Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1959)

used KTVO only. Mr. Kyi also used a saturation schedule of spots on about a half-dozen radio stations in the area spokesmen said. The newscast was a part-time occupation for Mr. Kyi, who is partowner with his brother of a haberdashery in Bloomfield, Iowa. He dropped the newscast after announcing for the vacant seat. Film block-booking case scheduled The federal government's long-standing action against six distributors of feature films to television, charged with block-booking, is scheduled to go to trial in U. S. District Court in New York on March 7. District Judge Archie Dawson set the date after pre-trial conferences with attorneys for the six companies. They are Loew's (MGM-TV), C & C Super Tv, Screen Gems, Assoc. Artists Productions, United Artists and National Telefilm Assoc. (Since the initiation of the antitrust action, UA acquired AAP and changed its name to United Artists Associated.) The move by the government dates back to 1957. The government's contention is that stations are compelled to buy a complete package of features (rather than one or a few) as a condition of the purchase, and this practice constitutes "block-booking." It is understood that the government will ask several station owners to testify. There are reports that the ultimate aim of the government is the re-negotiation of contracts covering the sale of feature film libraries to tv stations. Political expenditures Chairman Thomas C. Hennings Jr. (D-Mo.) of the Senate Rules & Administration Committee said he hopes to bring floor action in January or early February on a bill — approved by the committee in the last three Congresses — to raise the legal ceiling on political expenditures for presidential and congressional candidates in general and special elections. The bill (S-2436) would raise the amount national political committees may spend from the present $3 million to about $12.5 million. The legal expenditures for a candidate for the Sen ate or the House also would be raised. Sen. Hennings said last week he would try to amend the bill to make it apply to all political committees, regardless of scope, and also to primary elections and political conventions. NBC Chicago renewed Disregarding the pleas of several members of Congress and a performers union, the FCC last week renewed the licenses of NBC-owned WMAQ-AMFM and WNBQ (TV) Chicago. The local chapter of the American Federation of Tv & Radio Artists had protested the network's operation of the stations because of a cut-back in locally-originated live shows (Broadcasting, Oct. 6, 1958). Members of the Illinois congressional delegation joined in the protest. The Commission stipulated, however, that the license renewals would not take precedent over any action the FCC may take on (1) conclusions and recommendations of the Network Study Staff, (2) current inquiries into radio-tv and (3) pending antitrust matters. The same conditions have been placed on all recent renewals of network-owned stations (Broadcasting, Dec. 7). THE MEDIA A CBS-TV AFFILIATES SPECIAL Schedule Washington 'crisis' conference A "special conference" of CBS-TV affiliates, with key government officials as speakers, was set by the network last week for Feb. 29-March 1 in Washington. Although CBS-TV authorities didn't spell it out, the overwhelming assumption was that the special meeting springs from television's current crisis and that to all intents and purposes it will replace the annual affiliate sessions normally held in Chicago just before NAB's April convention (Closed Circuit, Dec. 21). James T. Aubrey Jr., CBS-TV network president, said in announcing plans for the meeting that it would be "to examine the television broadcasters' role, their public responsibilities and how best those responsibilities can be fulfilled." He said the following officials — all of whom occupy critical positions in the current regulatory scene — had accepted invitations to address the special conference: Sen. Warren G. Magnuson (DWash.), chairman of the Senate Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee; Rep. Oren Harris (D-Ark.), chairman of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee and of the House Legislative Oversight Sub 40 committee; FCC Chairman John C. Doerfer and FTC Chairman Earl W. Kintner. Mr. Aubrey said the special conference was decided upon after discussions with William B. Quarton, WMT-TV Cedar Rapids, Iowa, chairman of the CBS-TV Affiliates Advisory Board, and other advisory board members. The sessions will be held at the Hotel Shoreham. KPOL limits spots A 25% reduction in commercial availabilities is involved in a new commercial policy that was inaugurated Dec. 7 at KPOL Los Angeles. Basically, the new policy calls for a quarter-hour of uninterrupted music, followed by a maximum of no more than three announcements, whether commercial or public service. The first and second commercials will be separated by the identification of the musical numbers played in the previous 15 minutes. The second and third announcements will often be separated by a sports score, financial report, weather forecast, news headline or some similar brief feature. KPOL's programming is chiefly popular standards, at least two of which are included in every quarter-hour, with not more than one vocal or one unfamiliar number during the 15-minutes. The new commercial policy is being publicized with the heaviest audience promotion campaign in KPOL's history, using newspapers, bus cards and outdoor advertising. WSB-TV fights Atlanta municipal court ban WSB-TV Atlanta is campaigning to kill a city ordinance that bans live broadcasting in municipal courts, according to Ray Moore, news director. The law had not been enforced for a score of years, broadcast stations often covering city courts. Recently, however, a municipal judge had barred photographic, broadcast and newspaper coverage of a police raid. The station demonstrated unobtrusive coverage techniques before a police committee of the aldermanic board, to which the matter was referred by Mayor William Hartsfield. The mayor said the judge was misinterpreting the law. Repeal of the law was recommended to the aldermanic board. The subject was submitted for joint bar-broadcaster consideration after the board heard a bar petition that a decision await action of the American Bar Assn. on Canon 35. its anti-broadcast ban. BROADCASTING, December 28, 1959