Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1958)

« we stick our necks out on . schedule \ Whether it's downtown parking, crowded schools or any other local issue — our listeners know / exactly where we stand. y Yes, we broadcast editorials — on a regular schedule, several times weekly. We talk up to City Hall. We stick our necks out. On the air. And our listeners love it! They write in by the thousands for copies of our editorials. These editorials are just another example of Elliot station vitality. Listeners respond so. enthusiastically — in such large numbers — that we can deliver more per dollar than any other station in either Akron or Providence Greater Metropolitan Area. You ought to see: Copies of these editorials — our Market Data Books — our new color film which tells the whole story of our operations. A note to us, or to Avery-Knodel is all it takes. L .... wcu *Tim Elliot, Pres. "Jean Elliot, Vlce-Pres. AKRON, OHIO THE ELLIOT STATIONS GREAT INDEPENDENTS ■ GOOD NEIGHBORS PROVIDENCE, R.I. W I C E GOVERNMENT continued mount Pictures Corp. and president of its KTLA (TV) Los Angeles, said Paramount is f opposed to the bill because it "would bring about a restriction in the operations of a segment of American business which is unwarranted and unnecessary." It was natural, j he said, for Paramount to acquire publishing and recording firms as an adjunct to its movie-making business. Paramount owns Dot Records and two ASCAP-affiliated publishing firms which, he said, are of "great importance in the exploitation of j our motion pictures. . . ." In denying any broadcaster and specifically KTLA favoritism of BMI, he said: "It is respectfully submitted that this bill should not be enacted because, so long as music is available for use by all with uniform methods of securing licenses for the performance of such music, the radio and tv frequencies of this country are freely accessible to all authors and composers. . . ." The president of the Assn. of Independent Publishers, Joseph Csida, who also is a representative of top talent, had this to say about charges ASCAP music is being subdued in favor of BMI: "We spend too much of our relatively modest and extremely hard-earned capital and too many hard, weary hours beating around the country in an effort to get our songs played ... to accept without rancor the asinine charge that our records and songs are played merely because we are affiliated with BMI." He pointed out that the AIP membership comprises both ASCAP and BMI publishers. Bill Lowery, former disc jockey, testified that he started his own Atlanta publishing firm because many promising composers had no chance to get their songs before the public. "Many had come with much the same story," he said. "Most of them had sent their songs to ASCAP publishers and invariably their material had been returned unopened." A WNTA (formerly WAAT) New York disc jockey told about negotiations with the State Dept. to send a delegation of disc jockeys to Russia. Murray Kaufman, who also is president of the National Council of Disc Jockeys for Public Service and a partner in both ASCAP and BMI publishing firms, said he found rock and roll extremely popular during a recent tour of Europe. He asked: "If you explain the popularity of rock and roll in the U. S. in terms of a gigantic conspiracy between BMI and the broadcasters, how do you explain the craving for this same kind of music among the youngsters in Europe?" Two witnesses, William Schuman and Avery Claflin, praised the help BMI has given to serious music composers. Mr. Schuman, president of New York's Juilliard School of Music, said BMI has given "incontrovertible evidence of its willingness to support the art of music over and above business considerations" through cash awards to young serious music composers exceeding $30,000. Mr. Claflin, retired banker, partime composer and treasurer of the American Composers Alliance, said BMI has given ACA a "tremendous boost" by royalty payments and subsidization of office expenses at a financial loss to BMI. Others who testified against the bill in Page 52 • May 12, 1958 Broadcasting