Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1960)

A. part of a While serving a single station market, WTHI-TV fulfills its public service responsibilities in a way that has gained for it the appreciation and support of its entire viewing area ... a circumstance that must be reflected in audience response to advertising carried. Five full yz hours of local public service programming each week. WTHI-TV CHANNEL 10 CBS • ABC TERRE HAUTE INDIANA Represented Nationally by Boiling Co. RELIGIOUS PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAMMING FREE For Radio and TV Stations Two 13-week, 15-minute series on "The Ten Commandments" and "The Lord's Prayer" ... A public service for Radio and TV stations . . . Non-Denominational . . . Without emotional appeals and commercialism for the mature spiritual and cultural needs of all communities. Write for Audition Print or Tape THE BACK TO GOD HOUR 10858 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago 28, III. FANFARE 1960 March of Dimes January 1960 is now history. And a part of that history is the annual March of Dimes, this year dubbed as "new" because of its de-emphasis of polio and its resulting emphasis on other crippling diseases. Helping tell the National Foundation's new story were the nation's radio and tv stations. Most unusual of the annual promotions for the March was that of WRAYTV Princeton, Ind. For 364 days each year (365 in 1960) WRAY-TV is silent. But, for one day (30 hours to be exact) the ch. 52 station comes "on-the-air." During that period more than a thousand people strut their stuff before the station's cameras. And, just about every set equipped with a uhf converter is tuned in. Those without sets, though discouraged from coming to the studios usually end up there anyway. Crowds jamming the countryside have become such a problem the National Guard is called out to handle the situation. WRAY-TV first began telecasting in December 1953. Seven months later, because of a lack of advertising revenue, the station was granted FCC permission to remain silent. While still onthe-air, WRAY-TV aired its first March of Dimes telethon. But, the following year the station had ceased operations. This didn't deter March of Dimes and station officials, however. They sought and received FCC permission to pump some life into the dormant station for the one-day affair. It's been an annual event ever since. When the 30-hour day ends, the March of Dimes coffers are usually $15,000 richer. WRAY-TV owners, employes and talent all donate their services. So do technicians and other tv personnel from nearby stations. As for WRAY-TV, after its brief period in the spotlight, it once again loses its eyes and voice — its equipment doomed to gather dust for another year. M.R. Lankford and 50 fellow townsmen own WRAY-TV. Other Stations • A "Bandstand Bonanza" at KGO San Francisco. The station auctioned off items of real or imagined value, including a key to the city, donated by Mayor George Christopher. The key brought $100. The winner, asked why she wanted the key, said, "It has tremendous snob appeal." • Albuquerque, N.M. radio stations sponsored a "March For the New March of Dimes." A representative of each of the seven reserve units of the city marched a distance of 12 miles. Each time a dime was donated, one reservist took a step forward. Each radio station had a reservist representing it. Total collected from the event: $14,000. • A remote radiothon, lasting 108 hours was featured by WBUD Trenton. • A WAYS Charlotte, N.C., disc jockey and public relations man went to jail for the March of Dimes. They were arrested for "disturbing the peace" while playing a piano from a street corner to raise funds. Bail was set at $1,000, and the d.j. was allowed to broadcast from his cell for appeals for funds. The "bail" money was turned over to the charity drive. • A WIBC Indianapolis personality broadcast a session of his sidewalk "Pick-A-Pocket" program from an iron lung to dramatize the need to aid preSalk-vaccine polio victims. • WLOS Asheville, N.C., gave away 4,000 records in exchange for donations. The one-day effort collected $500. • WWDC Washington offered duplicate awards on its "Dollar Games." During the month the station donated $1,450 to the cause. • WGRO Lake City, Fla.. conducted a Battle of Music with listeners voting for their favorite type when sending in contributions. • KOMO-TV Seattle, served as collection center for the Mothers' March on Polio. The March collected $108,000. • Telethons were the order of the day in cities large and small. WTTG (TV) Washington and WITN (TV) Washington, N.C. were among stations featuring the endurance programs. New word Those in the television tape business stand in a fair way to add to the language. This already has been demonstrated by Ampex' registration of the word Videotape. Latest variation on the theme has been coined by John B. Lanigan, vice presidentgeneral manager of Videotape Productions of New York, who has contributed "tapeography" to the business vocabulary. Mr. Lanigan mailed to the advertising and television community hundreds of dictionaries with this definition pasted in: Tape.og'ra-phy (Tay-pog'ra-fi), n. Tapeography* is the art of recording hi-fidelity commercials and programs on Videotape** utilizing specific advanced technical and production technique as developed by and used at Videotape Productions of New York, two hundred and five West fifty-eighth Street, Judson two, three three hundred. 94 BROADCASTING, February 8, 1960