Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

GOVERNMENT TIME INC. BUY GETS GREEN LIGHT • Three radio-tv properties bought from Consolidated • $18.5 million involved in nine approvals by FCC NINE station sales involving $18,541,730, headed by the Time Inc. purchase of three Bitner properties, were approved last week by the FCC. Time bought WOOD-AM-TV Grand Rapids, Mich., WTCN-AM-TV Minneapolis and WFBM-AM-TV Indianapolis from Consolidated Tv & Radio Broadcasters Inc. (Bitner interests) for $15,750,000 [B«T, March 18, et seq.]. Crowell-Collier Publishing Co. originally contracted to buy the Bitner stations, including WFDF Flint, Mich., for $16.2 million. However, C-C ran into financial difficulties and was forced to default on the purchase, starting a wild scramble among bidders for the stations. WFDF is not involved in the sale to Time Inc. In approving the sale, the Commission stipulated that control of the stations is not to change hands until Time and its executive, former FCC Chairman Wavne Coy, have consummated their sale of KOB-AMTV Albuquerque to KSTP-AM-TV St. PaulMinneapolis for $1.5 million. This transaction has been approved [B»T, March 18], but it was the subject of a protest filed last week by ABC. KOB, assigned 1030 kc, has been operating "temporarily" on 770 kc since 1941. The station has been ordered to directionalize its nighttime signal by this Thursday to protect ABC-owned WABC New York, also on 770 kc. ABC asked for a rehearing on the KOB-AM-TV transfer. Time Inc. also owns KLZ-AM-TV Denver and 80% of KDYL-AM-FM and KTVT (TV) Salt Lake City. Time Inc. executives include Henry R. Luce, who owns 21.4% of the outstanding stock; President Roy E. Larsen, 6%; Executive Vice President Weston C. Pullen, who will direct the firms radio-tv properties; Mr. Coy, who owns 50% of KOB-AM-TV (Time owns the other 50% ) and will remain as an executive of Time Inc.; Eldon Campbell, consultant on broadcast management, who will direct the Indianapolis operations, and Phil Hoffman, manager of KLZ-AM-TV, who will direct the Minneapolis stations. ABC-affiliated WFBM is on 1260 kc with 5 kw; WFBM-TV, on ch. 6, is affiliated with NBC. WTCN operates with 5 kw day, 1 kw night on 1280 kc and WTCN-TV is on ch. 11. Both stations are affiliated with ABC. The Grand Rapids stations are affiliated with NBC and WOOD is on 1300 kc with 5 kw; WOOD-TV is on ch. 8. Time Inc., which publishers Time, Life, Fortune and Sports Illustrated magazines, formerly owned WQXR New York and from 1943-45 owned 12.5% of ABC. Detroit attorney George Haggarty, received Commission approval for his $1,794,865 buy of ch. 12 KLOR (TV) Portland, Ore., from Henry A. White, Julius L. Meier Jr. and associates. With the KLOR purchase. Page 56 • April 22, 1957 Mr. Haggarty secured an option to purchase ch. 27 KPTV (TV) Portland from Storer Broadcasting Co. for $1.89 million. The purchase marks Mr. Haggarty's first entrance into the broadcast field. KLOR is an independent while KPTV, the nation's first commercial uhf station, is affiliated with NBC. Mr. Haggarty is expected to seek FCC approval of the KPTV purchase in the near future and combine the facilities of the two stations, with KPTV going dark. J. Elroy McCaw received FCC approval for his purchase (with John D. Keating) of KDAY Santa Monica, Calif., and the sale of 33V3 % interest in KLOQ Yakima, Wash. However, Comr. Robert T. Bartley voted for a McFarland letter and Comr. John C. Doerfer abstained from voting. Messrs. McCaw (75%) and Keating (25%) paid KOWL Broadcasting Co. (J. D. Funk and associates) $650,000 for the Santa Monica station, and Mr. McCaw received $20,115 for his KLOQ interest from Warren J. Durham. Robert S. McCaw and Tom Olsen also own 33V3% of KLOQ, which is on 1280 kc with 5 kw day and 1 kw night. It is affiliated with both Mutual and NBC. Daytimer KDAY is on 1580 kc with 10 kw and holds a cp for 50 kw. Messrs. McCaw and Keating also own WINS New York, KYA San Francisco and 50% of KONA-TV Honolulu and KTVR (TV) Denver. Mr. McCaw individually owns KTVW (TV) Seattle-Tacoma; 50% of KELA Centralia, Wash.; 33Y3 of KALE-AM-TV Richland, Wash., and 25% of KAPA Raymond, Wash. Bartley Questions Trafficking In voting for the McFarland letter, Comr. Bartley questioned the possibility of trafficking in stations by Mr. McCaw. Country music partners Webb Pierce and James R. Denny had their purchase of WJAT-AM-FM Swainsboro, Ga., for $125,000 approved by the Commission. Selling the 1 kw daytimer on 800 kc are Jack A. and Nancy M. Thompson. The buyers. are partners in three Nashville music publishing firms and Mr. Pierce is a recording artist and tv personality. Commission approval was granted Frederick A. Knorr and associates for their $100,000 purchase of WELL Battle Creek, Mich., from Federated Publications Inc. Mr. Knorr and associates own WKMH-AM-FM Dearborn, WKMF Flint, WSAM-AM-FM Saginaw and WKHM Jackson, all Mich., plus a majority interest in the Detroit Tigers American League baseball club. Federated publishes newspapers in Battle Creek, Grand Rapids and Lansing, all Mich., and Lafayette, Ind. ABC-affiliated WELL is on 1250 kc with 250 w. The last $1,750 of the $18.5 million total in station sales approved went for the cp of ch. 20 KBAY-TV San Francisco, with no physical assets involved. Sherrill C. Corwin is buying the San Francisco facility from Leonard and Lily B. Averett [B«T, Feb. 25]. The purchase price represents the Averett's expenses in prosecuting their application for the cp. . Mr. Corwin also was granted an eight month extension to complete construction of the station. He has minor interests in KPRO Riverside, KROP Brawley, KYOR Blythe and KREO Indio, all Calif., and KAKEAM-TV Wichita, Kan. Day-timers' Hearings To Bare New Charges THE FCC will face more questions at the Senate Daytime Radio Broadcasting Subcommittee hearings April 29-30 when the Community Broadcasters Assn. airs its complaints against the Commission for failure to act on the association's year-old request that its stations be permitted to increase their power from 250 to 1.000 watts. Howard J. Schellenberg Jr.. Washington, D. C. attorney for the Community Broadcasters, which includes 960 250-w stations in the U. S., said the association's president, F. Ernest Lackey, who is president and general manager of WHOP Hopkinsville, Ky., will present his group's case at the hearings. "The FCC has ignored the Community Broadcasters' request of April 3, 1956 asking that their stations be allowed to increase their power from 250 to 1,000 watts, and Sen. Morse has agreed to let us testify at his daytimers' hearings." Mr. Schellenberg said. Sen. Wayne Morse [D-Ore.] heads the Senate Small Business Subcommittee named last month to investigate complaints of the Daytime Broadcasters Assn. that the FCC has failed — over a period of some four years — to act on its request to extend the operating hours of small local stations [B»T, March 25]. Noting that the Community Broadcasters' stations are on only six frequencies, Mr. Schellenberg pointed out that the same power increase by all the stations "would create no further problems with interference." Lee White, counsel to the full Senate Small Business Committee, said Sen. Morse's subcommittee "will hear testimony from class-four station (Community Broadcasters Assn.) representatives, and then question the Commission about it." The daytimers hearings are scheduled to open April 29 (next Monday) with testimony by J. Ray Livesay, chairman of the board for DBA, and owner of WLBH Mattoon, 111. Other station owners also may testify for the daytimers, noted Benedict J. Cottone. Washington, D. C. attorney for the DBA. Speaking for the Clear Channel Broadcasting Service, which opposes the daytimers" request for extended hours of opera Broadcasting • Telecasting