Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1959)

OUR RESPECTS TO . . . Martin Stone Martin Stone was a bright young lawyer 20 years ago, bolstered by a Phi Beta Kappa key, a degree with honors from law school and a coveted position as law secretary to the Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. The path appeared sure and straight for a distinguished career in law. But as any student of the law and literature knows, "there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." In 1941, a colleague in Albany, N.Y., who reviewed books as a hobby, explored with Mr. Stone the idea of a radio program devoted to books. Offhandedly, Mr. Stone suggested that drama could be injected into such a program by devising a format in which an author would defend his book in a discussion with a critic or two. Out of this chance conversation sprouted Author Meets the Critics on WABY Albany, with Mr. Stone as a voluntary aide. This figurative "slip" nudged the young lawyer into the broadcasting field, first as a part-time producer while he practiced law; then as a full-time producer, starting in 1947 with Howdy Doody; and, since 1957, as a radio station owner (with the New York Herald Tribune) of outlets using such piquant call letters as WVIP Mt. Kisco, WVOX New Rochelle, WGHQ Saugerties and WFYI Mineola, all in New York. Low Pressure • Mr. Stone is a tall, spare man with an expressive face and an easy smile. He shatters the stereotype of a producer as intense, highkeyed and fast-moving. He projects the "soft-sell": his manner is relaxed; he speaks with quiet assurance and is an attentive listener, too. Colleagues regard Mr. Stone as a "very creative guy, full of sound ideas." They point out that he keeps a taperecorder in his car and he often dictates ideas into it as he drives along the parkways from his home in Pound Ridge, NY. They consider him "a very warm individual, with a good sense of humor, who often jokes about himself." Martin Stone was born in New York City on May 26, 1915. He was graduated from Bard College of Columbia U. in 1935 and from Yale Law School in 1938. He was articles editor of the Yale Law Journal in 1937-38. Mr. Stone's interest in broadcasting in the years between 1938 and 1947 was peripheral. He had served a valuable apprenticeship as law secretary to Chief Judge Irving Lehman from 193842; as attorney for the Lend-Lease Administration, 1942-43; as a U.S. Navy International Aid Officer, 1943-45, and as a partner in the law firm of Cohen, Bingham & Stone, New York, 1945-47. Then came Howdy Doody in 1947. Filling a Need • Mr. Stone had continued his association with Author Meets the Critics during the years he was practicing law and his enthusiasm for the field was heightening. An observation by an NBC producer in 1947 that tv "needed a good children's show" led to the creation of Howdy Doody. Mr. Stone packed away his law books and plunged headlong into a new career. He recalls today: "I had some misgiving about giving up a profession for which I had trained for so long. But I was so tremendously impressed by the potentiality of television that I knew that I wanted to become part of it." From 1947-50 Mr. Stone served as an independent radio-tv program producer on such programs as Howdy Doody, Author Meets the Critics, Americana, Gabby Hayes Show and others. He was a familiar figure at New York studios, puffing reflectively on his pipe as one or another of his shows went on the air. In 1948, he organized Martin Stone Assoc., which he believes was the first merchandising-licensing operation in tv. Mr. Stone estimates that in toto, the retail sales of products for which his company arranged licensing agreements amounted to more than $500 million. Some of the personalities and programs he represented were Jackie Gleason, Jackie Robinson, Lassie, Sonja Henie, Gabby Hayes and Sherlock Holmes. Broadcaster-Producer Stone A lawyer who felt the call Back to Independent • From 195055 Mr. Stone was president and board chairman of the Kagran Corp., which was owned 40% by Mr. Stone; 30% by NBC and 30% by Lehman Bros.. New York investment banking firm. Kagran produced live tv and filmed programs and conducted a merchandising enterprise. In 1955, he sold his interest in Kagran to NBC for a reported $1 million, and resumed his career as an independent producer. One day in 1957, as he was driving to New York from his home in Pound Ridge he was listening to the radio (as usual) and was struck with this thought: "The quality of local radio programming isn't as good as it might be." He mulled over the idea of buying a radio station and a few months later started a station in Mt. Kisco. N.Y., which he called WVIP. Mr. Stone devised and implemented what he calls "a good music-good newsno gimmicks" concept for WVIP. The station's programming emphasized music in uninterrupted 15-minute segments and a Monitor-type coverage of the news. This approach attracted the attention of J. H. Whitney, owner of the New York Herald Tribune. Mr. Stone last week was named to the board of directors of Whitney Communications Corp., which brings all Mr. Whitney's broadcast and publishing interests into one corporation (see separate story in The Media). Mr. Whitney discussed with Mr. Stone the possibility of joint ownership of a group of radio stations in suburban areas. He believed that an association by the newspaper with outlets in these areas would be a profitable venture and also help promote the paper's circulation. Accordingly, VIP Radio Inc. was formed in 1958 with Mr. Stone as president and 50% owner with Plymouth Rock Publications Inc.. a division of the Herald Tribune. No Delay • In four months, VIP Radio purchased three other radio stations—WVOX New Rochelle, WGHQ Saugerties and WFYI Mineola. The Herald Tribune Radio Network was formed, which provides music and international and national news to the station and special feature material from the Herald Tribune to the four outlets. The local stations, meanwhile, are responsible for supplying local news and services. Advertisers may buy into time on them under a package plan. "Each station is in the black," Mr. Stone reports. Mr. Stone was married in 1940 to the former Lyndel Laura Schwartz of New Haven, a graduate of the Yale Art School. They have two children — ludith Ann. 16, and Richard, 12. He belongs to the Yale Club and the New York City Bar Assn. BROADCASTING, October 26, 1959 131