Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

IKE'S BUDGET BOOSTS President's annual recommendations to Congress seeks more funds for regulatory body and Voice of America, boosting the latter's broadcast hours to 44V4 daily. SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE in funds for the FCC's network investigation and a $6.6 million allocation for the Voice of America's television activity marked the 1957 fiscal year budget recommendations to Congress last week by President Eisenhower. The President's overall $65.9 billion budget compared with the $64.3 billion recommended last year. The FCC was listed for $7.85 million, compared with $6.87 million the past year. However, a supplemental appropriation to take care of pay raises authorized by the 84th Congress brought the 1956 fiscal year appropriation to $7.3 million. This sum includes a recommended $141,000 for the FCC network study, compared with the $80,000 Congress appropriated last year. It also includes $118,000 for travel expenses — the increase from $65,000 last year being accounted for by the raise in per diem for government employes, from $9 per day to $12 per day. The budget message indicated that the average number of FCC employes for the 1957 monetary year would be 1,132. The average for 1956 was estimated at 1,062. The U. S. Information Agency's budget was put at $135 million, up more than $50 million from 1956's $85.3 million. USIA's radio and tv activities were recommended for $24.15 million, compared with $17.5 million for the previous year. Of this, $6.6 million was allo Rep. Heselton Attacks Over-Commercialization THE PROBLEM of over-commercialization in radio and television has not been solved despite the FCC's reliance on the "cooperation of the industry through self-regulation and self-restraint," Rep. John W. Heselton (R-Mass.) said last week. Rep. Heselton is author of a bill (HR 5741), introduced in the first session of the 84th Congress, that would amend Sec. 330 of the Communications Act to require FCC regulations providing the proportion of advertising time on any radio or tv program shall not be "excessive" [B«T, April 25, 1955]. In a statement Thursday on the House floor, Rep. Heselton said the FCC adopted comments on HR 5741 admitting that "there have been, and are, abuses in this matter," but adding that "fixed rules by a government agency" would not solve it. The FCC's remarks about industry self-regulation were made with "apparent satisfaction," Rep. Heselton said. He said the FCC also added "the usual bureaucratic gobbledegook about 'budgetary limitations.' " He commended a column by James O'Neill Jr. in the Washington Daily News criticizing a particular program, but said this program is not the "sole offender." He said he is asking FCC comments on Mr. O'Neill's article. He cited "countless examples of incessant and monotonous abuse of the listening and viewing public which is basically a combination of flagrant bad taste and arrogant indifference," adding that those responsible seem to be "completely unconcerned about the fact that they use the air waves only by sufferance." FCC, USIA OUTLAYS cated to increased tv activities — mostly in quantity and quality of video programs placed on foreign tv stations. At present, VOA places American tv programs on 100 foreign tv stations in 29 countries. The budget message explained that VOA broadcasts 39 foreign languages and English. Programs originate in the U. S. and at two locations overseas. VOA uses 76 transmitters at seven points in the U. S. and at nine overseas locations. The new budget will permit VOA to broadcast 4414 hours daily, compared to 30V^ hours daily at present. VOA has about 1,600 employes, with 850 in the U. S. and 750 overseas (of whom 250 are U. S. citizens). WDGY Change Among FCC-Approved Sales OWNERSHIP CHANGES granted last week were capped by FCC approval of the sale of WDGY Minneapolis for $334,200 by Twin Cities Broadcasting Corp. to Mid-Continent Broadcasting Co. Other major sales approved were for KANS Wichita, Kan., KRUX Glendale, Ariz., and WLBJ-AM-FM Bowling Green, Ky. Mid-Continent, the new licensee of WDGY, is the owner of KOWH Omaha, Neb., WTIX New Orleans, and WHB Kansas City, Mo. KANS was sold by Taylor Radio & Tv Corp. to KANS Broadcasting Co. for $100,000. Kenyon Brown and Frank J. Lynch are equal partners in KANS Broadcasting. Mr. Brown owns KWFT Wichita Falls, Tex. [B«T, Jan. 16], is 33% owner of KGLC Miami, Okla., 49% stockholder in KBYE Oklahoma City, and 33.3% owner of KFEQ-AM-TV St. Joseph, Mo. Mr. Lynch has a 49% interest in KBYE and 5.3% in KGLC. Bartell Broadcasters Inc. purchased KRUX from Radio Arizona Inc. for $70,000. The sale is the exercise of an option given Bartell Broadcasters when it bought KCBQ San Diego, Calif. Bartell also owns WAPL Appleton, Wis., WAKE Atlanta, Ga., WMTV (TV) Madison, Wis., and WOKY Milwaukee. WLBJ-AM-FM was sold by the Bowling Green Broadcasting Co. -to the Greenwood Broadcasting Co. for $60,000. Cy N. Bahakel, owner of WKOZ Kosciusko, WABG Greenwood, both Miss., WKIN Kingsport, Tenn., WPLH Huntington, W. Va., WRIS Roanoke and WWOD Lynchburg, both Va., is the sole owner of Greenwood Broadcasting. For other ownership changes approved, see For the Record, page 93. Single Director Involved In WCHS-TV Rift, FCC Told WHAT would appear to be a sharp split in management is only the dissident voice of a single director, WCHS-TV Inc. has told the FCC. WCHS-TV Inc., 60% owner of WCHSTV Charleston, W. Va., asked the Commission to deny a request by its junior partner, Capital Tv Co. (40% of station), to set for hearing the station's application for a change in transmitterantenna site [B*T, Jan. 2]. Capital charged that WCHS-TV's public service programming was inadequate and should be improved before it should consider spending money for a site change. In its rebuttal, WCHS-TV Inc. said the two Capital members of the station's board of directors were split on a proposal to apply for a new site, with the proposal carrying by a 9-to-l vote. WCHS-TV Inc. told the FCC that Capital is bound by the board decision and as a minority stockholder lacks requisite status before the Commission. WCHS-TV Inc. further stated that its negotiations to buy Capital's minority interest have reached an impasse and that Capital is using its petition as a "club" to force the purchase. WCHS-TV Inc. presented a rundown of its public service programming, which it said would show that Capital's allegations "are completely without foundation." House Group Asks Commission About Executive Interference THE House Small Business Committee's Evins Subcommittee has sent the FCC a "lengthy" questionnaire on allegations of interference by the Executive Branch in Commission decisions, a subcommittee spokesman said last week. The subcommittee, headed by Rep. Joe L. Evins (D-Tenn.), has indicated hearings will be set after the FCC reply. The spokesman said a questionnaire had been mailed to the FCC earlier, but FCC Chairman George C. McConnaughey had indicated the questionnaire was lost, probably in the holiday mail rush. The subcommittee is looking into charges that the Executive Branch has influenced decisions by federal regulatory commissions. WGR Set to Drop Objections To NBC Purchase of WBUF-TV WGR BUFFALO, N. Y., objections to FCC approval of the sale of ch. 17 WBUF-TV Buffalo, to NBC are scheduled to be dropped, it was understood last week. Protest hearing, scheduled to resume Jan. 16, was postponed indefinitely after all parties agreed to request. It was understood that WGR board was to meet tomorrow to take up question of whether to continue opposition or not. Recommendation will be to drop action, it was understood. WGR-TV the NBC affiliate in Buffalo, has fought the purchase of WBUF-TV since its inception last year. NBC bought the uhf station for $312,000 and the FCC approved the transfer [B»T, Sept. 26, 1955]. WGR-TV then protested under Sec. 309 (c), but lost in the efforts to secure a stay order from the U. S. Court of Appeals. In related actions, the court heard argument last week on a motion by the FCC to dismiss an NBC appeal against the Commission's order setting the grant for hearing. Also last week, the Commission denied an NBC petition for continuance of the hearing. FCC Denies Uhf Petition LAST November's petition by the Uhf Industry Coordinating Committee that the FCC rescind its Zone I antenna height order [B«T, Dec. 5, 1955] was denied last week. The Commission said that even though the order applies only to a single station (WBEN-TV Buffalo) it met all the requirements for issuance. The order permits tv stations which built towers after the Third Notice but before the 1952 Sixth Report and Order to go to full power. The Sixth Report limited vhf stations in Zone I to 1,000 ft. towers. The Third Report had proposed higher antenna heights and WBEN-TV had applied for and built a 1,250 ft. tower. Because it was over 1,000 ft., ch. 4 WBEN-TV had not been able to radiate maximum 100 kw. Last year's order permitted the Buffalo News' station to increase power to 100 kw. Page 66 • January 23, 1956 Broadcasting • Telecasting