Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1960)

ramparts, Quebec TWO BIG GUNS COVER QUEBEC CITY MARKET Use Quebec's most reliable medium to reach Canada's fifth largest market with one of the lowest combined cost per thousand selling impressions. Reps: Jos. A. Hardy & Co. Ltd. Scharf Broadcast Sales Ltd. Weed Television Corp. OPEN MIKE 'Minds in conflict' editorials editor: ... I am particularly impressed by [your] editorials and their distinction between advertising and communications interests in a medium. . . . — William E. Matthews, Vice President and Director of Media Relations and Planning, Young & Rubicam, New York. [Combined reprint of the editorials, Dec. 7, 14, 1959, is still available, 10<J each. The struggle for authority between the advertising mind and the communications mind is discussed. — The Editors] Seek NARBA treaty clause editor: Concerning your editorial, "NARBA now or never," in Jan. 25 issue, you make it sound as if daytimers are opposed to NARBA in its entirety. We are asking only that a reservation be put into paragraph 8 so that the daytime hours of over 250 stations on Mexican clears can be negotiated at some time in the future, a point overlooked by those drawing up the treaty. Constituting nearly 50% of all am broadcasters, we 1,700 daytimers resent being unjustly excoriated in the editorials of Broadcasting and being pictured as the black villain in the act. — Indignantly, George C. Udry, Secretary-Treasurer, WS1V Pekin, III. 'Politics over principle' editor: your editorial [page 106, Feb. 1] definitely is on right track. YOU MORE THAN ANYONE CAN EFFECTIVELY RALLY AND GUIDE ALL BROADCASTERS BIG AND SMALL TO HAVE COURAGE AND TO STAND ON PRINCIPLE. HARRY C. BUTCHER, KIVA (TV) YUMA, ARIZ. Other side of the story editor: John Arthur's letter in Open Mike of Jan. 25 gives too much credit to what he terms the "impact" of his short note to Open Mike on Jan. 11, in which he seconded the views of someone who felt that management should have nothing whatsoever to do with music. What he refers to a "directive to look for another job" came not after the issue of Jan. 1 1 reached my attention, but occurred on Dec. 28 following his failure to appear for work as scheduled on Christmas Day. Contributing to his departure from this station were [other] minor things . . . — George Brooks, General Manager, KOTE Fergus Falls, Minn. Hawaiiaa market story editor: . . . your thoughtful study of the Hawaii market was thorough, complete and accurate. . . . My congratula tions for so ably bringing into sharp focus a market that has long been impeded by the misconceptions or ignorance on the part of mainlanders who haven't been here since it became the 50th state. — Hal Bock, Public Relations, Honolulu. [Reprints are available, 204 each. — The Editors] ARB's vhf coverage survey editor: The article in your Jan. 18 issue, "Vhf signal spread is widened," disturbs me considerably. The views and findings of ARB here seem to have some dangerous potentialities for television. The clear implication of the article is found in the opening sentence, "Tv stations are selling their coverage areas short." This is an opening invitation to read further and find out how much additional "coverage" might be claimed for any given station or market, particularly the four markets cited. Many years ago a cliche was coined, "Only listening (viewing today) is coverage." This principle has been very widely followed in evaluating broadcasting stations by buyers and many sellers of time. The data quoted by ARB are not of the type ordinarily ascribed to this organization (diaries of viewing behavior). Rather, they are based on the answers to a question, "From what stations are you able to receive a picture clear enough for viewing?". (Underscoring is mine.) This scarcely satisfies a definition of viewing. . . . Many families may be able to receive at least a minimum service from two or three affiliates of the same network, but they will concentrate their viewing on the station with the best signal. ... — Charles H. Smith, Tv-Radio Research Consultant, Minneapolis. [The purpose of the story was to show vhf signals were regularly getting out farther than ARB had previously thought they were. Nowhere did we indicate that the information pertained to viewing or that any measurement of audience should be construed. — The Editors] BROADCASTING SUBSCRIPTION PRICES: Annual subscription for 52 weekly issues $7.00. Annual subscription including Yearbook Number $11.00. Add $1.00 per year for Canadian and foreign postage. Subscriber's occupation required. Regular issues 35< per copy; Yearbook Number $4.00 per copy. SUBSCRIPTION ORDERS AND ADDRESS CHANGES: Send to BROADCASTING Circulation Dept., 1735 DeSales St., N.W., Washington 6, D.C. On changes, please include both old and new addresses. BROADCASTING, February 8, 1960