Broadcasting (July - Sep 1950)

BORKON SUES WHOD, Halberstam tor Libel LIBEL suit for $200,000 has been filed against WHOD Homestead, Pa., and Leiser Halberstam, former conductor of Jewish programs on WHOD, by Louis Yale Borkon, Jewish publisher and editor in the Pittsburgh area. Seeking compensatory damages of $100,000 and punitive damages of like amount, the suit was entered in the Common Pleas Court of Allegheny County. It alleged that WHOD aired programs by Rabbi Halberstam in late July in which "false," "defamatory" and "scurrilous" remarks were "directed unmistakably at plaintiff" although Mr. Borkon was not specifically named. The charges have been denied in all respects by Roy Feree, general manager of WHOD, a 250-w daytime outlet on 860 kc licensed to Steel City Broadcasting Corp. Mr. Borkon from 1923 to 1949 published and edited the weekly Yiddish language paper, Jewish Leader, in Pittsburgh and now publishes the monthly English language Jewish Pictorial Leader there. In his suit he claimed he had established a "reputation of eminence as a leader in Jewish affairs . . . and in many fields of Jewish endeavor and culture" in Pittsburgh and elsewhere. Mr. Borkon told the court that friends had complained about the Page 66 • September 25, 1950 WHOD Jewish program which he subsequently monitored and found objectionable. Since WHOD was inviting comment on the program, he stated he wrote and "protested the character and content of such broadcasts as being unrepresentative of accepted Jewish life and offensive to Jewish taste." Because of his letter, Mr. Borkon charged he was subjected to personal attack over the air. Although not mentioned by name on the broadcasts, Mr. Borkon alleged that listeners were invited to telephone WHOD for identity of the person involved. Mr. Borkon charged "many persons contacted" WHOD and were told it was the plaintiff. Mr. Feree told Broadcasting that for every 150 to 200 letters WHOD received complimenting the program, only one complaint was received. CHICAGO BEARS Standard Oil Sponsors Games TWELVE regular season games of the Chicago Bears professional football team are being sponsored by Standard Oil of Indiana on 15 Midwest stations. In addition, SO will buy all regular-season football games of the universities of Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wichita and Wisconsin. Stations carrying Bears games are: WIND Chicago; WDZ Decatur, 111.; WOKZ Alton, 111.; WBIW Bedford, Ind.; WTTS Bloomington. 111.; KBUR Burlington, 111.; WGIL Galesburg, 111.; KXIC Iowa City. Iowa; WSAL Logansport, Ind.; WBAT Marion, Ind.; WQUA Moline, 111.; WIRL Peoria, 111.; WMAY Springfield. 111.; WKID Urbana. 111.; and KWWL Waterloo. Iowa. Stations carrying the urtiversity football games locally will be KOA Denver, WHO Des Moines. WJR Detroit, WCCO Minneapolis, KFAB Omaha. KOLT Scottsbluff. Neb.; KFH Wichita and WTMJ Milwaukee. MGM ATTRACTIONS New Additions, Renewals MGM Radio Attractions has announced addition of 10 new subscribers and renewal of three contracts. New subscribers are: KIMA Yakima, Wash.; WDBJ Roanoke, Va.; WHUM Reading, Pa.; WRDW Augusta, Me.; CHAT Medicine Hat, Alta.; CFAR Flin Flon, Man.; CFNB Fredericton, N. B.; CFPL London, Ont.; CJRL Kenora, Ont. Renewals: WCVS Springfield, 111.; KELD El Dorado, Ark., and KFOR Lincoln, Neb. Town Meeting' Tour SIX-WEEK TOUR of U. S. Air Force bases in the U.S. and Alaska by George V. Denny's America's Town Meeting of the Air (ABC, Tuesday, 9-9:30 p.m.) has been announced by the Defense Dept. in Washington. First broadcast was Sept. 19 at Mather Air Force Base, Sacramento, Calif. In addition to the broadcasts, Mr. Denny is to be available for consultation with Air Force information and education officers at the bases, it was announced. ANNOUNCER HURT Still Stresses Safety AFTER stressing safe driving on his early morning disc show for the past five years, Dick Afford of KXLR N. Little Reck, Ark., now can tall of the needlessness of automobile accidents from first hand experience. Mr. Alford received a serious neck injury in an automobile accident recently. Despite the injury, As his daughter Marian Carole looks on, Mr. Alford broadcasts from his living room. he went back on the air five days later from the living room of his home. He explains that there are three reasons for his doing this: "(1) To keep from losing that money; (2) you can lose a radio audience darn quick if you don't stay on the air, and (3) I want to tell the people just how much you have to go thi'ough." BETTER LIViNG WNAX Holds Third Contest THIRD annual farm improvement contest sponsored by WNAX Yankton-Sioux City is nearing its finale. Winner of the 1950 Farmstead Improvement Program — a Wilkin County, Minn., farm family couple — to represent that state has been announced. The winning couple receives $1,000 in merchandise provided by the station. Some 30 runners-up in the state were awarded $50 each. Over the period of three years, WNAX estimates it has paid out $40,000 in prizes as stimulants to its campaign to improve the standard of living on farms. This year alone, 1,690 families, representing 243 counties in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Nebraska and Iowa, will receive awards. Final celebration will be held in Sioux City's auditorium Oct. 27 at which time all winners from the five states will receive their prizes. Overall awards of $2,000 and $3,000 will go to farm families entered in the last two and three years of the contest who have made the most of improving their living conditions. Network shows will originate from the auditorium and other entertainment will be provided. Cooperating with WNAX are the state extension services of the five states involved. MICH. ASSN. Annual Meeting Nov. 10-11 SECOND annual meeting of the Michigan Assn. of Broadcasters, numbering 56 stations, will be heJd Nov. 10-11 at the Hotel Olds, Lansing. A highlight of the session will be a statewide broadcast of a labour show the evening of Nov. 11, "telling and selling our great radio industry here in Michigan." Other activities scheduled include a luncheon address, business sessions, banquet and attendance at the Michigan State-Minnesota football game Nov. 11. MAB officers are as follows: Stanley Pratt, WSOO Sault Ste. Marie, president; Howard Finch, WJIM Lansing, vice president; Worth Kramer of WJR Detroit, Milton L. Greenebaum of WSAM Saginaw, Willis Dunbar of WKZO Kalamazoo, and Edward Baughn of WPAG Ann Arbor, all directors, and J. P. Scherer, WHFB Benton Harbor, secretary. Mr. Scherer has charge of reservations. CANADA RATINGS 'Twenty Questions' Tops FOUR AMERICAN network programs only are listed in the August national ratings for Canada report of Elliott-Haynes Ltd., Toronto, released Aug. 12. TwentyQuestions led as the most popular evening program in Canada for August, with a rating of 12.1, followed by Pause That Refreshes 11.2, Contented Hour 9.1, and Mystery Theatre 9. First five daytime programs in August, out of 13 listed, were Big Sister 12.2, Ma Perkins 11.8, Right to Happiness 10.8, Pepper Young's Family 10.4, and Road of Life 9.7. French-language programs for August were led in evening time by Jouez Double 13.4, La Route Enchantee 12.6, Cafe Concert 9.7, and Contes de ChezNous 7.8. Daytime French-language shows were led by Rue Principale 19.1, Jeunesse Doree 19, Tante Lucie 16.8, Maman Jeanne 16.8, and Quart d'Heure de Detente 16.4. WMRY New Orleans to carry complete schedules of Xavier U. and Dillard U. football games. Both are Negro institutions. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA'S I ISUPERMARKETi "40ro.s.c.. GENERAL MERCHANDISE SALES 1 1 The News-Piedmonf Sfafion *IJRP Greenville-Andersonnf/V Spartanburg Markets Represented by Avery-Knodel BROADCASTING • Telecasting