Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

Record Details:

Title:
Television digest with electronic reports
Date:
Jan-Dec 1954
Publisher:
Washington, D.C. : Radio News Bureau
Volume:
Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1954)
Leaf #:
000210
Language:
English
Subjects:
Television broadcasting -- Periodicals, Television -- United States -- Periodicals","Radio broadcasting -- United States -- Periodicals.
Collection:
Broadcasting & Recorded Sound
Format:
Periodicals
Contributor:
University of Maryland, College Park
Sponsor:
LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
A weekly digest of brief reports tracking recent developments in the U.S. television marketplace. Published out of Washington, D.C. with much more focus on the retail of TV sets than the other D.C.-based trade paper, BROADCASTING. -- Eric Hoyt, 2015
Date Added:
March 28, 2024
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2 of this, aside from fact KOTV is a CBS-TV basic affiliate, is merely that Paley may have told him the station was worth the price. CBS itself last year paid a record $6,000,000 to acquire a Chicago outlet, is known to have shopped for still more, is currently party to intensely competitive applications for Boston and St. Louis. The sellers are Helen Maria Alvarez (50%), who founded the station in 1949; Jack Wrather, Oklahoma oil heir now residing in Beverly Hills, Cal. (25%) ; and his mother Mrs. Mazie Wrather (25%). Just about 2 years ago, they combined to buy oilman George Cameron's control and the then Alvarez minority for $2,500,000 (Vol. 8:9). Terms of the deal, handled by broker Howard Stark, weren't disclosed — but it isn't all cash. Mrs. Alvarez and Wrather remain on board of newly formed Osage Broadcasting Corp. , along with Whitney partners C. Wrede Petersmeyer, William H. Jackson, Robert F. Ryan. Whitney firm was formed to finance development of growth industries and is identified with such companies as Spencer Chemical, Minute Maid, Great Northern Paper, Morton Packing and others in the power tool, home equipment, oil and natural gas fields, has for several years been interested in various local community antenna projects along with Jerrold Electronics. Whitney firm's motives in acquiring first of what's expected eventually to be a string of stations was stated thus, in April 1 release: "TV is one of the dynamic postwar growth industries. We feel that TV broadcasting offers an exceptional opportunity to serve the public interest. We are pleased that our first investment of this type is in the progressive city of Tulsa... an exceptionally attractive TV market because of its high economic level and growth prospects." [For report on other TV station sale deals so far this year, see p. 13.] 2 MORE STATIONS IN TROUBLE, SUSPEND: No new starters reported this week, though a few more are imminent — but 2 uhf outlets went off the air v/hile their owners try to raise enough money to resume operation. Closing down but retaining CPs were WACH, Newport News. Va. (Ch. 33) and KETX, Tyler, Tex. (Ch. 19), the 9th & 10th post-freeze stations to quit or suspend. Seven uhf and 3 vhf have left the air to date, though one has resumed and others plan to come back (for list see Vol. 10:11-12). Two other uhf grantees not yet on air dropped CPs this week (see p. 3), for total of 51 uhf & 11 vhf grants relinquished since freeze-end. Troubles of this week's "mortalities" apparently stemmed from management and financial difficulties, not primarily from fact they're uhf. Others also are known to be in trouble but trying to keep going until after Senate uhf probe of April 27-29 (Vol. 10:11,13), hoping it may offer a formula to help through "conversion" period. Another uhf this week cut out all local programming, dismissed all personnel connected with local telecasts, stated it will carry film & network shows only. It's WKLO-TV, Louisville (Ch. 21), which competes with 2 pre-freeze vhf. Said Joe Eaton, pres. : "It is necessary that all possible economies be made in order to continue operations until the situation facing uhf stations in most cities improves." * ♦ * * The 2 latest shutdowns leave room for speculation that vhf in similar situations might have had tough sledding, too. WACH w'as 4th station (3rd uhf) in NorfolkPortsmouth area — a low-budget operation with no network, virtually no sales force, no live programming. It started last Oct., tried various film formats, finally ending up with "continuous performances" that repeated same feature films 3 times each evening. It went off air March 26 after staff had been cut to 3 on-duty. Its plight raises question whether Norfolk market, with 176,000 homes, could profitably support even 4 vhf at present time. There's parallel in Omaha-Lincoln area, with 153,000 households, which apparently couldn't support 4 vhf — forcing the 2 in Lincoln to go on the block in distress (see p. 13 and Vol. 9:30 & 10:9,11). Nevertheless, principal WACH owner John Doley is seeking new financing, has asked FCC to change his AM's call letters from WHYU to WACH and his TV to WACH-TV. Norfolk is home of successful uhf W\^C-TV, which got NBC affiliation when pre-freeze WTAR-TV switched to CBS. City's other station, WTOV-TV (Ch. 27). this week petitioned FCC to add Ch. 13 in nearby Princess Anne. It carries some ABC & DuMont j