with asking price $385,000. FCC, which investigated, said it "apeared" neither Northwestern nor Sky Way had been "entirely candid and truthful," and set matter down for hearing. Involved are WIMA license application; petition of Sky Way for revocation proceeding against WIMA (1150 kc, 1 kw) and for reinstatement of its own application (1150 kc, 5 kw day, 1 kw night), and replies by Northwestern. ORAL ARGUMENTS HELD IN THREE CASES ORAL ARGUMENTS held Friday before FCC en banc on proposals to deny extension of completion date to WRTV (TV) New Orleans, to grant WILK Wilkes-Barre, Pa., improved assignment, and to set aside earlier revocation order for WIBS Santurce, P. R. FCC took under advisement WRTV motion to dismiss or witlidraw application without prejudice to refiling when TV rules are settled. WRTV counsel said owner Maison Blanche Co.'s interest in TV signified in fact store is largest local TV sponsor. WILK supported FCC proposal to grant switch from 250 w on 1450 kc to 5kw day, 1 kw night on 980 kc, directional, citing some 50,000 people who would get first service. WTRY Troy, N. Y., opposed change because of interference. In WIBS case, owner Jose E. del Valle said cleared of charges of misrepresentations to FCC. Proposed actions reported by FCC last summer [BROADCASTING, Aug. 1, 29, Sept. 12, 1949]. WOULD DENY WFEC SWITCH DENIAL of request by WFEC Miami, Fla., to switch from 250 w day on 1220 kc to 250 w fulltime on 1230 kc i-ecommended Friday in initial decision by FCC Hearing Examiner J. Fred Johnson Jr. Decision cited delays in presenting evidence and said "record presents a disturbing indication of a disposition to trifle with the processes of the Commission." Bid was filed in 1947. ZENITH HEARING DEFERRED HEARING scheduled Jan. 16 on Zenith Radio Corp.'s proposal for "Phonevision" tests was postponed indefinitely by FCC Friday, pending action on Zenith's petition for authority to proceed without hearing. Zenith contends questions which FCC raised for consideration in hearing can be better answered after tests are conducted, not before [Telecasting, Jan. 2]. Company seeks three-month Chicago-area test of its subscription television system, with authority to charge "subscribers" $1 for each Phonevision program viewed. PROCTOR TO CHIRURG JOSEPH A. PROCTOR, with Lever Bros. 30 years and Spry advertising manager since 1936, named vice president in charge of merchandising of James Thomas Chirurg Co., Boston and New York agency. He has been active in introduction and advertising of nearly all Lever products. PREFERENCE FOR LARGER TV PICTURES MOUNTING PUBLIC demand for large-size TV pictures continues to rise, according to November figures of Radio Mfrs. Assn. Of 463,593 picture tubes sold to set-manufacturing firms, 58% were for tubes 12-13.9 inches; 19% for tubes 14 inches and up; 17.9% for tubes 9-11.9 inches; 3.9% for tubes 6-8.9 inches. Total sales of picture tubes in November, including manufacturers, distributors, export and other outlets, amounted to 485,312 units valued at $12,516,077. This compares to 456,375 tubes values at §11,719,674 for October. Sales of radio receiving tubes in November dropped below October but surpassed November 1948 figure, according to RMA. November sales amounted to 23,911,820 tubes compared to 24,353,631 in October and 21,118,874 in November 1948. Receiving tube sales totaled 174,946,014 tubes for first 11 months of year compared to 185,450,214 in same 1948 period. Of November sales, 18,602,851 tubes were for new equipment, 4,485,737 for replacements, 697,285 for export and 125,947 for government agencies. SWEZEY TO SPEAK AT NATIONAL TV MEET ROBERT D. SWEZEY, general manager of WDSU-TV New Orleans, will follow keynote speaker at opening of second annual National TV Conference sponsored by Chicago Television Council at Palmer House, March 6-8. He will discuss "Buying, Selling and Paying for TV." Members of creating, writing and direction panel include Beulah Zachary, producer of Kukla, Fran & OUie, and Ted Mills, producer of Garroway at Large and program director at WNBQ-NBC Chicago. Chicago production panelists will be Monte Fassnacht of ABC-TV; Fred Freeland, Ruthrauff & Ryan; Norman Lindquist, Malcom-Howard Agency; Joseph Betzer, Sarra Inc., and Jerry Campbell, Campbell-Cahill Studio. Eugene Thomas, general manager, WOIC (TV) Washington, is slated to discuss station management, and Robert H. O'Brien, secretarytreasurer of United Paramount Theatres, will outline theatre TV. TRANSIT SALES SESSION TWO-DAY convention of Transit Radio Inc. sales managers will be held today and tomorrow (Jan. 9-10) at Roosevelt Hotel, New York. Twenty-five stations will be represented, including 19 now affiliated with Transit Radio system and six others about to join. Company's board of directors meets Jan. 12 in New York. SETH GETS POST WILLIAM R. SETH, formerly with Muzak Corp., as advertising and promotion manager, has joined O'Brien & Dorrance, New York, as radio and television director. Mr. Seth is 10year veteran in radio and recording. He was formerly promotion manager of two divisions of NBC, account executive of W. B. Donor Agency and held management posts at stations. NBC ANTENNA PROJECT NBC and Empire State Bldg., New York expected to announce plan to construct new TV antenna atop building early this week. NBC relinquishing exclusive use of location, held since 1931, to share with ABC. Closed Circuit ( Continued from page U ) day games. Games telecast last season on WTTG (TV) Washington. PRESSURE being built up to get FCC to issue clear-channel decision prior to further NARBA negotiations, on theory that U. S. negotiators are in precarious position so long as their own domestic position is uncertain. Broadcasters being told it's better to have clear-channel decision, even if they don't like it, than to have none at all. NARBA negotiations now slated to resume Feb. 1 with U. S.-Cuban conferences. APPARENTLY mindful of Pillsbury Mills successful big cooking promotion that culminated at New York's Waldorf-Astoria last month. General Mills, through its agency, Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, New York, reportedly planning nationwide promotion which will include radio. WNEW NEW YORK is resigning from NAB as of Feb. 28, according to authoritative quarters. This move throws monkey wrench into NAB committee lineup since Ted Cott, WNEW vice president, had been slated to continue as chairman of the NAB Unaffiliated Stations Committee. WHILE high cost of TV operations is accepted throughout advertisingdom, it is significantly underlined in CBS-TV's costs on scenery, production and painting of sets and backdrops. Item reached $2 million in 1949 with additional $300,000 for trucking and movement of scenery to various theatre locations. ALSO proving big headache for TV network operators is slow expansion of facilities and new markets occasioned by FCC's television freeze. Networks need more affiliates and more circulation which could absorb programming and production costs, and it's feared that undue delays might bring some stagnation in network TV sales. McCORMICK & CO., Baltimore <tea), through Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles, New York, its agency, preparing limited test spot announcement campaign to start Jan. 30. IMPORTANT State Dept. post earmarked in upcoming State Dept. reorganization for Forney A. Rankin, NAB's government relations director and former department career man. Announcement due inside fortnight. Assistant Secretary Willard L. Thorp, for Economic Affairs, has taken over jurisidiction of Telecommunications Division, and it's presumed assignment will be in that office. PRICE involved in proposed sale of WMCAFM New York to syndicate of unidentified buyers reportedly slightly more than $20,000 (story page 18) . FITCH SHAMPOO, through its agency, Harry B. Cohen, New York, preparing spring spot announcement radio campaign to start about mid-March. INDIANA NEWS CLINIC NAB Radio News Clinic for state of Indiana will be held Sunday, Feb. 19, at Indianapolis, according to Harry M. Bitner Jr., WGBM Indianapolis, NAB District 8 director. Bill Warrick, WJOB Hammond, Ind., is general clinic chairman. Arthur C. Stringer, staff director, will participate for NAB. Site of clinic has not been picked. ZITZ JOINS CHICAGO AGENCY MARTIN ZITZ, advertising manager of Elgin American, Elgin, 111., resigns and will join Henri, Hurst & McDonald, Chicago, Feb. 1. Page 70 • January 9, 1950 BROADCASTING • Telecasting