Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

RADIO DAILY: Friday. December 23. 1949 FCC Gets Petition To Reconsider Grant (Continued from Page 1) its power from the 1240 to the 1080 band in the same city was upheld in April by the U. S. Court of Appeals. WINN reported yesterday that it is losing its ABC affiliation to WKLO next month. WINN seeks to have the FCC reopen the whole question, pointing out that the decision to permit the new station rather than to give WINN the frequency shift and a power boost from 250 watts to five kilowatts day and one kilowatt night was based on the fact that WINN was relying upon ABC programming whereas WKLO would be primarily local in its programming. WINN planned to take the full ABC network wire. That Mid-America, licensee of WKLO, would affiliate with ABC was predicted by WINN during the proceeding before the Commission. The Commission and the court, said WINN yesterday, based their preference for Mid-America upon its commitments that its operation will be based upon a non-network schedule unless a network affiliation can be secured which will not be at the expense of its local program service and which will not prevent a fair proportion of its time between 7:00 and 11:00 p.m., from being devoted to local live sustaining programs. Standard option hour provisions in ABC contracts leave only two free half-hour periods between 6: 00 and 11:00 p.m.^from 7:00 to 7:30 and from 10:30 to 11:00. This would mean, said WINN, that WKLO cannot continue to provide the service pledged when it received its permit. In view of the change in network affiliation, said WINN, "it is apparent that basis for preferment of the Mid-America application over that of petitioner no longer exists, and that the public interest requires that the entire matter be reconsidered in the light of the changed circumstances. . . . petitioner's prospective operation as a non-network station entitles it to a comparative consideration for the better broadcast facility originally granted to Mid-America on the basis that the latter propose*! to operate as a nonnetwork station." Greets Barkley On WIOD Miami — WIOD's Harry Munyan obtained an exclusive greeting to Miami from Vice-President Alben Barkley upon the veep's arrival at his Miami Beach honeymoon hideaway December 15th, and WIOD's Billie O'Day, women's commentator obtained an interview with the veep and Mrs. Barkley both aired Friday over WIOD. The veep was principal speaker at the Dade County Jefferson Jackson Day Dinner, December 17th. Man About Manhattan. . . .' • • • BIGTOWN SMALL TALK: Radio station owners have started promotion campaigns to sell radio via TV and proving, through some highly interesting statistics, that AM is still as big as ever. . . . Walter Winchell switched his plans and instead oi trekking off to the coast will spend the holidays with his family at the Roney Plaza in Miami Beach. . . . Frank Cooper has set Martha Tilton and Harry Babbitt for a year's recording contract on the Coral label. . . . "Luncheon at Sardi's" heading toward its 4th year on the air with the highest daytime rating on WOR. . . . Sheriff Bob Dixon sought by a major film outfit for series based on his "Chuck Wagon" characterization. . . . Frank Saunders putting on the "Paddy" show for WP1X for a one-time shot Dec. 26th at 8:30 p.m. . . . Xavier Cugat's about to launch a nationwide search for a new Latin vocalist for whom a $5000 prize awaits plus a tour of So. America and Europe with him in '50. Cugie's Norma Calderon has been signed for the "So. Pacific" road company. . . . Talented kids from the Wally Wanger Dancing School will put on a half-hour show on "Market Melodies" via WJZ-TV tomorrow. . . . Jerry Devine back to the coast alter hopping down to Washington to gather some more inside stuff for his "This is Your FBI" series. . . . Leo De Lyon sez it's too bad about the shortage of water here. Now if there can only be a shortage of "shortage of water" jokes. ft ft ft ft • • • The Radio Executives Club party at the Hotel Roosevelt yesterday was a really worthwhile charity gesture. All of the proceeds — $6,000 — goes to worthy charities and the 800 men and women who attended had a real good time. John Karol, president of the club and Reggie Schuebel of Duane Jones agency, who was chairman of the prize committee are to be congratulated. . . . ditto to Claude Barrere, secretary-treasurer, and some Christmas candy to Bill Hedges and O. B. Hanson who had the courage to wear Santa whiskers at the Radio Pioneers table. ft ft ft <fr • • • THAWTS WHILE THINKING: While they're at it. those TV stations who've been beefing about the blood-and-thunder material unloosed upon the television screens might as well include those shows dealing with ghosts and the supernatural. Wed. nite's edition of "The Clock," for instance, which was the story of a lad who died at 10 p.m. — or just about the time his 'spirit' visited his sweetheart and vowed eternal love. We don't know how the kiddie trade took it, but it was enough to chill our insides. . . . Talking about a chill, coldest delivery on the air (despite his excellent text) belongs to Martin Agronsky. . It takes the Fitzgeralds ten minutes to warm up the air again after Agronsky leaves it. ft ft ft ft • • • THE MORNING MAIL: "Let me relate briefly a hairraising incident," writes Roger Kay. "Right after your kind words about our .presentation for the Paul Lukas show, 'The Cheater,' we got a lot of calls from execs who wanted to see it. However, before we could get around to showing it, tragedy struck, sometime during the fateful night, "The Cheater' vanished from behind locked doors at the executive offices of GAC. Needless to say, we all went quietly nuts the next day. At 7 p.m., bless him, the quickwitted Rockefeller Center detective triumphantly returned, with IT under his arm. The innocent cause of all this furore was an art-loving charwoman who had taken it home, figuring it was just a beautiful 'picture book.' All's well that ends well, however, and we're all happy again — except perhaps our bewildered charwoman who shall, from now on, limit her collection to dated magazines." TV Time Sales In '48 Totaled $8,700,000 (Continued from Page 1) erating less than six months. Average monthly income ranged from $20,000 for stations on the air all year to only $5,000 for those on the air two months or less. Fourteen stations on the air all year reported an average operating cost of $538,000— about $45,000 per month. Among these, one reported an annual operating expense of $814,000, and another only $59,000. The FCC said TV revenues accounted for about 10 per cent of the overall take of TV sound radio stations in Philadelphia, and about 8 per cent in New York and Washington. Santa Claus On WTAG Kris Kringle has been having a busy time for himself at WTAG in Worcester, Mass. The Julie 'n' Johnny program used a pickup of Santa complete with static and interference as if from overseas. A second try to reach the bearded gent was on "FM" and it came in clear. Santa said he'd have some FM sets in his bag. On the Letters to Santa part of the same show, a letter was read from a 20-year-old girl named Arlene whose left arm had been amputated. Pledges totaling $250 came into the office to help the girl with a few minutes after sign-off. Hollywood's New COUNTRY CUB The Country Club Hotel occupies a magnificent location in the heart of the exclusive "Wilshire residential district . . . adjacent to Wilshire Country Club and overlooking the expanse of its gorgeous fairways and greens. • Rates from $6.00 up. Single Kitchenette Apartments Available by Week or Month. COUNTRY CLUB HOTEL 445 North Rossmore Avenue (Vine St.) Hollywood 4, Calif. Tclephont: Hollywood 9-2701