Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

STATIONS Triangle to Conduct First Uhf Depth Study TRIANGLE Stations will conduct what it calls the first market research study of the uhf problem, using WLBR-TV Lebanon, Pa., as a proving ground. WLBR-TV, which returned to uhf ch. 15 after a 2Vz -year silence, will be subjected to a depth analysis to develop a uhf case history covering agency, client, equipment, audience and station problems. The first uhf property in the Triangle group, the station will make public results of its completed study, covering possibly a year, and make interim reports for industry evaluation. Funds will be provided by Triangle Stations. Test laboratory conditions will govern the study. A cooperating agency, not yet selected, will participate in reviewing the "sales improvement history" of a product advertised only on WLBR-TV. A new product may be added, with sales impact traced from copy drawing board to pantry. Selection of products for the study will be subject to decision of the cooperating agency. Already several of the top 10 agencies have shown interest in the project, Triangle said. A major research organization, not yet selected, will direct the scientific collection MR. PALMER MR. SAVAGE of data and evaluation of the findings, using latest and best techniques. Roger W. Clipp, Triangle vice presidentgeneral manager, who conceived the project, said it will provide a microscopic case history of a uhf station and its related industries. The operating plan will be completed within a few weeks. A major equipment manufacturer will cooperate in checking viewer reaction, going into homes to find out what families think of uhf and inquiring into converters, set troubles and reception. WLBR-TV returned to the air May 2 under Triangle ownership. Its 1 kw transmitter with 13 kw radiated power will be replaced within a month by 12V6 kw equipment radiating 129 kw. Parts of Lebanon and adjoining Dauphin counties are practically 100% converted to uhf, since Harrisburg is an all-uhf city. WLBR-TV predicts it will cover 320,000 tv homes in the Lancaster-Dauphin-Lebanon market. Implementing the project in the field will be Frank B. (Bud) Palmer, general manager of WLBR-TV and M. Leonard Savage, operations director. Formerly at WGN-TV Chicago and WSEE Erie, Pa., Mr. Palmer joined the Lebanon station May 2. Mr. CECIL SANSBURY, general manager of WSEE (TV) Erie, Pa., signs for his station to be represented by Young Television Corp., New York. With him are three Young executives (1 to r): William Crumley, vice presidentresearch; James F. O'Grady, assistant sales manager, and Adam Young, president. Savage, a graduate of RCA Institute, Philadelphia, was at WEEU and WRAW Reading, Pa., later becoming chief engineer of WKNE Keene, N. H. He helped construct WLBR-TV and served as chief engineer in 1953-54. WLBR-TV has no network service. The study is designed to show how uhf can compete successfully with vhf and match the merits of networks and non-network programming. WBLN (TV) Goes Back on Air; Needs Only $15,000 Capital WBLN (TV) Bloomington, 111., returned to partial operation a fortnight ago and needs less than $15,000 to resume full-time, permanent telecasting. Worth S. Rough, president and general manager of WBLN Inc., has reported. The uhf ch. 15 station last week completed overhaul of equipment and is programming 5-10 nightly with the best picture in its history, according to Mr. Rough. The ABC-TV affiliate plans to operate on a regular basis once it has collected the remaining portion of $52,000 in pledges. The full amount will be used to pay off WBLN's indebtedness and an additional $15,000 is needed for operating capital, to be raised with issuance of more stock after full-time operation is resumed. WBLN ceased operation last Feb. 5 because of equipment failures and monetary difficulties and has reorganized its financial structure [B»T, April 1]. Arrangements were underway last week for settlement of all debts with creditors before WBLN revives regular telecasting operation, according to Mr. Rough. Ra-Tel Broadcasting Co. Buys WKXV for $100,000 THE sale of WKXV Knoxville by TeleBroadcasters Inc., to Bill L. Boring, accountant, and Henry T. Ogle, attorney, both Knoxville, under the name of Ra-Tel Broadcasting Co. for $100,000, was revealed last week. The sale of the 900 kc, 1-kw daytime facility was negotiated by Blackburn & Co., station broker. It had been bought originally by Tele-Broadcasters (H. Scott Kilgore, president) from Roy S. and Tom Carr in 1955 for $100,000. This leaves Tele-Broadcasters with WPOW New York, KALI Pasadena, WPOP Hartford, and KUDL Kansas City. WALA-TV Charges AAP With 'Contract Breach' WALA-TV Mobile, Ala., has filed suit in federal court in Mobile seeking $1.1 million damages from Associated Artists Productions, New York, charging breach of contract. The WALA-TV action charges AAP failed to comply with terms of an agreement and sold a package of some 500 Popeye and Warner Bros, cartoons to a competing station, WKRG-TV Mobile. David Stillman of Stillman & Stillman, New York, legal counsel for AAP, says, "There was no contract agreed upon or signed" between WALA-TV and the film firm. The station seeks damages it says were incurred through its failure to meet commitments to advertisers because of the alleged breach of contract. WALA-TV last week was seeking an injunction to prevent WKRG-TV from airing the films until disposition of the case. Judge Daniel H. Thomas was to hear the injunction request last Friday. The suit claims WALA-TV entered a contract with AAP for the cartoon package on April 24 and then solicited advertisers for the films. It states that the station learned May 3 that AAP did not intend to comply with the alleged agreement and that the film firm was offering or had offered the package to WKRG-TV. According to James McNamara, national sales manager of WALA-TV, Robert Montgomery of the AAP sales staff sent the station a ' letter of agreement," which was signed and returned. This was called a "firm order" by Mr. Montgomery, Mr. McNamara says. AAP representatives, contacted in New York, referred the question to the Stillman law firm. David Stillman said the "facts negate any liability of the distributor . . . There was merely a negotiation between the two parties. There was no contract agreed upon or signed." WTVT (TV) Staffer Lost at Sea RONALD CHARLES STIMPSON, 29-yearold producer-director of WTVT (TV) Tampa-St. Petersburg, was lost at sea May 8 along with his wife Emma Grace and a guest. His cabin cruiser was believed to have struck a submerged object six miles off Anna Maria Island. Mr. Stimpson had been with the station since it went on the air April 1, 1955. Before that he was an announcer for WMMWAM-FM Meriden, Conn., a tv cameraman for WPIX (TV) New York City and a production technician at WCAX-TV Burlington. Vt. Page 82 • May 20, 1957 Broadcasting • Telecasting