Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan - Mar 1951)

irtist's sketch of the WCAU radio-TV center, to be completed by the spring of 1952. 0 (| Hon. " De i VCAU BUILDING ipj, Foundation Now Completed FOUNDATIONS are completed for -Millie 100,000 square foot radio and elevision center WCAU Philadelphia is erecting on a 10-acre site, 'iatijphis was announced last week by )onald W. Thornburgh, president &>ind general manager, WCAU Sta"^•Hjions. The new plant is expected to be •eady for occupancy in the spring >f 1952. Designed to insure flexi)ility to meet future changes in .elecasting techniques, as well as to accommodate WCAU's AM operst^ation, the building will be capable Df expansion in two directions. The air-conditioned structure will have nine studios on the main floor, which covers an area of more than Dne acre. There will be three 60 by 80 ft. television studios and one smaller studio which may be used for AM and TV programs and rehearsals. The new WCAU plant will have a completely-equipped commercial Sim department. This unit, designed to supplement WCAU-TV's service to its clients and their agencies, jwill contain the latest processing facilities, making available the production of commercial and program films within the Philadelphia area. John G. Leitch, vice president in jcharge of engineering for the WCAU Stations, has overall supervision of construction and planning, which are being handled by the Austin Co. $06% | S Lansing's Most Powerful Station RADIO PROPS MET Listeners Swell Fund RADIO AUDIENCES of the Metropolitan Opera's Saturday afternoon (2-4:45 p.m.) broadcasts over ABC have contributed gifts totaling $123,500, or about half of the $250,000 received by the opera association in its annual drive, it has been announced by George A. Sloan, chairman of the Met's board. The campaign, which began Dec. 30, is conducted to provide for production improvements and to meet maintenance costs for this year, with a goal set at $750,000. Although most radio contributions came from ardent lovers of the Met, who expressed their gratitude for the broadcasts, one letter contained an exception. A man from Ontario, N. Y., wrote that although he cared not at all for opera and cared even less about opera on the radio, he was contributing $50 because there were so many unable to afford a gift who did enjoy it. Mrs. August Belmont, past chairman of the Met board, speaking at a dinner in her honor given by the association, also lauded the radio broadcasts and described the vast contributions received through the programs. MDBS NAMED BROADCASTING • Telecasting To Information Commission PRESIDENT TRUMAN last Monday nominated Ben Hibbs, editor of the Saturday Evening Post, to succeed Mark F. Ethridge on the U. S. Advisory Commission on Information. His nomination is subject to Senate confirmation. Mr. Ethridge, editor of the Louisville Times and Courier-Journal (WHAS-AM-FM-TV), had been serving on the commission since its formation in August 1948, and submitted his resignation last year. The commission has conducted a number of surveys into the effectiveness of the Voice of America and other State Dept. overseas information programs. NAB President Justin Miller is one of the five members of the advisory group. Advertisement From where I sit 6iy Joe Marsh Right Under Our Nose! Sometime back, we got word from the Governor, asking if we wanted to use the State Fire Inspection Team — experts they send around to communities to inspect public buildings. We sent a letter saying: "Okay! Give us the once-over!" They came down, all right — last week. After the inspection, we got their report. Came out pretty well, all told. Town Hall and School were O.K. Post Office just needed more sandbuckets. In fact, everything got a clean bill of health, except — the Fire Station! From where I sit, we volunteer firemen had just been too blamed busy keeping everyone else on the ball — to realize our own firehouse was not up to snuff. Like the man who worries so much about his neighbors — about whether they work hard enough, about whether they can really afford their new car, about their enjoying a temperate glass of beer — that he forgets to take a good critical look at himself now and then. Copyright, 1951, United States Brewers Foundation March 5, 1951 • Page 73