Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan - Mar 1951)

O'n the dotted line . SOCONY VACUUM Oil Co. returned to WGR Buffalo Feb. 19, sponsoring Mobilgas News each weekday 7:50-8 a. m., following arrangements by (I to r) Nat Cohen, WGR sis. mgr.; W. R. Randall, WGR sis. rep.; Arthur J. Rast, Buffalo dist. mgr. for Socony, and David Getman, WGR reporter. WIL St. Louis airs Worth-Weil News three days weekly at 6 and at 10 p. m. Program was planned by (I to r) Robert Hetherington, station sis. mgr.; Barney Sentner, adv. mgr., local Weil Clothing Co., and John Carr, WIL newscaster. MRS. V. V. RICE, owner, Patrick Henry Distributing Co., Martinsville, Va., signs three-year pact to sponsor Frederic W. Ziv Wayne King Show, over WDVA Danville, Va., with Emerson Pryor (I), WDVA gen. mgr.; John F. Conboye, WDVA sales. WHYN Holyoke, Mass., signs Hampden Brewing Co., Willimansett, Mass., to sponsor all home and away games of Springfield Cubs. Setting pact are, seated (I to r), Henry Protzmann, Hampden gen. mgr., and George Nosker, Cub mgr.; standing. Herb Corneal, WHYN sportscaster, and Charles N. DeRose, WHYN gen. mgr. A 52-week contract was set by Fidelity Loan & Savings Corp., Memphis, to sponsor Robert F. Hurleigh, MBS commentator, Mon.-Fri. in area over WHBQ Memphis by, seated (I to r), W. L. Schneider, firm v. p., and Mr. Hurleigh; standing. Bill Grumbles, WHBQ sis. mgr.; Tom Ragland, WHBQ sis. rep., and Daniel J. Watermeier. Fidelity mgr. WNBK (TV) and WTAM Cleveland are giving city first commercial acrossthe-board simulcast, 12-12:05 a. m., with World News sponsored by Rogers Jewelry Stores. The 52-week contract is set by, seated (I to r), Tom Fields, announcer; Fred Shaal, acct. exec, Clifford-Thomas Adv. Agency; E. R. Isroff, gen. mgr., Rogers Jewelry; standing, H. L. Gallagher, WNBK sis. mgr.; Harold Isroff, dist. mgr., Rogers, and Robert C. Miller, WNBK acct. exec. FTC SUIT Chicago Court Dismisses", Action Against Imdrin A FEDERAL Trade Commission suit to enjoin Rhodes Pharmacal Co from continuing broadcast and publication advertising for Imdrin has] been dismissed by a Chicago Federal Court. The FTC had sought a preliminary injunction pending issuance of a cease-and-desist order. * In dismissing the suit Feb. 21, filed in the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago) Judge Walter LaBuy ruled that the commission had "failed to maintain the burden" of proof that an injunction was necessary to restrain allegedly false advertising of Imdrin. It was FTC's first attempted use of that statutory power since 1943. Additionally, Judge LaBuy singled out FTC's "delay" in launching hearings on its complaint against the firm, which got underway Sept. 27, 1950—13 months after it commenced proceedings. FTC had charged that further dissemination of Imdrin broadcast and published advertisements alleged to be false "may cause immediate and irreparable injury to the public in that persons induced by such . . . advertisements to purchase said preparation may delay proper treatment, and thereby suffer permanent and irreparable crippling" [Broadcasting • Telecasting, Feb. 5]. 'Early Determination' Judge LaBuy noted that the commission has concluded its case with the prospect that "there will be an early determination of the merits" if the case is "diligently prosecuted." Imdrin is slated to present its testimony this month, after which appeals will be heard. Frank E. Gettleman, Rhodes attorney, testified that previous cases of this type involved situations where the firms could not be stopped by ordinary cease-and-de PROBE DEMANDED Of FM Set Output A RESOLUTION demanding that Congress probe the "neglect and inaction" of radio manufacturers "in failing to provide sufficient FM sets" was adopted by stockholders of the Cooperative Broadcasting Assn., owner of WCFM (FM) Washington, at a meeting held Feb. 23. Wallace J. Campbell, association president, presided at the session. The resolution, slated to be submitted to the Senate & House Interstate & Foreign Commerce committees, charged that the "public interest is being thwarted by the radio manufacturing industry"; that "failure" to acquaint the general public with advantages of FM is "depriving the public of the educational, technical and cultural opportunities" of FM, and that the industry is "restraining the fair competition between FM and AM broadcasting" and thus "interferes with the free and full use of radio channels for the public interest." I sist procedures; that Imdrin had continuously requested an early!, trial on the complaint, and that the? commission was entirely responsible for the delay. The govern-! ment was represented in court byt Trial Attorney Joseph Callaway. I Onus of the court ruling rested! largely on the existence of "con-| flicting affidavits in ... a technical case." Mere denial of the allegations "would justify the issuance of the injunction . . . but the defendants have filed their verified answer denying all the material allegations . . . and submitted counter-affidavits in support of their answer," Judge LaBuy stated. Furthermore, where pleadings are supported by affidavits and witnesses do not actually appear, he added, "the contents of all . . . are entitled to equal weight." He continued: ... A preliminary injunction should never be granted unless it appears clearly that the petitioner has sustained its burden. To resolve technical, controversial facts solely on pleadings and conflicting affidavits does not satisfy the ends of justice. . . Commission authorities said last week that the merits of the case probably will not be resolved before May at the earliest. Oral arguments were heard in the federal court Feb. 15. MEDAL FOR MERIT Urged for Dr. de Forest REP. CHET HOLIFIELD (DCalif.) would have the President bestow a Medal for Merit on Dr. Lee de Forest, whom the Congressman describes as the "father of the electronic age." Last week Rep. Holifield introduced a bill (HR 2904) in the House which would accomplish that purpose. Dr. de Forest, the California Congressman said, invented the three-electrode tube "upon which radio, recording, radar, and even splitting the atom are based." The inventor, who is 78, is still active in his Los Angeles laboratory. The bill was referred to the House Armed Services Committee. Cisum Nagro HARRY C. BUTCHER, owner-president, K I S T Santa Barbara, learned by chance that organ music, even played backwards, is well-heard. A control man inadvertently played backwards a tape recording of an organ program, which the station reports has a nice Hooperating. No one complained but the organist. BROADCASTING Telecasting