Broadcasting (Apr - June 1950)

NARBA SESSION SET THE SECOND phase of the overall NAEBA conference is scheduled to get under way in Washington, D. C. on Sept. 6, with indications now that all nations which subscribed to the expired treaty will participate. State Dept. officials said last week that all signatory nations have informally indicated their willingness to accept the September date — a month later than the "deadline" formerly agreed upon — and that formal invitations will be issued shortly. Only qualification with respect to the Sept. 6 resumption came from Mexico, which did not participate actively in the first NARBA sessions at Montreal last fall and which said a date later than Sept. 6 would be more convenient in view of other meetings slated that month. Mexican authorities indicated, however, that they would accept the Sept. 6 date if the other nations preferred it, even though it would ARTHUR BARRY Leaves F&P To Head WEOK ARTHUR J. BARRY Jr., vice president of Free & Peters, has resigned as of June 1 to become vice president and general manager of WEOK Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Jack Thompson, account executive in the Chicago office of Free & Peters, will move to New York to succeed Mr. Barry. Mr. Barry joined the Chicago office of the station representative firm in 1939. After war-time service on board an aircraft car Mr. Barry rier as a commander, he returned to Free & Peters New York office in 1945 and was elected a vice president in November 1948. He has acquired part ownership of Mid-Hudson Broadcasters Inc., owner of WEOK, which has plans for adding a TV operation after the freeze ends. Mr. Thompson was with Edward Petry Co. before his war service — five years with the Army. He spent several years in the New York radio department of McCann-Erickson before joining Free & Peters more than three years ago. Joins CBS Sales HENRY UNTERMEYER, account executive of WCBS New York, today (Monday) joins the staff of Radio Sales, Radio and Television Stations Representative, CBS, as account executive. Mr. Untermeyer has been with CBS since 1937 in various executive capacities. mean dividing the Mexican radio delegation between the NARBA conference and the Sept. 18-28 meeting of the Inter-American Assn. of Broadcasters at Sao Paulo, Brazil. U. S. officials appeared hopeful that the conference would be successful in breaking the U. S.-Cuban deadlock which finally forced a recess in the Montreal negotiations last December and could not be broken in some seven weeks of separate U. S.-Cuban conferences at Havana earlier this year. There have been reports that Cuba was undecided about participation in further sessions after the fruitless bilateral sessions at Havana, but State Dept. authorities said Cuban officials indicated resumption of the full conference on Sept. 6 is acceptable. Date Extended When the Montreal sessions were recessed to give the U. S. and Cuba an opportunity to work out their differences bilaterally, deadline for resumption of the full conference was set at Aug. 1. The new date was agreed upon informally after Canada requested postponement to avoid conflicts with governmental sessions. In preparation for the NARBA negotiations, Mexico reportedly is now making skywave measurements which may occupy most of the time until Sept. 6. For this reason there had been speculation that Mexico might press for a later date for the start of the conference. Knottiest problem thus far fac D. C. Meet Sept. 6 ing the sessions is the as yet unresolved dispute over U. S.-Cuban allocations. Mexico's participation increases the complexity, in view of the close relationship of allocations for all three countries. Signatories of the last NARBA, which expired March 29, 1949, are the U. S., Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. BIB FREE TIME Sets Up Paid Printed Ads EXTENSIVE campaign of "consumer education" donated by radio and television to Bib Corp., Lakeland, Fla., laid the groundwork for a paid newspaper advertising drive in the New York City area. After the free educational effort, Bib Corp. "complemented" the drive "by paid advertising in the form of full pages in New York newspapers including the Times, World-Telegram & Sun and Journal-American," according to the publication, Food Field Reporter. Bib Corp. markets Bib orange juice for babies. Its agency is Blaine-Thompson Co., New York. Paid copy in newspapers featured the theme that no other product offers such advantages as guaranteed vitamin C content, flavor control, elimination of peel oil and single-feeding size for convenience. Tie-in advertising is said to be planned by store chains, including A&P and Grand Union. OPERATION of KXYZ-ABC Houston's new model transmitter is explained to Ted Hills (I), newly appointed program manager, by Gerald Chinski, station's technical supervisor. Transmitter was put into use on May 1. Mr. Chinski said new facilities will give listeners a clearer and more powerful reception of KXYZ's signal. SCAAA Meets Today "WHAT'S happening in Southern California Radio" will be discussed at the regular monthly meeting today (Monday) of the Southern California Advertising Agencies Assn. at Nikabob Restaurant, Los Angeles. Main speaker will be Robert J. McAndrews, managing director, Southern California Broadcasters Assn., joined by a panel of six representatives of Los Angeles Radio stations. Making up panel are: Kevin Sweeney, sales manager, KFI and KFI-TV; Clyde Scott, general manager, KECA; Stan Spero, KFAC sales representative; Ole Morby, assistant sales manager, KNX and CBS Pacific Network; Doty Edouarde, sales manager, KFWB; Maury Gresham, sales representative, KLAC. NAB NAMES HUfflNGTON *M »«» B. WALTER HUFFINGTON, general manager of WSAP Portsmouth, Va., has been named NAB field director by William B. Ryan, NAB general manager. He assumes his duties today (Monday). In radio for a decade, Mr. Huffington brings to NAB varied executive and staff experience which equip him for this new role in association affairs, Mr. Ryan said. Decision to create the field directorship was made by the NAB board at its Arizona meeting last winter [Broadcasting, Feb. 13]. Mr. Huffington will spend about a month at NAB Washington headquarters to acquaint himself with the entire operation. After the orientation period he will start out on the road, serving as a combination traveling secretary and mem Mr. Huffington bership solicitor. NAB announced no salary for the field directorship but the board was understood to have set a $10,000 salary ceiling. The membership situation at NAB is none too encouraging as Mr. Huffington prepares to see what can be done about it. Roughly half of the 2,200 AM stations are members. Many of the perennial non-members have often complained they never were contacted at their offices by anyone from NAB. Some 70 stations dropped out in March and early April after the board increased dues in the lower brackets and removed the 12V&% discount, with another 30 new members joining the association. Flurry Before Convention The flurry of resignations ended just before the April convention and since that time the membership total has been relatively stable. Mr. Huffington's first major radio job was at WTAR Norfolk, Va., in the late '30s, followed by three years at WPTF Raleigh, N. C. At these stations he served as writer, commentator, producer, salesman, publicity director and sales promotion director. In 1941 he was named general manager of WPID Petersburg, Va., a post he held up to affiliation with the wartime Office of War Information as regional director for Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In 1945 he became program manager of WTMA Charleston, S. C, returning to Petersburg in 1946 as general and sales manager of WSSV. He was named general manager of WSAP Portsmouth in 1948. Between the Petersburg and Portsmouth assignments he served as national radio director of the American Red Cross, planning and supervising radio campaigns featuring top talent and heard on as many as 1,800 stations. Mr. Huffington married Helen Anne Lang, of Norfolk, in 1929. They have a daughter, Betty Anne, 16. He has been active in Portsmouth civic affairs. Page 30 • May 15, 1950 BROADCASTING • Telecasting