Broadcasting (Jan - Mar 1950)

tvri WVPO AWARD C/tec/ in 'Herald Tribune' Fresh Air Fund Drive FRANK BUTALA, formerly with KSTP Minneapolis, joins KAUS Austin, Minn., as sports editor and announcer. LOU FRANKEL, director of special events and publicity for WFDR (FM) New York, appointed radio chairman, Brooklyn Chapter, American Red Cross. HARRY WISMER, ABC sportscaster, awarded Veterans of Foreign Wars Certificate of Merit as "outstanding sportscaster of 1949." BILL DOWNS. Berlin correspondent for CBS, is the father of a boy, born Jan. 10 in Berlin. RICHARD L. HANSEN, newscaster for WKTY LaCrosse, Wis., i? the father of a girl, Debra Joy. HAL FISHER, newswriter at WBBM Chicago, and Mildred Phillips have announced their marriage. BOB SMITH, sports director of WIBMAM-FM Jackson, Mich., is the father of a boy. Randy. LEONARD MIALL. Washington correspondent for BBC, is the father of a girl. CKDA Victoria, new 250 w station on 1340 kc, officially went on air Jan. 15. Station is represented by Radio Representatives Ltd., in Toronto and Montreal; by Tony Messner in Winnipeg; by John Hunt & Assoc. at Vancouver, and in U. S. by Forjoe & Co. David M. Armstrong is managing director. WVPO Stroudsburg, Pa., was awarded a citation, and seven other stations received honorable mention from the 1949 New York Herald Tribune Fresh Air Fund for their contributions to the fund's work on behalf of New York's needy children. Invitations to 287 city children to enjoy two-week vacations in Stroudsburg country homes were obtained largely through WVPO efforts, the fund said, and represented the largest number of invitations received from any one of the 1350 "friendly towns" engaged in the work. Judges in the contest were Niles Trammell, NBC board chairman; Mark Woods, ABC vice chairman, and Frank White, MBS president. Stations receiving honorable mention were WHDL Olean, N. Y. ; WWNY Watertown, N. Y. ; WKNE Keene, N. H.; WDOS Oneonta, N. Y.; WJOY Burlington, Vt.; WEEX Easton, Pa., and WI^NH Laconia, N. H. Entries were received from 60 stations in 13 states, and contained repoi'ts of amounts of time devoted to "friendly town" spot announcements and feature programs, and samples of scripts used in the campaign, as well as photogi-aphs, news stories and other material demonstrating station activity. The Watertown station used as its "sign-off" daily at 12:05 a.m. the following appeal, which won acclaim from the judges: "The next six hours of silence are dedi SALE-ER SUIT DULUTH, MINN.— "I'm well suited to go sale-ing for you in the big Duluth-Superior Market," says Otto Mattick as he breezes along on his rearpelled motoskates. "I've got 5,000 watts on 610 . . . my own and CBS personalities and programs . . . and a continuing, all-out listener-winning campaign." That's the KDAL story, in brief. But there's nothing brief about KDAL's success story for advertisers. Let us add a chapter about you and your products. It's a cinch. Try us and see ! cated to the children of New York City tenement areas who need your help. Call this station tomorrow if you are willing to take a child, and the Fresh Air Committee will get in touch with you." Unfortunately, the infantile paralysis epidemic last August prevented the 287 children invited to Stroudsburg from taking advantage of the project, which was cancelled. Elton Hall, WVPO station manager, assured Fresh Air Fund officials of his cooperation next summer, at which time he hoped the children would arrive. WVPO's record showed five spot announcements daily from July 10 to Aug. 6; three 15-minute scripts sent by fund officials; 12 15-minute record shows built around the fund, using the announcements; three disc jockeys devoting a quarter-hour segment of their daily shows, and a special two-hour benefit show featuring local talent. Total time allotted to the campaign by the station was 27 hours. DEFENSE SERIES Pupils Air Show on WCVA TWO sergeants attached to the National Military Establishment's main station in Washington have come up with a community relations "first," through the promotion of the Department of Defense program This Day over WCVA Culpeper, Va. Originated by Garnett G. Webster and George R. Kay, public information sergeants, the show is heard daily, featuring students of the local high school, broadcasting directly from the classrooms. An historical series, the program is prepared by the Defense Department's Radio-Television Branch and highlights in each script three important events in the growth of our nation. Show is distributed on a monthly basis and includes a packet of informational and recruiting announcements concerning each service— Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. How to put KDAL's audience dominance to work for you? Just ask Avery-Knodel. WIRK Moves Studios WIRK West Palm Beach, Fla., will move to new studios at 715 S. Flagler Drive, overlooking Lake Worth, to provide better accommodation for its talent shows and facilitate more quality and faster program service, Joseph S. Field, Jr., manager, announced last week. New technical and office equipment also has been purchased. WIRK operates fulltime with 1 kw on 1230 kc and is affiliated with MBS. Ken-Sell Inc. is licensee. HOW TO GET RICH "THERE must be a Republican in the woodpile," suggested Robert T. Mason, WMRN Marion, Ohio, after scanning U. S. Treasury Dept. 30second announcement for savings bonds. This sentence aroused his curiosity: "Remember, savings bonds are a safe investment — guaranteed by your government to return three dollars for every four you invest!" CBS HOLLYWOOD /fif RVYG Plan Joint Action RECOMMENDATION for joint action against CBS Hollywood by IBEW and Radio Writers' Guild, both of whom have failed to reach agreement in negotiations with the network, was made Jan. 6 at a board meeting of the Hollywood council of National Assn. of Broadcast Unions and Guilds. Making up NABUG are Radio and Television Directors Guild, RWG, AFRA, NABET, IBEW, Screen Publicists Guild and Office Employes International Union, all of whom were represented at the meeting. Claude McCue, executive .secretary of AFRA, is president. Both IBEW and RWG havel filed strike notices against the network; former seeks a salary increase to $52.50 for a 40-hour week for nine stage set-up men [Broadcasting, Jan. 2] ; latter is asking for "over $100" for 10 continuity staff writers. At the same meeting, NABUG approved action for joint investigation of malpractice against union members in Los Angeles stations and joint action against stations, if necessary. Union suspects, foi example, use of announcers as actors with remuneration given foi announcing chores only. Recordings Bill TRANSPORTATION and accept ance of "obscene" phonograph rec ords or electrical transcriptions ii interstate commerce would be ex pressly prohibited under provision of a bill introduced Jan. 6 by Rep Emanuel Celler (D-N. Y.). Th. measure (HR 6622), which woul< amend Sec. 1462 Title 18 of th^ U. S. Code, would cover any articl "capable of producing sound" ani certain books, pamphlets, motio: picture film, advertisements an drugs. Referred to the House Ju diciary Committee, the measur would alter the Code to include a above-mentioned items rather tha just literature. WNJR Newark, N. J., will air annu: AU-Sports Dinner, sponsored by Nev ark Athletic Club, Jan. 19, from 9-9:5 p.m. Page 32 • January 16, 1950 BROADCASTING • Telcc?. stin »