Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

VOL. 49. NO. 17 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1949 TEN CENTS BROADCASTERS GATHER FOR DIST. MEET Over 100 At Skytop For 3rd District.^ NAB Session; Sales Problems Will Highlight Two -Day Session Religious Campaign Opens On Sunday President Harry S. Truman and Charles E. Wilson, president of the General Electric Company, will broadcast addresses over the major networks, launching the "Religion in American Life" Campaign, Sunday, Oct. 30, 11:15-11:30 p.m., EST. The choir of the Chapel of the Incarnation, New York City, also will be heard on the program, which will originate in the CBS New York studios, except for the President's speech, which will come from Washington. Mr. Wilson, who is national chairman of the campaign, will make the introductory talk and present President Truman. ABC Reports Sharp Rise In Wismer Co-op Sales ABC reports a 114 per cent increase in the last two months among sponsors of Harry Wismer's cooperatively-sold Saturday night sports commentaries. Wismer now has a total of 92 advertisers sponsoring his weekly quarter-hour show, as against 43 a year ago, ABC said. By categories, (Continued on Page 2) Mutual Names Marts Chicago Office Head Chicago — Carroll H. Marts, sales manager of MBS' Central Division, has been promoted to the post of director of the web's office here, it has been announced by Frank K. White, MBS president. The appointment follows the move of Adolf N. Hult, former Central (Continued on Page 2) Luncheon Meeting Philadelphia — ■ Representatives of the FCC, NAB, and RMA are expected to attend a luncheon at the Sheraton Motel on Thursday sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce as a special feature of National Radio and Television Week, Oct. 30Nov. S. Norman Corwin, of the United Nations radio staff, is the guest speaker. Backs CBC Programs Montreal — The charge that Canadian radio programs cannot compete with programs produced in the United States was indicated unfair by Lamont Tilden. of CBC, addressing the Mount Royal Women's Community Club. The charge was incompatible with the fact that every year in open competition in the United States against all comers on the North American continent, and, judged by Americans, Canadian programs had taken top honors, he said. NBC Head Meets Press At Trade Luncheon Joseph McConnell, new president of NBC, met the press yesterday at a luncheon in the Flamingo Room of the Waldorf-Astoria and the invitation brought out the key men of the wire services, trade and daily press. Mr. McConnell was introduced by Sydney Eiges, vice president in charge of press relations who welcomed the radio-TV writers and (Continued on Page 3) Transit Radio Popular, St. Louis Survey Shows Cincinnati, O. — A survey by the St. Louis Public Service Co. among its bus and street car drivers one year after the vehicles were equipped with FM radio receivers shows them overwhelmingly in favor of (Continued on Page 8) Washington Bureau of RADIO DAILY Washington — FCC Commissioner Robert F. Jones was accused of "pitching" for the CBS color-TV system yesterday by Philco's vicepresident, David B. Smith. In a brief but bitter flare-up, Smith took exception to Jones' insistent questioning concerning the need for complete compatibility in TV. The spat occurred after Jones had remarked that Smith was much Yankee Web Signs Heavy Sponsor Sked Boston — One of the largest contracts to be signed in New England radio for some time was completed this week by the Dolcin Corporation with the Yankee Network for twelve quarter-hours a week effective Sunday, October 30, it was announced yesterday by Linus Travers, executive vice-president and general manager. The 52-week order on WNAC (Continued on Page 3) MacArthur's Radio Chief Named By Protestants Albert Crews, former NBC executive who served until last April as chief of radio programming for Gen. MacArthur in Japan, has been appointed director of production for the Protestant Radio Commission, it was announced yesterday. Crews went to Japan in 1947 and (Continued on Page 2) Fran Warren, Thornhill On New Thesaurus List RCA Recorded Program Services have announced the addition to their Thesaurus list of two new shows, marking the first expansion since (Continued on Page 2) more detailed in his criticisms of the CBS system than in his comments on the RCA system. Smith offered a set of five criteria which he said any color system must meet, and insisted, as Jones questioned him, that it would be better for the Commission to wait for a system meeting these criteria than to adopt any present system which does not meet the standards he ad( Continued on Page 7) By FRANK BURKE Editor, Radio Daily Skytop, Pa. — Over 100 broadcasters from the Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland areas are gathered at the Skytop Lodge for "on the record" and "off the record" sessions of the Third District NAB. The two-day session called by George D. Coleman, general manager of WGBI, (Continued on Page 3) WNYC To Cover Polls Despile FCC Setback WNYC, New York, despite the refusal of the FCC this week to permit extension of its sign-off time on Nov. 8, is going ahead with plans for the most extensive election coverage in its 25-year history, Seymour Siegel, director of the city's non-commercial station, said yesterday. This year as last, when the Commission was equally adamant in its (Continued on Page 2) Long Delay Seen Likely In NBC And KMPC Deal Washington Bureau of RADIO DAILY Washington — It is likely to be many months before NBC is permitted to consumate its deal to take over control of KMPC, Los Angeles, observers here believe. Whether the (Continued on Page 2) Plans European Tour Los Angeles — ■ Chet Huntley, KNX-Columbia Pacific Network reporter and news analyst, will leave October 31 for a six-week tour of Europe where he will interview world leaders, record news spots and gather material for future broadcasts. His last broadcast will be on Oct. 29, and he will return to the air December 18. SmithJ ones Spat Enlivens Color -Television Hearings