Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

PROGRAM SERVICES INS Telenews Picks Up 18; Glickman Replaces Wismer CONTRACTS placing various INS-Telenews film services in 1 8 new tv markets have been signed during the past month, it was announced Thursday by Robert H. Reid, manager of the INS television division. He also disclosed that veteran sportscaster Marty Glickman, formerly sports director at WMGM New York, will narrate the weekly This Week in Sports show replacing Harry Wismer, resigned. The quarter-hour syndicated sports review has been bought by Great Falls Breweries through the Wendt Agency, Great Falls, Mont., to blanket the state starting in June on KOOK-TV Billings, KXLF-TV Butte, KFBB-TV Great Falls and KMSOTV Missoula. The sports proeram also has been sold for local sponsorship to KVARTV Phoenix, Ariz.; KOIN-TV Portland, Ore., and KCCC-TV Sacramento, Calif. Studebaker-Packard has picked up sponsorship of the INS-Telenews weekly news review in four additional markets to bring its total sponsorship to six markets. New stations are WNBF-TV Binghamton, WCNY TV Carthage Watertown and WKTV (TV) Utica, all N. Y., and WISNTV Milwaukee. United Auto Workers, through Kaufman Agency, Washington, has signed for the weekly news review on CKLW-TV Windsor-Detroit. Other local sponsorship sales were to WOOD-TV Grand Rapids, Mich., and KSIX-TV Corpus Christi, Tex. WRVA-TV Richmond, Va., has purchased the five-day INS Telenews daily newsfilm while WTAR-TV Norfolk, Va., and KIDO-TV Boise, Idaho, have signed for the International News Photos, daily tv photo service. Outside the U. S., both the news review and the sports review have been sold to CMAB-TV Havana. ASCAP Claims Win in WSAY Case AMERICAN Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has obtained a summary judgment of $4,098.52 in Supreme Court, New York County, against Federal Broadcasting System Inc., the owner of WSAY Rochester, N. Y., ASCAP announced last week. The suit was based upon the defendant station's failure to pay license fees due ASCAP under license agreements which formerly were in effect, the music licensing organization explained. Creative Merchandising Co. Formed for Tv Activities FORMATION of a new tv program-production-packaging company, Creative Merchandising Co., has been announced by its two principals, H. Pierson Mapes, for 15 years vice president and general manager of the now-closed New York office of Hutchins Adv., and Gene Schiess, radio-tv director of the agency. Temporary offices are at 535 Fifth Ave., New York. Telephone: Murray Hill 2-7825. Mr. Mapes was instrumental in launching the original Philco Tv Playhouse (now known as Goodyear Playhouse and Alcoa Hour on NBC-TV for Hutchins' client, Philco Corp. When the account shifted last year to BBDO, Hutchins closed its New York operations. CMC's first program is Happy Felton's It's A Hit, a new daytime educational quiz program which premieres on CBS-TV Saturday, June 1, at 11:30 a.m. Among clients signed for CMC services are (Bing) Crosby Brands Inc. and Philco Corp. Mr. Mapes said his firm currently is consulting with Philco regarding this year's "Miss America" pageant at Atlantic City. Leahy Leaves RKO Records Post JOSEPH LEAHY, president of RKO Unique Records, has resigned to go into independent production of record masters. The announcement, made jointly by Mr. Leahy and John Begley of RKO Teleradio Pictures Inc., parent firm, said, however, that Mr. Leahy would remain as technical adviser and artists and repertory man for the record concern. The post of president will remain open, according to the announcement. Mr. Leahy will use Unique's facilities at 1697 Broadway, New York, while Unique will use facilities of the RKO Recording Div. at 1440 Broadway. STATIONS Education Group Among Bidders for WATV (TV) THE PROSPECT of a commercial television station seeking to go non-commercial — through change of ownership — loomed in New York last week. The Metropolitan Educational Television Assn. was identified as one of several bidders reportedly negotiating for the purchase of WATV (TV) Newark, one of seven stations, all vhf. now operating in the New York area. Irving R. Rosenhaus, president of WATV and its am affiliate, WAAT, confirmed that negotiations for sale of the properties were in progress with a number of prospective buyers, but declined to name any of the bidders. Unofficially, it was understood that the asking price for the two stations was approximately $6.5 million. Frank E. Karelson Sr., a trustee of META as well as its general counsel, confirmed that META was negotiating for the ch. 13 station but would not discuss details. He said he anticipated no prob^m in getting the FCC to revise the New York area allocations— which specify ch. 25 for non-commercial educational use — to permit WATV to continue on its present channel if META succeeds in buying the station. He said META had not yet broached the question to the FCC, however. Ch. 25 has been assigned to the U. of the State of New York, but construction has never started. The only other channel allocated in that area, ch. 31, has been assigned to city-owned WNYC New York, but construction of the station has not started. META was chartered by the State Board of Regents in 1954 to operate a non-commercial educational station. It is composed of leading civic and educational groups, and some months ago it set up a program production center to prepare educational programs for showing on commercial stations. Although the association does not have funds on hand to cover the proposed purchase, its leaders apparently feel they can get the money. If they succeed, and are successful also in reaching an agreement for purchase of the station, they reportedly are thinking of leasing some of their time to commercial interests as one possible means of raising money for operating expenses. WLWT (TV) to Add Local Color CROSLEY Broadcasting Corp. will institute local color originations by June from WLWT (TV) Cincinnati, the firm announces. Nearly a million dollars — for five color 1 cameras and associated equipment — is involved. First two shows that will be colorcast are Ruth Lyons' daily 50-50 Club. I noon1:30 p.m. and the Saturday night Mid I western Hayride, 6:30-7:30 p.m., both to be j fed to other Crosley stations, WLWD (TV Dayton, WLWC (TV) Columbus, both Ohio and later to WLWI (TV) Indianapolis, which I is to go on the air in September. Othei shows, including experimental colorcasts of | Cincinnati Redlegs baseball games, are to I be added to the local color schedule. «««««««««««<«««««««««'<«««««««(j-!>^^5t««««««« »»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»»>» V A v y\ v A V J\ V A 1 SOUTHEAST AM STATION I v /v | Major Market f | $75,000 down \ V /\ V S\ v /s I R. C. CRISLER & CO., INC. ! V A V /v 1 Fifth Third Bank Bldg., I 1 Cincinnati 2, Ohio | ! Dunbar 1-7775 I Page 96 • May 6, 1957 Broadcasting • Telecasting