Broadcasting Telecasting (Jul-Sep 1955)

surveyed storm damage for the Westinghouse outlets. Philadelphia stations continued flood coverage and public service announcements over the weekend. Pennsylvania state police addressed teletype messages, "Attention, Associated Press, United Press and WCAU news." Philadelphia police relayed messages to WCAU as they came. Charles Shaw, news director, had a 15-man staff working around the clock. Tv coverage included photos and maps. KYW and WPTZ (TV) Philadelphia maintained emergency programming over the weekend and kept crews in the afflicted areas. Connie and Diane brought round-the-clock newsreel coverage by WMAR-TV Baltimore including films showing debris from the sunken schooner Levin J. Marvel and interviews with survivors. A hookup of yachts in the Chesapeake provided weather data but storm static overrode most of the messages and the network was unusable during the critical periods. Climaxing a week of special flood service, WEEU Reading, Pa., put on a special "Operation Evacuation" pickup, with on-the-spot story of the arrival in Allentown of 300 children caught in isolated resort areas. WBUD Trenton covered the area's worst flood in history, working with auto clubs, police and other public service groups. Warnings of danger were sounded 24 hours before the flood crested, with the station staff working right through the nights. Richard M. Hardin, WBUD president, publicly thanked the staff on a Wednesday newscast, along with others who cooperated in the coverage. WTTM Trenton, N. J., went on an emergency basis as the Delaware Valley was struck, serving as a message center and rounding up personnel, vehicles and supplies for civil defense agencies. The public was asked to remain calm and stay away from flood areas. Arnold Snyder, news director, directed emergency coverage as regular programming was abandoned. Joe Ayares, newsman, flew over the Delaware River, recording an account of the flood and later went out with a motor boat rescue crew. Fred L. Bernstein, WTTM manager, directed the emergency service. Civil and military officials were interviewed and citizens were supplied help in solving their emergency problems. On his It Looks to Me commentary Arnold Snyder, WTTM newsman, praised work of police, firemen and civil defense volunteers but called for a strengthened weather bureau, improved flood control measures and federal-state action to provide low-cost disaster insurance for homeowners and small business. Radio Amateurs Aid Flood Relief Work IN THE hardest hit areas of Connecticut and Pennsylvania, radio amateurs were still at their posts a week after the disaster, handling messages for the Red Cross, civil defense, highway and health departments, state police, and hundreds of individuals worried about friends and relatives in the flooded sections. Some amateurs, members of the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, were alerted by their local civil defense radio officers early Friday. Others, in communities having no organized CD set-up, worked with the Amateur Radio . Emergency Corps, a group formed by emergency-conscious members of the American Radio Relay League, the amateurs' national society. Still others, who regularly meet on specific amateur frequencies to relay radio messages free of charge for servicemen, other amateurs and the general public, got together Studio 'Remotes' THE LACK of a remote control unit has not prevented KLIX-TV from bringing its viewers important up-to-date events. The ch. 11 Twin Falls, Idaho, station merely "remotes" the happenings from its studio. A recent joint meeting of the Twin Falls City Council and Zoning Commission was held in the KLIX-TV studios so that the meeting could be televised. A large crowd attended the debate on one of the city's "hottest" questions in several years. An hour-long horse show also was telecast from the lawn outside the studio. Dozens of participants in the Magic Valley Horse Show cooperated by bringing their animals to KLIX-TV. No mountains have been moved, but a sincere public service has been rendered. either by radiotelegraph or radio-telephone in their customary state, regional and area networks to handle emergency messages. Location of ARRL's national headquarters in West Hartford and its Maxim Memorial station, W1AW, in nearby Newington, placed it in the center of things. This station is only one of a great many amateur stations active during the emergency; nevertheless, it is a good point from which to view the amateur communications for the state. Since Hartford was designated as Red Cross disaster headquarters, and was already the focal point for state civil defense, W1AW served as a terminus for many vital messages. Torrington had one outgoing circuit on 29mc to an amateur in Ellington, Conn. Members of his family took messages next door to another amateur, who passed them to Newington on 3.8-mc. When the operator of the only active station in hard-hit Winsted needed relief two other hams were flown in by helicopter to operate his rig. Boundy to WGBS-TV Post GLENN BOUNDY Jr. has been named operat i o n s manager of WGBS-TV Miami, Fla., according to Managing Director Frank Riordan. Mr. Boundy, son of Glenn G. Boundy, director of engineering, Storer Broadcasting Co., got his start in tv at WJBKTV Detroit while he was still in college. His job will be coordinating all operational functions of affiliate. MR. BOUNDY the ch. 23 NBC television Coast Fm Hookup Planned WEST COAST fm multiplex network linking fm stations from Sacramento to San Diego with regular good music programs plus multiplex background music service has been announced by Arthur Crawford, owner of KCBH (FM) Beverly Hills, key station. The network is to be ready early next year, operating 24 hours daily on three channels — normal broadcast, background and code signals to key commercials for various audiences. Relay stations will be located on Mt. Diablo and at LeBec, Calif. K RON -TV Buys KNBC Spots To Promote Fall Schedule KRON-TV San Francisco, to promote its new fall schedule, has purchased a spot announcement campaign on KNBC there, effective Sept. 1 and calling for 42 one-minute announcements a day. The radio campaign to promote a tv lineup is not a "trade deal" (where one medium places advertising on another to balance accounts), it was emphasized by Harold P. See. KRON-TV manager. Mr. See said that KRONTV has purchased and will pay for the announcements in the same manner as any other advertiser. KNBC is the NBC o&o outlet in San Francisco. KRON-TV is owned by the Chronicle Pub. Co. (San Francisco Chronicle) and is affiliated with NBC. The KRON-TV campaign is being handled by the San Francisco office of Abbott Kimball Adv. WDBJ-AM-TV Roanoke Starts $1,000,000 Building Program A $1 million building program is underway for WDBJ-AM-TV Roanoke, Va., with completion due shortly after the first of the year. The station, scheduled to begin telecasting early this fall, will operate from temporary quarters until the new building is ready, according to M. W. Armistead III, president of Times-World Corp., which operates WDBJ-AM-TV and publishes the Roanoke Times and Roanoke World-News. Equipment to be installed in the new studios will enlarge WDBJ-TV's facilities for color tv by permitting local broadcast of films and slides. Besides the new tv station, construction plans call for remodeling the newspaper plant and new studios for WDBJ, all under the same roof. WTVH-TV Buys New Tower PURCHASE from RCA of a new tower which will reach 1,000 ft. above ground and increase power to 500 kw has been announced by ch. 19 WTVH-TV Peoria, HI. The proposed tower, which is expected to be in service by midNovember, is being constructed in sections by Dresser-Ideco Co. of Columbus, Ohio, and will be located at the site of the station's present 240-ft. tower at Creve Coeur, 111. Edward G. Smith, general manager of licensee Hilltop Broadcasting Co., said the new tower will be "the highest man-made structure above ground in Illinois." WOAI-AM-TV Names Reed ROBERT REED has been appointed program manager of WOAI-AM-TV San Antonio, according to James M. Gaines, vice president and general manager. He comes to WOAI from NBC (WRC) in Washington where he was featured daily on a 3 Vi hour radio show, Your Timekeeper, plus several tv programs. Mr. Reed also was executive producer and director of Major Bowes Amateur Hour for 10 years and has been a featured performer, producer and director for other top network shows. His new appointment became effective Aug. 26. MR. REED Page 44 • August 29, 1955 Broadcasting • Telecasting