Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1958)

Sign-On to Sign-OffSunday thru Saturday KFSA-TV 53.9 Station B 37.1 All others 14.4 KFSA-TV leads in 9 of the TOP 1 0 shows KFSA-TV leads in 1 7 of the TOP 20 shows For Choice Availabilities, Contact — NBC-ABC Fort Smith Arka nsas Represented Nationally by Venard, Rintoul & McConnell, Inc. Regional Representative: Clyde Melville Company, Dallas Page 18 • April 14, 1958 IN REVIEW CONTINUED arc included. Areas of fringe interest, such as ratings, are also covered. The only criticism is that perhaps too much is left to the writer to learn from examples, rather than spelled out in text. But the book as a whole would seem a worthwhile investment for the writer interested in hitting the broadcast markets. Mr. Field is chief of production, radio-tv branch, troop information div.. Dept. of the Army, and also serves as an adjunct professor at The American University. Washington, D. C. THE ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF RADIO AND TELEVISION, Second Edition, J. H. Reyner, technical consultant; Philosophical Library, 15 E. 40th St., New York. 736 pp. $12. New entries dealing with fm, vhf broadcasting, color television and other technical advances are featured in this new edition by a team of 13 authorities under the guidance of Mr. Reyner. Designed to help the novice as well as the expert, this volume has reduced mathematical explanations to a minimum and simple practical explanations of all phases of modern radio-tv engineering are set forth. More than 3,000 entries and nearly 800 illustrations, plus a separate data reference section, are included. ADVERTISING COPY, LAYOUT AND TYPOGRAPHY, by Hugh G. Wales, professor of marketing, U. of Illinois; Dwight L. Gentry, associate marketing professor, U. of Maryland and Max Wales, associate professor of journalism, U. of Oregon. The Ronald Press Co., 15 E. 26th St., New York. 491 pp. $7.50. This book, stressing fundamentals and simplified procedures, should be of value to both the beginner and veteran in advertising. It describes how closely copy, layout and typography are combined to achieve a single effect in the successful advertisement. There are separate chapters on the radio commercial and the tv commercial, which should be of particular interest to personnel in the broadcast media. HOW TO WRITE TELEVISION COMEDY, edited by Irving Settel; The Writer Inc., 8 Arlington St., Boston, 228 pp. $4. The editor, recognizing the "urgent and continual" need for writing talent for tv comedy, has compiled a number of chapters on various aspects of comedy: situation comedy, how to write jokes, dramatic comedy, how to sell the finished product. The chapters are written by various successful practitioners in the field, ranging from Goodman Ace and Sydney Reznick to chapters by the editor. The last section of the book contains sample comedy scripts. The information is simply and interestingly presented; it is doubtful, nonetheless, whether perusal of this volume alone will turn out many successful humorists, for television or any other medium. OPEN MIKE Tv's Feeds to Newspapers EDITOR : I think there is a significant and excellent answer to critics of television who claim that it does not broadcast anything but westerns and crime stories. In the city edition of the April 7 New York Times, there were three front page stories — including the lead story — based on television interviews April 6. They were the Secretary of Labor Mitchell story, the George V. Allen story and the Schwartz-FCC story. On page 2, the top story was again taken from a tv interview — "Nasser Accuses West of Attacks." To me, the real significance of the above is the realization on the part of the press that television is now a medium of sufficient stature that important announcements and pronouncements are frequently released first on tv and must be covered. It wasn't too many years ago that newspapers took the attitude that if they said nothing about tv maybe it would go away. Don W. Lyon Director of Tv & Radio U. of Rochester Rochester, N. Y. They Read It Here editor: Reggie Schuebel, Henry Fleisher and I greatly appreciate your kind treatment of our new business announcement [Advertisers & Agencies, March 31]. From the number of comments I've gotten from friends around the country, I'm greatly impressed by your circulation. Robert S. Maurer Maurer, Schuebel & Fleisher Washington-New York Beachhead in Manhattan editor: I'm a bit late in commenting on "The Myth of Madison Avenue" [Broadcasting, Feb. 24]. It was an excellent capsule story and I only want to call your attention to the fact that in it you listed CampbellMithun as not operating a New York office. As of Nov. 1, 1957, Campbell-Mithun opened and staffed a New York office in the Graybar Bldg., 420 Lexington Ave. R. C. Bumstead Media Dept. Campbell-Mithun Minneapolis, Minn. More Video Versions editor: I was amused by the very clever tv definitions submitted by Gerald R. Baker, KELPTV, El Paso, Tex. [Open Mike, March 17]. I would like to submit a supplementary list: REHEARSAL: A specific period of time set aside for practicing a commercial which should have been set aside before air time. SWITCHER: An engineer who has held positions at 8 different stations in six months. DIRECTOR: A receptionist who shows Broadcasting