Broadcasting (Apr - June 1950)

FCC REVOKES KTXN KFTM WXLT Licenses LICENSES of three standard stations were revoked by FCC last week on grounds that transfers of control had occurred without Commission approval. They were KTXN Austin, Tex., KFTM Fort Morgan, Col., and WXLT Ely, Minn. All three stations were given until June 7 to request a hearing on the revocation orders, which otherwise would become effective June 26. If a hearing is requested, the orders would be set aside pending final decision in the proceeding. Meanwhile, the Commission designated for hearing the license renewal application of WJVA South Bend, Ind., a 250-w daytime station on 1580 kc licensed to St. Joseph Valley Broadcasting Corp. WJVA was extended on temporary license until Sept. 1. FCC gave no reason for its hearing order. KTXN, licensed to Radio KTXN Inc. and assigned 1 kw daytime on 1370 kc, has pending an application for FCC consent to transfer of control to Edward C. James from Thomas G. Harris, John W. Stayton, J. Chrys Dougherty, Nat Harris Jr., Mrs. James P. Alexander, Joseph Cocke and John S. Braun [Broadcasting, April 24]. FCC contended, however, that control already had been transferred to Mr. James through a management agreement. KFTM, assigned 500 w daytime Mr. Frank Coulter Young and Ttubicam New York City Dear Frank : Never wuz much doubt thet WCHS is West Virginny's most lissened to station, but sumpthin' happened t'other day thet shore pinted hit up. Ever year th' patrol boys goes ter Washington ter see th' sights, an' this year a whole busload of 'em lit out for th' National Capital. Now, hit's oney natter a I thet parents an' sech tid worry a good bit 'bout their kiddies, so arrangement s wits made fer ter notify ever' body jest as soon as th' bus got ter Washin g t o n. An' Frank, d'yuh know whut they done ? They arranged fer ter call WCHS an' give th' news ter our boys here and git t h ' message across ter th' homes thetaway! They said hit wuz th' bestest way they cud think uv sinee durned near ever'one round here lissens ter WCHS! Jest 'nother proof, Frank, thet WCHS is definitely West Virginny's Number One Station, an' folks whut buys time for their clients is alius glad ter know thet. They likes ter deal with th' station folks lissen ter mostl Yrs. Algy WCHS Charleston, W. Va. on 1260 kc and licensed to Fort Morgan Broadcasting Co., has pending an application to assign its license to Morgan County Broadcasting Co. Robert Dolph and Robert McCollum, licensee partners, are to hold 61% interest in the new firm with newcomers including L. R. Christensen, Corder Smith, Frank Smith, Rainsford Winslow and Charles F. Kronkow [Broadcasting, March 6]. WXLT, licensed to Ely Broadcasting Co. and assigned 250 w fulltime on 1450 kc, has pending an application to transfer control from Charles W. Ingersoll to Lynn C. Thompson, Cornelius Thompson, Harold Henry, Cyrille Fortier, Mirth Lutnes, Nellie Ingersoll and L. W. Andrews. Mr. Andrews, who would own 16%, is a radio consultant, owner of KFMA Davenport, Iowa, and one-third owner of WTIM Taylorville, 111. [Broadcasting, Feb. 27]. BAB Marks 1st Year Auto Budgets (Continued from page 19) Co. from 10:30 p.m. to conclusion. Agency for Blatz is Kastor, Farrell, Chesley & Clifford, New York. The DeSoto-Plymouth dealers have held tight to their successful Groucho Marx show, You Bet Your Life, through the strike and will replace it for the summer with It Pays To Be Ignorant. No information is yet available as to whether Mr. Marx will be back with the dealers next fall. In addition, the DeSoto factory account has bought one week's spots on 292 stations, telling the public that cars are coming soon. BBDO is the agency for this group. Outside Detroit, at the huge Willow Run plant of Kaiser-Frazer, things are beginning to stir, with the introduction of the new 1950 Kaiser. Spot radio in about 30 markets was used in a 10-day test. The long awaited small car of K-F is due in the late summer, and plans for this showing are just being made by K-F and its agency, William H. Weintraub Co. Spot TV in the largest markets is said to be a sure thing, with AM plans not yet made. Chrysler Corp., for Chrysler cars, through McCann-Erickson, is about to buy the NBC-TV 8:30-9 p.m. Tuesday time for a new show, Treasury Agent, when Texaco Star Theatre abandons the 8-9 p.m. hour for summer hiatus. When Texaco returns next fall to that time, Chrysler will move to Thursday 8:30-9 p.m. on NBC-TV, according to present plans. Lewis Sets Tour DOROTHY LEWIS, coordinator, station relations for United Nations Radio, will leave tomorrow (May 30) on a coast-to-coast three-month tour of 50 cities. Miss Lewis will hold about 75 conferences with broadcasters and UN leaders to discuss the new United Nations code for commercial sponsorship and UN plans for the coming season. ( Continued fr undertaken and is continuing on a regular basis include: (1) Dealer co-op bulletins, intended to keep stations posted on news of advertising campaigns whose expense is shared by manufacturer and dealer. About 200 such bulletins have been circulated for AM stations and 75 for TV. (2) Direct mail pieces. A total of 400,000 cards have been sold to stations for their own mailing. (3) Monthly series of retail information folders, which cover important facts about individual retail businesses. These enable local radio salesmen to have at their disposal basic facts about businesses whose advertising they are soliciting. (4) Preparation of elaborate brochures which are intended eventually to compose a library of information on basic promotion types. The first, "Radio's Feminine Touch," was released two months ago, along with a complete directory of women's shows in radio. Others on news, farm, sports and transcribed programs are in work. (5) Publication of "Pitch," an information sheet published at no special regularity, but whenever, in Mr. Mitchell's words, "we have something to say." 'Pitch' Achievements "Pitch" is at least partly responsible for stimulating broadcasters against free-loading by the Army in its recruiting program, as well as for informing subscribers of all kinds of general sales news. Now nearing completion is another strip film, with accompanying script, called "How To Pick a • Winner," a presentation of national spot advertising. It is scheduled for release in mid-June. Another project nearing fruition is the preparing of a special booklet giving tips on commercial television production. This book will show tricks of production in displaying numerous kinds of products in television, and will enable local telecasters and their advertisers to learn at a glance the techniques that have been acquired painfully elsewhere. BAB in its first year, has done om page 23) "all the things we hoped to do,'| says Mr. Mitchell. But he envisions a much bigger job that should be done in a day of bigger budgets and bigger staff. He would like to be able to underwrite new research to bolster radio and television sales talks, to expand BAB's staff to include field men, to increase the production ana distribution of sales tools to help local salesmen. Maybe if staff additions that Mr. Mitchell hopes for materialize, there'll be enough people in New York a year from now to hold a celebration for the second birthday. RICHARDS CASE FCC Orders New Start A COMPLETE new start in FCC's. r hearing on the news policies of ' G. A. (Dick) Richards was ordered " by the Commission last week. The move, which strikes from the record the 2,315 pages of testimony presented during the threeweek session held before the death • of Examiner J. Fred Johnson Jr., ^ was made upon motion of Mr. -! ■• Richards' counsel, to which the FCC legal bureau offered no objection [Broadcasting, May 15, 22]. The hearing is scheduled to resume in Los Angeles June 5 with Examiner James D. Cunningham presiding. In seeking a fresh -~ start, Trial Attorney Hugh Fulton and associated counsel for Mr. |s Richards asserted that court de ; cisions have upheld the need for ! a new start when an examiner dies in mid-trial. Otherwise, they L claimed, Examiner Cunningham L would be unable to judge the credibility of witnesses who testi :fied before Judge Johnson in ses H sions last March. Mr. Richards is owner of KMPC Los Angles, WGAR Cleveland, and WJR Detroit. The hearing concerns charges that he ordered L KMPC staff members to slant news • against the late President Roose ~ j velt's family and certain minority groups. License-renewal applica : tions and a trusteeship plan for the three stations are at stake. Page 52 • May 29, 1950 BROADCASTING • Telecasting Ajj