Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

VOL. 15: No. 41 9 Broadcasters’ labor problems should be eased by provisions of the new Federal Labor Law (Vol. 15:37) which gives authority to NLRB regional directors — instead of the board itself — for decisions in union representation cases, says NAB labor specialist Charles H. Tower. Responding to an NLRB request for Comments on the new legislation, Tower sent a 4-page analysis of its terms to board chmn. Boyd Leedom, He warned that interpretations of the law may bring “confusion,” but said “the objective of the change in [representation] procedure is laudable.” Tower foresaw “more expeditious handling” of claims by unions to speak for station employes. Broadcasting education in the country’s universities is “inadequate” and 10 yrs. behind the real size of the TVradio industry, said Warren Boorom, v.p. & dir. of member service of RAB last week in address before the Hartford, Conn, ad club. Boorom, appealing to admen to “take whatever steps necessary to modernize the broadcasting curriculum in schools,” added that “most TV-radio courses stress programming & production factors in broadcasting but ignore the industry’s important business aspects.” Complete control of WBIR-TV (Ch. 10) & WBIR Knoxville, Tenn. is being acquired for $2,100,000 by 30% owner Taft Bcstg. Co., it was announced last week. Taft Bcstg.— licensee of WKRC-TV (Ch. 12) & WKRC Cincinnati, WTVN-TV (Ch. 6) & WTVN Columbus, WBRC-TV (Ch. 6) & WBRC Birmingham — is buying the other 70% held by Gilmore N. Nunn, Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Ashe and pres. & gen. mgr. John P. Hart. WABC-TV tried to put unfavorable criticism to work for it in promoting the new Everything Goes series last , week, after the late-night panel show was unmercifully I panned by N.Y. TV critics. The ABC-TV flagship placed a unique ad in The New York Times and Variety quoting sour notices of columnists Jack O’Brian and Nick Kenny in the form of “an open letter to TV viewers.” The ad promised that “the program has undergone development changes,” and asked viewers to try the show again. KOVR Stockton, Cal., is not for sale, 20th-Fox was told last week after initiating conversations aimed at buying the Gannett station. Glover DeLaney, managing director of the Gannett broadcast group, told us Gannett isn’t interested in selling the station, and the talks have stopped. He acquired KOVR last year from Hoffman Electronics. Largest installation of silicon-controlled rectifiers for light dimming is in ABC-TV’s new N. Y. studio, used for first time this month. The studio’s lighting uses GE siliconcontrolled rectifiers to control 570 circuits. WBKB-Chicago is building its largest (60 by 34 ft.) & most elaborate TV set — a plush apartment which will be the scene of Playboy’s Penthouse (Vol. 15:35), the magazine program which debuts Oct. 24. Elaborate brochure explaining video-tape recording — and why advertisers should have their tapes made at WBBM-TV — is being distributed by the CBS Chicago station. Title: Video Tape Recording. Waiver of rules for WAVY-TV (Ch. 10) Norfolk-Portsmouth, Va. was granted by FCC last week, permitting the station to identify itself also with Newport News. WPBN-TV Traverse City & WTOM-TV Cheboygan, I both Mich., have appointed Venard, Rintoul & McConnell Inc. as their national rep, effective immediately. Assn, of Maximum Service Telecasters (MST) direcors hold fall meeting Nov. 10 in Washington’s Mayflower. Foreign BARTELL’S OVERSEAS TV: The Bartell Family Radio Group has invested in 3 Caribbean-area TV stations currently under construction : TeleAruba, Ch. 7, Oranjestad ; Tele-Curacao, Ch. 5, Willemstad and Tele-Haiti, Ch. 5, Port-au-Prince. The first 2 scheduled to begin operations by Mar. 1960, are a joint venture of Bartell and the Netherlands Antilles government, the former investing $350,000 for controlling interest. Silent partners are representatives of the NA govt., which supplied the station group with construction franchises, Bartell group pres. Gerald Bartell told us last week. There are only 1,500 TV sets in the Dutch West Indies, but there is plenty of growth potential, said Bartell. Tele-Haiti will be Haiti’s first TV station and will be operated by Bartell under a 10-yr. grant from the Haitian government. Bartell investment there totals $175,000. Target date for Tele-Haiti is Nov. 29. Present TV set ownership in Haiti, one of the least wealthy Caribbean areas, is non-existent, but its improving economy & 3.5 million population make it potentially worthwhile, Bartell said. Programming for the 3 stations will be “cultural and educational” as well as entertaining. Last week Bartell named Boris Frank, former TV producer for Gotham Recording Corp., program dir., Caribbean area. HQ: Curacao. Bartell is also planning to import European programming (film) for the new TV outlets, and is leaving Oct. 12 for a program-buying trip to Paris (to negotiate for French programming for Haiti) and to Amsterdam (for Dutchlanguage shows for Curacao & Aruba). English & American films will be used on all 3 stations. The Bartell group owns 6 radio stations in the U.S. More about WORLD TV GROWTH: This table of woidd TV stations & sets-in-use as of Aug. 1, 1959 is based on the new Foreign TV Directory, a feature of the 1959 FallWinter Television Factbook (see p. 4). It has been updated on the basis of survey results received too late for inclusion in the Factbook. Country Stations Sets Algeria 2 28,000 Argentina 1 400,000 Australia 9 618,000 Austria 15 88,200 Belgrium 5 350,000 Bermuda 1 8,000 Brazil 9 850,000 Bulgaria 1 500 Canada 62 5,634,000 Chile 1 1 China (Mainland) 3 6,000 Colombia G 150,000 Cuba 2G 365,000 Curacao — 2,000 Cyprus 1 3,000 Czechoslovakia G 460,000 Denmark 7 300,000 Dominican Rep. 4 13,000 El Salvador .... 2 16,000 Finland G 21,000 France 45 1,300,000 E. Germany .... 10 425,000 W. Germany .. 164’ 2,900,000 Guatemala 2 20,000 Hong Kong“ .. 1 3,000 Hungary 3 30,000 Iran 1 12,000 Iraq 1 9,000 Ireland^ — 70,000 Italy 313“ 1,500,000 Japan 67 2.949,000 Korea 1 6,000 Country Stations Sets Lebanon 2 1,500 Luxembourg .. 1 4,000 Malta® — 4,000 Mexico 18 600,000 Monaco 1 11,000 Netherlands .. 6 600,000 Nicaragua 1 6,000 Nigeria 1 1,000 Norway 1 2,500 Panama^ — 8,000 Peru 3 27,500 Philippines .... 2 26,000 Poland 5 138,000 Portugal 5 36,000 Rumania 2 20,000 Saudi Arabia.. 1 2,500 Spain 3 130,000 Sweden 17 460,000 Switzerland .. 12 67,882 Thailand 2 40,000 Turkey 1 1,000 United K’dom 30 10,000,000 Uruguay 1 15,000 USSR lOG 3,000.000 Venezuela 9 200,000 Yugoslavia .... 5 12,000 FOREIGN TOTAL .. 1010 33,725,582 U. S 554 61,600,000 U. S. Military 34 1 GRAND TOTAL ,. 1598 85,225,582 ' Sets-in-use estimate unavailable. Includes 288 satellite stations. Viewers tune to British stations. " Viewers tune to Italian stations. 3 Closed-circuit cable system. Includes 128 satellite stations. * Viewers tune to Armed Forces stations.