Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1958)

STATIONS CONTINUED HECTIC WEEK FOR EDITORIALIZING Broadcast editorials were damned, praised, probed and supported last week. • In Berlin. New Hampshire, a station was sued for libel and had its assets attached after an editorial criticizing a local theatre. • In Washington, D. C, a station was praised for stirring judicial action against a wave of child molesting cases. • In Providence, R. I., the state legislature started an investigation of a station editorial saying there was drinking in legislative committee rooms. • And in New Britain, Conn., a U. S. congressman advised broadcasters to shoulder the editorial burden and its accompanying responsibility. The details follow. BERLIN, N.H. WKCB Berlin, N. H., found itself without enough money to pay its employes last week. It had been sued for libel resulting from an editorial blast at a local movie house. Richard B. McKee, owner of the 250 w Berlin independent, said that a writ of attachment on all assets had been secured by John Voudoukis, owner of the Princess Theatre in Berlin. The attachment included the station's bank account. The writ of attachment is the first step in a damage suit in New Hampshire, and indicated that the station was to be sued for $150,000 damages. The attachments and the forthcoming suit resulted from a series of editorials on juvenile delinquency which ran on the station during the past few months. The station carries a 10-minute editorial daily at 12:10 p.m., sponsored by the local community tv system. This has been a regular feature of WKCB since November 1957 when Mr. McKee bought the station from John W. Guider for $165,000. This also included Mr. Guider's WBNC Conway, N. H. The specific editorial involving the alleged libel was broadcast two weeks ago and mentioned a theatre (the Princess is one of two there) as the hangout for a gang of young hoodlums. The editorial stated that the theatre permitted young rowdies to play pinball machines and jukeboxes and to engage in fornication on the premises. The juvenile delinquency series has brought threats of bodily harm and of death to Mr. McKee and other station personnel, Mr. McKee said. He added that on one occasion the station was invaded by a gang of hoodlums. Mr. McKee said that local merchants have begun paying their bills in cash in order to help him meet his payroll — even though payment is not due until the first of the month. According to his lawyers, Mr. McKee Lr AND if you want results ... try KJEO-TV. KJEO-TV consistently serves Fresno and the fabulous San Joaquin Valley better for less. Call your BRANHAM man for complete details. We GUARANTEE you'll save your energy, get more for your money on KJEO-TV. ACT TODAY! Page 84 May 26, 1958 said, he will not have an opportunity to have the writ set aside until July. There is some possibility that the court will accept a bond in order to dissolve the attachment writ, he said. Notwithstanding his present plight, Mr. McKee has nothing but good to say of editorializing by radio stations. "It has made us a force in the community." He pointed out that Berlin has no local daily newspaper and no other local radio service. Although he has only been in the area since last November, the station's forceful editorials have won him a place in the community. He is president of the Whitefield, N. H., Chamber of Commerce and a director of the Berlin Community Club. The station has even dared to criticize the Brown Co. (paper products), the major manufacturing company in the city, Mr. McKee stated, and has won the respect of the company officials. In fact, he added, the Brown Co. asked him to mediate a strike several weeks ago, but this fell through when the union insisted on a federal mediator. WASHINGTON, D.C. A sustained editorial campaign by WWDC Washington was credited with adoption of a "get-tough policy" in the District of Columbia toward persons charged with sexual molestation of children. Last week Assistant U. S. Attorney Edward O'Connell asked $25,000 bond in the case of an offender accused of an indecent act with a 10-year-old girl. Judge John Lewis Smith Jr. of Municipal Court agreed, ordering the accused held for grand jury action. Starting last March WWDC broadcast a series of one-minute editorials calling attention to the lax handling of these cases by public officials and the hazards of releasing offenders on low bail for a trial many months in the future. WWDC supported its editorials, carried as often as 10 times a day, with a direct mail campaign. Copies of air editorials dealing with child molesters were mailed to court and law officers, officers of community associations and others. This particular campaign began when a mother phoned WWDC to report her 6-yearold daughter had been molested. Police had released the accused on $2,000 bail and he was back in the neighborhood the next day. The mother was afraid to let her three school-age children leave the house. Joe Phipps, WWDC news director, started looking into the subject. He contacted police, the district attorney's office and others. An air comment brought a call from Don Feldman, assistant counsel for the Senate District of Columbia Committee. That led to contacts with psychiatrists and others familiar with the subject as well as police. After three weeks of research, Mr. Phipps felt the station was ready to undertake the campaign. Public reaction was prompt. Last week's increase of D. C. bond to $25,000 resulted. This figure is accepted as "no bond," since few bondsman will risk that Broadcasting