Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

STATIONS CONTINUED CHANGING HANDS ANNOUNCED The fol,owing sales of niinwwiivi.i/ station interests were announced last week. All are subject to FCC approval. KOVR (TV) STOCKTON, CALIF. • Sold to Gannett Co. (Gannett newspapers-broadcasting interests) by Hoffman Radio President H. Leslie Hoffman and associates in an overall $3.1 million transaction, following the breakdown of a deal to sell ch. 13, ABC-affiliated station to Hudson Valley Broadcasting Co. (Lowell Thomas, Frank Smith and others) for $3.5 million because of a tight money market [Closed Circuit, Nov. 11]. Gannett is paying $1.1 million for the capital stock of the licensee, Television Diablo Inc., and assuming obligations amounting to almost $2 million (mostly debentures owing Mr. Hoffman). Gannett owns newspapers in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Illinois, and also WHECAM-TV Rochester, WENY Elmira, WHDL Olean (minority), WINR-AM-TV Binghamton, all New York, and WDAN-AM-TV Danville, 111. The announcement said Terry H. Lee, president-general manager of KOVR, will remain with the station until July 1, 1958. KOVR transmits the maximum 316 kw power, from an antenna atop Butte Mt., and covers 1.5 million population in the Central Valley area including Stockton, Sacramento and Modesto, according to the announcement. WHOO-AM-FM ORLANDO, FLA. • Sold to Ted Estabrook by Edward Lamb for $250,000. Mr. Estabrook is the former owner of WERI Westerly, R. I., which he sold to William Sweeney for $74,000. Mr. Lamb continues to own WICU-AM-TV Erie, Pa., holds a cp for WMAC-TV Massillon, Ohio, and is the prospective purchaser of WTVQ (TV) Pittsburgh (cp for ch. 47) which two weeks ago was sent a McFarland letter respecting its application for extension of completion date [Government, Nov. 18]. WHOO operates on 990 kc with 10 kw day and 5 kw night, affiliated with ABC. Blackburn & Co. handled the transaction. WJMS-TV IRONWOOD, MICH. • Ch. 12 cp sold to WDMJ-TV Marquette, Mich, (ch. 6), for $10,000 to be a full satellite of WDMJ-TV whose parent corporation is 99% owned by Frank J. Russell Jr., who also owns WDMJ Marquette. APPROVED The following transfers of station interests were approved by the FCC last week. For other broadcast actions see For the Record, page 107. KMGM-TV MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. • Thomas P. Johnson and associates sold 75% | interest to National Telefilm Assoc. for i $650,000. NTA is a film syndicator, half\ owner of NTA Film Network, and applicant 'for FCC approval for the $3.5 million purchase of WAAT-AM-FM and WATV (TV) Newark, N. J. Comr. Bartley dissented, ask TRACK RECORD ON STATION SALES, APPROVALS ing for a hearing (see story, page 80). KMGM-TV is independent on ch. 9. WRMA MONTGOMERY, ALA. • Sold to WRMA Broadcasting Co. by Ralph M. Allgood and Grover Wise (The Southland Broadcasting Co.) for $165,000. WRMA Broadcasting is owned by OK Realty & Investment Co. of Atlanta (WAOK Atlanta). Stan Raymond (one-third) is president of WAOK. WRMA is on 950 kc with 1 kw. KAIR TUCSON, ARIZ. • Sold to Josh Higgins Radio Enterprises Inc. (owned by Joe DuMond) by William J. Hyland III, Dawkins Espy and James H. Duncan (Pima Broadcasting Co.) for $135,000. Josh Higgins Radio owns 65% of KXEL Waterloo, Iowa. KAIR is on 1490 kc with 250 w. KSHO-TV LAS VEGAS, NEV. • Sold to Nathan Adelson and Mervyn L. Adelson by Frank Oxarart and others (Television Co. of America Inc.) for $70,000. The Messrs. Adelson each will own 50% of KSHO-TV. KSHO-TV is on ch. 13. WJDM (TV) PANAMA CITY, FLA. • Sold to Mel Wheeler by J. D. Manly (WJDM-TV Inc.) for $60,000. Mr. Wheeler owns 96% of the station (with his wife owning remaining 4%). Mr. Wheeler is president, general manager and 25% stockholder of WEARAM-TV Pensacola and owns WTYT Titusville and WSCM Panama City, all Florida. WJDM (TV) is on ch. 7 with ABC. CBS and NBC affiliation. WJBK-TV Detroit Gives Clients 12-Month Protection in Rates WJBK-TV Detroit has converted to a 12month rate protection policy for all schedules that run without interruption, according to Bill Michaels, managing director of the station and vice president of licensee Storer Broadcasting Co. The general industry policy is based on a six-month rate protection against price increases. In announcing the plan Thursday, Mr. Michaels said it conformed to rapidly changing conditions in the industry and would provide mutual benefits to advertisers, agencies and media. Writing to agencies, Mr. Michaels said Detroit is a mature tv market with set penetration rapidly approaching saturation. Reserve requirements for potential rate increases are a deterrent to approval of long-term tv budgets, he explained, adding that agencyadvertiser reaction thus far indicated the policy would have a stabilizing effect on the industry buying picture. He added: "Basically, we simply agree with the contention of many advertisers that in today's mature tv market they should be able to budget their appropriation for a station schedule without the psychological and financial obstacles of potential rate increases before completion." Hines Said Fired From WGST For Airing 'Personal Views' William Hines, news editor of WGST Atlanta, was reported fired last week by the U. of Georgia board of regents for broadcasting personal views on a news show, violating board policy. The board is licensee of the Georgia Tech-operated commercial station. Mr. Hines, former city editor of the Atlanta Constitution and retired as a government information officer in Washington, told local papers he had expressed personal views in the past but was not censured until he commented on the re-election candidacy of Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield. He said he had been warned after a September broadcast in which he stated that Mayor Hartsfield had won the city primary on the strength of Negro votes, an assertion he repeated in his final newscast for WGST Nov. 19. One of the board's radio committee, which dismissed the newsman, is Allen M. Woodall, president of WDAK-AM-TV Columbus, Ga. NBC Affiliates Group Seeks Additional Circuits for DST A committee of NBC-TV affiliates conferred with AT&T officials last week in an effort to get additional intercity circuits for the network for next year's Daylight Saving Time months. Unless the additional facilities are forthcoming, NBC pointed out, affiliates in Huntington-Charleston, W. Va., Detroit, Cincinnati and other major markets will not be able to take advantage of NBC-TV's videotape plan for overcoming the annual DST problem [Networks, Nov. 11]. AT&T authorities noted that they could not yet forecast tv facility needs for next year's DST period because the three networks' reports on requirements are not due to be filed until Jan. 27. If shortages are indicated, they said, every effort will be made to solve them. No firm decisions were reached at the LIGHT UP THE SKY WHEN station President W. D. (Dub) Rogers Jr. "lit" the birthday candle to mark the fifth anniversary of KDUB-TV Lubbock, Tex., Nov. 13, over 434,000 watts flared in the Texas sky. KDUB-TV's 842-ft. tower became the "biggest birthday candle in Texas and the world." The 842-ft. tower carried 301 white 100-watt bulbs, 98 of which were replaced with 100-watt photoflash bulbs for the initial lighting. The used flash bulbs were immediately replaced with 100-watt bulbs. Wiring of the tower involved 400 hours of on-the-ground assembly. Page 76 November 25, 1957 Broadcasting