Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

VOL. 15: No. 48 7 Stations Code Recruits Enlist: Responding to Nov. 18 closed-circuit pleas by NAB TV Code Review Board Chmn. Donald H. McGannon for more support from the industry (Vol. 15:47 p3), 15 new station members had joined up by last week’s end for its self -control-vs.-govt. -regulation fight (see p. 1). The recruits in the wake of the TV quiz scandals swelled the number of Code subscribers to 282 (among 560 TV stations on the air) . Cheers at NAB headquarters for this surge of enlistments in the Code cause were modulated by some sour notes, however. Two Code subscribers resigned for “economic” reasons, explaining that it was pointless of them to pretend to observe rules on commercials while their markets are so thin that they must take nearly any business that comes their way. And of 28 letters received from Code members commenting on McGannon’s closed-circuit pitch, 25 were less than laudatory. (Some of them were highly critical, “to put it softly,” one NAB staffer told us.) None of the 25 dissenting subscribers threatened to quit the Code now, but their letters said in effect: (1) Why do we have to pay money to subscribe to something we observe anyway? (2) The Review Board is getting pretty high-handed. (3) Nobody’s going to tell us how to run our business. Concurrence with FCC examiner Horace Stern’s recommendations that WHDH-TV (Ch. 5) Boston keep its grant despite “influence” charges (Vol. 15:39 pi, 15:45 plO) has been recorded by the Herald-Traveler station. In a 27-page reply brief, WHDH-TV said that “none of the attacks made [by contestants Greater Boston TV Corp. and Mass. Bay Telecasters Inc.] on Judge Stern’s opinion have the slightest merit.” The brief argued that FCC “may best discharge its obligations under the Court of Appeals’ remand by adopting Judge Stern’s opinion as its own and so report to the court.” Protest of grant to KSWO-TV (Ch. 7) Lawton, Okla. to change power, antenna height and transmitter location should be dismissed, said FCC hearing examiner H. Gifford Irion in a recent initial decision. KFDX-TV (Ch. 3) Wichita Falls, Tex., had protested the July 29 grant on grounds of economic injury (Vol. 15:40 p5). Irion said that the Protestant had “made charges which it has since failed to prove although it bore the statutory responsibility for going forward with the proof.” Terms of sale of KOVR (Ch. 13) Stockton-Sacramento to Metropolitan Bcstg. (Vol. 15:47 p9) were revealed in transfer papers filed last week. Metropolitan is paying Gannett Co. $1,391,000 for 96% of stock of KOVR licensee Television Diablo Inc., also assuming payment of $1,466,879 still owed Gannett by Diablo. Other 4% of Diablo stock is held by over 200 individuals. Protest by WILX-TV (Ch. 10) Onondaga, Mich, to the Sept. 22 site-move grant of WOOD-TV (Ch. 8) Grand Rapids has been approved by FCC, and a hearing has been ordered. WOOD-TV had been granted a shift from 10 miles NE of Grand Rapids to 19 miles SE. Fight over Flint’s Ch. 12 moved another legal step last week when radio WFDF and W. S. Butterfield Theatres, which lost to WJRT in the Court of Appeals (Vol. 15:45 plO), petitioned for a rehearing before all 9 judges. “Television’s Adolescence: There are people in the television industry, so goes the rumor, who feel that the press exploited the quiz show scandals as an opportunity to discredit a competing medium of advertising. So, as a method of retaliation, some plan is reported under consideration within the television industry to discredit the press by seeking out and exposing its sins. If such rumors were true, it would be another indication that television is still in its infancy. Television, to be sure, should expose any practices of the press that warrant the sort of public censure which followed the exposure of fraud in the quiz shows. The picture of the press riding herd on television, and television, in turn, riding herd on the press, is not without its attractive possibilities. But if the motive is one of mutual disparagement for selfish gain the whole idea becomes rather ridiculous and, we are sure, is lacking in substance and unsupported by responsible people in television. As a matter of fact, many of television’s current difficulties are the result of inexperience, the absence of adequate centralization of controls and an undeveloped sense of public responsibility. Such defects in the amazingly rapid development of a marvelous new means of communication are not surprising. They were evident, in other forms, in the early days of the movie industry. They were found not so long ago within a press that was further away from maturity than it is now. They will be overcome with age and a greater realization, by those who control television, of its splendid opportunities for constructive public service.” — Washington Star. Beating NBC-TV to gun against Gillette-sponsored Fri. night fight shows, which the network wants to drop because of falling ratings & public suspicions of pro boxing practices (Vol. 15:47 p9), WSAZ-TV Huntington-Charleston, W. Va. last week announced it’s cancelling out. Pres. Lawrence H. Rogers II of WSAZ Inc., which also operates radios WKAZ Charleston & WSAZ Huntington, said that after Dec. 18 his stations no longer would carry the network fights because: “Boxing & wrestling — while popular program types — have been subjected to more speculation, charge & countercharge of alleged rigging, fixing, gambling, and payola, than even the broadcasting industry, and for a very long time.” At the same time, Rogers said WSAZ Inc. had “confidence in NBC’s programming judgment” and its action was no reflection on sponsor Gillette. Transfer of J. H. Whitney’s 5 TV & 6 AM stations to the New Cortelco Inc. (subsidiary of Whitney Communications Corp.) in a reorganization grouping Whitney’s broadcasting & publishing interests (Vol. 15:43 p3), was approved by FCC last week. Also approved was the $1,675,000 acquisition of 70% of WRGP-TV (Ch. 3) Chattanooga by WSTV Inc., which owned the other 30% (Vol. 15:43 p7). Comr. Bartley dissented to both actions. Japanese TV tape recorder, claimed to be simpler than the Ampex & RCA approach and based on a different principle, will go into production this month, according to Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co. (Toshiba). Toshiba says the system uses a single revolving recording head, while the U.S. recorders use a recording drum of 4 heads. RCA shipped 10-kw transmitter Nov. 25 to KXLF-TV (Ch. 4) Butte, Mont.; superturnstile antenna Nov. 24 to upcoming WGTV (Ch. 8, educational), which hasn’t reported a target; monochrome TV tape recorder to KHQTV Spokane and KIMA-TV Yakima, Wash. Truck-mounted Ampex Videotape recorder will be put into operation Dec. 1 by WTCN-TV Minneapolis-St. Paul.