Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1955)

Molly told Donna . . . Donna told Cliff . . . and now everybody knows that Joe Floyd's KELO-TV is not merely a one-station market. It's a ONE MAN MARKET In fact, 111,000 set owners are listening to that man tell them about your product! <i INTER-CONNECTED <i 200,000 WATT POWER KELOJ and ^adto Channel 11 Sioux Falls, S. D. JOE FLOYD, President NBC (TV) PRIMARY ABC • CBS • DUMONT M?r fRndio) a <r,\\„to Page 86 • February 7, 1955 GOVERNMENT Gran Files Application For Milwaukee's Ch. 12 APPLICATION for Milwaukee's ch. 12 — now occupied by WTVW (TV), which has been bought by Hearst Corp. for $2 million with the purchase pending FCC approval — was filed last week by Gran Enterprises Co. [B»T, Jan. 31]. Gran Enterprises is owned by L. F. Gran, 38.5% stockholder and until Jan. 26 board chairman of WTVW. In a statement with the application, Mr. Gran repeated what he had notified the FCC two weeks ago: that he had offered to meet the Hearst offer to buy the station and that he was opposed to the sale of the 10-week old station (it began commercial operation Nov. 15, 1954) although he said he had voted to accept the Hearst offer "under protest." The ABC-affiliated WTVW received its grant after the four competing applicants agreed to a merger. Options, still not consummated, are held by WFOX, WEMP and Kolero Telecasting Inc. Milwaukee Area Telecasting Corp. is the present permittee of WTVW. When the options are exercised, Mr. Gran's stockholding would be reduced to about 12%. Hearst, which owns WISN Milwaukee, had been an applicant for ch. 6 in Whitefish Bay, Wis., a suburb of Milwaukee. Following its purchase agreement with WTVW, it withdrew from that contest. Proposing 251 kw and an ABC affiliation, the Gran application indicated it would spend $796,679 on construction, and $1,340,000 on the first year's operation. Loan of $300,000 also was disclosed by the application. This would be $150,000 from L. E. Caster (WREXTV); $100,000 from Theodore R. Gamble (KOIN-AM-FM-TV Portland, Ore.), and $50,000 from Dr. Franklin C. Wagner. Gran Enterprises' balance sheet as of Jan. 26 showed total assets of $631,286, with current assets amounting to $109,986. Total liabilities are listed at $199,644. Combined income after taxes of the company and Mr. Gran was $18,000 for 1953 and $30,00"0 for 1954. Wiley Urges Network Series To Fight Juvenile Delinquency SEN ALEXANDER WILEY (R-Wis.) last week expressed hope that the television industry would inaugurate a show combatting juvenile delinquency — "not as a one-shot documentary but as a continued (and I hope) high-rating series." He made the proposal in introducing a bill (S 894) on behalf of himself and Sen. Edward J. Thye (R-Minn.) to "strengthen and improve" state and local juvenile delinquency programs. He said the tv industry is "increasingly demonstrating its awareness of the significance of getting across the right type of programs for youngsters, and avoiding the wrong type." Sen. Wiley felt the tv industry has "more than enough talent" for the show he proposed and that there are "ample sponsors who would underwrite this type of network project." Patent Report Proposal Hit GENERAL opposition to FCC's proposal to require annual patent reports by all licensees was expressed in oral argument Tuesday before the Commission en banc. Contending the plan would be an administrative burden for both FCC and its licensees and duplicate information already on file in the U. S. Patent Office, the plan was protested by American Telephone & Telegraph Corp., Allen B. DuMont Labs, Sylvania Electric Products Inc., Aircraft Industries Assn. and Collins Radio Co. Warren Baker, FCC general counsel, refuted the arguments by pointing out that several major communication firms apparently felt there would be no burden involved since they failed to appear. He cited RCA, GE and Westinghouse, all major patent holders, and explained FCC only wants general data as to the effect of patent holdings on development of the art. Meanwhile, FCC has extended until Feb. 18 its deadline for comments on its proposal for disclosure of patent interests in rule-making proceedings [B»T, Dec. 13, 1954]. Committee to Set Date To Consider McConnaughey DATE for a hearing on the nomination of George C. McConnaughey, now FCC chairman under interim appointment, for regular membership on the Commission will be brought up at a regular meeting of the Senate Commerce Committee this Wednesday, Sen. Warren G. Magnuson, committee chairman, has announced. Chairman Magnuson at a news conference last week (see story page 31) said he will have some questions ready for the FCC chairman at the hearing. So will fellow Democratic Sen. A. S. Mike Monroney (Okla.) and possibly others, he said. Present indications are that the McConnaughey hearing may be held around Feb. 24, or thereafter. Sen. Magnuson's office has said he will want to give 10 days notice for the hearing, which would throw the hearing into the week of Feb. 21. But around that time many senators are busy traveling to make Washington's Birthday speeches (Feb. 22). Feb. 23 is regular committee meeting day. Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-Tenn.), not a member of the committee, has indicated he may have some questions for Mr. McConnaughey [B«T, Nov. 29, 1954], which he presumably would turn over to a Democrat on the committee. Mr. McConnaughey's nomination was submitted to a special session of the Senate last November and was reported favorably from the Commerce Committee under the chairmanship of Sen. John W. Bricker (R-Ohio), after Democratic protests [B*T, Nov. 15, 1954]. Democrats later blocked confirmation on the floor. White House Denies 'Censoring7 Film Coverage IF ANY broadcaster is concerned about "censorship" of the sound films of the Presidential news conferences, which are edited by White House news secretary James C. Hagerty before being released for broadcast use, he has not let the White House know it, President Eisenhower said Wednesday at his second televised news conference. When the subject was pursued, the President said: "No head of any broadcasting company has yet protested to me and I can't very well make any answer until I get their protests and their reasons for it." Mr. Hagerty, to whom the President referred the question of editing procedure, denied the censorship charge implicitly. "It is not applicable at all to this procedure," he said. "All news-gathering media — newspapers, magazines, radio, television and theatre newsreels — have complete access to the entire transcript of the Presidential press conference. All media also have complete access to the part released in the spoken word and film of the President and have a perfect right to point out what was and what was not released for direct quotation." Broadcasting • Telecasting