Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1950)

Allen (Continued from page 2i) was functioning irregularly. The cuckoo, a shy bird, backed out of the clock instead of facing the world on the hour. Based as it was on a funny theme, the sketch might have succeeded had it not been drawn out beyond the possibility of climax and had Mr. Wooley not misplaced some lines in his impenetrable beard. The big production number featured Mr. Allen and Rise Stevens, the Metropolitan Opera star, in a musical version of the traveling salesman-farmer's daughter story, scrubbed up for the family living room and sung to melodies from "Carmen." Although the lyrics were bright, the performance suffered from an interminable bit of business concerning Mr. Allen's nose being tickled repeatedly by Miss Steven's pigtails. Miss Stevens, in a more characteristic moment, also sang "Falling in Love," commendably if not memorably, and Sono Osato was featured in a ballet number that need not cause the Sadler Wells company any sleepless nights. Whatever lapses occurred throughout the performances of Mr. Allen and his supporting players can probably be attributed to the agitations of preparing a premiere production of an hourlong comedy show. Commercials on the program were for Colgate dental cream. Halo shampoo, Palmolive soap and Ajax cleaner. Of the four, Ajax's "foaming cleanser" jingle was most effective. RIGGIO JOINS HILTON Agency Name Changes LOUIS J. RIGGIO, formerly assistant to the president in charge of advertising and sales for the American Tobacco Co., has become a partner in the Peter Hilton Inc., agency, N. Y. Effective Oct. 1, the agency will change its name to Hilton & Riggio Inc., with Mr. Hilton remaining as president and Mr. Riggio as vice president and treasurer. FCC on Film MICROFILMING of FCC's official minutes through 1947 has been completed and sent to the National Archives, the Commission reported last week. Including the period March 15, 1927, to Dec. 31, 1947, the microfilm project reduced to 46 small reels of less than single filing-cabinet size the minutes contained in 78,000 pages and 99 volumes — 21 from the former Federal Radio Commission and 78 for FCC. Project was begun in 1948. Lorain Journal (Continued from page 25) Government anti-trust suit which is being closely watched by radio as well as newspaper interests [Broadcasting, June 19]. Though the Times Picayune's WTPS-AM-FM New Orleans are not involved, the suit is reminiscent of FCC's duopoly rule in broadcasting in that it is aimed in part at alleged practices involving "combination rates," charging that the publishing company used its two local papers in an attempt to attain monopoly. In their answer, filed Wednesday in federal court in New Orleans, the Times-Picayuyie and States denied charges of anti-trust violations and monopolistic practices injurious to the rival New Orleans Item. Claim Practice Is General They admitted selling advertising in morning and evening combination, but asserted such procedures are generally employed in the newspaper field and are not in violation of law. The Item, they contended, used the same practices in former years when the owners of the paper at that time also published the morning Tribune. The answer flatly denied a government contention that the TimesPicayune acquired the States in 1933 "under restrictive covenants in order to prevent competition." It also claimed the Item was negotiating for the States at that time with the intent to merge the two papers "so as to eliminate competi / for SALES GETTING REPRESENTATION Contact our nearest office Chicago Atlanta Baltimore San Francisco Los Angeles New York 185 N. Wabash Avenue Rhodes-Haverty Building 2104 N. Charles Street 68 Post Street 684 S. Lafayette Park PI. 366 Madison Avenue Executive Office tion in the afternoon field in New Orleans." To the suit's charge that the Times-Picayune and States prohibited their vendors from selling the Item, the answer said there have been no such restrictions since June, and that, prior to that time, certain requirements on a few vendors were established as protective measures because requirements im.posed by the Item resulted in preferential sale of the Item over the States. The answer concluded: If the Sherman Act is to be construed as permitting the courts of the U. S. to regulate the advertising or circulation rates of newspapers, or the size or content of newspapers, or to prohibit an irfdividual or corporation publishing newspapers from charging one rate for advertising in all of its editions, morning and afternoon, whether published under the same or different names, then such Sherman Act is unconstitutional, null and void, because it violates the provisions of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the U. S. that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press. Page 92 STATION REPRESENTATIVES October 2, 1950 AM F M TV RURAL OUTLET KRVN Nears Opening A POWERFUL new rural AM station— KRVN Lexington, Neb., the "Radio Voice of Nebraska" — is shooting for Nov. 15 or earlier as its target date for beginning operations, it was disclosed last week. The station, which repoi'tedly will throw a 25 kw signal over most of the rural area of Nebraska on 1010 kc daytime only, is licensed to the Nebraska Rural Radio Assn. of Lincoln, Neb., a state-wide farm cooperative organization which has been planning the new outlet for more than a year [Broadcasting, June 27, 1949]. In June 1949, the cooperative firm began soliciting funds from farmers, stockmen, ministers, farm oi-ganizations and similar groups throughout the state. Cost of the station is estimated at $190,000. RCA Equipment RCA has announced that it is completing construction of a 50 kw transmitter and other equipment making up a full complement of studio and transmitter needs for KRVN. Delivery date is scheduled for this month. The transmitter equipment, including two 275-ft. towers, will be installed seven miles east of Lexington, according to RCA. Jay A. Person, of Wauneta, Neb., is president of the firm. Max Brown, of Lincoln, new to radio and acting secretary of the organization, will be the general manager of the station. Dan Bellus, formerly commercial manager of KXXX Colby, Kan., will be commercial manager; Tom Copeland, formerly with the WOWO Fort Wayne engineering staff, will be chief engineer; Garry Schroeder, formerly with WRFD Worthington, Ohio, will be program director, and Patricia Doyle, formerly with WWDC Washington, will be traffic manager. Benny (Continued from page 2U) able reading, but a Benny show, adorned with his performance and production skill, makes listening that is about as satisfactory, week after week, as you will find on the air. Nowhere else has the sound effect been elevated to such an instrument of comedy as it has on the Benny program. In the gold rush sketch Sept. 24 Mr. Benuy and his confederate, "Tex" Harris, encountered a desperado played by Don Wilson. "Be careful," warned Tex, "that's Windy Wilson, the toughest man in these parts." There was a shot and then the sound of pressurized air escaping through a puncture. "I shot him in the stomach," Mr. Benny said. The whole essence of Benny comedy was contained in this single incident. The sound effects were meticulously timed and tuned to a situation involving another standard Benny joke, Mr. Wilson's paunch. Utilizing his basic store of topics for humor, which have been tested thoroughly for so myny years, . Mr. Benny is assured of a future limited only by the destiny of radio itself. A round of applause is due the Lucky Strike commercials which are of a piece with the current Luckies' theme, "Be Happy, Go Lucky." The jingle which is being used on the Benny show as well as on the American Tobacco Co.'s other radio and television schedules is among the most melodic in contemporary broadcast advertising. It ought to sell cigarettes too. Radio Bills Pend (Continued from page 31) acute with the sudden change in| the Far East and a resulting! stepped up war economy, the Administration reissued its call for the TV set tax which was written, into the tax bill by the Senate and : finally passed by Congress. ! The so-called Condon Committeereport finally was made public last; July [Telecasting, July 17]. This^jii was the group commissioned by! Sen. Johnson's Commerce Commit^; tee to accurately survey the colorp television question. The group, formally known as the Senate Ad-1 visory Committee on Color Television, supplied the FCC with its scientific findings but arrived at no conclusion except to suggest!|5 that only one system of the three proposed before the Commission be accepted. Midway in the session proposals that Congress impose fees for special services rendered private in-, terests by government agencies were forwarded. Among them were suggestions that FCC charge for certain services it gives broadcasters, including the granting oi licenses. [Broadcasting, July 31]. Studies were underway both in the Senate and the House with possible consideration of the revenue proposal next year. BROADCASTING • Telecasting