Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

NBC, WESTINGHOUSE COMPLETE EXCHANGE Program plans, staff appointments announced Jan. 22 as NBC formally takes over Philadelphia properties and Westinghouse Broadcasting assumes Cleveland outlets. THE NBC and Westinghouse Broadcasting Co. exchange of their radio and tv stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia went into effect last week. On Jan. 22, NBC commenced operation of KYW and WPTZ (TV) Philadelphia, while WBC took over WTAM and WNBK (TV) Cleveland. The call letters will change on Feb. 13, Westinghouse taking KYW-AM-TV for its Cleveland stations and NBC re-naming the Philadelphia outlets W R C V-A M-T V [B«T, Jan. 23; Closed Circuit, Jan. 16] With the signing of the final papers on Jan. 21, NBC President Robert W. Sarnoff announced the forthcoming change of call letters for the Philadelphia stations, said WPTZ (WRCV-TV) would be equipped to originate local programs in color as soon as possible, and formally named Lloyd E. Yoder, who had been general manager for NBC in Cleveland, as general manager of the Philadelphia outlets. In Cleveland, meanwhile, Rolland V. Tooke, who has been WBC vice president for Philadelphia and will operate similarly in Cleveland and also double as general manager of WNBK (KYW-TV), and Gordon Davis, moving from Philadelphia to Cleveland as general manager for radio, announced a "New Sound" and a "New Look" for the Cleveland stations. Three WTAM-WNBK promotions and appointment of two other Clevelanders to executive positions also were announced by Mr. Tooke: John Mcintosh Jr., salesman with WTAMWNBK since 1951, was promoted to radio sales manager; Howard Spiller, a technical director who first joined the stations in 1944, was named technical operations supervisor; Roy Plaisted, WTAM assistant station engineer and with the station since 1926, was named supervisor of transmitters; Frank Derry, former publicity director for WTAM-WNBK, but for the past several years with the Cleveland Electric Illumination Co. as promotion and advertising director, was named advertising and sales promotion director for television, and John V. Hanrahan, promotion and publicity director for WGAR Cleveland, was appointed publicity director for radio and television. Mr. Tooke, who with Mr. Davis greeted Cleveland newsmen at a luncheon at the Hollenden Hotel, said WTAM and WNBK will continue to carry network shows but will put much heavier emphasis on local programming in the future. "This will take the form of expanded news coverage and public service programming, as well as the development of strong local features and personalities in both radio and television," Mr. Tooke said. "The essence of broadcasting is programming, and the established policy of the Westinghouse stations is to program for local tastes and interests. These will be Cleveland stations, above all." New features, he continued, will include several series — both radio and tv — produced by WBC. He reiterated "our firm belief in radio," saying: "In our operations, radio is never secondary to television. They are full partners." Mr. Tooke also said a major promotion drive would be conducted during the week of Feb. 13 to acquaint Clevelanders with the call letter switch to KYW-AM-TV and the "New Sound" and "New Look" plans for the stations. As NBC took over the WPTZ-KYW ownership, President Sarnoff said "we are extremely pleased and "look forward to continuing and enlarging [these stations'] place in the life of the community which they serve." Mr. Sarnoff noted that NBC's parent, RCA, and RCA Victor "have been closely identified with the Philadelphia-Camden area for many years. It is for this reason that NBC has chosen WRCV and WRCV-TV as the call letters for its Philadelphia stations." Charles R. Denny, vice president in charge of NBC owned stations, pointed out that WPTZ already is equipped to transmit network color programs and that NBC will move immediately to add equipment for originating local color. Details of other technical improvements will await a survey which was started last Monday, he reported. In connection with the final signing of transfer papers, WBC President Donald H. McGannon said that WPTZ had increased its gross income by 12.8% over 1953, the year WBC acquired the station, and that KYW had recorded even higher gains during the past two years, with its 1955 gross exceeding 1953's by 87.6% and its 1955 profit totaling almost 20 times that of 1954. In the exchange of stations, NBC paid Westinghouse $3 million in addition to transferring the Cleveland stations. The d,ay following the formal exchange. NBC '55 Westinghouse Bcstg. Gross Increases 47.7% Over 1954 GROSS sales of the Westinghouse Broadcasting Co. in 1955 increased 47.7% over 1954, Donald H. McGannon, president of the company, is announcing today (Monday). Local sales for the company's five radio stations, Mr. McGannon said, rose 13.5%, while national spot radio sales increased by I0.4rr over 1954. Television sales for WBC, he said, jumped 61% last year over 1954. The company owns and operates WBZWBZA Boston-Springfield, KDKA Pittsburgh. WOWO Fort Wayne, KEX Portland, Ore., and WTAM Cleveland, as well as WBZ-TV Boston, KDKA-TV Pittsburgh. KPIX (TV) San Francisco and WNBK (TV) Cleveland. Its Cleveland radio and tv stations, acquired recently from NBC in exchange for Westinghouse's two stations in Philadelphia (WPTZ [TV] and KYW) will change their call letters next month to KYW and KYW-TV. Mr. McGannon predicted that 1956 would be "the best year" in WBC history, adding that the company expects to strengthen its position in each local area by developing new talent and presenting "more creative programming" on each of its tv stations. WEWS (TV) Cleveland Plans New Studio, Office Building WEWS (TV) Cleveland last Wednesday announced plans to purchase the northeast corner of Euclid Ave. and East 30th St. for construction of new studio and office facilities at a total investment of approximately $2.5 million. Construction will begin in early spring with completion scheduled for December 1956. The new building, with a 155-ft. frontage, will be of modern design featuring plate-glass DONALD H. McGANNON (I) president of Westinghouse Broadcasting Co., and Robert W. Sarnoff, NBC president, shake hands at the conclusion of the exchange of Philadelphia and Cleveland radio and television properties. Vice President Charles R. Denny announced Stan Lee Broza. WPTZ program manager under Westinghouse. will hold the same position with hoth NBC Philadelphia stations. George Cyr and Ed Wallace will assist Mr. Broza as tv program manager and radio program manager, respectively. Alexander W. Dannenbaum Jr., lormer WPTZ commercial manager, becomes assistant general manager for both radio and tv for NBC. windows alternating with porcelain finished steel spandrels. It will contain three studios, the largest measuring 100 x 54 x 25 ft., with space to accommodate 350 spectators. Complete provision will be made for color and the building will be air conditioned. The two-story structure will cover 32,000 sq. ft. of usable floor space. It will replace WEWS' present location at 1816 E. 13th St., where the station went on the air Dec. 17, 1947, as Cleveland's first commercial tv outlet. The ch. 5 ABC affiliate is owned by ScrippsHoward Radio Inc. James C. Hanrahan is WEWS general manager and vice president of the parent company, which also owns WCPOAM-FM-TV Cincinnati and WNOX Knoxville, Milwaukee Outlets Eliminate Doubtful Promotions— BBB THE Milwaukee Better Business Bureau has satisfied itself that local radio stations, acting as a group, have eliminated any questionable on-the-air promotions allegedly designed to influence audience surveys. Agreement on contest "gimmicks," which brought charges of "rigged" telephone surveys, was reached at a luncheon meeting of broadcasters with a BBB representative last Monday. Richard Jordan, Milwaukee BBB general manager, said that "so far as the bureau is concerned, it is satisfied with the situation now" and that "nothing at the moment is being used that would cause criticism of the BBB itself." The meeting was described as "informal" and "helpful," with airing of mutual problems by station managers. Broadcasters have agreed among themselves to cease certain "unethical contests," the purpose of which was to induce listeners to report they were listening to a particular station involved at the time the station made a telephone call. Mr. Jordan said there "was no doubt that Broadcasting • Telecasting January 30, 1956 • Page 59