Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

BRAILLE schedules listing the programs of WBT Charlotte, N. C, now are being mailed regularly to blind listeners. Names for the braille mailing list came from the Mecklenburg County Assn. for the Blind Inc., which is cooperating in the project, according to J. Robert Covington, vice president and managing director of WBT. The first mailing, he says, was followed by a flood of enthusiastic telephone calls. The seven-page schedules cost WBT 16 cents apiece to print. KCMO Sponsors Hog Contest Meat-type hog contest winners have been announced by KCMO Kansas City, Mo. The station's farm department designed the contest to assist in expanding interest in production of meat-type hogs and swine production in general. KCMO's general manager presented engraved plaques to the three top ranking contestants. Scoring was based on rate of gain, prolificacy and type. Eighteen civic organizations and other groups sponsored local meat-type hog clubs throughout Kansas and Missouri in cooperation with KCMO this past year in which some 7,000 head of hogs reportedly were entered by 183 producers. KXOK Aids Duck Hunters KXOK St. Louis, Mo., began a service for sportsmen Oct. 25. The duck season opened that day and every Monday, Wednesday and Friday since, the station has broadcast "duck reports" to alert local hunters on conditions in the best shooting areas. The "beeper-phone" reports are aired, complete with duck calls, as part of KXOK's newscasts. WTTM's 'Election Battleground7 To focus attention on the elections tomorrow (Tuesday), WTTM Trenton, N. J., has been presenting Election Battleground '57. Each night a candidate running for office was called by telephone and asked questions regarding his campaign and the election issues. WTTM scheduled the series in an effort to increase the number of voters. KBIF's Christmas Comes Early People on the KBIF Fresno, Calif., mailing list have been surprised to be receiving Christmas cards so soon. No, it is'nt slow postal delivery from 1956. KBIF management is sending '57 cards to its advertisers, present and prospective, with the traditional, "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" on the front. On the back, however, is printed, "We're sending ours early to avoid the rush . . . and to get your attention. You, too, can avoid the rush and capture the attention of your customer from now until Christmas by using KBIF." ABN's 'Thought for the Day' American Broadcasting Network is offering a $100 savings bond to the listener submitting the best "thought for the day" in a series of weekly contests on five of the network's live daily shows. Executive producers of The Herb "Oscar" Anderson Show, The Jim Backus Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Bill Kemp Show and The Johnny Pearson Show select one favorite saying to be read as a "thought for the day." At the close of the week the writer submitting the entry judged best is awarded the bond. WTVJ (TV) Holds Weather Contest Four Star Playhouse viewers are being invited by WTVJ (TV) Miami to try their hand at weather forecasting. Listeners are asked to submit cards with their name, address and phone number. Then one card is drawn a day. The station calls the entrant. He is asked to make a guess at the next day's noon temperature and weather conditions. The prize for a correct prediction is a color tv set. A half-right forecast (weather or temperature) wins a $10-15 gift. WHAS-TV Sponsors Contest A caricature with the figure 1 1 forming part of his eyes is being used by WHASTV Louisville, Ky., on station breaks to publicize its channel number and to promote local and national spot programs. A 1958 Edsel and 10 General Electric appliances are being offered by the station as prizes in a four-week "Big 1 1 Name Me" contest. It calls for viewers to name the ch. 1 1 figure and in 15 words or less complete the sentence, "I watch WHAS-TV because . . ." Signs in local Edsel and GE dealer display rooms, newspaper ads, taxi-poster cards and 25 station announcements a day will be used to advertise the promotion. WABD (TV) Begins 'Probe' WABD (TV) New York has started a new live investigative program which "digs into the stories behind today's headlines" called Probe (Mon. 11:30 p. m. -midnight) . Writer-reporter Howard Whitman, who conducts the show each week, interviews people who are involved in current news stories. ...its words to the wise are sufficient "Our TelePrompTers in use both at WTOPTV in Washington, D. C, and at WMBRTV in Jacksonville, Florida, are most valuable assets. We have found they are especially useful for commercial copy and when our newscasters broadcast. T elePrompT er gives them confidence, and I heartily endorse its use". Mr. John S. Hayes President Washington Post Broadcast Division ©M1P11IEM CORPORATION — ~ — Jim Blair, Equip. Sales Mgr. 311 West 43rd Street, New York 36, N. Y., JUdson 2-3800 The new TelePro 6000 throws an entirely new light on rear screen projection. %IE/ Broadcasting November 4, 1957 • Page 95