Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1961)

through December 1963 but John West, vice president in charge of west coast operations, said that the move to Burbank would be completed by spring of that year. NBC's Los Angeles tv station, KRCA (TV), NBC Spot Sales, part of the network's Los Angeles news operation and RCA Recording now occupy the premises at Sunset & Vine along with some outside tenants. WKY HELPS EYE BANK Tv station, Lions campaign to provide sight for blind The ability of WKY-TV Oklahoma City to put across a message effectively has enabled some 346 Oklahomans to see again. The project began Dec. 2, 1957 when WKY-TV, working with the Lions Clubs of Oklahoma, produced a halfhour program, "Gift of God," dealing with the medical and legal aspects of restoration of sight through corneal transplants. To set up a state-wide eye bank, the Lions Clubs asked the station to assist them in getting Oklahomans to sign donor cards willing their eyes to the bank at the time of their deaths. During the four-year period more than 16,400 donor cards were sent in to the Lions Sight Conservation Foundation. And the sight of 346 persons has been restored through the transplant of corneas, an average of one every four days. Looking back on the four year plan, WKY-TV reported that 700 donor cards were received within 1 Vi hours after the first telecast; the first donation took place 24 hours later and the first transplant 36 hours later. The first donor card signed was by Raymond Gary, then governor of Oklahoma. Storer's $10.95 million WMGM buy okayed FCC ALSO APPROVES SALES OF WPTV, WWVA, KCSJ-AM-TV Storer Broadcasting Co. finally got into New York last week when the FCC approved its record $10.95 million purchase of WMGM in that city. The approval, by a 6-0 vote, came almost two months from the day Storer dropped its agreement to buy WINS New York and shifted its sights to WMGM (Broadcasting, Oct. 16). Storer picked up the WMGM outlet after the proposed sale of the Loew's Theatres Inc. station to Crowell-Collier Publishing Co. was cancelled by mutual consent. Crowell-Collier was to pay about the same amount for WMGM. Storer in August 1960 agreed to buy the 50 kw WINS in New York for $10 million, but allowed the contract to terminate after the FCC held up WINS' license renewal while it investigated allegations of payola at that station. Both WMGM and WINS are 50 kw independents; the former on 1050 kc and the latter on 1010 kc. The Crowell-Collier-WMGM sale was dropped when Crowell-Collier got into difficulty with the FCC over technical violations and program and promotion activities. Because Storer already owns its maximum quota of seven radio stations, the Miami-based group owner sold its WWVA-AM-FM Wheeling, W. Va., to a group headed by Ira Herbert, former New York broadcaster, and his associates for $1.3 million. This transaction also was approved by the FCC last week. The Herbert group already owns WAKE Atlanta and WYDE Birmingham. When Storer closes the WMGM transaction, it will have in addition to Joe Jerkins (r), WKY-TV program director, and Tom Paxton, member of -the station's staff, flank George Mathey, whose sight was restored after 35 years of blindness, on "Eye Witness," fourth anniversary program of the eye bank project. The project still is going strong, WKY-TV says. the New York outlet: WJBK-AM-FMTV Detroit, WJW-AM-FM-TV Cleveland, WSPD-AM-FM-TV Toledo, WAGA-TV Atlanta, WITI-TV Milwaukee, WGBS-AM-FM Miami, WIBGAM-FM Philadelphia and KGBS Los Angeles. Other Approvals ■ In other station sale grants last week, the FCC approved the $2 million purchase of WPTV (TV) West Palm Beach, Fla., by Scripps-Howard Radio Inc. The ch. 5 station was bought from John H. Phipps. It is affiliated with NBC. Scripps-Howard Radio owns WEWS (TV) Cleveland, WCPO-AM-FM-TV Cincinnati and WNOX Knoxville and, through an associated company, WMCAM-FM and WMCT (TV) Memphis. Scripps-Howard publishes newspapers in these cities and in others. The FCC also okayed the sale of KCSJ-AM-TV Pueblo, Colo., to Metropolitan Television Co. for $1,250,000. Metropolitan is the licensee of KOAAM-FM-TV Denver and is owned by Bob Hope, William Grant, James L. Saphier, Quigg Newton and others. The Metropolitan owners are selling KCSJ radio to W. M. White Jr. and others for $210,200; this action also was approved by the FCC. KCSJ-TV is on ch. 5 and is independent. The Pueblo stations are now licensed to Bankers Life & Casualty Co. Highest Price ■ The $10.95 million Storer paid for WMGM constitutes a record price for a single radio station. The WMGM price topped the $7.5 million paid in 1957 by Metropolitan Broadcasting Corp. for WNEW New York. This price, however, included $1.5 million in net quick assets acquired by the buyer, bringing the net price to $6 million. AFTRA seeks mediation in new feud with KFWB A disagreement between the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists and KFWB Los Angeles, which has continued to hamper good stationunion relations since the end of AFTRA's 122-day strike against KFWB on Nov. 1 1 , seems headed for arbitration. David Ziskind, counsel for AFTRA's Los Angeles local, on Monday (Dec. 11) wrote Crowell-Collier Broadcasting Corp., licensee of KFWB, a letter listing 14 points which the union demands be submitted to arbitration as provided for in the contract signed by AFTRA and KFWB on Nov. 13. Mr. Ziskind writes that AFTRA has named Frank Nelson, tv actor, as its member of an arbitration panel and BROADCASTING, December 18, 1961 65