Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1962)

Late news breaks on this page and on page 10 II f" Complete coverage of week begins on page 19 j\ J Examiner unmoved by RCA-NBC history PIONEERING HISTORY IRRELEVANT, CUNNINGHAM HOLDS Development of RCA and NBC in 1920s has no significance in comparative hearing between NBC and Philco Broadcasting Co. for ch. 3 Philadelphia, FCC Chief Hearing Examiner James D. Cunningham told network last Friday. He said NBC exhibits constitute "great mass of irrelevant documents" in comparative case and "appear to me to be out of line and inappropriate." Examiner's statement came after NBC and Philco had exchanged hearing exhibits for comparative phase of many-sided case which begins Jan. 2 (see earlier story, page 50). NBC is seeking license renewal for WRCV-TV Philadelphia (ch. 3) and Philco is seeking new tv station on channel. "FCC expects these comparative cases to be streamlined," Mr. Cunningham said in chastising NBC for history contained in its exhibits. He said "wholly irrelevant" material, which begins with RCA activities in 1919, would open areas for cross-examination which could continue for 10 months. Examiner told parties not to go back beyond 1954 in exhibits and to present direct cases within five days of hearings. Irving Segal, attorney for NBC, said small amount of historical material was put into exhibits to show that NBC and RCA had been pioneers in broadcasting. He said major portion of NBC documents concerns last two years of operation of WRCV-TV. "I don't think we should be criticized for a brief excursion into history," he told examiner. Mr. Cunningham agreed to take official notice of radio-tv pioneering of RCA-NBC. Robert Sarnoff, NBC board chairman, will be the starting witness when network begins its comparative case next week. Also at Friday session, parties agreed to enter stipulations in issues concerning alleged antitrust and anticompetitive activities of RCA-NBC and Philco and later's parent, Ford Motor Co., prior to 1954. Lengthy testimony and over 200 exhibits are in record concerning such alleged practices by both parties since Jan. I, 1954. Plans set for talks on am overpopulation NAB radio development subcommittee completed plans at weekend for joint conference with FCC (Jan. 7-8) on ways to solve radio's overpopulation problem. Subcommittee met with NAB staff and several consulting engineers to review series of charts and reports covering technical aspects of present radio station complex. Members of subcommittee were George C. Hatch, KALL Salt Lake City, a prime mover in effort to solve spectrum overcrowding and chairman of top Radio Development Committee; Carl Lee, Fetzer Stations, chairman of engineering subcommittee, and Merrill Lindsay, WSOY Decatur, 111., chairman of non-engineering research subcommittee. Idea for joint NAB-FCC discussion of what to do about overcrowding in many markets bore fruition at 1962 NAB convention when FCC Chairman Newton N. Minow said commission would welcome get-together session. Commission also will have staff information dealing with engineering and other aspects of problem. ABC-TV to announce two-part crime series ABC-TV is expected to announce today new program series with unusual format for 1963-64 season: two 45minute programs back to back in prime time that will relate to each other, though each program will be self-contained, and can be viewed separately. Show tentatively slated for Sunday time period is Revue-produced and has title of Arrest and Trial. First program of 45 minutes will deal with tracking down and arrest of suspect in crime (stars Ben Gazzara as detective), and second 45-minute show deals with district attorney prosecution and trial (Chuck Connors of Rifleman fame plays role of district attorney). Catholic history set by NBC-TV for 1963 Major productions in NBC-TV's 1963 religious program schedule on Sundays, 1:30-2 p.m., will be four-part exploration of history of Roman Catholic church, filmed in eight countries, and four-installment study of popular arts in America. Program's calendar, announced by Doris Ann, executive producer and manager of NBC-TV religious programming, is shared by major faith groups. Specific programs in the series will be: Frontiers of Faith (24 times); The Catholic Hour (16); The Eternal Light (8); The Southern Baptist Hour (4); / Believe (1), and Faith and the Bible (1). NBC-TV animal series to be aired in color New NBC-TV color series featuring segments on wild animals and primitive peoples begins Jan. 6 (Sundays, 3:304 p.m. EST). Program, fully sponsored as 13-week series by Mutual of Omaha, through Bozell & Jacobs, Omaha, and titled Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, is produced by Don Meier Productions Inc., Chicago. Pioneer adman McCann, wife, die in car wreck Harrison K. McCann, 82, founder and former board chairman, H. K. McCann Co. (McCann-Erickson Inc.), and his wife Dorothy, 67, were killed Friday when their car struck stone abutment at overpass on Long Island Expressway. Mr. McCann left Standard Oil Co. to found his own advertising agency, which opened for business Jan. 1, 1912. Standard was first client. McCann Co. merged with A. W. Erickson Co. to form McCann-Erickson in 1930. Chairmanship was turned over to Marion Harper Jr. in 1958. Parent firm is now known as Interpublic Inc. and McCannErickson is division. Mr. McCann helped found American Assn. of Advertising Agencies, was active in Audit Bureau of Circulations. Mrs. McCann was former vice president for tv-radio at agency, and also was well-known as radio producer. ■hbb more AT DEADLINE page 10 'People Look at Tv' Publication of what CBS considers to be first comprehensive study of American public's evaluation of tv now set for Feb. 18. Book is "The People Look at Television," prepared as report of nationwide survey conducted by Bureau of Applied Social Research of Columbia U., under CBS grant. Alfred A. Knopf is publisher of new report. In discussing study plans last summer, Dr. Frank Stanton, CBS president, called report probable "breakthrough" in social research that may be a "landmark" in the study of mass communications (Broadcasting, July 2). BROADCASTING, December 24, 1962 9