Broadcasting Telecasting (Jul-Sep 1954)

PEOPLE FCC Denies Uhf Protest Against WGAL-TV Power IN OPINION declaring economic protest of improved facilities granted ch. 8 WGAL-TV Lancaster, Pa., was made too late without justification, FCC Friday denied joint petition for rehearing filed by five uhf stations: ch. 71 WTPA (TV), ch. 27 WCMB-TV and ch. 55 WHP-TV, all Harrisburg, and ch. 49 WNOWTV and ch. 43 WSBA-TV, both York, Pa. FCC said matters alleged had been considered in original hearing on WGAL-TV bid. Commission also ruled protest petition was inappropriate vehicle to ask rule-making proceedings to determine whether vhf stations should be allowed power boosts until higher power equipment is available to uhf stations in same area. WFAA-TV Asks Ten-Fold Temporary Power Boost APPLICATION for temporary increase in power from 27.1 kw to 274 kw on ch. 8 filed with FCC Friday by WFAA-TV Dallas. Station will have building available for new RCA transmitter and has signed equipment contract. It hopes to go on with higher power by Oct. 1. WFAA-TV will operate from present site on Hines Blvd. It plans to move transmitting facilities to Cedar Hill where 1,521 -foot tower for joint WFAA-TV and KRLD-TV use will be completed in late 1955. WFAA-TV plans full 316 kw power when tower is completed. A. Earl Cullum is handling engineering of project. FCC approval given high tower last April. WPRO-TV Opposes Rival Bid WPRO-TV Providence, R. I., permittee for ch. 12, petitioned FCC Friday not to accept for filing ch. 12 bid of E. Anthony & Sons which submitted for deletion its permits for ch. 28 WTEV-TV New Bedford, Mass., and ch. 50 WBOS-TV Boston (early story page 56). WPRO-TV held Anthony application violates Commission rules since ch. 12 alr-eady is assigned to WPRO-TV. Providence outlet said its prior right to ch. 12 is not altered by fact stay order was issued by Commission on ch. 12 grant pending conclusion of hearing on economic protest of ch. 16 WNET (TV) Providence. Flint Uhf Turns in Permit WTAC-TV Flint, Mich., ch. 16, surrendered permit to FCC Friday. Station suspended operation in April and together with WTAC was reported sold fortnight ago to Radio Hawaii Inc., owner KPOA Honolulu, for about $275,000, subject to FCC approval [B»T, July 12]. WTAC sale agreement is still effective, it is understood. pa Uhf WKAB-TV Suspends WKAB-TV Mobile, Ala., ch. 48, informed FCC Friday it was to suspend operation Sunday because of financial difficulties, but hoped to return to air by October. Only other station on air there is ch. 10 WALA-TV. at deadline IRISH RADIO RIGHTS to radio broadcasts of home and away football schedule of Notre Dame U. have been acquired by MBS, which is offering games to affiliates for sale on local cooperative basis, B»T learned Friday. Mutual will present 10 Notre Dame contests under title of The Game of the Week, starting Sept. 25 and ending Dec. 5. Open date of Oct. 23 will be filled with another attraction. Autry, Rogers Draft Appeal ATTORNEYS for cowboy stars Gene Autry and Roy Rogers plan appeal to U. S. Supreme Court from California Supreme Court decision allowing Hollywood Tv Service to sell their old western movies to tv. California court denied rehearing of case. Actually, court decision was victory for Mr. Autry in that it upheld contract clause prohibiting editing pictures to length practical for tv. Mr. Rogers had no such protection. Hollywood Tv reports continued interest in films, but will delay sales decision until Aug. 31 deadline for Supreme Court appeal. Iowa Daytimer Sold SALE of KFAD Fairfield, Iowa, by Carl D. Boyer and associates to Alec Chesley, owner of KCOG Centerville, Iowa, for $35,000 announced Friday. KFAD operates on 1570 kc with 250 w, daytime only. KCOG broadcasts on 1400 kc with 100 w. Blackburn-Hamilton handled sale. Application for FCC approval due to be filed soon. Mighty Mite Speaker COLUMBIA Records last week introduced the kilospher, phonograph speaker size of candy bar yet capable of relaying frequencies up to 20,000 cycles per second, according to announcement by James B. Conkling, president. Twin "K" speakers are to be incorporated in Columbia's latest 1954 models of "360" phonograph as well as in new tape recorders, he said. New "K" speaker is perforated metal oblong with more than 500 tiny apertures, enclosed in thin plastic foil, each aperture acting as loudspeaker when electric signals from phonograph system set foil to vibrating. UPCOMING Aug. 4: Radio-tv testimony before Senate Rules subcommittee studying committee procedures. U. S. Capitol. Aug. 4: NLRB hearing on AFM-AFTRA dispute. New York. Aug. 5: Committee to form plans for all-industry tv sales promotion unit, Mayflower Hotel, Washington. Aug. 5: NARTB, record manufacturers meet to discuss switchover to 45 rpm discs, N. Y. Athletic Club, New York. For other Upcomings see page 70S WILLIAM C. MUNRO, account executive, Geyer Inc., N. Y., to McCann-Erickson, N. Y., as head of radio-tv section of central research department. ALBIN B. NELSON, advertising department, Colgate-Palmolive Co., lersey City, named assistant media director. He will work with SAMUEL L. FREY, media director. JAMES L. PERRY and HOWARD W. ROSE, account executives for Fairbanks Morse; ARTHUR E. PETERSEN, Hines Lumber Co., and JOSEPH H. CARO, Chicago Title & Trust Co. and Club Aluminum, all of which use radio or tv or both, elected vice presidents, Buchen & Co., Chicago. CASTLEMAN D. CHESLEY, formerly assistant athletic director at U. of Pennsylvania, appointed program coordinator of ABC-TV sports department. IRA WOLFF, copywriter for Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, N. Y., joins NBC-TV as sales presentation writer for shows sold under participation sales plan. JOHN B. HUGHES, veteran radio-tv newscaster with stations including WOR-TV New York, WPTZ (TV) Philadelphia and KFOX Long Beach, Calif., will launch The News Tonight with John B. Hughes over DuMont's WABD (TV) New York (Mon.-Fri., 11-11:15 p.m. EDT), starting Aug. 9. AFTRA Prepares Demands For Pension-Welfare Plan DETAILS of pension and welfare demands to be made on five major networks by AFTRA discussed at closed committee sessions Friday, with action expected Saturday at annual convention of union. Committee drafts of demands were to be ready for convention session Saturday (early convention story page 66). Other proposals included constitutional amendment specifying biennial instead of annual conventions. Transcription code clauses covering local rates and conditions also slated for discussion. Convention committees were named by George Heller, national executive secretary, at Thursday night session. CAA May Modify Rules On Tall Tower Markings CIVIL Aeronautics Authority has had second thoughts regarding advisability of placing socalled warning devices on tall tv towers. Policy instructions for regional offices, in preparation, understood to warn that such equipment is actually navigational aid and might be used by pilots for homing. Thus far, there have been only three or four such requirements with broadcasters. Instructions will call for relocation of such devices away from tower. Where no other solution is available to telecaster who claims particular site and height is imperative, CAA policy is to agree to move navigational aids, or establish new ones, regional offices will be told. Official announcement of policy guidance instructions to regional offices may be announced this week. RETMA Satellite Study SPECIAL booster-satellite committee of Broadcast Equipment Section, Radio-Electronics-Tv Mfrs. Assn., will meet Tuesday at Emporium, Pa., to inspect satellite tv station operated by Sylvania Electric Products. Committee already has fund of information on booster operation of WSM-TV Nashville [B«T, June 14, 7]. Ben Adler, head of Adler Communication Labs., is chairman of RETMA subcommittee. Broadcasting • Telecasting August 2, 1954 • Page 9