Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1963)

Ir. Shapiro Mr. Read Mr. Dille Salem, N. C, stressed the importance of off-the-air participation in community life. Station executives and personnel, he said, should take part in local activities and the station should integrate itself into the community to such an extent that it becomes known to its public as "our station." W. C. Swartley, WBZ-TV Boston, emphasized the contributions of publicaffairs and documentary programs to a station's position in its community. The three criteria for public service, he said, are "breadth of interest, depth of concern and height of originality." With Mr. Essex, he challenged the choice of the word "image" to describe a station's standing. A station's principal concern, he said, should not be with "image building" but with "problem solving." control room equipment manufactured by Gates Radio. WGEM is on 1440 kc. Chicago sign ■ NBC-owned WMAQ and WNBQ (TV) Chicago have renewed their contract in cooperation with Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Inc. for sponsorship of the 13-story high electrical spectacular in that city at Michigan Avenue and Roosevelt Road. Time-and-temperature readings in 16 foot letters have been added to late news headlines already featured. Polk award to WNDT (TV) ■ The annual George Polk Memorial Awards in Journalism have been announced with WNDT (TV) Newark N. J. (New York City area) winning in the television reporting category. The new educational station was cited for "uniformly good programming" in spite of "serious initial obstacles." The awards commemorate the death of George Polk, CBS correspondent, killed in Greece in 1948. Topeka tower ■ Preliminary work on a new antenna tower has been begun by WIBW-TV Topeka, Kan., and station officials hope to have the new plant in operation late in August. The tower will rise 1,255 ft., but with the help of the hill on which it is to be situated it will be 1,614 ft. above downtown Topeka. WIBW-TV will use RCA equipment in the new plant, which is to be built by Kline Iron & Steel Co. Columbia, S.C., the firm which recently contracted to build the world's tallest tower for KTBS-TV Shreveport, La. (Broadcasting, Feb. 25). Demographic data ■ The Home Testing Institute reports it has added a THE MEDIA continued from page 53 special demographic section to its TvQ research service. This permits clients to compare tv tastes of grade-schooleducated adults with those of high school background; examine the program opinions of viewers in large metropolitan areas, smaller towns or rural areas; trace changes in attitudes from East to West, South to Midwest, and compare opinions of viewers who watch tv often with those who watch moderately or seldom. Editorial impact ■ The impact of onthe-air editorials sometimes may be hard to define but WIND Chicago has reported that an editorial aired four times on March 18 brought over 1,100 pieces of mail within a few days. The editorial opposed a bill in the state legislature to clip one month off daylight saving time. The bill subsequently was defeated. ABC-TV to get new agency « ABC-TV and Doyle Dane Bernbach, New York, have jointly announced termination of their relationship as client and agency, effective April 30. They said the parting was mutual and amicable. ABCTV has not announced appointment of a new agency. Western winners ■ Recipients of the annual Western Heritage awards for best fictional and non-fictional tv shows have been announced by the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center. Winner in the nonfiction category was "The Hat That Wore the West" episode of Death Valley Days, a show that told the story of John Stetson and his famous hat. "The Contender," an episode of Stoney Burke, won the fiction award. Wrangler trophies were given for the programs at the Western Heritage awards presentation in Oklahoma City April 4. Religious roundup ■ WBBM Chicago is taking its tape recorders into small communities and other places not normally visited by major mass media to document people and events in the daily life of ministers and clerics in new weekly half-hour series, Directions of Faith. First program told the story of how Rev. Ted Rockwood gave up his radio announcing-public relations career to enter the ministry. KCOH builds ■ Construction is underway on a new $150,000 building to house KCOH Houston. Located at the corner of Almeda and Wichita Sts., the new building was designed by Gloyd & James and is being built by Jacobsen Construction Co. The new structure is to open June 1. Religion and power radio ■ Trans World Radio will begin operation of the world's most powerful Protestant radio station Oct. 1 on the Caribbean Island of Curacao. The station will initially have a 250 kw to 500 kw short wave transmitter. An am transmitter is planned with a power of 50 kw "and possibly as great of 750 kw," TWR said. The short wave transmitter was built by Continental Electronics in Dallas. Plans also call for the construction of an fm station and a tv station on ch. 2 in Curacao. 'Dixie Pixie' ■ WRGR Starke, Fla., has changed its call letters to WPXE ("The 96 BROADCASTING, April 8, 1963