Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1959)

The Beatniks don't... ...but everybody else in BUFFALO prefers WBNY Best Buy in the Buffalo Market Call Jack Masla 'Murder at my house' • Two bloody splotches adorn a contemporary greeting card in the current line of Hallmark Cards Inc., Kansas City. The cover page lists a series of blood-and-thunder horrors on television programs with the inside legend carrying a write-soon message. A Hallmark spokesman said the card is one of its contemporary humor numbers introduced before the current quiz-rigging and payola publicity. He had no word on popularity of the card or possible impact of publicity on recent sales. The company was described as having a strict rule against production of anything offensive. A special creative staff of writers and artists produces cards of the contemporary humor type. Hallmark sponsors the Hall of Fame series on NBC-TV and has used radio to promote its cards. ened boycott, the governor's press secretary told Mr. Muhlstein the day after his protest that the conference would be open to radio, tv and newspapers alike. A similar incident took place in Los Angeles (Broadcasting, Nov. 23), but that time the broadcasters did indeed walk out. Time's' face is red; Linen had quiz stock Time magazine, which became involved in the quiz scandal hearings in Washington last month when congressmen quoted its stories about rigged quiz shows to tv network witnesses, last week learned its publisher, James A. Linen, was a 2V4 % owner of Entertainment Productions Inc., the firm that produced $64,000 Question on CBS-TV. Disclosure came when word got out that EPI, which has had no shows on the air since Top Dollar was cancelled on CBS-TV in October, was liquidating its assets and going out of business. Mr. Linen was identified as among 30 stockholders who were notified of the company's planned demise. Officials of EPI could not be reached for comment or for identification of other stockholders. Mr. Linen acknowledged his own participation in the firm. Mr. Linen said he obtained owner ship back in 1946, when he invested $10,000 in Louis G. Cowan's thenforming production firm. Mr. Cowan and Mr. Linen were personal friends. The Cowan firm later became EPI, and Mr. Cowan sold his interest when he became an officer of CBS-TV. Mr. Linen received $10,000 in debentures, plus the 2Va % stock ownership. The debentures, which he recalls paid about 5% interest, were retired in 1955. After that date he received two dividend payments, one for about 50 cents, the other for about $1.50. Mr. Linen said he had not considered disposing of the stock ownership because it had no market value. Barry-Enright status The scandal-scarred quiz show Twenty One forced the doors closed on the tv program packaging firm of Barry & Enright. But that does not preclude Jack Barry and Dan Enright from re-opening the doors to admit other properties in the future. This may happen, Mr. Barry told Broadcasting last Thursday (Dec. 17). While the packaging company has not been officially dissolved, Mr. Barry indicated he would like to get back into tv program packaging and m.c. work. Since he and Mr. Enright still own a Florida radio station the two men continue to have fairly close contact, but they are otherwise currently taking sep 64 (PROGRAMMING) BROADCASTING, December 21, 1959