Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

GOVERNMENT FCC Denies Reconsideration Of Tv Grant in Puerto Rico PETITION of Hector Reichard, licensee of WABA Aguadilla, P. R., for reconsideration of an FCC grant of 1340 kc, 250 w to WGRF that city, was denied by the Commission last week. WABA's allegations of "inaccuracies, misstatements and misleading entries" in the WGRF application were contradicted by supporting affidavits filed by WGRF in its refutation of the charges, the Commission ruled. WABA claimed that WGRF made misrepresentations as to ownership of certain property and as to its financial condition. WABA further argued that all the sworn statements in WGRF's application were notarized by a relative of the applicants; under Puerto Rican law, WABA said, such notarization is invalid. The FCC pointed out that WGRF had submitted an amended application with a new notary, unrelated to his client. Under a U. S. Court of Appeals holding that "an initial failure to verify can be cured by a later verification," the Commission said WGRF's amended application was accepted. Station Owner Rep. Hoffman Decides Not to Run Again REP. RICHARD W. HOFFMAN (R-Ill), owner and operator of WHFC-WEHS (FM) and grantee of WHFC-TV Chicago, revealed last week he does not plan to seek re-election for a fifth term in Congress. In a telegram to the Chicago Tribune, Rep. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF 16 MM! Talk was that other film sizes than 16mm could do better jobs in the industrial, educational and commercial fields. Not while there is a film laboratory like Precision, bringing 16mm to the peak of perfection. In fact, we are demonstrating daily that 16mm can do more — and better — things in movies than have been done before. Precision Film Laboratories developed unique equipment to realize the fullest potentialities in 16mm, such as the optical track printer; timing, fades, dissolves, scene-to-scene color corrections, invisible splices without notching originals ; direct electric printing and many others. No, 16mm is just beginning. Depend on it for your next film project and, of course, depend on Precision to do exactly the right job in bringing life and sparkle to the best of your production efforts. ■ you'll see ^ and hear ION FILM LABORATORIES, INC. 21 West 46th Street, New York 36. New Y o r K A DIVISION OF J A MAURER INC In everything, there Is one best ... in film processing. It's Precision Hoffman attributed his decision to withdraw from public life to a forthcoming second eye operation. He has been recovering from an operation on the other eye. Rep. Hoffman entered the House in January 1949 and has served from the 8 1st Congress to the present 84th. He is a member of the House Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee. The Illinois Republican is president and 75% owner of WHFC Inc. WHFC-TV has been issued a grant for uhf ch. 26 but has set no target date for operation. Rep. Hoffman also is publisher of the tri-weeklies Cicero Life, Berwyn Life, Stickney Life and Chicago Community Reporter.. Voice Programming Increase During 1955 Shown in Report THE Voice of America last year used "the newest and best techniques" of commercial radio to expand its overseas broadcasts, J. R. Poppele, chief of the U. S. Information Agency's broadcasting service, has reported. In a year-end report to Theodore Streibert, USIA director, Mr. Poppele said the Voice gained new listeners throughout the world in 1955 by adding new programs and features to its daily broadcasts in 39 languages. Foreign television audiences also were increased as a result of a 65% rise in the number of tv receivers in the free world, he said. The Voice added two new broadcasts to the European area. Panorama — USA, a one-hour program of music and features on American culture, and Music — USA, a two-hour disc jockey show of American popular and jazz music and interviews with musicians. Other Voice additions were This Is America, features about U. S. towns, cities and states; Foreign Policy Review, a weekly report on official U. S. statements about foreign affairs, and Press Conference— USA, a round-table discussion featuring congressmen and top government officials. The Voice increased Iron and Bamboo Curtain broadcasts in the Armenian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Russian and Korean languages, and in the free world added the Cambodian language. Direct shortwave broadcasts to most Western European countries were discontinued and arrangements made with local stations and networks to carry VOA programs. Final work on VOA's new Washington studios was completed in September with installation of master control and recording control centers. No Radio-Tv Witnesses Heard In Senate Red Investigation THREE DAYS of hearings — on allegations of Communist infiltration of the press and radio-tv — were held last week by the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee in Washington, but at the end of the sessions no witness from the radio-tv media had appeared on the stand. The subcommittee, headed by Sen. James O. Eastland (D-Miss.), heard several former newspapermen testify, and drew charges from the New York Times that the newspaper was being discriminated against for its editorial policies in the committee's questioning of three present and three former employes of the newspaper. The Senate inquiry had been touted as a probe of Red infiltration in the radio" and tv field and the press. The committee had announced that last week's open hearings and earlier closed hearings in New York were being held to develop testimony by CBS newsman Winston Burdett, who last June told the subcommittee he had belonged to the Communist Party in 193740, before he joined CBS. Page 68 January 9, 1956 Broadcasting Telecastin<