Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1961)

WEEK'S HEADLINERS Mr. Gray Gordon Gray, formerly special assistant to the President for national security affairs in Eisenhower administration, elected chairman of boards of Piedmont Publishing Co. and Triangle Winston-Salem, Broadcasting Corp., N. C. Piedmont is licensee of WSJSAM-FM, that city, and publishes Winston-Salem Journal and Twin City Sentinel. Triangle, Piedmont subsidiary, is licensee of WSJS-TV Winston-Salem. Clifford M. Jj^mKmUff^ Kirtland, since W" 1957 treasurer M and controller Sf&* tZZWlk of Transconti ***** V ■' nent Television Corp., elected vp of firm. Prior Mfm to j°inir,g TTC ^/^mmwm Mr Kirtland ^H^Sl vv a s business Mr. Kirtland S*™*** °* WGR-AM-FM TV Buffalo, N. Y. TTC stations are: WROC-FM-TV Rochester, N. Y., WNEP-TV Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, Pa., WGR-AM-FM-TV Buffalo, KFMB AM-FM-TV San Diego, Calif., KERO TV Bakersfield, Calif., and WDAF AM-TV Kansas City. Ralph W. Nicholson, director, vp and manager of Fuller & Smith & Ross, New York, appointed assistant U. S. Postmaster General. Prior to joining F&S&R 15 years ago, Mr. Nicholson had served on president's staff at U. of Chicago, and at General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y. T. L. Stromberger, F&S&R headquarters senior vp, has been named acting manager of agency's New York office. Mr. Nicholson assumed full responsibilities in new Washington assignment on Jan. 20. William P. Andrews named vp in charge of syndication for Independent Television Corp., N. Y. Mr. Andrews, who was formerly ITC's general sales manager, joined company in July, 1958 as western division manager. In June, 1959, he was named northeastern division manager. Before coming to ITC, he was spot sales manager for Ziv-Tv, N. Y., and prior to that was account executive for KPTV (TV) Portland. Loyd Sigmon, vp and chief engineer of Golden West Broadcasters and assistant general manager of KMPC Los Angeles, promoted to general manager. Move was made to relieve Bob Reynolds, GWB president who has been managing KMPC, to devote more time to GWB's expanding activities, particularly Los Angeles Angels, American League baseball team for which franchise has been granted to Mr. Reynolds with Gene Autry, GWB board chairman. Tom Crosnoe, KMPC transmitter engineer, becomes chief engineer of three Golden West stations: KSFO San Francisco, KVI Seattle, Wash., and KMPC. Mr. Sigmon For other personnel changes of the week see FATES & FORTUNES Telefilm Assoc. (20th Century-Fox), Screen Gems Inc. (Columbia) and United Artists Corp. (independents). NTA Telestudios to test commercial vtr technique NTA Telestudios will test what is described as significant development in video-tape commercial production field this week in New Orleans. Telestudios will tape footage for series of DuPont commercials using new single-camera technique. Tape footage will be integrated by intersync with other footage produced in New York. Test is called first attempt at location production using single-camera shooting and subsequent utilization of intersync. If successful, method is expected to place on-location video-tape on more competitive basis with film. In past one advantage of film has been claim that sequences could be easily integrated. Transocean tv within year AT&T said it hopes to have transoceanic satellite up "within year" and "will push vigorously toward this." Statement issued after FCC approved frequencies for space use by AT&T (see page 64). Satellites will make possible international transmission of tv and other forms of communication not feasible with today's cable and radio circuits, company said. It pointed out that cables and radio network carried nearly 4 million overseas telephone calls last year. By 1980, statement said, it is expected there will be 100 million calls per year, 25 times present load. Healy of McCann-Erickson defends integrity of ads Replying to critics who charge advertising "can foist anything on the American public," Robert E. Healy of McCann-Erickson, New York, said Friday this is not true and neither American people nor advertising industry would permit it. Mr. Healy told dinner meeting of Fort Worth (Tex.) Junior Chamber of Commerce there are some "real problem ad men who push their product claims beyond bounds of integrity." He indicated such admen are not typical of industry generally and pointed out that one of "greatest ethical acts" agency can perform is to persuade client his product "is not quite that good." Capt. Miles nominated to U. S. advisory panel Capt. Paul D. Miles, USN (ret.), executive secretary of Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee, has been nominated by U. S. to serve on international panel to meet in Geneva next September. Panel will consider worldwide aspects of telecommunications planning and allocations, including broadcasting techniques. Panel of seven experts was authorized at 1959 International Telecommunications Conference in Geneva to explore ways of relieving congestion in spectrum (between 4-27.5 mc) involving, in addition to broadcasting techniques, space communications as well as scatter, radio relay, high frequency, and land and submarine cables. Gundy heads association Phillip L. Gundy, senior vice president of Ampex Corp., has been elected president of Western Electronic Mfg. Assn. for 1961. Business briefly.... Block Drug Co. (Polident denture cleansing kit), Jersey City, N. J., has earmarked $500,000 for network tv campaign in March and April to promote sales of kits during retailers' special offer. Similar promotion year ago, Block Drug said, doubled Polident's sales during seven-week deal period. Commercials will be seen on This Is Your Life, Jack Paar Show, The Tall Man, all on NBC-TV, and also in undetermined number of major daytime tv shows. Agency: Grey Adv., N. Y. 10 BROADCASTING, January 23, 1961