Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1962)

D.C. helicopter detoured by legal roadblock A Washington, D. C, station's arrangement with a helicopter service for a twice-a-day traffic situation broadcast was snarled in a federal court last week — but the judge promised a decision tomorrow. At issue is the claimed right by WMAL Washington to extend the existing contract it has with the Washington-Baltimore Helicopter Co. for broadcasting traffic conditions daily 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. The Washington-Baltimore company, under an agreement with the District of Columbia, provided a helicopter to carry a D.C. police officer over the city at those times, with WMAL broadcasting his reports. WMAL paid the helicopter company $80 an hour for this service. This contract expired Nov. 8. In renegotiating its contract with the federal city, the helicopter firm was ordered to provide a larger helicopter with pontons for river rescue work. The firm asked WMAL to pay $88 an hour for the chopper, to provide it with two commercials in the morning and again in the evening, and to pledge not to enter the helicopter business. WMAL refused these demands. The helicopter firm then entered into a contract with WWDC Washington for the service. WMAL, on Nov. 8, asked for and received a temporary restraining order forbidding the helicopter company from providing its services to WWDC and continuing the contract with WMAL. Arguments on the merits of the litigation took place Nov. 21. Media reports... Moved ■ KLAC Los Angeles has moved into new studios at 5828 Wilshire Blvd. A $100,000 modernization and equipment installation was climaxed with a dedication ceremony featuring singer Keely Smith. A 90-foot sign bearing the station's call letters has been installed on the front of the building. Entries wanted ■ Entries are now being received for the annual media public interest awards, the National Safety Council, Chicago, announced last week. Two $1,000 Sloan Awards for radio-tv are included. Deadline is Feb. 1, 1963. Address: 425 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 1 1 . Advertising-pr counsel ■ WTEV (TV) New Bedford, Mass., under construction with a January target date, has appointed Bo Bernstein & Co., Providence, R. I., as advertising and public relations counsel. New face ■ KMTV (TV) Omaha looks toward the first of the year for completion of a new building front made of "pre-cast, white marble exposed-aggre rtatA" tprr-i7n The imnmvpmpnt is in Court blocks union picketing of KHJ-AM-TV SPAT BETWEEN IBEW, OFFSHOOT AFFECTS STATIONS Challenge In the Labor Market of the 60's." Contest judges, rules and prizes are to be announced in the near future. Mr. Wirtz said the department's association with the event followed a conference with Mr. Pauley, ABC Radio news commentator Edward P. Morgan and George Meany, president of the AFL-CIO which sponsors Mr. Morgan's radio broadcasts. AFM Local 10 group opposes Petrillo For the first time in more than three decades, James C. Petrillo will face opposition when he runs for re-election Dec. 4 as president of Chicago Local 10 of the American Federation of Musicians. The entire slate of local candidates is opposed this year. Although Mr. Petrillo has had some stormy encounters with broadcasters, this time his opposition is from a rebel faction within the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, although there are said to be others opposing him. Mr. Petrillo and Local 10 recently concluded a new three-year contract with the Chicago Symphony calling for a longer season and higher wages, including $200 weekly minimum, but the union president also has ordered that symphony players after Jan. 1 may not take outside jobs. The rebel faction has taken the issue to the National Labor Relations Board. Mr. Petrillo last week predicted a "landslide" victory. His opponent is Bernard Richards, an orchestra leader and pianist. An order restraining the Radio Recording & Television Employees Assn. from picketing advertisers using KHJAM-TV Los Angeles was issued Wednesday (Nov. 21) by Judge Kenneth N. Chantry of the Los Angeles Superior Court. Judge Chantry also ordered the union to appear before Judge Alfred Gittleson at 9 a.m. next Friday (Nov. 30) to show cause why a preliminary injunction should not be granted to continue the picketing restrictions. The picketing union is not on strike against the KHJ stations; it does not represent the employes of those stations. Their union is International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, AFL-CIO, Local 45. The members of RRTEA are employes of KCOP (TV) Los Angeles, who were represented by IBEW until November 1960 when, after a long strike against KCOP, they voted in a National Labor Relations Board election to withdraw from that union. Subsequently they organized RRTEA. A few weeks ago a jurisdictional fight broke out between IBEW and RRTEA. IBEW pickets on Nov. 5 formed an "informational" line around KCOP, which IBEW said was designed to tell the public of KCOP's "substandard wages and working conditions." RRTEA retorted with its own pickets at KHJ-AM-TV and KNXT (TV), whose employes are also represented by IBEW. They distributed leaflets asserting that "we have better working conditions and, with our wage increase scheduled for December, we will have better wages than most, if not all, IBEW contracts in the industry." When RRTEA extended its picketing to include advertisers on KHJ-AM-TV, RKO General, licensee of these stations, went to court seeking an injunction to halt that activity. Last week's restraining order does so temporarily. tune with an "Omaha Beautification" campaign for the downtown area. 'Jax' marketing guide ■ WJXT (TV) Jacksonville, Fla., has published its WJXT /Jacksonville Market Data Book, a handsome 30-page compilation of facts and figures arranged in three convenient sections entitled "The Market," "The Media" and "WJXT." Taft net up ■ Taft Broadcasting Co. has reported net income after federal income taxes of $385,495 (25 cents per share) for the second fiscal quarter ended Sept. 30, on revenue of $2,671,423. This compares to net income and revenues for the same fiscal period in 1961 of $283,505 (18 cents per share) and $2,287,868. Earnings are based on 1,568,938 shares outstanding as of Sept. 30. A quarterly dividend of 10 cents per share, payable Dec. 14 to stockholders of record Nov. 15, was voted by the board meeting Oct. 15. Taft stations are WKRC-AM-FM-TV Cincinnati, WBRC-AM-FM-TV Birmingham, WTVN-AM-FM-TV Columbus (Ohio), and WKYT (TV) Lexington, Ky. 34 (THE MEDIA) BROADCASTING, November 26, 1962