Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

TRADE ASSNS. continued NEWS 'DEPTH' SOWS Radio and television often are written off as news media of the moment, acknowledged specialists in spot but lacking in depth and long-term, thorough treatment. But when a man in the electronic news business can leave his never-ending deadline long enough to defend himself, he'll reply that it's not necessarily so. And he'll cite broadcast stories-in-depth to prove it. Such a case history is a job the news staff of WHAS-AM-TV Louisville, Ky., did on the Bullitt robbery (and is doing; the case has not been closed). The Bullitt story ran a full year on the WHAS stations. At the end of that time, they had a series of film and tapes that told a full-dimensional story from every angle. This was attested when the electronic documentation was used by local officers, federal agents and lawyers for research on the case. First break in the story came in 1956, when the stations found out the home of William Marshall Bullitt, local attorney and onetime U. S. solicitor general had been robbed of $K)0,000 to $275,000 in cash. At that time, WHAS and WHASTV newsmen gave the robbery full play, shooting film at the Bullitt home (the only on-the-scene film coverage, WHAS-TV says) and recording interviews with Mr. Bullitt and police officials. Things were quiet then for nine months, as the search for a thief went on. But the WHAS stations didn't abandon it as news. Running checks were made and continuing stories were broadcast on police progress. When the chase was nearly over, a tip enabled the stations to air an advisory item and have microphones and cameras at police headquarters when suspects gave their confessions Aug. 10 of this year. WHAS-AM-TV mobilized to give full play to a story that broke when Saturday newspapers were out and Sunday editions were several hours away. An extra crew was added to process film, edit tapes and write the drama of a chauffeur, who with his friends made off with the boss' money. Running accounts were heard on radio from the WHAS staffer at police headquarters. WHAS-TV ran bulletins and ED BY WHAS-AM-TV by suppertime was ready with an eightminute story with film clips and full details. Time was pre-empted on both stations to keep listeners and viewers abreast of developments. Sunday, after police questioning of the accused, Bill Small, news director of WHAS and WHAS-TV, was credited with being first on hand to interview the group of accomplices. With jailhouse clatter for background, Mr. Small got the prisoners to tell how they found the Bullitt safe combination, about the planning of the robbery, motives and emotions involved. Details were filled in from officials, the Bullitt family, lawyers and prosecutors. When a federal angle developed, WHAS stations were on the air with early word. A day after the confessions, WHAS ran a 30-minute documentary recapitulation with segments of interviews from the cell-block and law enforcement offices plus other developments to air time. When the case came to trial, WHAS staffers were there. Direct courthouse reports were heard on WHAS, and WHAS-TV featured film shot outside the courtroom, reminding viewers that cameras could not go inside. The stations broadcast every trial development through the verdict of guilty. But the story goes on. As defendants stand trial this month in Criminal Court, WHAS and WHAS-TV have greater freedom for film and recordings, thanks to years of cooperation between stations and court. Preliminary plans call for full film coverage and a 90-minute digest nightly on radio. Such coverage, says Mr. Small, although costly and time-consuming, is not lost on listeners and viewers. "Extra work and extra sweat pay off when your audience knows that your station will be there first, and beyond that, will be there with the complete story." With a bow to the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Times, which own WHAS-AM-TV, he adds, "We'll never replace newspapers, but when it comes to the big story, we plan to give them a run for the money every time." WHAS last week was honored for outstanding radio news (story this page). CBS' STANTON GETS PAUL WHITE AWARD • Eight other awards presented • Honors received at RTNDA Meet Frank Stanton, CBS president, received . the second annual Paul White Memorial | award for promotion of broadcast journalism at the Radio Television News Directors Assn. meeting at Miami Beach. The award was presented Saturday night at the annual banquet, which Mr. Stanton addressed. Eight awards in the annual competition conducted for RTNDA by the radio-television department of Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern U.. were presented Saturday. Mr. Stanton's honor was based on three achievements — leadership in editorializing; subscribing to the professional ' news standards fostered by RTNDA, and employment of professional newsmen who j receive his support in their professional activity. The first recipient of the Paul White 1 award, created in honor of the late newsman who developed the original CBS news operation, was Hugh Terry, KLZ-AM-TV ' Denver. Mr. Terry was honored a year ago for his role in the Colorado State Supreme Court ruling that bucked the American Bar Assn. Canon 35 with its ban against broadcast coverage of trials. The Northwestern U. competition was based on 41 entries from 24 states. The eight awards follow: Television (top awards) — WFAA-TV Dallas for outstanding news story, coverage of Texas tornado, with special mention for camera work; Alex Keese, station manager, and Bob Tripp, news director; WBAP-TV Fort Worth for outstanding tv news operation; George Cranston, station manager, and James Byron, news director. Television (distinguished achievement) — WCKT (TV) Miami for documentary on sex deviates; James M. Legate, station manager, and Charles Harrison, newsman; KTVT (TV) Salt Lake City for live coverage of prison riot, with telecast serving as force that broke up the riot; G. Bennett Larson, station manager, and Jack Goodman, news director. Radio (top awards) — KCMO Kansas City for tornado coverage including rebroadcast of police radio reports and station's own service; E, K. Hartenbower, station manager, and Jim Monroe, news director; WHAS Louisville for outstanding radio aews operation; Victor A. Sholis, station manager, and William Small, news director. Radio (distinguished achievement) — WRCA New York for coverage of Benny Hooper, boy who fell in well; William Davidson, station manager, and Gabriel Pressman, news director; WCAU Philadelphia for radio news operation; Donald W. Thornburgh, station manager, and Charles Shaw, news director. Judges in the radio-tv awards were William Garry, CBS Chicago; Edward Keath, KWK-TV St. Louis, and Edward Lambert, KOMU Columbia, Mo. Prof. Baskett Mosse, head of the Medill School of Journalism radio-tv department, Northwestern U., was chairman of the awards committee. Prof. Benjamin H. Baldwin, of Northwestern U., was secretary. Radio-Tv-Newsreelers Join Fight for Access Radio-Newsreel-Television Working Press Assn., New York, last week lashed out at two quarters which it believes seek to withhold news and information. In two separate letters, ABC commentator Julian Anthony and WRCA-AM-TV New York News Director Gabe Pressman attacked the recommendation by a special American Bar Foundation committee that American Bar Assn.'s Canon 35 be retained [Trade Assns., Nov. 4] and charged the New York City Council with failing to act on its promise to reconsider its ban on allowing radio-tv newsreel reporters to cover council hearings. Mr. Anthony is president of the RNTWPA and Mr. Pressman heads the association's freedom of information committee. Mr. Anthony wrote Charles S. Rhyne. American Bar Assn. president, that in arriving at its recommendation, the ABF committee had made no effort to secure "expert professional information" and that in its deliberations the committee had not asked for direct testimony from "any representa Page 42 • November 11, 1957 Broadcasting