Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1957)

14 PUBLIC RELATIONS expansion proposals of NARTB (Vol. 13:5) won board approval this week at meetings in Hollywood, Fla., following presentation by public relations director Donald N. Martin, who will have staff of 10 working under him. As approved by board, plan has these 6 objectives: (1) To gain appreciation “of the fact that broadcasters run their industry respectably as evidenced by codes of good practice.” (2) To dramatize role of radio as information, entertainment and advertising medium. (3) To counter adverse criticism “by special interest groups attempting to use broadcasting as a ‘whipping boy’ in an effort to achieve their own end.” (4) To obtain general support for broadcasters’ right to equal access in covering news. (5) To foster appreciation of constructive role broadcasting plays in development of youth. (6) To oppose, “as a matter of public interest, any proposal which would limit the industry’s ability to offer a free, competitive and selective program service to the entire nation.” NARTB’s joint board also unanimously recommended change of name back to NAB, and referred matter to membership for vote. It will be discussed further at 8 regional conferences this fall and, if approved by membership, vnll be effective Jan. 1, 1958. Among other joint board actions : Approved agreement with McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. for publication and sale of revised edition of NARTB Engineering Handbook, due next fall; adopted resolution favoring extension of broadcast license period from 3 to 5 years; changed by-laws to forbid NARTB membership for less than 6 months; set future conventions for April 27-May 1, 1958 at Los Angeles’ Biltmore and Statler Hotels and March 15-19, 1959 and April 3-7, 1960 at Chicago’s Conrad Hilton Hotel. TV board authorized convening of all TV stations to discuss formation of committee to represent industry in negotiations vdth various music licensing organizations. It voted tentatively to hold meeting April 11, final day of convention at Chicago’s Conrad Hilton Hotel. Board also voted to hold TV business meeting and election of TV directors as final order of business at convention. G. Richard Shafto, WIS-TV, Columbia, S. C., chairman of NARTB’s TV code review board, said monitoring activities would be stepped up in 1957 and that some means would be found to make public more aware of stations which conform to code. Board also approved amendment stipulating that dramatized advertising involving purported statements by physicians, dentists and nurses must be presented by accredited members of such professions, or words “A Dramatization” must be superimposed on picture. Shafto said 319 TV stations subscribed to code as of Jan. 9, a gain of 40 during year. Audit TV Circulation Committee, charged with responsibility of setting up industry-approved continuing county-by-county census of sets-in-use, received word that final report on methodology will be ready by May. Progress of research subcommittee, headed by NBC’s Hugh M. Beville Jr., was commended by official resolution. ■ Equal-time requirements for political broadcasts don’t apply when a candidate appears in routine news program, FCC ruled this week. Allen H. Blondy, one of 21 candidates for Detroit common pleas court judge in Feb. 18 primary election, had demanded time on WWJ-TV because Judge Elvin L. Davenport, also i-unning, was shown in film of City-County Bldg, ceremonies Jan. 3. FCC rejected Blondy’s protest against WWJ-TV’s refusal, pointing out that Davenport hadn’t initiated film, that it was part of routine broadcast by station in “exercise of its judgment as to newsworthy events.” Record total of 14 applications for uhf translators and 3 for stations were filed with FCC this week, bringing total pending to 48 for translators, 127 for stations (25 uhf). Week’s station applications: (1) For Decatur, 111., Ch. 23, by Keith Moyer, principal owner of WTIM, Taylorville. 111. & WMMA, Miami, Fla. (2) For Sheridan, Wyo., Ch. 9, by Harriscope Inc., Beverly Hills, Cal., TV film production firm which holds CP for KTWO-TV, Casper, Wyo. (3) For Elko, Nev., Ch. 10, by Donald W. Reynolds & Southwestern Publishing Co. (resubmitted with revisions). Translator applications: For Bullhead City, Ariz., Ch. 72, by Mohave County Supervisors (to rebroadcast KLRJ-TV, Henderson, Nev.) ; for Blythe, Cal., Ch. 71, 74, 77 & 80, by Palo Verde Valley TV Club (KTVK, Phoenix; KRCA & KNXT, Los Angeles, and KIVA, Yuma) ; for Lone Pine, Cal., Ch. 80, by Lone Pine TV Inc. (KRCA, Los Angeles) ; for Shelby, Mont., Ch. 76, by Shelby T.V. Club Inc. (CJLH, Lethbridge, Alta.) ; for Battle Mountain, Nev., Ch. 72, by Battle Mountain TV Club (KOLO-TV, Reno) ; for Boise City, Okla., Ch. 70, by City Govt. (KGNC-TV, Amarillo) ; for John Day, Ore., Ch. 72 & 77, by John Day Valley TV Inc. (KBOI-TV & KIDO-TV, Boise) ; for Castle Dale, Utah, Ch. 70 & 78, by Emery County (KSL-TV & KTVT, Salt Lake City) ; for Rock Springs, Wyo., Ch. 72, by Robert R. Laird (KSLTV). [For details, see TV Addenda 2U-E herewith.] Tax-financed TV translators are authorized in bill which appeared headed this week for passage by Utah legislature. State Senate voted 19-6 for plan by which counties, municipalities & school boards could impose .75mill levy to build & operate public stations in remote communities. Industry committee of House is under heavy popular pressure to report bill favorably despite newspaper & TV industry opposition. Salt Lake City Tribune denounces measure as “socialism.” Joining in efforts to block bill in House are KSL-TV, Salt Lake City; TV Operators of Utah, representing community antenna interests which see private systems threatened by govt, competition; NCTA, which warns members to watch for similar bills in other state legislatures. Regular U. S.-Cuba TV network service moved step closer this week as construction work began near Florida City, Fla. on foundations for 200-ft. tower to provide first regular commercial over-the-horizon (scatter) microwave link. Florida end of link is being constructed by AT&T’s long lines dept., the Guanabo, Cuba, terminal by Radio Corp. of Cuba (IT&T). AT&T says 180-mile link will be used only for telephone transmission at first and declines to estimate when it will be used for TV service. Relay will use 840-880 mcs and is understood to have been designed with eventual TV use in mind. Completion of tower foundations and building is scheduled for April. Gross revenue increase of 65% in 1956 over previous 1955 record is reported for NBC basic affiliate WVEC-TV, Hampton-Norfolk, Va. (Ch. 15) by pres. -gen. mgr. Thomas P. Chisman. He attributes successful uhf operation largely to mushrooming population in Tidewater area. More than 30 national advertisers were added at station last year, bringing total past 70. KTVR, Denver, is operating in the black as result of its feature film policy, reports v.p.-gen. mgr. Hugh LaRue. Since station started programming MGM movie library in Oct., he said, gross monthly billings have increased 86%, adding that MGM features are 85% sold out through April. Station runs different first-run feature every evening. Birth of baby was televised by BBC Feb. 4 in 40-sec. sequence. Though flood of protests was expected, only 4 critical telephone calls came in. Joyce Chesterton of London. Daily Herald found sequence “extremely touching,” while Alan Gardner of London Daily Sketch, father of 2, said births “should never be shown on TV.”