Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1957)

Personal Notes: James E. Denning elected NBC v.p. in charge of talent and program contract administration; Thomas W. Sarnoff elected v.p. for production and business affairs, Pacific division; Richard H. Graham, v.p., law. Pacific div. . . . Leonard H. Goldenson, AB-PT pres., elected broadcasting industry representative on Advertising Council board . . . John F. Meagher, NARTB radio v.p., elected a director of American Heart Assn.; he has served as chairman of its radio committee for last 3 years . . . Charles Quentin, chief engineer of KRNT-TV & KRNT, Des Moines, named engineering director of parent Cowles Bcstg. Co. . , . Edward D. Taddei, exec. v.p. of Triangle’s WNHC-TV & WNHC, New Haven, named gen. mgr., succeeding Aldo DeDominicis, who remains as consultant . . . Truman B. Hinkle, ex-majority owner & gen. mgr. of radio KRAM, Las Vegas, named gen. mgr. of KSHO-TV, same city . . . Frank E. Fitzsimonds, ex-exec, v.p. of KFYR-TV, Bismarck, N. D., named mgr. of KBMBTV, same city , . . Robert T. Schlinkert promoted to asst, gen. mgr. of WKRC-TV, Cincinnati, continuing his duties as gen. sales mgr. . . . James M. Sirmons, gen. mgr. of CBS Radio operations dept., promoted to asst, director of labor relations, CBS Inc. . . . Roland H. McClure promoted to mgr. of Los Angeles office, CBS Radio Spot Sales . . . John T. Curry Jr. promoted to mgr. of station services. Radio Advertising Bureau . . . Robert W. Miller promoted to sales mgr. of KOOL-TV, Phoenix . . . Clayton A. Roehl promoted to program director of WWTV, Cadillac, Mich. . . . Barry Zorthian, ex-CBS, serving last 5 years as Voice of America ocerseas correspondent, promoted to VGA program mgr., replacing Gene King, resigned. Jack Poppele, ex-director of Voice of America, is pres, of new Green Mountain Enterprises, planning to open “Santa’s Land” recreation park in Putney, Vt., is also considering purchase of interest in radio stations. His associates in park venture are Charles F. Gannon, exBenton & Bowles, and Charles Crawford, ex-U. S. Steel. Captialization is $200,000; organizers plan to retain 62%, sell 38%. Poppele said he was prompted to go into project after evaluating tremendous growth of recreation expenditures and leisure time. Project will feature closedcircuit radio — with commercials. Frederick B. Thornton, BBC’s North American representative, was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in New Year’s Honors List of Queen Elizabeth II. Also included in the list of 2000 cited was John Morris, controller of BBC’s cultural Third Program, who was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Raymond Dorrington Bangay, foreign mgr. of British Marconi, retired this week after more than 54 years with the company. Well known in U. S. as radio pioneer, he represented Marconi in this country from 1902 to 1907, helping in the installation of many radio stations, including first U. S. coastal station at Babylon, N. Y. Thad H. Brown Jr., NARTB’s TV v.p., appointed cochairman of advisory committee of Presidential Inaugural Ball Committee, and co-chairman of protocol committee for Governors’ Reception at the inauguration. James W. Blackburn, partner of station brokers Blackburn-Hamilton Co., now convalescing at his home, 9 Radcliffe Road, Alexandria, Va., following hospitalization for occlusion. Frederick W. Ford, former chief of FCC Hearing Div., now at Justice Dept., promoted to asst, deputy attorney general. Frank Pace Jr., exec. v.p. of General Dynamics and former Secretary of Army, elected to board of Loew’s Inc. Martin Agronsky, ABC Washington commentator, signs contract to join NBC in next few months. A/rORE ABC TOP LEVEL CHANGES: James A. Stabile resigned this week as v.p. & gen. counsel, joins NBC in talent & program operations; he’s succeeded by Mortimer Weinbach, v.p. in charge of labor relations. James H. Connolly resigns as v.p. in charge of KGO-TV, San Francisco, succeeded by v.p. John H. Mitchell, ex-gen. mgr. of ABC’s WBKB, Chicago, later head of WABC-TV, N. Y., I’ecently special asst, to AB-PT pres. Leonard Goldenson; Mitchell left for new post Jan. 4. Charles Abry, TV network national sales mgr., also resigns this week, his duties taken over by Slocum Chapin, v.p. in charge of TV network sales. These changes, states Oliver Treyz, recently named v.p. in charge of TV network, mean the “organization is now shaken down to the point where it’s unlikely that there will be any more significant separations from now on, and we can proceed with building and strengthening our organization in depth.” Series of ABC executive defections and shifts began with resignation of Robert E. Kintner as ABC pres.; he joined NBC this week as its 5th exec. v.p. After him, came resignations of v.p.’s Ernest Lee Jahneke and Geraldine B. Zorbaugh, his special assts.; then Harold L. Morgan, v.p. & controller, who quit to join McCann-Erickson; then Robert F. Lewine, v.p. in charge of programming & talent, now NBC v.p., program dept., who was succeeded by James T. Aubrey, ex-CBS Hollywood mgr. of network programs. FCC Comr. Rosel H. Hyde’s planned trip to Mexico City to sign bilateral radio agreement Jan. 8 has been postponed, Mexican Govt, stating delay is due to translation of agreement from English to Spanish. MidJan. meeting is now likely. Two new examiners being appointed by FCC: Charles Frederick, from Office of Opinions & Review; Millard F. French, from Renewal & Transfer Div. Latter previously was an examiner, left Commission for brief period. Obituary Lawrence M. Klee, 42, TV-radio scenarist who often turned out as many as 15 stories a week, died Jan. 1 of heart attack at home in Westport, Conn. He created Man Against Crime and The Line-Up TV series, wrote scripts for Mr. and Mrs. North, The Fat Man, The Chase, The Clock. He wrote narration for The Roosevelt Story, feature-length film on late President’s life, won citations for wartime work with War & Treasury Depts. Surviving are his widow, a daughter and a son. Michael H. Sloman, former chairman of Mumm, Mullay & Nichols, Columbus, 0., died Jan. 1 in White Cross Hospital there after long illness. Before joining agency in 1954 he was marketing director for Monsanto Chemical Co. and had been gen. mgi\ of Detergents Inc. before it was bought by Monsanto. Suiwiving are his widow, 2 sons, 2 daughters and 10 grandchildren. Eugene Gaughn, 52, AT&T public relations studies mgr., died of heart attack Jan. 1 at his home in Yonkers, N. Y. He joined N. Y. Telephone Co. in 1928 following graduation from Syracuse U, later forming its public relations dept, in N. Y. City. Survivors ai’e his widow, brother & sister. Joseph R. Hamlen, 75, head of Boston office of Albert Frank-Guenther Law Inc., having joined agency in 1929 as a v.p., and served as asst, to chairman of American Red Cross during World War I, died Jan. 3 at Mass. General Hospital after brief illness. Surviving are his widow, 3 sons and brother. Mrs. Frederick A. Miller, 89, pres, of South Hevd Tribnvc (WSBT-TV & WBST) since her husband’s death in 1949, died Dec. 27. She is survived by her lu'pliew, Franklin D. Church, Tribune publisher.