Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

PEOPLE Appeals Court Denies Stay In 3 Deintermixture Cases STAY against FCC's final grants of vhf stations in Corpus Christi, Tex., Madison, Wis., and Evansville, Ind., denied Friday by U. S. Court of Appeals in Washington. Ruling came three weeks after arguments before three-judge court [B»T Jan. 16]. Rulings were two to one, with Circuit Judges John A. Danaher and George T. Washington voting to deny stays, Judge David L. Bazelon dissenting. Announcement Friday said opinions would be issued later. At issue were Commission's final grants in cities where strong moves had developed among uhf operators for deintermixture by deleting single vhf channel to make communities all uhf. Involved were following: Corpus Christi ch. 6 grant to KRIS, appealed by ch. 22 KVDO-TV same city; Madison ch. 3 grant to WISC there, appealed by ch. 27 WKOW-TV, ch. 33 WMTV (TV), both Madison, and ch. 39 WTVO (TV) Rockford, 111.; Evansville ch. 7 grant to Evansville Television Inc., appealed by ch. 62 WFIE (TV) that city; ch. 50 WEHT (TV) Henderson, Ky., and ch. 21 WKLO-TV Louisville, Ky. Appeals were made by uhf stations and others interested in deintermixing these three cities. Point in issue was FCC's November 1955 action denying all deintermixture petitions, refusal to hold up final decisions on pending vhf cases. Still pending are 10 final vhf decisions, many of them involving so-called deintermixture cities. Court's action refusing to stay grants implies that FCC is free to resume acting on these vhf situations. For past few weeks, Commission has delayed action awaiting word from court. At same time, appeal of uhf operators against FCC grants remains on court docket for argument and decision on merits. KFRE Holds Out New Angle In Plugging for Intermixture UNIQUE ARGUMENT in favor of continuing intermixture (combination vhf and uhf television channels in same city) has been filed with FCC. In reply comments submitted by KFRE Fresno, winner of ch. 12 contest in that city, point is made that if intermixture is not continued demand for uhf receivers will fall off. This would jeopardize continuance of uhf band for tv, KFRE said, necessary for full-scale nationwide tv system. KFRE also implied deintermixture advocates more interested in delaying competition than in overall betterment of tv allocations, since most markets which are object of deintermixture petitions already are uhf converted. Thus, Fresno grantee said, if uhf fails in such areas, failure will be due to competitive factors, not because one v is operating with u competitors. Other reply comment filed Friday (see early story page 58) was from Ajax Enterprises (Herbert Mayer), grantee of ch. 23 WPHD (TV) Philadelphia and ch. 38 WHMB (TV) Boston. Advocate of deintermixture, Ajax declared result would be aid to surrounding communities like Atlantic City, Trenton and Bridgeton, N. I., and Worcester, Cambridge, Brockton, Lawrence and Lowell, Mass. at deadline New Receiving Antenna Claims Sensitive Channel Separation ANNOUNCEMENT of new tv receiving antenna, due to be made this week by Holloway Electronics Corp., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will contain startling claim: that it will permit vhf co-channel tv stations to be placed as close as 50 miles; adjacent channel stations as close as 10-12 miles. Present spacing is 170 miles in Zone I. 190 miles in Zone II, 220 miles in Zone III. Implications in current allocations proceeding is obvious but FCC and Washington consulting engineers warn there are limiting factors that make dubious all-embracing worth of development. Antenna system is dubbed I.R.I.S. (Infinite Rejection Interference System). It comprises two rotatable antennas. One is pointed toward desired signal, other at undesired signal. Both signals must come from different directions. Undesired signal is "phased out" by one antenna, so receiver is fed nothing but desired signal. Device is being marketed at from $6 to $61 list price, depending on gain needed. Developer is John Holloway. former Raytheon television transmitter engineering executive. Moviemen Out To Reduce AFM Cut on Tv-Released Films FOUR-MAN task force of moving picture industry huddled with American Federation of Musicians in New York last week. Aim: to reduce current 5% slice union gets on movies released to tv. Current contract runs through 1958. In charge of negotiations with AFM are B. B. Kahane, Columbia Pictures; Edwin L. de Patie, Warner Bros.; Fred Meyer. 20th CenturyFox, and Charles Boren. industrial relations vice president. Motion Picture Producers Assn. Industry men maintain union cut is oppressive, is impeding negotiations with tv. WMUR Manchester Sale Filed APPLICATION filed Friday asking FCC approval to sale of WMUR Manchester, N. H.. from Radio Voice of New Hampshire Inc. to Northeast Broadcasting Corp. for $150,000. Northeast is solely-owned by Madeleine M. Girolimon (insurance interests). Application made clear that tv affiliate, ch. 9 WMUR-TV, is not involved in transaction nor are WMUR call letters being assigned. One of Northeast directors. Warren H. Journay, is former manager of WKBR-AM-FM Manchester. WMUR is on 610 kc, operates with power of 5 kw day, 1 kw night, and is affiliated with ABC and Yankee networks. Kagran Takes on NBC Film OPERATIONS of NBC Film Div. have been transferred to NBC's wholly-owned subsidiary, Kagran Corp., NBC President Robert Sarnoff is announcing today (Mon.). NBC film syndication activities continue to be directed by Carl M. Stanton, NBC vice president, who also has been elected vice president of Kagran. EDWARD NICKEY, head of Chicago office of Radio-Tv Representatives Inc., station representation firm, named vice president. FRANK J. HANOSKI, Dun & Bradstreet sales representative, formerly in radio in Coral Gables, Fla., joins New York office of Radio-Tv Representatives as sales executive, effective today (Mon.). E. JAMES McENANEY JR., formerly account executive, Bo Bernstein & Co., Providence, R. I., to WPAW Pawtucket, R. I., as executive vice president. He will be in charge of station's sales and programming. RUPE WERLJJNG, WIBG Philadelphia, appointed vice president in charge of production. JOHN M. FORNEY JR., Robert Luckie & Co. agency, Birmingham, Ala., appointed vice president and director of radio and tv. GUNNAR ANDERSON, art director, Ellington Inc., N. Y.; LEONARD SIROURTZ, designer, L. W. Frohlich. N. Y.. and HELEN WHEELER, associate copy director, Paris & Peart, N. Y., to Grey Adv., N. Y. Messrs. Anderson and Sirourtz joint Grey as art directors and Miss Wheeler as radio-tv writer. PHIL MERGENER, Chicago sales representative for Official Films Inc., to sales staff of Ziv Tv Programs Inc., same city. DAVID KLINGER, executive in CBS-TV business affairs department since joining in April 1950, named budget control manager of department. Tatum Joins Disney DONN B. TATUM, director of tv for ABC Western Div.. named production-business manager, Walt Disney Studios, effective immediately. One time Don Lee-Mutual vice president, Mr. Tatum has also served as west coast counsel for RCA. NBC and ABC. Comings, Goings at WLS BRUCE DAVIES, Chicago radio-tv market reporter at Chicago Livestock Exchange, will join WLS Chicago as farm director effective Feb. 14, replacing Dix Harper, who leaves after six years with Prairie Farmer station, it was revealed Friday. Mr. Harper joins Aubrey, Finlay, Marley & Hodgson Inc., Chicago agency, as account executive for radio-tv on International Harvester account. In another change, Norman Syse, member of WLS news department, joins WBBM Chicago's news staff this month. Announcement expected this week on further realignment at WLS. Patent Suit Called Off After Haffa Donates $100,000 PATENT INFRINGEMENT suit against Webster-Chicago Corp., maker of tape recorders and related products, has been abandoned by Illinois Institute of Technology on heels of $100,000 donation to institute by Titus Haffa, president and majority owner of Webcor. Dismissal order was entered in U. S^ District Court after attorneys reached agreement on suit filed by Armour Research Foundation, IIT affiliate, on Dec. 1, 1955. About $40,000 in back royalties covering 14 IIT patents will be paid in settlement, according to John Rettaliata, institute president. Broadcasting • Telecasting February 6, 1956 • Page 9