Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

PROGRAMS & PROMOTIONS continued "drop a dime into another guy's meter when you spot one that's expired." Mr. Anderson and his "deputies" circulated through the five boroughs of New York last week sparing over-parked motorists tickets. WCHS-TV Experiments in ETV WCSH-TV Portland, Me., is conducting a series of experiments to find out if the "public is ready for classroom tv." An early afternoon weekly series began Oct. 24 featuring a local public school teacher with six pupils on a set designed to simulate a classroom. The group will conduct ordinary classroom sessions with no particular method of teaching nor subject stressed. "This is education— not tv — which we are trying to emphasize," the station explains. The program is beamed at schools and places where groups can watch, so they may see what can be done with educational tv. WCSH-TV hopes that this experiment "welding education with professional tv treatment" will become "a focal point for . . . northern New England educators, legislators and tv-men alike." High School Art Show Sponsored Effective Nov. 15, WALT Tampa, Fla., increases power from 1 to 10 kw and, in observance, the station is instituting several projects of a cultural nature. One of which is a high school art show. Each month a local school will exhibit the work of its ten most talented students from the station's master studio. At the end of the year WALT will stage an outdoor art show at which the works may be purchased. The Tampa Philharmonic Assn. also is sponsoring a semiclassical hour on Sunday afternoons over WALT. ABN's Silver Dollar Messengers "Silver dollar messengers" of American Broadcasting Network have been checking motorists stopped at intersections to learn if they are tuned to the network's Jim Backus Show (Mon.-Fri. 2-2:55 p.m.) this week in Minneapolis, New York, Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington. If they are listening, the motorist gets a silver dollar and a promotional message for the program and the local station. 'Out of This World' Promotion Taking advantage of the headline-making Russian satellite, KWIN Ashland, Ore., and KGW Stockton, Calif., are using recordings of its beepings as station publicity. During station breaks and other periods throughout the day, listeners are able to hear sputnik's signal and are informed that the source is "out of this world." They are advised to stay tuned for the best sounds "in this world" on KWIN and KGW. Cascade Disputes Russian 'First' Cascade Broadcasting Co. (KIMA-TV Yakima, KEPR-TV Pasco, KBAS-TV Ephrata, all Washington and KLEW-TV Lewiston, Idaho) sent telegrams to 53 advertisers across the country Oct. 7, announcing that it — not the Russians — launched the first satellite. A bulletin was mailed to 1,000 timebuyers, account executives and others reminding them that Cascade launched KEPR-TV in 1954, "the first satellite in the United States." The bulletin added that "while the Russian moon emitted indecipherable beeps to whitecoated stargazers, the Cascade galaxy brings tv programs to "a half-million people." KEPR-TV is a satellite of KIMA-TV. WSRS Celebrates Tenth Year To celebrate its tenth anniversary, WSRS Cleveland, Ohio, is promoting an on-theair cash giveaway . "Super-Chek" contest. Reportedly 200 of the station's advertisers received numbered certificates resembling dollar bills for distribution to customers. WSRS reads off the winning numbers every hour. The winner of the first "Super-Chek" contest received $437. The promotion is being advertised through newspapers, billboards and displays as well as on-the-air plugs. Station executives report that "local sales increased beyond our most optimistic expectations." WNHC-TV Begins 'New Sound' WNHC-TV New Haven, Conn., has inaugurated what it calls an "exciting new sound." The station now schedules a strict division between news and music with newsmen and disc jockeys staying within their own domain. Local news comes in for a thorough treatment with the inauguration of a newscruiser that travels the greater New Haven area throughout the broadcast day. Headline news is scheduled every 20 minutes with summaries at regular intervals. Disc jockeys are allowed to choose their own records, reportedly giving a more personalized sound to music selection. PUBLIC SERVICE WITH A FLAIR WNBC (TV) New Britain, Conn., presented public service with a flair of showmanship at its Channel 30's Connecticut Valley Festival. The fourday show featured displays and demonstrations by state and national agencies: a fireman's muster, deep sea diving and frogmen operations by Navy men in a special portholed tank, Marines attacking a fortified position with flame throwers and detonation bombs and state police setting up a roadblock to halt fleeing bank robbers. Set up in the 65-acre Plainville Stadium, the festival drew 25-30,000 people on the last day, according to the station. Roads leading to the grounds were trafficjammed to the point that Connecticut Gov. Abraham A. Ribicoff arrived just under the wire for a television appearance. No festival is complete without a beauty contest, the station reports, and Peter B. Kenney, WNBC vice president and general manager, crowned Beverly P. lohnson Miss Channel 30 (below, r). Entertainment was provided by station personalities as well as spots by Tex McCrary, singer Tommy Leonetti and others. As an added bit of horseplay, Mr. McCrary threw tennis balls to the finalists in the beauty contest, who then batted them into the crowd (below, 1). Catching an autographed ball brought the onlooker a weekend in New York as Mr. McCrary's guest. Besides public service demonstrations by armed forces and public health and service agencies, the station set up an education tent, with teachers and technicians operating audio-visual instruction materials. All regular live ch. 30 programs originated from the festival. The station's exhibit included a color corner and closed-circuit tv for spectators. All newsroom operations for WNBC and WKNB, its radio affiliate, were transferred to the station's tent. VIPs aplenty joined in WNBC's salute to public service. Rep. Edwin H. May Jr. (R), and the mayors and selectmen of some 20 Connecticut communities participated in opening day ceremonies. The second day saw Mr. McCrary interview U. S. Sen. William A. Purtell (R). The final day's ceremonies featured a speech by Gov. Ribicoff, with troops passing in review before the governor; Karl G. Harr, deputy assistant secretary of defense; Congressman-at-large Antoni N. Sadlak (R), and military officers. Page 126 • October 28, 1957 Broadcasting