Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

STATIONS CONTINUED people can say they're listening, whether they are or not, that confusion develops and ratines are omitted, they explained. Last week, after the Balthrope letter, they restated this position. They also said they had a technique which they hoped would solve the problem. Omitting KITE and other stations where thev feel promotions inflate ratings, they said, "is purely a matter of our inability, during the period in question, to distinguish between actual listening and people who say they are listening but are not. "Beginning with December, we have a technique whereby we think we can distinguish between liars and listeners. When we call a number, the first thing we say is 'this is a Hooper survey,' with more emphasis than u«ual on the 'Hooper.' We then make very clear that we are not engaged in a promotion and that the person we're calling definitely will not get a prize or anything else for answering our questions." Authorities said that in one instance where this was tried the station pot a 29 ratine as against a 49 when the interviewing was done by conventional methods. The station had a 22 before the promotion started, and the Hooper company feels the revised technique eliminated most or practically all of the "inflation." In his letter Mr. Balthrope asked: "If you are going to damage business for us by implying we are rat operators, why don't you be fair about it?" He suggested that Hooper carry notations on all survey-week promotions, but also carry the ratings of all stations "instead of pointing a finger at only one station." He also offered to "help your interviewers pin down the details" of special promotions conducted by KTSA and KONO San Antonio. Hooper officials maintained, however, that the KTSA and KONO promotions required actual listening — that members of the audience could not win anything unless they did listen. WBLN (TV) Returns to Air Off the air nearly 10 months because of financial difficulties, WBLN (TV) Bloomington, 111., resumed operation this month on ch. 15. WBLN has been emphasizing film shows and local programs, including news, weather and sports fare, according to Worth Rough, station manager. It is operating seven days weekly, Sunday-Friday, 5:30 p.m. -12 midnight and Saturdays from 5 p.m. WBLN's new staff includes Willard Nichols, sales manager, and Warner Tidemann, formerly of WJBC that city, program and news director. WBZ-FM Makes Bow on 106.7 Mc WBZ-FM Boston has completed its first week of broadcasting on 106.7 mc, according to Paul E. Mills, general manager of WBZ-AM-FM and WBZA Springfield, Mass. The new station went on the air Dec. 15 with a daily 5 p.m. -midnight schedule of "fine music." Using the WBZ-TV tower at Needham, Mass., WBZ-FM claims coverage over a radius of 75 miles from Boston, an area of more than 4 million population. DATELINES Newsworthy News Coverage by Radio and Tv m MOUNT VERNON — This Illinois town relied on KMOX St. Louis for emergency information when the Wednesday afternoon tornados knocked out WMIX Mount Vernon, it was reported Thursday. The CBSowned St. Louis station was able to leap into the breach because Chet Mangner, KMOX farm director, was in Mount Vernon on a speaking engagement when the unseasonal twister struck. It had the only direct reports from the stricken town 75 miles away, it claimed. Mr. Mangner drove five miles to find a working telephone and give the report to Steve Rowan, KMOX night news director. He followed up with hospital reports and reports from city officials assessing the damage, which later was put at 10 killed, 110 injured and $6 million in property damaged. Mr. Rowan and KMOX night personality Harry Fender broadcast emergency information through the evening until the all-clear signal was given. As KMOX and the area prepared for more tornadoes Thursday evening, the station said listeners are putting to use the disaster card offered by the station last spring at the height of the storm season. KMOX also referred to FCC conversion of Conelrad to storm duty, effective Jan. 1, at the suggestion of KMOX and others [Government, Dec. 16]. CAPE CANAVERAL — The Atlas intercontinental missile test last week gave the stationnetwork team of NBC and WFGA-TV Jacksonville, Fla., another chance to try out rocket coverage machinery, which first was set up to cover the Vanguard satellite launching attempt Dec. 6. WFGA-TV News Di rector Harold Baker and Program Manager Rusty Bruton, working with NBC news staffer Roy Neal, have been originating network reports on the activity 100 miles down the cape, flying newsfilm out of the scene as soon as it is shot. Jim Kitchell has been coordinating the job from NBC New York. PACIFIC OCEAN — Although weather got in the way of a Navy missile test at sea off Anacapa Island earlier this month, KUDU Ventura, Calif., counts its shipboard coverage a success. To get reports back to land from The Norton Sound, Navy missile research ship, KUDU's Volkswagen mobile unit was hoisted aboard and lashed to the deck of the 540-foot craft. Dick Buffum, station news editor, broadcast running reports by shortwave (with FCC permission) during the storm-tossed, six-hour voyage. Unfavorable weather caused the Navy to call off the "Terrier" firing before the countdown was over, but radio listeners in the interim got a close-up of Navy guided missile research at sea, according to KUDU Station Manager Hugh Wallace. WASHINGTON — The Odyssey of Joe Biggs, temporary Post Office employe who carried the mail to New York himself via truck instead of trusting the railway, first was uncovered by Joe Phipps, news director of WWDC Washington, it has been acknowledged. Mr. Phipps is credited by the AP, Washington, with passing along the feature tip, which represented, according to one AP editor, "a pretty fair sample of his tips." The mix-up, in which Mr. Biggs misunderstood an order to dump the mail at the railway station, got wide play in the news. RAB's Sweeney to Be Partner In Purchases of KFOX, KBYE Kevin B. Sweeney, president of Radio Advertising Bureau, moved into station ownership last week, with the acquisition of a 32% interest in the company buying KFOX Long Beach, Calif., and a 36% interest in the group buying KBYE Oklahoma City, Okla. (see page 58). Mr. Sweeney received permission from the RAB board two years ago to make station investments. He has no intention of operating the stations himself, MR. SWEENEY k was indicated. Before becoming head of RAB in 1954 (he joined RAB in 1951), Mr. Sweeney was a sales executive with Don Lee Network, KFI-AM-TV Los Angeles and with CBS and CBS' Housewives Protective League in Los Angeles. WPAC Extends Operation with Fm WPAC Patchogue, New York, has announced addition of WPAC-FM to broadcast simultaneously with WPAC-AM and Page 60 December 23, 1957 extend programming of the daytime station to 9 p.m. WPAC-FM is operating on 106.1 mc with 15 kw. Temporarily during the Christmas season the Long Island fm is broadcasting a special Christmas music schedule for shoppers and home listeners. The two stations will start simultaneous programming the first of the year. Porter Announces WMMS Staff Winslow T. Porter, former general manager of WHYL Carlisle, Pa., and now owner of WMMS Bath, Me., has completed toplevel staffing of the new station with the following: Mark Roman, program manager, formerly of WCUE Akron, Ohio; W. H. Prosser, news and continuity director, a published novelist who formerly worked for Boston and New York advertising agencies; Lew Colby, promotion manager, formerly of WNDU-AM-TV South Bend, Ind.; Dr. Harry F. Hinckley Jr. (orthopedic surgeon), chief engineer, and Eleanor M. Brice, sales representative, formerly in the promotion department of Monsanto Chemical Co. The 11 -week-old station has joined the Lobster Network, Mr. Porter also announced. WMMS ("Where Most of Maine Is Served") operates on 730 kc with 500 w, daytime. Broadcasting