Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

8 Personal Notes: Thomas B. McFadden promoted to NBC v.p. in charge of TV-radio national spot sales; Edward R. Hitz elevated to TV network sales v.p. for central div., Chicago; Hamilton Shea to v.p. in charge of WRCATV & WRCA . . . Raymond W. Welpott, former WRGBWGY stations operations mgr., named mgr. of WRGB, Schenectady, in separation of functions of GE’s TV & radio broadcasting opei’ations; Merl L. Galusha, exWRGB production supervisor, becomes mgr. of radio WGY & WGFM, and Caleb Paine, ex-public service director, becomes mgr. of newly created station services section for both TV & radio — all reporting to GE broadcasting stations dept. mgr. R. B. Hanna Jr. . . . James Lawrence Fly, ex-FCC chairman, now in law practice, operated on for a detached retina in N. Y. last week, now recuperating at his winter home in Daytona Beach, Fla. . . . E. C. Page, Washington consulting engineer, on flying business trip to Europe with Mrs. Page, returns in latter Dec. . . . Ralph W. Hardy, NARTB v.p. for govt, relations and vice-chairman of U. S. Commission for United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization, currently attending biannual UNESCO conference in Montevideo, Uruguay, returning about Dec. 15 . . . Louis Ruppel, onetime CBS public relations chief, ex-Chicago editor, recently editor of Collier’s, named editor of Philadelphia Daily News, Ch. 23 grantee . . . Robert S. Wilson, ex-Katz Agency, N. Y., named gen. sales mgr., KGUL-TV, Galveston, Tex. . . . George A. Mayoral, exec, v.p., has taken over as gen. mgr. of WJMR-TV, New Orleans, succeeding James E. Gordon, resigned; Jack Petrik replaces Mayoral as chief engineer; Aubrey Moore named program director, succeeding Tom Abbott . . . Tom Morehead named production director of KTRK-TV, Houston ; Tom Hiner, chief engineer . . , Henry (Hank) Slavick, gen. mgr. of WMCT & WMC, Memphis, elected pres, of Tennessee Broadcasters Assn.; Hoyt Wooten, WREC, Memphis, secy.-treas. . . . John Porter promoted to NBC adv.-promotion mgr., Edwin Vane to mgr. of national sales promotion . . . Newell T. Schwin appointed mgr. of CBS Radio Spots Sales sales development . . . Wm. F. Fairbanks promoted to ABC Radio national sales mgr., succeeded as eastern sales mgr. by Norman E. Cash . . . Dick Hackney, promoted to sales & promotion mgr., KHOL-TV, Kearney, Neb., succeeding Gor don E. Morehouse . . . Jim Pennock named sales mgr. of upcoming WLEX-TV, Lexington, Ky. ; Jim Robertson, chief engineer . . . Royce Nation now business mgr. of KOA-TV, Denver, succeeding George Mathews . . . W. S. Jackson, ex-WJLS, Beckley, W. Va., named sales director of WKNA-TV, Charleston, W. Va. and upcoming WOAYTV, Oak Hill, W. Va. ; time on both stations is to be sold jointly as unit . . . Joe Windsor promoted to commercial mgr. of WDAK-TV, Columbus, Ga., succeeding Ed J. Hennessy, now gen. sales mgr. of upcoming WEAT-TV, W. Palm Beach (Ch. 12) ... George A. Gingell promoted from sales service mgi-. to program director of WRBL-TV, Columbus, Ga.; Ridley Bell to operations director . . . Carl MacCaull named program director of upcoming CBHT, Halifax, N. S. . . . Lee Raddatz resigns as director of press relations, NBC Hollywood, his duties being assumed by publicity director Casey Shawhan . . . Edward P. Morgan resigns as CBS news director to conduct “news and opinion” program sponsored by AFL on ABC radio, Mon.-thruFri. 10-10:15 p.m.; program previously featured Frank Edwards on Mutual . . . Dean McCarthy, ex-WCAN-TV, Milwaukee, joins that city’s WTVW as asst, program director . . . Judith Waller, director of public affairs & education, NBC Chicago, to be program consultant to upcoming educational WTTW, Chicago (Ch. 11) ... Dick Nesbitt, onetime football star with Drake and Chicago Bears and sports commentator for last 15 year's, named sports director of KSTP-TV & KSTP, St. Paul . . . Bruce Staudermann, ex-WXEL, Cleveland, onetime writer of Captain Video, named TV-radio director, Meldrum & Fewsmith, Cleveland . . . Wm. G. Scharpff, ex-NBC, named co-director of TV-radio dept.. Guild, Bascom & Bonfigli, San Francisco ... A. Hughes Wilson Jr., ex-Geyer Adv., Detroit, joins N. Y. office of Fuller & Smith & Ross as Westinghouse TV-radio div. account executive . . . Norman S. Brett, ex-DuMont Network sales promotion mgr., joins Moselle & Eisen Adv. as acount executive for Tootsie Rolls. Frederick A. Miller, 86, pres, of South Bend Tribune, operating WSBT-TV & WSBT, died Nov. 29. He founded the stations, has been majority stockholder in the newspaper since the death of his father in 1892. Paper has always refused to carry beer & liquor advertising. IF STRONG INFLUENCES within the Administration have their way — and it looks now like they will — FCC Comr. Frieda Hennock won’t be reappointed when her 7-year term expires June 30. Currently, she’s seeking to line up support for reappointment, and also is reported to be out for a state judgeship when the Harriman Administration takes over in New York. Columnist Drew Pearson, in Nov. 27 broadcast, reported that President Eisenhower is going to “fire” Miss Hennock in favor of Gordon Persons, retiring Governor of Alabama and brother of the President’s legislative deputy, Gen. Wilton B. Persons. That was simply Pearson’s interpretation of the fact that Miss Hennock’s term as a Democratic appointee expires and that certain interests, both political and within the industry, are already working on behalf of new candidates. Gov. Persons is a onetime radio station manager in Montgomery (WSFA), then owned by his family, and would be very much persona grata to the industry. Opposing Miss Hennock are powerful forces with which she has constantly crossed swords, notably newspaper interests in TV-radio, and it’s understood the American Newspaper Publishers Assn, is preparing to come out openly against reappointment in view of her consistent votes against newspapers. Besides Gov. Persons, candidates already advanced include Dr. Franklin Dunham, radio director of U. S. Office of Education, an industry veteran, who would be even more favored by certain educational TV interests than Miss Hennock, albeit educational TV owes her much; Miss Ann Rutherford, exec, secy., Tennessee State Funding Board, who was secy, to Gov. Frank Clement of Tennessee when he was gen. counsel of State Public Utilities Commission; Miss Eva Adams, ex-aide to late Sen. McCarran, of Nevada. There will be more candidates between now and June, with special efforts on behalf of another woman for the job. Only thing certain is that post can’t go to a Republican. Chairmanship of FCC, meanwhile, stays in hands of recess GOP appointee George C. McConnaughey, of Ohio, named Sept. 25 (Vol. 10:39) but not yet confirmed. Effort to get him confirmed at special Senate session which adjourned Dec. 2 was blocked by minority leader Lyndon Johnson (D-Tex.) as among those to be held up as “controversial” — although Commerce Committee had approved the nomination. Democrats on committee have indicated, however, they want to question him further. It’s expected he will be reappointed by President Eisenhower and confirmed by new Congress which convenes Jan. 3. FCC public reference room moved this week to 7013 Post Office Bldg. Rest of License Div. moves from 8th to 7th floor in next 2 weeks.