Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

The National Daily Newspaper of Commercial Radio and Television VOL. 49. NO. 19 NEW YORK, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28. 1949 TEN CENTS FREE-TIME-TO-POLITICIANS CRITICIZED New BB-Airing Rules End Anti-Trust Action Washington Bureau of RADIO DAILY Washington — Suspension of the Justice Department probe of alleged anti-trust law violations by organized baseball club owners in assigning radio and TV rights was announced yesterday by Attorney General J. Howard McGrath. Substantial changes in the major league broadcasting and telecasting rules were adopted by representatives of the two major leagues to eliminate the causes of complaints, McGrath said. The department was interested both in freeing radio and TV sta(Continued on Page 7) N. Y. Stations Schedule Home Studies Series The New York State Education Department's "radio-assisted" home study course in contemporary living will be carried by five NBC affiliates in New York State starting Sunday, Oct. 30, with two other New York stations to pick it up later. Enrollment is free to New York state residents; out-of-state residents must pay a $5 fee. The Education Dept. will furnish home study material to be used in conjunction with the broadcasts. The 26-week series will be carried at the outset (Continued on Page 2) WBKB Names Weed & Co. As National Sales Rep. Chicago — John H. Mitchell, general manager of WBKB, yesterday announced the appointment of Weed & Co. as exclusive national sales representative, effective Nov. 1. At present, New York sales for WBKB are handled by Paramount, (Continued on Page 2) Wrong Pew Boston — Roger Harrison, WBZ farm director, arrived late the other inght at the Hotel Bradford, whsre he was to speak at the Dairymen's Banquet. Ushered in by a waiter, he dined at the speaker's table with other guests, and was ready for oratory when he discovered that he was in the right hotel but at the banquet of the Housewares Club. On The Button Washington — Joseph Katz, president of WWDC, Washington, yesterday climaxed his one-man "anti-depression talk" campaign by pinning on President Truman's lapel a button labeled, "Business is Good," Katz started his drive on Sept. 22 by pinning one of his buttons on Maryland's governor, and since then has distributed more than 10,000 to business. BMB May Reorganize To Offer Slock Shares Chicago — Mel Brorby, vice-president of Needham, Louis & Brorby, speaking at the Chicago Radio Management Club luncheon meeting at the Tavern Club, in discussing the future of the Broadcast Measurement Bureau, announced that BMB may be organized soon as a stockholding organization similar to the present set-up of BMI. At least, he said, that is one of the (Continued on Page 2) 150-Kw. VOA Transmitter In Operation At Munich The State Dept. has put a new, 150-kw. transmitter into operation at Munich, Germany, to strengthen the "Voice of America" signal in Eastern Europe and Russia, it was disclosed yesterday by the RCA International Division, which developed and installed the equipment. The new transmitter will augment existing "Voice" facilities in the Munich area, which consist of four (Continued on Page 6) Broadcasters Urged To Combat Trend Spreading To Non-Political Fields; Motives Called Questionable NRDGA Announces Radio Contest Rules Rules and other particulars of the fourth annual radio program contest for retailers were announced in New York yesterday by the National Retail Dry Goods Assn. Deadline for entries in the contest, which is co sponsored by the NRDGA and the NAB, is Dec. 1, 1949. Its purpose is "to reward good, resultful radio advertising by retailers." Any regularly scheduled, typical show sponsored by a NRDGA (Continued on Page 6) WAGA Gets All Rights To Crackers' Games Atlanta — WAGA has signed a five-year contract with the Atlanta Crackers baseball team for exclusive radio and television rights to all games. Jim Bailey, WAGE'S managing director, said the station plans full(Continued on Page 6) Penn Broadcasters Assn. Elects Officers, Directors Skytop, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Broadcasters Assn., meeting here yesterday, elected the following officers: president, Frank R. Smith, (Continued on Page 2) RCA, Westinghouse, Motorola Sales Up For First 9 Months Two major set manufacturers — Westinghouse and Motorola — yesterday reported record-breaking profits for the first nine months of 1949, while a third, RCA, reported an increase in gross income but a drop in net profit. RCA's gross income for the first nine months of 1949, as reported by its president, Frank Folsom, amounted to $275,673,666, as against $256,968,537 during the same period in 1948, an increase of $18,705,129. Net income, after all deductions, was $14,095,186, compared with $15,128,783 in 1948, a drop cf $1,033,597. Westinghouse declared a dividened of 65 cents per share on common stock, payable Dec. 1, and said it was made possible by the largest nine-month net income in the company's history. Gwilym A. Price, company president, disclosed also (Continued on Page 2) Skytop, Pa. — Increasing demand for free time for non-political broadcasts bySenators and Representatives in Washington is one of the problems of broadcasters in the 3rd District, NAB, it was revealed at its Skytop Lodge meeting yesterday. While the requests bear the label of (Continued on Page 6) Transit Radio Hearing Opens In Washington Washington Bureau of RADIO DAILY Washington— The District of Columbia Public Utilities Commission yesterday opened hearings on the desirability of a transit radio system in Washington. Several hundred local street cars and buses have been equipped for several months to carry a 12-hour daily commercial and music schedule from WWDC-FM. In a bitter hearing yesterday, it is (Continued on Page 2) CBS Programs Take Nielsens 'Top Eight' A. C. Nielsen Co.'s "eight topranking" radio programs for the week of Sept. 18-24 were all CBS shows, half of which were aired Mondays and the remainder on Thursdays. Lux Radio Theater headed the list with a rating of 23.9, followed by (Continued on Page 2) Longevity Bill Henry, MBS newscaster, will mark his 1500th five-minute news broadcast tonight. 8:55-9 p.m., EST, for the same sponsor, Johns Manville Company, manufacturers of asbestos products. He started under the sponsorship of Manville in 1943 when the program was heard on the Columbia Broadcasting System. He shifted to MBS in 1947.