Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1953)

STATIONS NETWORKS HOLDING wires of congratulations that poured in when KLZ-TV Denver went on the air Nov. 1 are (I to r) Frank H. Ricketson, member of the board of directors; Harry E. Huffman, chairman of the board, and Hugh B. Terry, president-general manager of Aladdin Radio & Television Inc., owners of the new station. WBGE Blasts Capitol's Charging for Sample Records "CAPITOL RECORDS is attempting to charge WBGE Atlanta for the privilege of plugging Capitol records, and we want absolutely no part of it — now or ever," according to Robert N. Pinkerton, station manager. Writing to R. H. Burrel, Atlanta distributor for Capitol, Mr. Pinkerton said, "Our bookkeeping department has been advised that invoices covering any such service not ordered by this writer will not be honored by this station, and our program department has been asked to investigate the advisability of suspending completely the playing of Capitol records on WBGE. "We would ... be glad to work out a reciprocal arrangement whereby we pay for your records and you pay for the plugs you get by having them played. In the meantime, please expect no payment on any basis whatever for Capitol samples delivered to this station unless it is specifically authorized in writing by me." Puppets on Station Breaks FIRST use of animated station breaks as a method of tv station identification is claimed for three 20-second announcements which will be carried on WNBT (TV) New York this week. The claim was advanced by Al Stahl, president of Animated Productions, New York, which produced the announcements. He said station identifications up to now have relied "exclusively on balops or slides." First showing of the announcements, which consist of the station's call letters followed by puppets plugging WNBT (TV) shows, will be made Wednesday on behalf of the Stork Club Show, Faye Emerson-Skitch Henderson Show and Midnight Movie. WKRC Am Rates Up 20% WKRC Cincinnati has increased its rates approximately 20% for the 6-9 a.m. Monday through Friday period effective Nov. 1, David G. Taft, executive vice president of Radio Cincinnati Inc., WKRC-AM-FM-TV licensee, has announced. Mr. Taft said the increase was attributed to substantially increased audience. Nighttime and all other daytime rate structures remain the same, Mr. Taft said. ABC-TV ADDS 5; TOTAL NOW 174 SIGNING of five new affiliates of ABC-TV, bringing the network total to 174 stations, was announced last week by Alfred R. Beckman, national director of the ABC-TV stations relations departments. WKJG-TV Fort Wayne (ch. 33), owned and operated by North-Eastern Indiana Broadcasting Co. with Edward G. Thorns as general manager, joined ABC-TV Nov. 5. The four others are: WIBF-TV Augusta, Ga. (ch. 6), owned by Georgia-Carolina Broadcasting Co., with J. B. Fuqua as general manager, the affiliation to become effective Nov. 25. WITV (TV) Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (ch. 17), owned by Gerico Investment Co. with R. W. Standart as general manager, affiliation effective Nov. 26. WEAU-TV Eau Claire, Wis. (ch. 13), owned by Central Broadcasting Co. with H. S. Hyett as general manager, affiliation effective Dec. 6. WUTV (TV) Youngstown, Ohio (ch. 21), owned by Polan Industries and with general manager to be announced, affiliation effective Ian. 1. Clark Appointment Announced At ABC Film Syndication Meet FIRST national sales meeting of ABC Film Syndication in New York last Wednesday was highlighted by announcement of the appointment of William L. Clark as western manager of the division. Mr. Clark, currently serving as assistant sales manager for WPIX (TV) New York, will assume his new post on Jan. 1 at offices in Los Angeles. Previously, Mr. Clark had served on the ABC-TV sales staff from 1951 to 1952 and was with WPIX (TV) and the DuMont Television Network as a sales account executive from 1947 to 1951. Appointment of Mr. Clark was announced by George T. Shupert, vice president in charge of the division, who conducted the all-day meeting. Mr. Shupert also discussed sales policies and plans for the newly created unit. Addressing the morning session of the meeting was Robert E. Kintner, ABC president. Other speakers were Don L. Kearney, the division's national sales manager, who outlined sales plans and procedures; Lee Francis of the sales promotion department, who described plans for promotion, advertising and research, and Joseph Greene, traffic manager, who explained distribution plans and procedures. Attending the meeting were Leonard H. Goldenson, president of AB-PT; Robert H. O'Brien, ABC executive vice president; Walter \V. Gross, AB-PT general counsel and board member; Frank Freeman, administrative assistant to Mr. Shupert; Nat V. Donato and John Callis of the division's New York sales staff; John B. Burns, supervisor of the Chicago sales staff; Patrick W. Rastall of the Chicago sales staff, and Mr. Clark. Vaughan Hearing Covered FULL coverage of Maj. Gen. Harry H. Vaughan's appearance before the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee last Thursday was carried by Mutual and ABC Radio and ABC-TV from 2:35-3:45 p.m. EST. CBS Radio presented a recorded version of the proceedings Thursday night from 11:30 p.m.12 midnight. Coverage on various news programs was provided by DuMont, CBS-TV, NBC-TV and NBC Radio. AMONG NBC-TV's newest affiliates [B»T, Nov. 2] is KWWL (TV) Waterloo-Grand Rapids, Iowa. At negotiations in New York are R. J. McElroy, KWWL president; Donald Inman, station sales manager, and Sheldon B. Hickox Jr., NBC director of station relations. KWWL, on ch. 7, has a Thanksgiving target date. AT&T Plans New Channels For Albany-Buffalo Route PLANS for the addition of two television channels to the Albany-Buffalo radio relay route were announced last week by AT&T's Long Lines Dept., which said the addition would consist of one channel in each direction and that application for authorization of the project has been filed with FCC. Two westbound channels are now in operation on the Albany-Buffalo system and a third, eastbound, is under construction. Eventually, it was pointed out, four channels on the system — two in each direction — would become part of a microwave network serving tv stations from New York to Chicago and back via St. Louis and Washington. Such a "round robin", the announcement noted, would increase substantially the flexibility of routing network programs. The additional westbound channel, Long Lines said, is needed to extend a third tv channel being provided between New York and Cleveland. This channel would be available for occasional requirements of stations between New York and Cleveland, or for through services to points west. Stanton Quits Frat FRANK STANTON, president of CBS, was reported last week to have resigned from his college fraternity — Phi Delta Theta, which he joined while a student at Ohio Wesleyan 23 years ago — in protest against a racial clause in the fraternity's constitution. Mr. Stanton said he had not known of the clause when he joined; had tried unsuccessfully to have it stricken when he learned of its existence after World War II, and resigned Oct. 30 after reading an issue of the fraternity's official publication which discussed the expulsion of chapters at two other colleges after they had pledged Jewish students as prospective members. Page 76 • November 16, 1953 Broadcasting • Telecasting