Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1958)

STATIONS CONTINUED WDAU-TV'S CATV SHEPHERDESS Mrs. Dorothy Mugford has one of the most unusual jobs in television — community antenna liaison for WDAU TV Scranton, Pa. Attractive and vivacious, she confines herself to the task of keeping the ch. 2 2 signal of WDAU-TV o n several score community antenna systems. WDAU-TV is surrounded b y mrs. mugford the biggest collection of CATV systems in the nation. Mrs. Mugford corresponds regularly with the operators of these systems, does trouble-shooting and makes regular calls around the mountainous areas of northeastern Pennsylvania. The CATV operations range from Elmira, N. Y., on the North to Sunbury, Pa., on the South, adding 60.000 homes to WDAU-TV's circulation according to Vanse L. Eckersley, executive vice president-general manager. Once when WDAU-TV planned to cut down its megawatt power for transmitter servicing, Mrs. Mugford spent two days calling every CATV operator on the station's list to warn them what was coming. Mrs. Mugford joined WDAU-TV at the first of the year. She has worked with the station frequently while doing public relations work for the Wyoming Valley United Fund. weeks ago "because we felt it would be a sellout with normal June weather and with our heavy advance sale." He added, "This proved nothing to us — except that we don't plan to do it again. We've never felt tv would help night baseball." Observers noted, however, that the weather was threatening Tuesday evening. The White Sox telecast some night games prior to 1949 and then adopted a policy permitting coverage of all daytime home games. As a result, according to Mr. Comiskey, night game attendance increased in succeeding years — along with the club's fortunes as an American League pennant contender. Chicago Teacher Training Series To Be Aired Daily by WGN-TV An in-service training program for teachers in Chicago public schools will be launched by that city's WGN-TV in the form of a Monday-through-Friday television series in mid-September. Described as the first such series ever offered by a commercial station, the public service program represents the equivalent of a grant of over $70,000 in time charges and production costs to the Chicago Board of Education for 26 weeks. Chicago public schools will utilize the daily 8-8:30 a.m. segment to train teachers from kindergarten to the eighth grade throughout metropolitan Chicago in the art of reading. Plans were announced Wednesday by Ward L. Quaal, vice president and general manager of WGN-AM-TV, and Dr. Benjamin C. Willis, superintendent of Chicago public schools. WKAR-TV Suspends on Ch. 60 WKAR-TV East Lansing, Mich., noncommercial, educational station, suspended operations after signoff June 28, pending final FCC disposition of the Pharma-Onondaga ch. 10 case. WKAR-TV plans to move from ch. 60 under a proposed share-time arrangement with the commercial operation of Television Corp. of Michigan (Edward E. Wilson, 60%, and WILS Lansing, 40%, the latter principally owned by John C. Pomeroy and family) to ch. 10 in Onondaga, Mich. Favorable initial decision given March 1957 and oral argument held last April, with final decision still awaited. Michigan State U. is permittee of WKAR-TV, which began operation in January 1954. (If the decision finalized, the combined educational and commercial operation on a single channel would be the only one of its kind in the country.) Westinghouse Taps McGannon For Company 'Silver W Award Donald H. McGannon, president of Westinghouse Broadcasting Co., was honored during his company's French Lick management meeting (see separate story) with the "Silver W," the highest award given by the Westinghouse Electric Co., parent firm. The presentation by E. V. Huggins, chairman of the Westinghouse Electric executive committee, was made in "recognition of the distinguished service" of Mr. McGannon through "his inspirational guidance in the continued expansion and leadership" of the company. The citation also honored his "imagination in the development and practice of true public service in the broadcasting field" and his "firm administrative approach in developing a sound organization to insure consummation of the basic objectives of Westinghouse Broadcasting." Mr. McGannon became president of WBC in November 1955. Slide-Rule Rates From Meeker The Meeker Co., radio-tv station representative, last week introduced a "new concept in rate cards" which calculates automatically the budget, minimum total homes reached and number of spots per week in each time classification, according to Robert D. C. Meeker, president. WTTV (TV) Indianapolis is the first station to adopt the new card which is printed on a slide-rule. The station has adjusted its rates, dropping from $720 to $500 for Class A one-hour one time and $144 to $73 for Class A one minute, one time only. Broadcast Flood Relief Fete Planned in 3 Indiana Cities Broadcasters in three Indiana cities will stage a giant inter-city benefit party July 1 to help victims of recent floods, with proceeds going to the Red Cross. The party will be held in the Marion, Ind., Memorial Coliseum under sponsorship of WBAT M arion; WFGM-AM-TV Indianapolis and WOWO Fort Wayne. Volunteers are providing food, talent, entertainment, props and transportation. The idea originated with three radio-tv personalities— Jack Anderson, WBAT; Bob Hardwick, WFBM and Marv Hunter, WOWO— after their station's joint appeal at the time of the flood had brought an enthusiastic public response. Charles D. Estill, Red Cross deputy director of disaster service for the eastern United States, described the radio-tv aid as "one of the most impressive examples of public service I have seen. It demonstrates the power of radio and television to rally people together in time of trouble." WILZ Listeners Can Collect $25 From 'Insured Programming' Jack Faulkner, general manager of WILZ St. Petersburg, Fla., has announced an "insured programming" policy that will pay a settlement of $25 to the first listener who can establish in a letter that WILZ did not adhere to its policy of "You're No More Than a Minute From Music." Arrangements for the insurance policy, written by a London firm, were handled by Earl W. Day & Co., St. Petersburg. "Advance announcement would be made each time station programming required intentional deviation from the WILZ music policy," Mr. Faulkner said. Discrepancies are verified by official logs kept for the FCC. The listener letter with the earliest postmark determines to whom the settlement will be paid. Mr. Faulkner obtained the plan to "graphically illustrate" the WILZ jingle, based on the "no more than a minute from music" theme. The music format excludes rock and roll and hillbilly tunes. News is broadcast "as it happens" in bulletin form. Marcoux Appointed to WLBZ-TV Rudolph O. Marcoux, former WTWO (TV) Bangor, Me., business manager, has been named general manager of the same station which has changed its call letters to WLBZ-TV after its sale by Murray Carpenter and Assoc. to WLBZ Television Inc., subsidiary of Maine Broadcasting Co. Mr. Marcoux was formerly national sales manager of Maine Broadcasting which includes WLBZ and WCSH-AM-TV Portland and WRDO Augusta, all members of Rines radio and tv stations group. William H. Rines, president. MR. MARCOUX Page 84 June 30, 1958 Broadcasting