Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1962)

WEEK'S HEADLINERS flr. Watson Mr. Poor John B. Poor and Hathaway Watson elected president of RKO General Inc. and president of newly created RKO General Broadcasting, respectively. Under previous corporate structure, RKO General president was Thomas F. O'Neil, board chairman of General Tire & Rubber Co. and its wholly owned subsidiary, RKO General Inc. Mr. Poor had served as vp and Mr. Watson as vp in charge of broadcasting operations. Mr. O'Neil said specialized nature of commercial broadcasting warranted creation of separate organization. Mr. Watson was with management firm of Booz, Allen & Hamilton from 1951-59, prior to joining RKO General. Mr. Poor had been president of Mutual. RKO General Stations are: WOR-AM-FM-TV New York; KHJAM-FM-TV Los Angeles; WNAC AM-FM-TV Boston; CKLW-AM-FMTV DetroitWindsor; WHBQ-AM-TV Memphis; KFRC-AM-FM San Francisco; WGMS-AM-FM Washington. Organization also includes RKO General National Sales Div. and Eastern Broadcasting Corp. John W. Bur gard, vp in charge of advertising for Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., named chairman of broadcast committee of Assn. of National Advertisers, New York. He succeeds Harry F. Schroeter, National Biscuit Co., new ANA chairman, who continues as broadcast committee member. Mr. Burgard heads committee's study group on network contracts, which has been active in number of areas including efforts to reduce so-called "clutter" between tv programs. Other broadcast committee activities include new procedures for negotiations with broadcast talent unions on television commercials (Broadcasting, Nov. 12) and annual Assn. of National Advertisers' work Mr. Burgard ernstein shops on television advertising, next of which is set for March 6. Lester Bernstein, vp for corporate affairs at NBC, New York, resigns to become national affairs editor of Newsweek magazine, with headquarters in New York. He is succeeded by Robert D. Kasmire, NBC director of corporate information. Mr. Bernstein joined NBC as director of information in July 1958 from post of associate editor of Time magazine. He was appointed director of NBC corporate affairs in December 1959, and following month (January 1960) was elected to newly created post of vp for corporate affairs. Prior to joining Time in 1948, Mr. Bernstein was with New York Times' drama desk. Mr. Kasmire was in news department of WJAR Providence, R. I., in early 1950's, subsequently was Associated Press newsman and with former New York Gov. Averell Harriman before joining NBC in 1959 as coordinator of special projects in corporate planning department. For other personnel changes of the week see FATES & FORTUNES TvB's 'first aid kit' planned for retailers Television Bureau of Advertising is planning early 1963 introduction of "first aid kit" for retailers telling them how they can keep television production costs down. Idea for kit originated during current newspaper strikes, in which some retailers relied on broadcast media for advertising day-to-day merchandise. Although kit is intended to help retailers use tv in emergency situations, TvB hopes it'll have general use as well. NAB joint board sets two Phoenix meetings Two separate meetings of NAB's joint board will be held during five-day meeting Jan. 14-18 at Camelback Inn, Phoenix, Ariz., according to Everett E. Revercomb, NAB secretary-treasurer. With one exception board week agendas in recent years have included two days of committee meetings, one-day radio, one-day tv and one-day joint board sessions. Here is week's schedule: Monday — tv finance, radio finance, general fund finance and membership committees; Tuesday— Distinguished Service Award Subcommittee, convention committee and afternoon joint board session; Wednesday — tv board; Thursday — radio board and reception honoring retiring board members; Friday — joint board meeting. Five now in running to head space firm Pool of prospects to head satellite communications corporation has been narrowed to five, and it's possible space company may have chief executive officer when board of incorporators meets again next month. This was principal action taken by board at meeting in New York Friday. It followed report that Gen. Lauris Norstad, NATO commander, is unavailable for job (see page 54). Other actions: ■ Approved "Space Communications Corp." as official name of company. » Approved two-year lease of 20acre Tregaron estate in northwest Washington as temporary headquarters. Lease is subject to zoning variance and application has been submitted to District of Columbia commissioners. ■ Considered articles of incorpora tion in light of discussions with Dept. of Justice lawyers and counsel for common carriers. Revised articles will be considered again next month. ABC to dedicate Washington center Formal dedication of ABC's new Washington news installation at 1124 Connecticut Ave., N.W., near Mayflower Hotel, is being set for early January, it was indicated at ABC in New York Friday (Dec. 21). Renovated structure at downtown location (Broadcasting, Dec. 3) features showroom, sidewalk installation. Operating areas are on street level to permit passers-by to see newsmen on air and control rooms in action. Bureau's two tv studios can be connected by movable soundproof doors into single studio, and radio studio exists for network news originations. Entire operation is transistor-equipped. Equipment includes audio tape machines, video-tape recorders and cameras, all transistorized. Switching equipment, special effects, amplifiers and control devices are set up to handle most complex news presentation, according to network. 10 BROADCASTING, December 24, 1962