Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

RADIO DAILY Tuesday, December 20, 1949 COAST-TOCOAST WRC Shifts Hunnicutt Washington, D. C. — Radio listeners who used to spend their pre-breakfast minutes listening to Mike Hunnicutt now find that they'll have to change their eating habits or merely settle for a midnight snack if they want to enjoy Hunnicutt humor, hearsay and harmony. Mike and his piano, after years of early morning broadcasting, have moved to station WRC for a night owl show 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. nightly except Sundays. Judge Honored On WDRC Hartford, Conn. — A testimonial dinner for one of its charter members brought the entire membership of the "Needle Club." WDRC organization, to a local banquet hall. Judge Charles E. Mahoney was honored by Democratic state leaders, including Gov. Bowles, at the dinner. The 30 "Needle Club" members attended the affair, and a gift was given to Mahoney at the dinner by the club president. Jack Zaiman. "Needle Club" commentator on WDRC. Local Jackpot Winner Hartford, Conn. — Dominick Gagliardo. a local man, recently won $18,000 in prizes on the CBS "Hit the Jackpot" program. The local CBS outlet, WDRC, has wire record of the presentation of one of the gifts to Gagliardo. a brand new DeSoto. for broadcast on "The Old Record Shop." FCC Minimum-Time Rule Draws FM Stations' Fire i Continued from Page 1) tions. The new proposals would mean "too much of an additional burden," the Commission was told by broadcasters from all parts of the country. KJBS. San Francisco, related that its FM affiliate has been on the air three years, with separate programming and separate transmitter location— and has an operating deficit of $84,365 through October. Construction cost was about $50,000. "Based upon past experience and upon the impact of TV," it told the Commission, "there is no reason to expect the revenue of KJBS-FM will increase in the foreseeable future." On the other hand, the station operators "have not lost their faith in FM broadcasting, despite the lack of public acceptance and the heavy losses incurred," they said. "In their opinion. FM can advance and grow New FM Music Service Being Launched By Field • Continued f area and that other deals for other areas are rapidly being consummated. Each FM franchise granted includes a complete operation service. Lane said that this service assures successful operation with reduced overhead and eliminates costly experiments. Included among the franchise services are the supply of program material, sales techniques, technical helps, bookkeeping systems and exclusive territorial rights to their special equipment. Leasing For A Year WJJD and WFMF have been leasing special FM receivers to subscribers for almost a year. After exhaustive tests it was felt here that such a service, offered to business firms at low rental rates, would result in a mass market. So. Field Enterprises has now decided to consolidate the facilities of the manufacturer of signal controlled FM receivers and their special musical sales research staff into the new firm of Functional Music Inc. In the Chicago area almost 100 installations are already in service. A Marshall Field spokesman said that Functional Music can compete with existing wired music services at only one-third to one-half the cost. He contended that wired music services are limited because rates are based on length of wire lines. Through the use of FM, the area serviced is limited only by the coverage of the FM station. To achieve this "wired music" effect at cheaper cost, a high quality receiver is used with a supersonic control circuit. This control circuit, keyed from the FM station, eliminates commercials and other voice rom Page 1) material from subscriber's receivers so only the music is received. This supersonic control circuit also permits various on and off services as desired by the subscriber. Since outstanding tonal quality is necessary, Functional Music uses only specially designed equipment. Functional Music also manufactures FM signal controlled receivers for store broadcasting services. One chain store broadcast service, operating in almost 300 grocery super markets, has been using equipment designed and built by Functional Music engineers for almost a year. A new receiver, called the Adcaster Model 617, enables as many as six independent chains to operate through one FM station. All commercials are boosted in volume through voice emphasis circuits. Many Firms Subscribe Included among the nearly 100 installations already in service in Chicago are beauty shops, stores, restaurants, factories and offices. The Marshall Field local FM outlet. WFMF. has made no substantial changes in its program schedule. The station, which is on the air daily from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., has always been programmed separately from its AM sister. WJJD, with WFMF concentrating strictly on news and music. only by having a substantial number of stations on the air in each community, some of which provide a program service not available on AM stations. It is believed that the proposed amendment, if adopted, will force many FM stations to cease operation, discourage the filing of applications for new stations, and discourage separate programming by FM stations and. through economic pressure, force duplication of the AM programs on the FM operation." Other objections were recorded from WHBS, Huntsville, Ala.; WBJS. Winston-Salem, N. C. and WAAF, Chicago, all operating FM affiliates with separate transmitters. W.WTED Experienced solcsman with cor ABC affiliate in qiod Rocky Mountain secondary market. Photo required with complete resume. Write Box 296, RADIO DAILY, 1501 Broadway, N Y C mean* Sutinete AGENCIES THE NORGE DIVISION of BorgWarner Corp., Detroit, has named Duane Jones Company, Inc. as its advertising agency for the enti/e line of Norge Home Appliances. The agency plans to use package-goods techniques as traffic builders in the appliance business. They will gear appliance advertising to the retail level. DANCER FITZGERALD SAMPLE. INC. paid their traditional Christmas bonus yesterday. Certificates of membership in the company's retirement profit-sharing plan were also distributed at the same time. THE S.S.S. COMPANY, maker of an appetite tonic, to Henry Kaufman & Associates, Washington. D. C. Newspapers, radio and merchandising support is planned. HUBERT FLORY has joined the copy staff of Brooke, Smith. French & Dorrance, Inc. He was formerly with BBD&O. JULES LABERT and BOB KIRSCHBAUM have joined the Casper Pinsker advertising agency as radio directors. Labert has an extensive background in mail-order radio; Kirschbaum was formerly radiotelevision director of ShappeWilkes. Inc. RADIO EXECUTIVES CLUB OF NEW YORK <s «3 <s GALA CHRISTMAS PARTY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22 GRAND BALLROOM HOTEL ROOSEVELT fi PRIZES! FUN! ENTERTAINMENT! | ABE BURROWS, CBS STAR, WILL EMCEE 1 ft ADMISSION, $3.00 for members, $3.75, non-members. J i j £ NO TABLES RESERVED! FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED! J I R DOORS OPEN AT NOON