Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

STATIONS CONTINUED meeting and additional sessions are expected to be held. The NBC committee consisted of Lawrence H. (Bud) Rogers II, WSAZTV Huntington, W. Va.; Edwin K. Wheeler, WWJ-TV Detroit; John T. Murphy, WLWT (TV) Cincinnati, and Niles Trammell, WCKT (TV) Miami. Complete Criminal Court Trial Taped, Filmed by WHAS-AM-TV As the drawn-out Bullitt robbery case wound up 11 days ago, WHAS-AM-TV Louisville, Ky., recorded and filmed the entire proceedings in Jefferson County Criminal Court. The WHAS stations had given wide play to the story since the robbery occurred in 1956 [Trade Assns., Nov. 11]. After some years of cooperation from the Jefferson County Criminal Court, WHAS and WHAS-TV for this trial were allowed by Judge L. R. Curtis to set up seven microphones and to use lights for filming, which were on throughout the day of the trial. Later, Judge Curtis and Commonwealth's Attorney A. Scott Hamilton told station newsmen they were glad the decision had been made to record the entire proceedings, agreeing that broadcast coverage in no way impeded trial conduct. Mr. Hamilton said he would like to see WHAS-TV do live coverage of an entire trial at some future date and that he believes courtrooms eventually must be opened to all news media, in contradiction to the American Bar Assn.'s Canon 35, which recommends against cameras and microphones in courtrooms. Television and radio reports were broadcast by WHAS-TV and WHAS throughout the day of the trial. After the 7:06 p.m. verdict declaring ex-chauffeur James Easley guilty of robbing the late William Marshall Bullitt, WHAS prepared a 65-minute recorded digest of the trial from nearly three hours of tapes. This was broadcast at 10:30. Crowell-Collier Reports Profit Crowell-Collier Publishing Co. (KFWB Los Angeles), New York, which in 1956 registered a $4.4 million loss before getting out of the magazine publishing business this past January, last week reported thirdquarter profits of $888,774 and nine-month profits of $2.8 million. Sales for the 1957 third quarter came to $8.1 million and for the nine-month period $22.7 million. Both earning figures were tabulated after deduction of non-recurring charges of $260,000 applicable to 1956 and arising out of suspension of the three magazines, American, Woman's Home Companion and Collier's. Bartell to Manage WILD Gerald A. Bartell, president of the Bartell Group, announced last week he is assuming general management of WILD Boston. John Box, former general manager, has resigned. Joining Mr. Bartell on the executive team at WILD are Zinn Arthur, William McKibben and Jack Carney. Mr. Arthur was a New York and Hollywood publicist. Mr. McKibben was sales manager of WDEL Wilmington, Del. Page 78 • November 25, 1957 THE payoff for top men in the Peters, Griffin, Woodward "Lucky Buck Radio Sales Drive" came at a New York Korvette discount store, where Robert Sommerville (c) and Don Frost (r) took their pick of prize merchandise. (Lee Bellotin [1], manager of the store, helped them make selections.) Radio account men Sommerville and Frost split $5,000 top honors with William Bryan (not pictured) of PGWs De troit office for bringing in the most new radio spot business during the summer and early fall. The representation firm gave out a total $10,000 worth of prizes to salesmen all over the country. Radios scored high in their choice of merchandise, it was reported. WLVA-AM-TV in New Studios Staff and management of WLVA-AMTV Lynchburg, Va., have moved into the stations' new studios and offices at 2320 Langhorne Rd., near the center of the city, it has been announced. Grand opening has been scheduled Dec. 14-15, when the public will be invited to see the $125,000 plant. Features they will see are a 1,600-ft. main tv studio (with doors large enough to accommodate new automobiles) and auxiliary studios, modern radio, recording and control facilities, cafeteria, film facilities, interconnected art and photo lab, offices and lounges. The one-story structure overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains. KALI, XEGM Offer Package Rates An agreement between XEGM Tijuana, Mexico, and KALI Pasadena, Calif., has been announced by H. Scott Killgore, president of Tele-Broadcasters Inc., owner of KALI. Effective now, the stations are being sold on a combination basis to national and regional advertisers. The move is the latest by KALI in its Spanish-market expansion and represents a combined listenership for the two stations of more than a million, according to Mr. Killgore. Gustavo Faist Moran remains as general manager of XEGM, and that sta tion becomes an affiliate of the 18-station Sombrero Network, Mr. Killgore said. Hayes' Name for Satellite Gets Backing from Congressmen Four members of Congress have endorsed a suggestion by John S. Hayes, president of the Washington Post Broadcast Div. (WTOPAM-FM-TV Washington, WMBR-AM-FMTV Jacksonville, Fla.) that the first U. S. space satellite be named "The Freedom Sphere." Mr. Hayes advanced the idea in an open letter to President Dwight D. Eisenhower Nov. 13. Backing the proposal are Sens. John Marshall Butler (R) and J. Glenn Beall (R) of Maryland and Reps. Joel T. Broyhill (R) of Virginia and DeWitt Hyde (R) of Maryland. In statements broadcast by WTOP, they urged the President and the American people to adopt the name. Mr. Hayes' letter to the White House put forward "The Freedom Sphere" as a designation that would "renew the confidence of people everywhere in the creative ability of our free society and be a tangible result thereof. . . ." A smaller "Freedom Sphere," a historical time capsule, stands in front of Broadcast House, home of the WTOP stations, placed there at the time the studios were dedicated. WSOY Announcer's Tragedy Al Rowe, WSOY Decatur, 111., announcer, discovered while broadcasting from a hospital that his daughter was among those critically injured in an auto accident. The daughter, Donna, 17, died a few hours later. Two persons were killed and six injured in the accident. They were taken to Decatur-Macon County Hospital where Mr. Rowe broadcast from the emergency room. REPRESENTATIVE APPOINTMENTS KTVU (TV) Oakland, Calif., appoints H-R Television Inc. KIRO-TV Seattle, appoints Peters, Griffin, Woodward. WAMV E. St. Louis, III., appoints Weed & Co. KFIV Modesto, Calif., appoints George P. Hollingbery. STATION SHORTS WBTV (TV) Charlotte, N. C, has ordered RCA color video tape recorder and expects to have it installed and in operation by September 1958. Priced "in excess of $100,000," recorder is 7 feet high, 13 feet wide and records black and white, picture and sound on two-inch wide reel of tape that has playing time of 64 minutes. WHIL-AM-FM Hempstead, L. L, announces new rate card (No. 8) with 25% increase in top one-time hourly rate. New top one-hour rate is $200. One-minute spot rates now $25 for Class A time and $21 for Class B. Station also announces power increase from 250 w to 10 kw. Broadcasting