Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

MILWAUKEE OUTLETS HIT RIGGED PHONE SURVEYS Informal session with Better Business Bureau initiates move for self-imposed code against air promotions that improperly influence audience in phone surveys. NEED for a standard of practice to cover certain questionable on-the-air promotions that induce listeners to report themselves as tuned to a certain station was discussed by Milwaukee radio station representatives at a meeting with local Better Business Bureau executives in that city last Thursday. Richard Jordan, general manager of the BBB, said that the informal session was called to "determine what should be done about promotions that offer money or something of value to listeners" in certain telephone surveys. Mr. Jordan said that a "couple" of stations either have offered, or now program, such onthe-air telephone surveys which, he claimed, are designed to induce listeners to say that they are listening to the particular station involved whether they actually are or not. He said the meeting resulted from "two or three protests" that such practices were "unfair to other radio stations" and were activated to influence audience surveys. The protesting parties also charged, he said, that they were unfair to buyers of time. Mr. Jordan described the meeting as "very satisfactory and constructive" and said repre sentatives of seven outlets agreed as a group that any such program by any station would be eliminated from the air by midnight Jan. 7 (Saturday). He added that the group plans to meet again Jan. 23 on a proposed self-imposed code governing the practice. Some station broadcasters were represented as having reported at the BBB meeting that they tried the promotion gimmicks to satisfy themselves and their advertisers that "surveys could be rigged," it was understood. Mr. Jordan said the controversy over telephone surveys was raised the past fortnight by the deputy district attorney's office and that the attorney, Joseph Tierney, had agreed to defer action pending a meeting of Milwaukee broadcasters and constructive action. Mr. Tierney's interest was said to lie in the existence of a law covering trade practices and involving the state Dept. of Agriculture in Wisconsin. Broadcasters were reluctant to comment on the meeting except in general terms. One station operator told B»T it was one of periodic "informal meetings on broadcast problems." United Opens Chicago Office UNITED BROADCASTING Co. opened a new office Jan. 1 in Chicago at 228 N. LaSalle St., telephone State 2-5096. United operates WOOK and WFAN (FM) Washington, WANT Richmond, Va., WSID Essex-Baltimore, WARK Hagerstown, Md., WINX Rockville, Md., and WJMO Cleveland. NBC Appoints Jackson, Decker to WBUF-TV Staff ANNOUNCEMENT of two appointments to the staff of WBUF-TV Buffalo, N. Y., uhf recently purchased by NBC [B*T, Jan. 2], was made last week by Charles C. Bevis Jr., newlyappointed general manager. William B. Decker was named sales manager and Alf Jackson operations manager. Mr. Decker joined NBC in 1952 as a mem MR. DECKER MR. JACKSON ber of the radio sales staff and was made an account executive for NBC spot sales the following year. Prior to joining NBC, he was an advertising salesman with Washington and Chicago newspapers and WMAL-AM-TV Washington. Mr. Jackson has been with NBC 14 years, first as a studio and field engineer. Since 1952 SHERWIN GROSSMAN (I), president, WBUF-TV Buffalo, N. Y„ receives a check from Charles R. Denny, vice president of NBC o&o stations, closing the purchase of the uhf outlet by NBC. Looking on is Charles C. Bevis Jr., new WBUF-TV general manager. NBC paid $312,500 for the station. [B»T, Jan. 2]. he has been manager of technical operations for NBC's WRCA-AM-TV New York and with the advent of commercial tv in England, he went on loan to help set up technical operations for Associated Television in London. WIBG Philadelphia to Move WIBG Philadelphia has leased a floor in the Suburban Station Building in that city and will move from its present address, 1425 Walnut St., by June 1. WPFH (TV) Wilmington, Del., will maintain its Philadelphia offices in the Suburban Station Building also and the stations together will occupy 10,000 square feet of floor space. Broadcasting • Telecasting GREATER CLEVELAND'S NUMBER 1 STATION | John WSRS E. Pearson Co., National Representatives U Page 96 • January 9, 1956