Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

9 PefSOnal NoiGSS wniiam C. Fitts Jr., CBS director of labor relations who joined network’s legal dept, in 1950 after leaving law firm of Fly, Fitts & Shuebruk, headed by ex-FCC chairman James Lawrence Fly, elected CBS v.p. . . . Charles R. Denny, NBC v.p. in charge of owned stations and spot sales, and Mrs. Denny back from month in Europe ... A. James Ebel, Peoria consulting engineer associated with WMBD there, named acting mgr., KOLNTV & KOLN, Lincoln, Neb., succeeding Harold Anderson, now with upcoming WDEF-TV, Chattanooga . . . Otis H. Segler and David Andrews, ex-KOLN-TV, named sales mgr. & production director of WDEF-TV, Chattanooga (Ch. 12) due on air momentarily . . . Paul B. Marion promoted to sales mgr., WBTV, Charlotte, and Virgil V. Evans Jr. to WBT sales mgr. — both reporting to gen. sales mgr. Wallace J. Jorgenson . . . Joseph Carleton Beal, exproduction mgr., WDSU-TV, New Orleans, named mgr. of new public service div., World Wide Broadcasting Corp., Boston shortwave operation headed by Walter S. Lemmon . . . Donald N. Walker, who operated ovm printing business in Urbana, 111. last 3 years, named mgr. of National Assn, of Educational Broadcasters personnel office in Urbana to centralize recruitment of staff for all educational TV & radio stations . . . Jerry Burns, ex-TV director of KOOLTV, Phoenix under gen. mgr. Charles Garland, named gen. mgr. of KIVA, Yuma, Ariz. . . . Paul Mills promoted from radio program staff to program director of WISE-TV, Asheville, N. C. . . . John H. Smith Jr., NARTB promotion mgr., elected pres, of American Public Relations Assn. . . . Henry Salomon Jr., producer of NBC-TV’s Victory at Sea, appointed chief of new TV documentary unit, reporting to Davidson Taylor, director of public affairs; Isaac I. Kleinerman will be editor-in-chief; Donald B. Hyatt, business mgr.; Richard F. Hanser, head writer . . . Herbert Jaffe, ex-MPTV & MCA, joins Official Films as director of sales, with syndication v.p. Herman Rush assigned as administrative asst, to pres. Harold Hackett; Verne W. Behnke, N. Y. sales mgr., succeeds Jaffe at MPTV . . . Wynn Nathan promoted to sales v.p.. United TV Programs . . . Ted Wick resigns as Paramount Pictures TV-radio adv. & exploitation director to become CBS-TV Hollywood director of publicity & exploitation, succeeding Norman Seigel, resigned . . . John D. Allison, ex-Headley-Reed v.p., now local sales mgr., KGMB, Honolulu . . . Bruce McConnell, WISH, Indianapolis, elected pres., Indiana Broadcasters Assn. . . . Lansing B. Lindquist promoted to TVradio v.p., Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove . . . Ursula Halloran resigns as v.p. in charge of N. Y. office, Rogers & Cowan, to open public relations agency specializing in TV at 60 Madison Ave., N. Y. . . . J. Vance Babb, onetime NBC press div., now associate director of public relations of N. W. Ayer, N. Y., elected v.p. . . . Tom Hargis new head of TV-radio dept, in Hollywood office, Ruthrauff & Ryan, succeeding Wm. Burch, resigned . . . Carroll O’Mara, exKNBH, opens own consulting offices at 1610 No. Argyle, Hollywood. Gen. Mark W. Clark, recently retired UN supreme commander in Far East, now president of The Citadel, has become associated with Jefferson Standard Broadcasting Co., operators of WBTV & WBT, Charlotte, and upcoming WBTW, Florence, S. C., serving as consultant on international affairs and advisor on educational and cultural matters. Mrs. Ferdinand M. Thieriot, one of owners of San Francisco Chronicle, daughter of its founder Michael H. de Young and mother of Charles de Young Thieriot, asst, publisher and v.p. in charge of its KRON-TV and of KAFY-TV, Bakersfield (49% owned), died April 3 in San Mateo. One of her sisters, Mrs. George T. Cameron, is wife of the Chronicle's present publisher. Network Acconnis: Kelly-Sprlngfield Tire Co., in first network TV sponsorship, buys NBC-TV colorcast of National Open golf championship at Baltusrol, N. J. Mon. April 19, thru Compton Adv. . . . Quaker Oats joins Philco as simulcast sponsor of Don McNeill’s Breakfast Club on ABC-TV starting June 1, buying TV portion Tue. & Thu. 9:45-10 a.m. and dropping AM Mon.-Wed.-Fri. 9-9:16, thru J. Walter Thompson . . . Packard Motor Co. to sponsor Packard Program Starring Martha Wright on ABC-TV starting April 18, Sun. 9:15-9:30 p.m., thru Maxon Inc. . . . Old Gold to sponsor Truth or Consequences on NBCTV starting May 18, Tue. 10-10:30 p.m., thru Lennen & Newell . . . Toni (shampoo) sponsors Tony Martin Show on NBC-TV starting April 26, Mon. 7:30-7:45 p.m., thru Tatham-Laird Adv., Chicago . . . Revlon (cosmetics) drops out as alt. sponsor (with Congoleum-Nairn) of Mr. & Mrs. North on NBC-TV, effective July 13, Tues. 10:30-11 p.m. . . . Ford Foundation disclosed Omnibus would return on CBS-TV Oct. 17, Sun. 5-6:30 p.m., with Scott and Greyhound Bus reportedly renewing as sponsors; Ford is dropping Excursion on NBC-TV . . . ABC-TV drops The Mask Sun. 8-9 p.m., effective May 23, hopes to replace it with Paul Whiteman Show originating from Hamid’s MillionDollar Pier in Atlantic City . . . Steve Allen signs for 15 programs, Judy Holliday for 4, on Max Liebman’s new edition of Your Show of Shows on NBC-TV in fall . . . Avoset Corp. (Qwip cream product) and Florist Telegraph Delivery Assn, buy partic. on Morning Show on CBS-TV, Mon.-thru-Fri. 7-9 a.m., former thru Fletcher D. Richards, latter thru Grant Adv. Another blast at TV commercials this week from publicist Edward L. Bernays — this one purporting to show that, based on 115 replies to 3800 questionnaires, “bar and tavern keepers, barbers, beauticians & butchers” are as strongly opposed to commercials as were the educators and businessmen cited in previous survey (Vol. 10:5). His conclusion : “The 2 studies show that the people of the U. S., whatever their station or profession, are for a large part resistant to present TV commercials and that sponsors and advertising agencies are approaching the point of diminishing returns. As the public grows more resentful of abuses, they will be less likely to purchase the products offered for sale.” No comment from NARTB, whose recently amended Code of Practices tightens restrictions on multiple-spotting, cow-catchers, trailers, length of commercials, etc. Nor any intimation whom Bernays is representing in this second outburst against commercialism. Ward Wheelock & Co., Philadelphia, will close down in July, having lost its 18-year-old Campbell Soup Co. account (now divided among BBDO, Leo Burnett, Compton, Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample) . Other accounts are BevRich Co. (canned soft drinks), now with Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles; Stephens F. Whitman Co., and Adam Scheidt Brewing Co., which have not yet appointed new agencies. Printers’ Ink index of advertising volume for Jan.-Feb. shows it was up 17% from same 1953 period, only network radio showing loss (3%). Gains: network TV, 60% (see Vol. 10:14 for detailed PIB figures) ; magazines, 12%; newspapers, 6%; outdoor, 6%; business papers, 4%. New York City ad agencies, thru local A AAA council, are vigorously opposing proposal to extend city’s 3% sales tax to agency services. Gordon Webber, of Benton & Bowles staff, who writes CBS-TV Mama show, has had second novel. The Far Shore, published by Little-Brown. First was Years of Eden. Mark F. Ethridge, publisher of Louisville CourierJournal and Times (WHAS-TV & WHAS) elected a trustee of Ford Foundation.