Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

closed circuit: ANTITRUST SETTLEMENT? Agreement might be reached any day on consent decree in government antitrust suit against American Assn. of Advertising Agencies, American Newspaper Publishers Assn. and other media organizations. It's open secret in Washington that talks are being held among principals. B«T IN RECOGNITION of importance of radio-television as public relations tool, New York Stock Exchange is planning to add specialist to its public relations staff to service radio-tv stations and networks, with announcement expected to be made this week. Move is attributed to mounting requests by radio-tv broadcasters for investment information from exchange in recent years. Decision was made to employ specialist to relieve other public relations staffers, mostly experienced in print media, who have been handling radio-tv assign men ts tern porarily . B«T DEEP SPLIT • Schism in FCC on tv deintermixture was brought into open almost at outset of Senate Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee hearings last Thursday (story page 23). Comr. Rosel H. Hyde criticized FCC majority (all Commissioners except Robert T. Bartley, with whom he concurred) on procedure in handling of rule-making and denial of five deintermixture petitions (Hartford, Evansville, Ind., Madison, Wis., Peoria and Albany). He agreed with Sen. Pastore (D-R. L) that effect of denial and of overall rule-making procedure without prejudice to future consideration of deintermixture in effect threw deintermixture out the window. B«T CROW ELL-COLLIER Pub. Co. (Collier's, Woman's Home Companion, American, P. F. Collier books and encyclopedias). New York, which last year dipped its toe in network broadcasting when it supplied story material to ABC Radio's Companion daytime serial, will set up subsidiary radio-television-phonograph record division "within near future." Operation, under supervision of William A. Birnie, vice president and assistant to president and editor-in-chief Paul C. Smith, also reportedly will investigate possibilities of acquiring station properties. Unofficial sources add that Mr. Smith, former editor of San Francisco Chronicle, has "expressed more than passing interest" in Chronicle owned and operated KRON-TV in that city. Spokesman for Crowell-Collier "neither denied nor confirmed" reports of company's diversification plans. B»T EVERYBODY IN ACT • With tv allocations in bosom of Senate Interstate Commerce Committee (as well as of FCC through its own study and network in quiry) several groups quietly are organizing to espouse their particular causes. In addition to Committee for Home Town Television and Uhf Industry Coordinating Committee, three other groups are in process of formation: Unnamed group which has retained Washington attorney Lloyd Cutler to represent independently owned vhf stations who oppose option time and network program syndication; another loosely knit group headed by P. A. Sugg, WKY-TV Oklahoma City, which participated in original Potter subcommittee hearing in May 1954, through W. Theodore Pierson, Washington attorney; group which would have as its nucleus number of tv stations associated with audio members of Clear Channel Broadcasting Service, plus others seeking to protect vhf coverage. Reed Rollo, resident partner of Kirkland, Fleming, Green, Martin & Ellis, represents Clear Channel group and presumably would represent its tv counterpart. B»T THERE'S speculation that AT&T consent judgment may affect RCA patent license fees. Thinking goes like this: AT&T must offer royalty free all its inventions covered by B-2 Agreement with RCA, GE and Westinghou.se. No question that many significant patents in radio-tv are Bell Lab developments. So, if they're free, cost of package as whole should go down. B«T PITCH IS PUTT • Part of story of how J. Walter Thompson obtained Schlitz beer account last week is refreshing commentary on not always refreshing agency procedures. After Milton Biow resigned account for Biow-Beirn-Toigo, Norman Strouse, JWT president, and George Reeves, vice president-manager of Thompson Chicago office, called on Erwin Uihlein, Schlitz president. How did they turn trick? They simply asked for account and he consented, remembering favorable relations with JWT in handling of United States Brewers Foundation account. Mr. Strouse combined visit with Chicago trip to address Newspaper Adv. Executives Assn. meeting. B«T RE SCHLITZ business: JWT Chicago will serve as headquarters office, administering and servicing account but calling on New York and other offices for assistance. Thompson currently is drawing up plans for complete Schlitz account group. Brewery is expected to announce new ad director within fortnight, replacing Edwin Self, resigned. B»T WAIT AND SEE • After second thought on his original notion to introduce a Senate bill moving all television to uhf by 1964, Sen. John W. Bricker (R-Ohio) has decided not to drop blockbuster — at least for time being. His present disposition is to watch tv developments at FCC and in Senate Commerce Committee before making up his mind. B»T WORKING behind scenes as tv-radio consultant to Democratic National Committee is J. Leonard Reinsch, executive director of Cox radio and television stations ( WSBAM-TV Atlanta, WHIO-AM-TV Dayton, WIOD Miami). In 1944 Mr. Reinsch was radio director of DNC, served intermittently as broadcast advisor to President Truman during his seven-year White House tenure, and as tv director of 1952 Democratic National Convention in Chicago — all without compensation. He is now participating in arrangements for convention in Chicago in August and for ensuing Presidential campaign. B«T GIMBEL'S GAMBIT • Proposal of Benedict Gimbel, president of WIP Philadelphia, that FCC carve out of educational fm band an additional vhf channel (ch. 6-A) personally was brought to attention of individual Commissioners last week by Philadelphia broadcaster. Mr. Gimbel contended this single channel could be adapted very simply on all existing receivers and could be used in some 50 cities in addition to Philadelphia. B»T IN AFTERMATH of announcement that Philco Corp. had purchased ABC radiotv political convention-election package for estimated $4 million, it's learned that rival Admiral Corp. has definitely bowed out of prospective sponsor picture for similar coverage. With ABC and CBS radio-tv signed and sealed, only remaining network (outside Mutual) is NBC, with reported asking price of $5-6 million (single or multiple sponsorship ). Admiral high command is said to feel package is too expensive and that money can best be spent elsewhere. B»T BOOSTER BOOSTERS • Strange as it may seem there is good chance community tv operators may support FCC's proposals to authorize uhf tv "translators" — short-range low power boosters [B*T, Jan. 16]. Wired tv signal distributors feel they can live with and compete successfully with translators because they furnish multiple program choices whereas booster would be single signal only. Community antenna people also feel translators will take care of submarginal markets where wire system would be uneconomical. B»T CBS Inc. may adopt plan for holding periodic top management conferences to coordinate activities at executive levels in all of its divisions. Success of first conference held Jan. 21 [B*T, Jan. 23] makes this course likely. Broadcasting • Telecasting January 30, 1956 • Page 5