Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

PEOPLE at deadline MjBHBBBHIMaBMMMHMBMMaMM WN AO-TV to Go Black, Joins WTOB-TV in Ch. 8 Shift Plea Ch. 28 WNAO-TV Raleigh, N. C, which plans to go dark tomorrow (Tuesday), and ch. 26 WTOB-TV Winston-Salem, N. C, Friday filed rule-making petition with FCC seeking assignment of ch. 8 to WinstonSalem-High Point-Greensboro area. New petition is in support of ch. 8 WBTW (TV) Florence, S. C, proposal to shift ch. 8 to Charleston, S. C, in exchange for ch. 13 (with WBTW license modified to specify ch. 13) and also assign ch. 8 to Greensboro. In addition, WNAO-TV and WTOB-TV asked that WTOB-TV be given temporary authority to operate on ch. 8 in hyphenated area following completion of rulemaking. Stations have formed new company, Southern Broadcasting Co., to jointly apply for vhf channel if one is assigned to Winston-Salem-High Point-Greensboro area. In announcing plans to go dark, CBSaffiliated WNAO-TV reported losses of $650,000 since going on air July 12, 1953. Station is owned by John W. English and associates. WTOB-TV, . owned by WinstonSalem Broadcasting Co., operated from Sept. 10, 1953, to May 11, 1957, losing $350,000. WTVD (TV) Durham, N. C, will replace WNAO-TV as CBS affiliate for RaleighDurham area, according to WTVD Vice President-General Manager Harmon Duncan. Station originally was to become CBS basic April 1, but affiliation now becomes effective Jan. 1. WEEU-TV Reading, Pa., Quits Ch. 33 WEEU-TV Reading, Pa., has voluntarily surrendered its construction permit to FCC for cancelation and dropped pending application for license. Station, owned by Reading Eagle, was on air from April 1953 to June 30, 1955. Total uhfs deleted by Commission now stand at 153 (one educational); there have been 40 vhf permits deleted. Radio, Tv Set MOD Record "Most generous donation of time and talent in tv-radio history" is being given annual March of Dimes campaign beginning Thursday, it was acknowledged last Friday by Howard J. London, director of radio, tv and motion picture division of National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. He said "a conservative estimate would run into millions of dollars." NARTB Officially Becomes NAB NARTB (National Assn. of Radio & Television Broadcasters) officially changes its name Wednesday to National Assn. of Broadcasters (NAB), returning to name it used from 1922 to 1951. Only routine administrative details are involved in change, which is based on general acceptance of "broadcasting" as term covering both radio and television. Decision to change name, subject to membership approval, was made last Feb. 8 by NARTB combined boards. Subject was discussed during autumn regional meetings but aroused little membership comment. Referendum of members, taken in November, showed 1,227 voting in favor of change to NAB with only 35 opposing. Hollywood-N.Y. Tv Help Needed For Queen, Says London Press Although praised Friday by London press for her first televised Christmas message, Queen Elizabeth's need for professional tv help was pointed out. While agreeing "she was wonderful," Daily Express said telecast was "one of the most amateurish productions" put on by BBC and wished that "a professional from Hollywood or New York" had been imported for event. Declaring camera work "terrible," Express also pointed out that besides wearing wrong kind of dress for black-and-white tv, her "makeup was bad" and closeups showed "the shadows on her features were all in the wrong place." Paper deemed it "a disgraceful business on the part of the BBC because there wasn't a man frank enough to tell the Queen how it should be done." Hallicrafters Out of Tv Hallicrafters Co., Chicago electronics firm re-acquired by its founder and president, William S. Halligan, and his family [Manufacturing, Dec. 16], has announced it will cease production of tv sets sometime in January. Since discontinuing manufacture of tv receivers under its own name year ago, Hallicrafters had been producing them for other electronics firms on contract basis. It stopped making color tv sets in mid-1956. ESOTERIC ESCAPADE Blair-Tv's Bill Vernon purchased (through Kenyon & Eckhardt, N. Y.) half-hour time on WBAI (FM) New York last Friday, 11:05 p.m., for Bill Vernon Hour to celebrate his fifth year of time selling for station representative firm. Mr. Vernon said buy marks "the shortest hour in broadcast history." Show, featuring Mr. Vernon, included live music, three-act skit called "Behind the Scenes Planning for Spot Campaign for Little Charmer Cobra Flutes," plus "on-the-spot" scene at Madison Avenue agency, reading of poem and announcement of grand prize winner of "Vernon Value Stamps" contest. HARLEY LUCAS, station manager, WCUE Akron, Ohio, and JOHN CROHAN, station manager, WICE Providence, R. I. elected vice presidents of Eliot Stations, owner of WCUE and WICE. Mr. Lucas joined WCUE in 1954 after service with Storer Broadcasting Co. Mr. Crohan, who has served with several Rhode Island stations, became station manager of WICE when Eliot interests acquired it in 1956. PETE RODGERS, account executive with west coast division of National Telefilm Assoc., Hollywood, promoted to sales manager of division. IRVING G. KIRK, accountant with Adam Young Inc., N. Y., since 1954, Friday named controller of firm. KENNETH M. FLOWER, formerly with KNX and KHJ-TV Los Angeles, to S. F. office of CBS Television Film Sales as account executive. CBS-TV Explains Baseball Plan Statement was issued Friday by Bill McPhail, director of sports, CBS News, to clarify "misunderstanding" over CBS-TV's plans to telecast Sunday Baseball Game of the Week next season. Development had been criticized by various minor league clubs and by baseball Commissioner Ford Frick because of its potential impact on attendance at minor league games. Mr. McPhail pointed out that DancerFitzgerald-Sample, representing Falstaff Brewing Co., obtained Sunday television rights to games of Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Redlegs, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles, and said subsequently D-F-S selected CBS-TV as network to carry these games. Furthermore, Mr. McPhail asserted, in agreement with D-F-S, CBS-TV is not granted right to telecast games in any city where minor league team is playing afternoon game or over station within 50 miles of any other minor league game. FMDA Sets Detroit Meeting Special membership meeting of Fm Development Assn. will be held Jan. 17-18 at Detroit-Leland Hotel, Detroit, Mich. Meeting called by J. B. Kiefer, KMLA (FM) Los Angeles following poll of members. • BUSINESS BRIEFLY Continues from page 9 KOVR-TV Sacramento, all Calif. Dan B. Miner Co., L. A., is agency. TIMEX TAKES TIME • United States Time Corp. (Timex watches), N. Y., will sponsor one-half of Steve Allen Show on NBC-TV alternate Sundays, 8-9 p.m. Agency: Peck Adv., N. Y. Co-sponsor is Greyhound Corp., while S. C. Johnson & Son sponsors full show on other weeks. Page 10 • December 30, 1957 Broadcasting