Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1960)

SUMMARY OF COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING Compiled by BROADCASTING through January 27 ON AIR AM FM TV Commercial Non-commercial Lie 3,398 644 470 Cps. 59 36 53 CP TOTAL APPLICATIONS Not on air For new stations 76 770 170 100 100 125 OPERATING TELEVISION STATIONS Compiled by BROADCASTING through January 27 VHF UHF 447 76 33 10 COMMERCIAL STATION BOXSCORE As reported by FCC through December 31, 1959 Licensed (all on air) CPs on air (new stations) CPs not on air (new stations) Total authorized stations Applications for new stations (not in hearing) Applications for new stations (in hearing) Total applications for new stations Applications for major changes (not in hearing) Applications for major changes (in hearing) Total applications for major changes Licenses deleted CPs deleted TV 523 43 AM FM TV 3,398 644 4701 58 34 522 71 160 100 3,527 838 673 525 71 60 248 34 63 733 105 123 651 32 32 171 4 10 721 36 42 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 There are, in addition, ten tv stations which are no longer on the air, but retain their licenses. 1 There are, In addition, 38 tv cp-holders which were on the air at one time but are no longer in operation and one which has not started operation. Ownership Changes applications KCCL Paris, Ark.— Seeks assignment of license from Logan County Bcstg. Co. to Gordon Hixson for $30,000. Applicant owns supermarket. Ann. Jan. 22. WRIM Pahokee, Fla.— Seeks assignment of license from Garden of the Glades Co. to WRIM Co. for $45,000. Purchasers are Jack Mann, Robert R. Pauley, Richard S. Jackson, and Peter Taylor, all 25% each. Mr. Mann is network salesman for ABC: Mr Pauley is eastern sales manager of ABC Radio network; Mr. Taylor is employe of CBS; Mr. Jackson has his own radio packaging company. Ann. Jan 26. WROM Rome, Ga. — Seeks transfer of control of Coosa Valley Radio Co. from Dean Covington and Charles Doss, equal partners, to Messrs. Covington and Doss, 40% each, and Barbara Austin, 20%, for $15,000. Miss Austin is assistant manager of WROM. Ann. Jan. 22. KOHO Honolulu, Hawaii — Seeks transfer of control of Windward Bcstg. Co. Ltd. through stock reorganization which allows Akiyoshi Hayashida and four others to purchase 8.5% each for total of $15,000. Ann. Jan. 21. KANI Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii — Seeks transfer of control of Windward Bcstg. Co. Ltd. through stock reorganization which allows Akiyosha Hayashida, and four others to purchase 8.5% each for total of $15,000. Ann. Jan. 21. WTVP (TV) Decatur, 111. — Seeks transfer of control from Prairie Television Co. to Metropolitan Bcstg. Corp. for $494,400, plus assumption of debt yet to be adjusted. Metropolitan is licensee of WNEW-AM-FMTV New York, WHK-AM-FM Cleveland, Ohio, WTTG (TV) Washington, D.C., and owners of WTP AM FM Philadelphia, WTVH (TV) Peoria, 111., and KOVR (TV) Stockton, Calif. Ann. Jan. 20. WAOV Vincennes, Ind. — Seeks transfer of control from Central Newspapers Inc. to Howard N. Greenlee for $16,000. Mr. Greenlee is general manager of WAOV. Ann. Jan. 27. WILD Boston, Mass. — Seeks transfer of control of Noble Bcstg. Corp. from Nelson B. Noble, sole owner, to William F. Johns Jr., 80%, and others, for $295,000 less $184,000 in liabilities. Mr. Johns has majority interest in WMIN St. Paul, Minn., and is 51% owner of KRIB Mason City, Iowa. Ann. Jan. 21. WCAT Orange, Mass. — Seeks transfer of control of TriState Radio Inc. from William R. Sweeney, sole owner, to Ralph Mellon, sole purchaser, for $70,000. Mr. Mellon is employe of WPAZ Pottstown, Pa. Ann. Jan. 27. WBBZ Ponca City, Okla.— Seeks transfer of control of Ponca City Publishing Co. from Gareth B. and Allan W. Muchmore, 25% each, and same two principals, 50^ as co-executives of estate of Clyde E. Muchmore, deceased, to Gareth B. and Allan W. Muchmore, equal partners, for $216,000 paid to the estate of the deceased. Ann. Jan. 22. KOMB Cottage Grove, Ore. — Seeks assignment of license from Orlo M. and Thelma Bagley, sole owners, to Peter J. Ryan and Milton A. Viken, equal partners, for $35,000. Mr. Viken is employe of KOMB. Mr. Ryan is co-owner of a youth center. Ann. Jan. 27. WMFS Chattanooga, Tenn. — Seeks transfer of control of WMFS Inc. from B.F.J. Timm, sole owner, to Leon S. Walton, sole purchaser, for $180,000 in payment for stock. Mr. Walton is owner of KOPY Alice, and minority owner of KJET Beaumont, both Texas. Ann. Jan. 22. KXYZ Houston, Tex. — Seeks assignment of license from Houston Bcstg. Corp. to KXYZ Inc. for $750,000. Purchaser is NAFI Corp., manufacturer of automotive interior trim. NAFI owns KPTV (TV) Portland. Ore., and KCOP (TV) Los Angeles. Among NAFI stockholders is Bing Crosby. Ann. Jan. 26. WYOU Newport News, Va. — Seeks assignment of license from United Bcstg. Co. of Eastern Virginia Inc. to Twelve Seventy Inc. for $130,000. Purchasers are Max Reznick, 52.6%, and Morton Lifshutz, 47.4%. Mr. Resnick is 50% owner of WASL Annapolis, Md. Mr. Lifshutz is in investment business. Ann. Jan. 26. Hearing Cases INITIAL DECISIONS Hearing Examiner H. Gifford Irion issued initial decision looking toward (1) holding in default application of Bristol County Bcstg. Co. for new am station to operate on 990 kc, 500 w, D, in Warren, R.I., (2) granting application of Radio Rhode Island Inc., for new station to operate on 990 kc, 50 kw, DA, D, Providence, R.I., and (3) granting petitions of Golden Gate Corp. and Camden Bcstg. Co., Inc., for leave to dismiss without prejudice their applications for similar facilities in Providence. Ann. Jan. 26. Hearing Examiner Forest L. McClenning issued initial decision looking toward granting application of Bloom Radio; Bloomsburg, Pa., for increase of power from 500 w to 1 kw, continuing unl, time operation on 550 kc, DA-2. Ann. Jan. 22. OTHER ACTIONS By memorandum opinion and order, Commission modified its action of Nov. 27, 1959 in granting renewal of license to Family Stations Inc., class B fm station, KEAR (FM) San Francisco, Calif, by making renewal subject to condition that KEAR accept any interference which may result from grant of application of William J. Greene for new class A fm station at Los Altos, Calif.; dismissed Dec. 23, 1959 petition and protest by Mr. Greene as moot. Comr. Bartley dissented. Ann. Jan. 22. Commission granted, in part, motion by Clear Channel Bcstg. Service to extent of further extending time from Feb. 19 to April 1 to file comments to third notice of further proposed rulemaking in clear channel proceeding. CCBS had requested threemonth extension. Ann. Jan. 20. Upon reconsideration, Commission vacated and set aside its previous action of Jan. 20 on petition by William J. Greene, Los Altos, Calif., directed against Nov. 27 grant of renewal of license of Family Stations Inc.'s class B fm station KEAR (FM) San Francisco. Ann. Jan. 20. Upon reconsideration, Commission vacated and set aside its previous action of Jan. 20 which granted application of Rollins Bcstg. Inc., to assign the license of station KATZ St. Louis, Mo., to Laclede Radio Inc. Ann. Jan. 20. By notice of proposed rulemaking. Commission invites comments on following alternative plans looking toward providing additional vhf tv channel assignment to Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, Mich., market which is now served by only two local vhf outlets: (1) Plan initiated by Commission: To add ch. 13 to Grand Rapids' present chs. 8, *17 (educational) and 23, by deleting it from Cadillac and substituting ch. 7 there (in addition to ch. 45), substituting ch. 9 for ch. 7 in Traverse City (in addition to chs. 20 and educational *26), and substituting ch. 3 for ch. 9 in Alpena (in addition to educational ch. *11 and commercial ch. 30). This would result in changes in operation of WWTV (TV) from ch. 13 to ch. 7 in Cadillac, with resultant substandard spacing to WXYZ-TV on ch. 7 in Detroit, and WPBNTV would shift from ch. 7 to ch. 9 in Traverse City. (2) Proposal by Atlas Bcstg. Co.: To add ch. 13 to Grand Rapids by deleting it from Cadillac and substituting ch. 9 therefore; and deleting ch. 9 from Alpena, making ch. *11 (now educational) commercial, and adding ch. *13 for educational use in Alpena. This would require WWTV (TV) to shift from ch. 13 to ch. 9 in Cadillac, and trans, site of ch. 13 in Grand Rapids would have to be located 25 miles or more northwest of that city to meet minimum separations. (3) Commission alternative plan: To add ch. 11 to Grand Rapids which would require no channel shifts of existing stations but would involve locating trans, there at less than 170 mile separation to co-channel stations WTTW (TV) at Chicago and WTOLTV in Toledo, with WLUK-TV in Marinette to change offset operation from plus to minus. In addition to above, comments are invited to proposal by superintendent of public instruction for State of Michigan seeking vhf noncommercial educational assignment at Cadillac by changing Alpena's present allocation of chs. 9, educational *11 and 30, to educational *6, 11 and 30. and adding educational ch. *9 to Cadillac's commercial chs. 13 and 45. This proposal conflicts with alternatives 1 and 2 above. All these plans contemplate changes which require clearance with Canadian Government, and Commission would initiate appropriate steps in compliance thereof. Comrs. Hyde, Bartley and Lee dissented, latter two with statement; Comr. Ford concurred in part. Ann. Jan. 27. By notice of proposed rulemaking, Commission invites comments on method of adding third vhf channel to Providence, R.I., by assigning ch. 6 to that city's present chs. 1 10, 12, 16 and educational *36. This would .} require deleting ch. 6 from New Bedford. Mass. Since it appears impossible to locate trans, for ch. 6 in Providence at minimum co-channel spacing provided in present rules and still provide principal city signal to it, comments may be directed toward its utilization at a site less than 170 miles from cochannel stations under conditions set out i in notice of proposed rulemaking regarding contemplated limited number of "interim" shorter-spaced tv assignments and [ changes in tv engineering standards. Comrs. > Hyde and Bartley dissented; Comr. Ford | concurred in part; Comr. Lee absent. Ann. Jan. 27. ■ | By separate memorandum opinion and 94 (FOR THE RECORD) BROADCASTING, February 1, 1960