Broadcasting (Jan - Mar 1950)

MARCH OF DIMES Radio-TV Promotion Shows RADIO stations throughout the country are receiving a series of electrically transcribed shows and spot announcements, and video stations are receiving 16mm sound films to promote the 1950 March of Dimes campaign. The programs are for use locally Jan. 16-31, this year's March of Dimes drive dates. Recordings and films feature some of the top talent in the country, and, with the "discs for dimes" and spot announcements, are expected to account for a good percentage of the goal set this year by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. Potts Adv. Incorporates R. J. POTTS-Calkins & Holden Advertising Inc., with headquarters at 215 Pershing Road, Kansas City, Mo., announces that, effective Jan. 1, the organization started operating as a corporation instead of a partnership. All partners remain as officei's of the corporation and their assets will be transferred to the corporation in their entirety, it was stated. The management and personnel of the organization will remain very much the same as it was in the partnership, the announcement stated. The firm also maintains offices at 247 Park Ave., New York, and 333 N. Michigan Blvd., Chicago. BOB MILLER, farm service director of WRFD Worthington, Ohio, named program director of station, effective immediately. He formerly was associate farm director of WLW Cincinnati. WmSLOW BETTINSON, formerly program director of WHEB Portsmouth, N. H., appointed director of station operations for WLYN Lynn, Mass. EMORY BROWN joins announcing staff of KTXL San Angelo, Tex. ANNE STEGOS, former associate editor of Suffolk County, N. Y., Watchman, Huntington, L. I., joins script and continuity department of WHLI Hempstead, L. I. She replaces MURIEL ABRAMS, who resigned to be married. STEWART MacPHERSON, formerly with BBC, joins WCCO Minneapolis Jan. 18 as m.c. of new quiz show. BOB ROTH appointed to announcing staff of WMBG Richmond, Va. DAN KEELER, of KSL Salt Lake City announcing staff 1945-47, rejoins station, dividing his activities between AM and TV. SY MERNS, former production man with WINS New York and play-by-play announcer for WDYK Cumberland, Md.. appointed program director for WMON Montgomery, W. Va. He replaces JIM HOLMES, resigned to do graduate work in dramatic arts. RICHARD F. LOW, former continuity director for KBON Omaha, Neb., named program director of KBON-AM-FM. CHARLES TESSER, recent graduate of Television Workshop, New York, joins staff of WSYR-TV Syracuse, N. Y., as photographer. CARL VICTOR LITTLE, newspaper columnist of Houston Press, joins KXYZ Houston as commentator. CHARLES SHOWS signed to sevenyear exclusive contract as writer of iCTLA (TV) Los Angeles Time for Beany children's show. CHARLIE ACKERSON, ballad singer formerly with KWK St. Louis, rejoins station as m.c. of Charlie Ackerson Show. COLLINGSWORTH (Buddy) HOLMAN, former staff announcer for WTAL Tallahassee, Fla., becomes staff announcer for WMBR-TV Jacksonville, Fla. La VERNE WHITAKER named stage assistant to JACK McELROY, m. c. of ABC Breakfast in Hollywood. She succeeds MONICA WHALEN, resigned. RAY DAVIS, formerly with WNAV Annapolis, Md.; WDOV Dover, Del., and WSM Nashville, joins announcing staff of WASA Havre de Grace, Md. JULES PEWOWAR, program director at WMOR (FM) Chicago, joins Herbert Laufman Assoc., Chicago television production firm, as production manager. He will continue with his station work. TOMMY THOMPSON, for past two years in ABC Hollywood mail department, transferred to KECA-TV Hollywood as program assistant. Prior to joining ABC he was with Armed Forces Radio Service in Tokyo. ROD HENDRICKSON joins WTOP Washington as m.c. of new Tues.Thurs. show sponsored by Wise Potato Chip Co., Berwick, Pa. WILLIAM R. KLEIN, formerly guest relations manager for Don Lee Broadcasting System, named coordinator of operations. He replaces JEAN LANG, resigned to complete studies at U. of Southern California. JERRY FRANKS, KECA-TV Los Angeles stage manager, leaves Feb. 20 for six-weeks leave of absence during which time he will serve as stage and technical director of traveling show sponsored by Union Oil Co. TOMMY THOMPSON replaces him during his absence. DONNA KLINE joins KTLA (TV) Hollywood as chief costume designer on five weekly Time For Beany children's program. LES MITCHEL, producer-director of Skippy Hollywood Theatre, elected president of Sunland-Tujunga, Calif., Chamber of Commerce. MILTON Q. FORD, morning man for WWDC Washington, is the father of a boy, Michael Eric. RUSSELL LONG, program manager of WCSC Charleston, S. C, and ELIZABETH ROEBUCK, on staff of WCSC as Carolyn Coy, have announced their marriage. GEORGE SNELL, of KEEN San Jose, Calif., appointed radio chairman of Santa Clara County Committee for Hoover Report. DON STEVENS, announcer at WSB Atlanta, Ga., is the father of a girl, Marilyn Donna, born Jan. 5. BERTHA KURTZMAN, A B C T V broadcast operations supervisor, and David Williams of Time and lAfe, have announced their marriage. HOLIDAY GUIDE Offers Aid to Advertiser THE COMMERCE Dept. announced last week the compilation of a booklet v/hich contains a calendar of specially designated days, weeks and months to be observed during 1950. It also said pointedly that retail sales and profits could be boosted by a better coordination of advertising with national holidays and special observances. Commerce guide to the businessman lists days, weeks and months of special promotion and celebration of interest to the business field. In addition, legal, religious and well-known holidays are included. Information contained in this issue, third since the war's end, was furnished by trade associations, secretaries of state governments, civic groups and other such organizations, the Department said. Also included is the purpose of each event as stated by its sponsor. A total of 154 days, 124 weeks and 36 other celebrations are included in the booklet, called "Special Days, Weeks and Months in 1950," which may be obtained from Superintendent of Documents, Washington 25, D. C, or from Dept. of Commerce field offices for 15c per copy. RADIO CALL Solres Railroad Problem BOSTON & Maine Railroad discovered during the holiday season that radio has both power and flexibility as an advertising medium, Jan Gilbert, timebuyer, Harold Cabot & Co., Boston, reports. A few days before Christmas, mail piled up at Boston's North Station to an uncontrollable degree necessitating additional help to handle it. The railroad called the Cabot agency which placed a schedule of announcements on four Boston stations. First spot went on the air at 10:59 a.m. and others were scheduled through 2:30 p.m. At 11:50 p.m. the railroad advised the agency that it had more men than it could hire. Balance of the schedule then was cancelled. A total of 2,250 applicants reported to North Station, Miss Gilbert notes. Page 34 • January 16, 1950 BROADCASTING • Telecasting