Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

13 Many transfer of ownership deals still pend before FCC — but, except for last week’s approval of “distress” sale of KFOR-TV, Lincoln, Neb. (Ch. 10), now off the air, the Commission hasn’t yet acted on any of the other transfer proposals made so far this year. Several haven’t even been filed to date. Biggest deal since the ABC-UPT merger, Storer Broadcasting Co.’s $10,000,000 purchase of Empire Coil Co. (WXEL, Cleveland; KPTV, Portland, Ore.; Empire Coil Co., manufacturer), revealed in early Jan. (Vol. 10:2), still awaits Storer’s disposal of one of his 6 vhf stations and possibly action on proposed FCC rule permitting any entity to own 2 uhf in addition to 5 vhf stations. Storer says he hasn’t found any buyer yet, though it’s still obscure which one of the stations he’s willing to sell. It’s reasonable to assume his broker, Howard Stark, who negotiated this week’s sale of KOTV, Tulsa (see p. 1), would like to sell more stations to the Jock Whitney firm. At all events, transfers are presently bogged down. Another big deal, Westinghouse’s pending $6,000,000 purchase of KPIX, San Francisco (Vol. 10:11) ought to be finalized fairly soon — and its expected that 14% stockholder, gen. mgr. Philip G. Lasky, will remain at that post for Westinghouse. Then there’s General Teleradio’s $1,900,000 purchase of WHBQ-TV with WHBQ, Memphis (Vol. 10:11); Time Inc.’s $3,500,000 purchase of KLZ-TV with KLZ, Denver (Vol. 10:10-12); Jessica Longston group’s $350,000 purchase from Carl Raymond of KMO-TV with KMO, Tacoma (Vol. 10:5); Gene Autry group’s $400,000 purchase of half-time KOY-TV, Phoenix, for merger with its timesharing KOOL-TV there (Vol. 10:12); and 50% sale of WHYN-TV with WHYN, Holyoke-Springfield, Mass, to employe pension fund of Springfield News and Union (Vol. 10:10) — none acted upon as yet. In the works, among quite a few other deals still to be announced, are Sheldon Anderson’s proposed sale of his KWG with radio KCOK, Tulare, Cal. for reported $700,000; sale of WTVH-TV with WTVH, Peoria, 111., for unnamed sum to recently merged local newspapers (Vol. Rising ovation and prolonged applause greeted award of bronze plaque and $500 watch to Edward R. Murrow by Overseas Press Club, March 29, after Secy. Dulles’ speech. He won prize for “best consistent TV presentation of foreign affairs.” Howard K. Smith, CBS European news chief, got it also for best consistent radio reporting, with David Schoenbrun, Paris Bureau chief, as runner up; Elmer Davis, ABC for best radio interpretation. Murrow was praised for “having introduced a new dimension to TV.” Two days later he also won one of $500 awards of Sidney Hillman Foundation for outstanding work in defense of civil liberties. Gerald W. Johnson, WAAM, Baltimore, was another winner. Westinghouse fired 2 former leaders of the left-wing independent UE in Pittsburgh this week — Thomas J. Fitzpatrick, ex-pres., and Frank Panzino, business mgr. of Local 601. Both switched to lUE (CIO) when it won collective bargaining rights for some 15,000 employes at E. Pittsburgh plant. They were dismissed on grounds of having been “a disturbing influence among our employes for many years.” Guaranteed annual wage equal to 42 week.s’ pay for all employes with year or more seniority was principal demand as lUE opened contract negotiations this week. Other demands included company-wide $1.25per-hour minimum and “substantial wage increase.” Latest community antenna .systems under con.struction, reported by Jerrold, are in Flagstaff, Ariz.; Berlin, N. H.; Livingston, Mont.; Norway, Mich. Last is one of the few in counto' municipally owned. 10:13); J. O. Willett’s acquisition of 98% of KFAZ, Monroe, La., by buying out a partner’s 49% for $25,500 (Vol. 10:6); and proposed $400,000 sale of the physical assets of now-defunct uhf KRTV, Little Rock, to new vhf KATV in nearby Pine Bluff, Ark. (Vol. 10:11). There also are several CP sale deals, including proposed $76,600 sale of assets of projected WUTV, Youngstown, so that WFMJ-TV can take over its Ch. 21 (Vol. 10:10); McLendon family’s proposed $5600 purchase of Texas oilman H. L. Hunt’s Ch. 43 CP for KTLG, Corpus Christ! (Vol. 10:10); Edward Lamb’s proposed $5000 purchase of Ch. 47 WTVQ, Pittsburgh (Vol. 9:30). U of Nebraska proposes to acquire, though it hasn’t yet applied for CP, the Ch. 12 equipment of KOLN-TV, Lincoln, Neb., whose owners recently bought now-silent KFOR-TV (Ch. 10) in “distress sale” (Vol. 10:13). Mr. & Mrs. John E. Fetzer (WKZO-TV, Kalamazoo) originally bought station KOLN-TV under “distress” circumstances last year (Vol. 9:30,34), now plan shift to Ch. 10 using KFOR-TV equipment. Fetzers will install, and operate at no expense to university, KOLN-TV’s 5-kw DuMont transmitter and associated equipment (RCA 6-bay superturnstile antenna, etc.) for $100,000 on mutually satisfactory terms. Meanwhile, Fetzers are transferring it to Byron J. Dunn, pres, of National Bank of Commerce, Lincoln, as trustee for university. According to report filed with FCC, university cannot act yet because (a) new chancellor is being selected, and (b) further appropriations of funds won’t be available before July 1, 1955. Ownership in 10 AM stations— 3 in excess of number permitted by FCC I'ules — is charged against officers and directors of General Teleradio and its parent General Tire & Rubber Co. by Commission in action this week. FCC says ownership involves following: WOR-TV-AM-FM, New York; WNAC-TV-AM-FM, Boston; KHJ-TV-AM-FM, Hollywood; WGTH-TV-AM, Hartford; WSJS-TV-AM, Winston-Salem; WJW-AM-FM, Cleveland — plus AMs WEAN, Providence; KGB, San Diego; WARE, Ware, Mass.; KFRC, San Francisco. Commission asked comment by May 3. Creditors of Tele King Corp., with Chapter XI claims exceeding $10,000, in addition to those listed last week (Vol. 10:1): Thomas Electronics, $110,651; Westinghouse, $93,839; Sylvania, $84,386; Tung-Sol, $65,706; Progressive Electronic Inc., $48,315; Micamold Radio Corp., $46,695; Red Lion Novelty Furniture Co., $46,039; Waterbury Co. Inc., $42,686; Victory Container Corp., $39,937; Malloiy, $31,020; Sessions Clock Co., $30,049; Sheldon Electric Co., $29,516; Radio Receptor Co., $27,684; RCA Victor, $24,799; Oak Mfg. Co., $23,272, Stanwyck Winding Co., .$22,488; Hagen & Hagen Inc., $21,715; Sprague Electric Co., $20,802; Videocraft Mfg. Co., $17,812; Webster-Chicago, $15,264; Rogers Electronics Corp., $14,644; Modern Die & Machine Co., $11,870; Precision Plastic Products Inc., $11,388; U. S. Electronics Corp., $10,714; Manfredi Wood Products Co., $10,370; Standard Winding Co., $10,072. Image orthicon and vidicon camera tubes, heretofore manufactured only by RCA, will be made by GE, with commercial production scheduled for 1955. Project under Harry L. Thorson is in px-oduction planning stage at Schenectady tube plant. At no time since start of TV has any company besides RCA gone into regular commercial production of the costly and difficult-to-produce tubes. Dividends: RCA, 25(' payable May 24 to stockholdei's of record April 15; Emerson Radio, 10(f quarterly & 5<f extra April 16 to holders April 6; Webster-Chicago, 15^ April 20 to holders April 8.