Broadcasting (July - Sep 1950)

:jj entertainment, if there is anyjping of major interest going on, }. can be seen on WCPO-TV. j All programming from sign-on k 10:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. is live C-d local. The station pioneered, jnd quite successfully, the TV disc lackey. Its Paul Dixon Music \hop is a two-hour disc jocke3.-bow, telecast 3-5 p.m. six daj's a jfeek and averaging eight sponsors |j day. The show is chiefly the fpergetic good humor of Paul Dixon assisted by Dotty Mack '.nd Wanda Lewis and prospers 'ithout musicians, scripts or phearsal. Another popular WCPO-TV local eature is Bill Dawes' Make Believe iallrootn, seen from 10:30 a.m. to icon each day except Sunday, 'his show the station describes as islightlj' more reserved" than the •ixon feature but using similar Stechniques. Rose Mary Olberding irssists Mr. Dawes, adding a irceminine touch to the Ballroom. ^ Other local presentations include hillbilly music show, a cooking j chool, a ladies' participation rhow and a man-on-the-street Xslecast. In June the station stepI'ed up its schedule to offer 100 i.ours of programming a week. 4i Programs throughout the day ,|[.Te arranged so that the fare is il.:,! contrast to those being offered ^,11 other TV stations in the area. J,!vening hours are devoted to net3,'ork shows from ABC, DuMont, ^'aramount and Columbia. Plans j!re underway to increase the number of ABC shows this fall. It is I^Ir. Watters' contention that all ."astes must be satisfied and the " aried programming attains that tod. WCPO-TV Rates ■i"} The Branham Co., New York, -andles national accounts for -i.XPO-TV and there are 10 local -salesmen. Present one-time hourly T-ate for the station is S250 day j.nd S500 night. Other time seg_,ients on a one-time basis are: 30 "linutes .S150 day, S300 night; 15 linutes SlOO day, S300 night; five ,^;|iinutes S50 day, SlOO night; and ne minute S37.50 day, .S75 night. The staff, both talent and tech■^'ical, faced an enoi'mous task etting a new tele\ision station on _;s feet, but drive and determina-on has put it there. At the end f its first year the station boasts <-3ts of friends, and staff and management are looking forward s they enter their second year to icreasing the roster. NAB TV GROUP NAMED " Swezey 2uaker Oats Spots •UAKER OATS, Chicago, through herman & Marquette, same city, egins a 26-week schedule of onelinute TV film spots in New York, Ihicago, Boston and Los Angeles jmorrow (Tuesday), -with an verage of five spots' weekly in each rea for oats, puffed wheat and ice, Ken-L-Ration dog food. Aunt emima pancake mix and perhaps ake mixes. 1950-51 NAB Television Committee, headed by Robert D. Swezey, WDSUTV New Orleans, was named last Thursday by NAB President Justin Miller, thus rounding out the association's basic committee structure. Other members who will serve on the committee include Roger W. Clipp, WFIL-TV Philadelphia; Ted ★ Cott, WNBT (TV) New York; George J. Higgins, WISH Indianapolis; Clair R. McCollough, WGAL-TV Lancaster; Victor A. Sholis, WHASTV, Louisville, and Eugene Thomas, W 0 R New York, ^lessrs. Swezey, Higgins and Thomas are NAB board members. Judge Miller also chose three alternates to the group — George M. Burbach, KSD-TV St. Louis; Leslie C. Johnson, WHBF-TV Rock Island; and F. Van Konjmenburg, WTCN-TV Minneapolis. The TV committee and the recently selected A!M and FM groups [Bro.aj)castixg, July 24, 17] repre ^Ir. Swezey sent media within the broadcasting field and replace standing technical committees of NAB which heretofore had been patterned along functional lines, such as Government Relations, Employe-Employer Relations, etc. Members of all groups, however, will devote attention to all media, with particular emphasis on their own field. Proposal for the new structure was adopted by NAB board of directors June 21 on the recommendation of NAB General Manager William B. Ryan. Heading the AM and FM groups, respectively, are Hugh B. Terry, KLZ Denver, and Ben Strouse, WWDC-FM Washington. FAIRBANKS SUES Charges Heidi and Miller JERRY FAIRBANKS Productions, Hollywood television film producers, last week filed suit of $600,000 in Los Angeles Superior Court against Horace Heidt, band leader, Horace Heidt Productions (film) and Glenn Miller, head of Heidt Productions unit, charging infringements on patents, conspiracy and unfair trade practices. Fairbanks is asking judgment of $500,000 and exemplary damages of $100,000 in addition to an injunction against the two men to prevent them from using the Fairbanks' patented Multicam filming technique as well as "secret and confidential processes, methods, techniques and mechanisms." Injunction is also asked to prevent the Heidt interests from showing a filmed program which Fairbanks says was photogi-aphed by a process copied from its Multicam Process. Fairbanks is represented by the Los Angeles law firm of Sherman, Thompson & McCarthy. In the Fairbanks complaint, the firm charges that Mr. Heidt began negotiations in May to film a television version of the band leader's radio show, with arrangements made on the basis of proposed oneyear contract with Fairbanks. Mr. ■ Miller, then Fairbanks production manager, was assigned to work out details. On June 8, however, Fairbanks claims, Messrs. Heidt and Miller attempted to circumvent the Fairbanks firm and prevent consumation of the contract. In the following month, on July 7, Mr. Heidt was reported to have filmed the show at CBS supervised by Mr. Miller, still on the Fairbanks payroll and using "confidential methods, techniques and mechanisms." OuMONT PACT Setting lATSE Contract A TWO-YEAR contract between the DuMont Television Network and television, broadcasting, and studio locals of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes is expected to be signed this week, according to Harry Friedman, head of DuMont personnel relations. The contract will replace a fiveyear contract which expired this month with lATSE Local 794, New York; Local 819, Washington; and Local 820, Pittsburgh. Although no details have been released, Mr. Friedman said that only the Pittsburgh schedule remains to be worked out. WORLD SERIES Two Networks Bid for Rights TWO undisclosed networks are seeking exclusive telecast rights to the 1950 World Series after rejection of the Fabian Theatres' attempt to get the games for theatre television on the East Coast. Baseball's executive council turned Aovm the Brooklyn theatre chain's offer for "policy reason," but only for the 1950 season, however. One consideration of the executive council is reported to be the fact that relatively few theatres are equipped to project largescreen television and RCA threatreTV equipment is in slow production. Mutual and Gillette Razor Co. hold an AM exclusive contract, which extends through 1956. Bids for exclusive telecasting of the series will be accepted until Aug. 19 by Baseball Commissioner "Happy" Chandler in Cincinnati. He is empowered to make the final decision as to the buyer. The World Series is expected to start the first Tuesday in October. Drawn for Telecasting by John Zeigler "What you need is a quiet trip out West!" WBAL-TV POWER Asks FCC for 100 kw WBAL-TV Baltimore applied to FCC last week for operation with the maximum 100 kw power, disclosing plans to expand its programming for farm audiences. The application, which presumably must await the lifting of the current TV freeze before it can be acted upon, asked for an increase in effective radiated power from the present 27 kw visual and 13 k^v aural, to 100 kw visual and 50 kw aural. A change from metropolitan to rural classification was requested simultaneously. WBALTV is on Channel 11. ' Construction costs for the power boost were estimated at $75,000. With its application the Hearst Radio station submitted letters from agricultural authorities commending WBAL for its past and present service to rural audiences and expressing pleasure at plans for TV expansion in this field. Farm Interest T. B. Symons, dean and director of cooperative extension work in agi'iculture and home economics for Maryland, wrote that "we are very much interested in this development and are considering making the resources of the U. of Maryland, especially the College of Agriculture, available with selected personnel as active participants." Members of the U.S. Agriculture Dept.'s Production & Marketing Administration said that in addition to WBAL's "fine service" to agricultural interests, television "will give us both a gi'eater opportunity to serve the public." Other letters came from officials of the Maryland Dept. of Education and the Maryland Farm Bureau praising WBAL-AM's contributions to agricultural education and foreseeing further opportunities for service through television. At least one other 100 kw television application is awaiting FCC action. It was filed by WBEN-TV Buffalo. clecasting • BROADCASTING July 31, 1950 • Page 49