Broadcasting (Jan - Mar 1950)

•MWVUlfMNWMlWm Closed Circuit \comini TRANSIT RADIO getting close scrutiny at FCC. There's staflf-level thinking that it's not "broadcasting" in strictest sense because it's beamed primarily to transit patrons, and that therefore it's not entitled to broadcasting frequencies. Subject has not come before full Commission. MORE THAN cursory interest being evinced by Mutual affiliates, including certain stockholder stations, in pending plan of M-G-M to originate minimum of 30 hours per week of new programs to be fed to network. Programs — mainly live — would be produced with M-G-M talent and talent of other studios working with M-G-M, and would employ extensive literary properties of M-G-M and cooperating studios. Programs would be available for national or local sponsorship with M-G-M presumably holding certain rights of network recapture. E. I. duPONT de NEMOURS & CO., Wilmington, through BBDO, New York, preparing radio spot announcement campaign to educate public on difference in denier in stockings. Approximately 60 stations will be used in 40 markets starting Jan. 23 for 13 weeks. DREW PEARSON on a CBS station and partially owned by network at that! That's deal being negotiated by John S. Hayes, general manager of WTOP Washington, with Mr. Pearson, William H. Weintraub Agency, Elias Lustig, president of Adam Hat Co., and ABC network. WTOP (55% owned by Washington Post, which carries Mr. Pearson's syndicated column, and 45% CBS-owned) would carry Pearson show at 10:30 p.m. Sunday. He is carried live by WMAL, Washington Starowned ABC outlet in Washington, at 6 p.m. Deal would be first of kind evolved on repeat basis for Mr. Pearson, it's understood. INTERNAL problems at NAB, touched only lightly at board and committee meetings, may explode before upcoming structure-finance and board meetings are ended. Tipofi' came in informal comments among members of three committees that met last week (story page 15). Next portent could appear in form of resignations. NAB IS NOT only association in radio having member-resignation troubles. WDSU-TV New Orleans has resigned from Television Broadcasters Assn. No reason assigned. EDWIN R. BORROFF, former ABC Central Division vice president, has resigned as president of Taylor-Borroff station representative firm, Chicago, and has sold his interest to his partner, Ted Taylor. Mr. Borroff will devote his time to activities of KPHO-TV Phoenix, of which he is part owner, retaining representative firm for national business. NETWORK RADIO program being considered in addition to already sponsored Stop the Music by Cecil & Presbrey, New York, for (Continued on page 7U) Page 4 • January 16, 1950 Jan. 17: Governmeni'-lndust'ry Conference to Discuss NARBA, State Dept., Washington. Jon. 17-18: Georgia Assn. of Broadcasters, Hotel Dempsey, Macon. Jan. 20-21 : South Carolina Broadcasters Assn., Hotel Columbia, Columbia, S. C. Jan. 23-24: NAB board Structure and Finance Committees, NAB Hdqrs., Washington. Feb. 1: U. S. Cuban Conference on NARBA assignments, Hovana, Cuba. (Other Upcomings on page 43) Bulletins THOMAS S. LEE, 45, owner of Don Lee Broadcasting System, either jumped or fell from the twelfth story of a Los Angeles office building late Friday. He had been under observation for several years and the affairs of Don Lee were conducted by trustees. LIGGETT & MYERS TOBACCO Co. (Chesterfields) signed Friday to carry 77 home games of Washington American League baseball club on WTTG (TV) Washington. Contract signed by Newman McEvoy, of Cunningham & Walsh, and Walter Compton, WTTG manager. PROCTER & GAMBLE, Cincinnati, through Blow Co., New York, starts small test spot announcement campaign this week in Ohio for its Joy, liquid dishwasher. JUSTIN MILLER, NAB president, reappointed Friday by President Truman to serve on U. S. Advisory Commission on Information. This will be Judge Miller's second term; first appointed to commission by President last year. Purpose of group is to study State Dept. activities in field of information. FORNEY RANKIN QUITS NAB; RETURNS TO STATE DEPT. FORNEY A. RANKIN, NAB director of government relations, resigns Feb. 1 to become director of public aflFairs in office of Assistant Secretary of State in charge of Inter-American Affairs, Edward G. Miller Jr. He will be in charge of information and cultural affairs in Latin America. Mr. Rankin joined NAB Oct. 1, 1948, as international advisor and later was named executive assistant to President Justin Miller. He devoted most of his attention to international matters and attended high-frequency broadcast conference at Mexico City and recent NARBA meetings in Montreal. He is author of Who Gets the Air? published last summer by NAB. Before joining NAB Mr. Rankin was associate chief of State Dept. Internat'onal Broadcasting Division. He had been with Office of Inter-American Affairs. During his period of government service he attended many international conferences. Last summer he was named NAB government relations director when that post was created by the board. Business Briefly BAKERY SPOTS • Cross-country campaign in works for California Fruit Bread, Los Angeles, which already has booked spot radio in four Pacific Coast markets. Budget not released. Agency, J. B. Keifer Inc., Los Angeles. COOKIE PROMOTION # Zion Industries, Zion, 111., preparing to start campaign of singing commercials to promote its line of cookies. Agency, Goodkind, Joice & Morgan, Chicago. AGENCY NAMED # Dulane Inc., Chicago ; (deep fat fryer), names Ruthrauff & Ryan. Chicago, to handle advertising. TV to be used. GINGER PLAN # K. W. Ginger Products Co., names Smith, Smalley & Tester, New,York, to handle advertising of its ginger products. Radio will be used. NAB ASKS ACHESON TO CONFER ON MIXUP NAB Friday asked Secretary of State Dear Acheson for top-level conference on broadcasl rights following brush-off given networks al Secretary's luncheon speech Thursday at National Press Club, Washington. Previous protest sent to Secretary Achesor Wednesday by NAB President Justin Mille: when State Dept. withdrew permission foi radio pickup on ground speech would be ex temporaneous. Actually, Secretary Achesor spoke from prepared material. State Dept. finally gave permission for re cording of speech at 12:25 p.m. Thursday scarcely half-hour before he started talking Department managed to get Voice of Americ£ staff to handle recording job. Then diplomatic agency got tied up in red tape as Far Easterr officials demanded right to edit recording. Networks franctically booked news spots foi portions of speech Friday afternoon but rel cording wasn't ready until 6:40 p.m. thougl promised at 4 p.m. Voice of America got it: copy at same time. Eric Sevareid, CBS com mentator, termed incident "most remarkable effort to protect a public official from himsel that Washington has seen in years." DON LEE EXTENSION FCC Friday granted Don Lee Broadcasting System extension of time to Feb. 1 to fil< exceptions to Commission's proposed decisioi on Don Lee station renewals [Broadcasting Jan. 2]. FCC proposed to renew licenses (KHJ AM-FM Los Angeles, KFRC San Francisco KGB San Diego, KDB Santa Barbara), bu held Don Lee had violated network regulations Network still undecided whether to file ex ceptions. LANGER BILL OPPOSED RADIO and television have become "very im portant" media to beer advertisers and Lange: Bill would impose "intolerable" restrictions oi their interstate advertising, Edward L. Flani gan. Globe Brewing Co., told Senate Interstat Commerce Committee Friday (early stor: page 60). BROADCASTING • Telecastioj