Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

VOL. 49, NO. 34 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1949 TEN CENTS SPECIAL THANKSGIVING PROGRAMS SET Home-Sel Production Six Million For 10 Mo. Washington Bureau of RADIO DAILY Washington— Total U. S. production of AM and AM-FM home receivers probably exceeded six million in the first 10 months of 1949, production figures released at the weekend show. A total of 4,983,456 AM-only sets was reported for RMA members alone, along with 666.352 FM-AM and FM-only. There was no breakdown on these, but it is likely that the vast majority of these sets con(Continued on Page 6) Coast Spot Campaign Set For "Battleground" West Coast Bureau of RADIO DAILY Hollywood— M.G.M's West Coast premiere of "Battleground" at the new Egyptian on Dec. 1, will be ballyhooed by 300 spot announcements over eighteen local station* between now and opening day, it was announced yesterday. M-G-M considers radio ad expenditures to herald this opening as being one of its "heaviest radio campaigns in years." "Battleground" received a similar radio build-up for the New York opening. Miller Brewery Extends Contract On Welk Show The Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee has signed a 26-week contract extending its sponsorship of the Lawrence Welk Show heard Wednesday nights from 10 to 10:30 p.m., EST. Program has been sponsored by the brewery since June 1, 1949. Pieterson-Dunlap Associates, Inc., of Milwaukee, Wise, is the agency. Launch Campaign The 1949 Christmas Sea', campaign in Nassau County was launched yesterday by WOR's John Gambling and Mrs. Theodore Streibert, chairman of the local campaign, in a broadcast over WHLI and WHLI FM in Hempstead, Long Island. The program was the first in a series telling the story of the Christmas Sea). Pioneer Poller Carl Haverlin. president of BM1. Inc., and chairman of the membership committee of Radio Pioneers, yesterday credited RADIO DAILY with recruiting 15 new members for the Pioneers. He said that publication of a story on the Pioneers membership drive last Thursday brought a long distance phone call from Tack Weldon, WWOD, Lynchburg, Va.. on Friday and a wire from Howard E. Pill, sales manager of WSFA, Montgomery, Ala. Other new members came in bv phone call and mail and all referred to the RADIO DAILY article. Radio Farm Directors To Meet In Chicago Chicago — 'Approximately 250 radio farm executives are expected to attend the sixth annual meeting of the National Association of Radio Farm Directors which will be held here at the Stevens Hotel next Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 26 and 27) . The two-day session will get under way with a noon luncheon on Saturday. True D. Morse, president of the Doane Agricultural Service, (Continued on Page 2) Pratt Named President Of Michigan Broadcasters Lansing, Mich. — Stanley Pratt. Dresident and general manager of WSOO, Sault Ste Marie, has been elected president of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, succeed(Continued on Page 3) Radio And TV Broadcasters Schedule Holiday Programs In Observance Of Thanksgiving Day Church Group Plans TV-Film Programs Syracuse, N. Y. — Plans of the Protestant Radio Commission, representing the major communions and denominations in the country, for production of live and film TV programs at a budget of one million dollars were revealed here over the weekend by the Rev. Everett C. Parker, director of the group. Addressing 15 national church representatives attending a week's TV workshop at WHEN, Rev. (Continued on Page 7) Leisure Heads AFRA Local in San Francisco San Francisco — Clarence Leisure of KNBC has been elected president of the San Francisco Local of the American Federation of Radio Artists. First vice-president of the (Continued on Page 2) NBC Salutes WIS On Opening Of Studios Columbia, S. C. — A host of NBC talent paid tribute over last weekend and on Monday to station WIS— WIS-FM to commemorate the opening of the station's new studio (Continued on Page 3) Seven Broadcasters Share In Amer. Freedom Awards Valley Forge, Pa.— Presentation of radio awards to networks, stations and individuals highlighted first annual Freedoms Foundation Day with General Dwight D. Eisenhower making the American Freedom awards at historic Valley Forge. The first award for network programming went to ABC for "The Greatest Story Ever Told" with NBC's Cavalcade of America taking second place. These awards were reported in Friday's Radio Daily. Third award went to George (Bon Bon) Tunnell of WDAS, Philadelphia, for having "spoken up for freedom" in such ways as to contribute to preserving and strengthening the American way of life and principles for which it stands. Tunnell, a Negro disc jockey, presents "The Bon Bon Show" on WDAS (Continued on Page i) The four major networks have planned extensive special Thanksgiving Day programming to be broadcast this week. Several of the webs kicked-off on Sunday night and program departments and special events rooms have lined up an array of airers emanating from New York, (Continued on Page 6) Publishers Seeking Facsimile Rights Toronto — Canada's newspaper publishers yesterday claimed a right of first-choice in the development of facsimile broadcasting, a process by which "printed" news can be brought into the home without the use of printing presses or carrierboys. The claim was made during discussion of a brief presented the Royal Commission on National De(Continued on Page 3) New Regulatory Body Urged For Canada Calgary — ■ A separate regulatory body to license and regulate Canadian radio was urged over the weekend in a brief submitted to the Royal Commission on Arts, Letters and Sciences. The brief was submitted by the (Continued on Page 2) Gratitude Sydney Mahler, the Brooklyn baker who hit the jackpot by naming the Mystery Melody on "Stop the Music" over ABC two weeks ago. showed up at the network Sunday with two big cakes, one for the network decorated with the words "Thanks lor Calling" and the other inscribed "Thank You Walter." lor Wlnchell. giver oi the clue.