Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

6 J. Leonard Reinsch, director of Cox TV-radio stations (WSB-TV, Atlanta & WHIO-TV, Dayton) — and there's no doubt his TV know-how will be used to advantage next week. What the Democrats learned by watching GOP convention is best indicated by these announced plans for their own Chicago pow-wow: Open all committee meetings to TV-radio. Some observers attributed last week's Eisenhower victory to Taft faction's stand against TV cameras in meetings of Republican National Committee and credentials committee (see Telecasting Notes). Limit all nominating speeches to 15 minutes. Set up TV camera directly in front of speaker's platform to provide variety of shots (which GOP refused to permit because it cut down seating space). Cut out much of the singing and unnecessary preliminary oratory, getting down to business before bedtime. Start day sessions at noon, evening sessions at 8 p.m. — and keep to the announced schedules. Restrict floor demonstrations to delegates and alternates, barring paid placard-wavers from convention hall. Keep platform uncluttered by stragglers who divert attention from speaker; decorate hall & rostrum with vote-getting posters & banners (for maximum of free advertising) ; eliminate Teleprompter, which was picked up by camera at GOP convention. * * * Electronic age's effect on conventions was summed up this week at press conference by Pennsylvania's Gov. Fine — himself an unwitting star at one of the dramatic moments of GOP meeting. He predicted TV will "sound the death knell" of convention system of nominating candidates unless procedures are changed. "The convention system must be overhauled, become more orderly and more responsive to the will of the people," said Fine, "or go the way of the dinosaur." Personal Notes: Joseph H. McConnell, NBC president, elected trustee of the Hanover Bank, N. Y. . . . James D. Shouse, Crosley chairman and Avco v.p., elected to board of Cincinnati Enquirer . . . Adrian Murphy, president of CBS-Radio, elected to board of Advertising Research Foundation . . . Walter B. Emery, legal assistant to FCC Chairman Paul Walker, resigns to become a consultant to Joint Committee on Educational TV . . . Victor M. Ratner, ex-CBS promotion v.p., recently with R. H. Macy & Co., to head Theatre Tele-Sessions, new div. of Theatre Network Television (Nathan L. Halpern, president) developing closed-circuit TV for business, govt, meetings, etc. . . . Ted Cott, mgr. of NBC’s WNBT & WNBC, going to Europe on vacation, plans to set up film exchange with BBC and French TV interests . . . Robert Klaeger, ex-Signal Corps, joins Transfilm Inc. as production v.p. . . . Edward V. Cheviot, ex-adv. mgr., San Antonio Light, succeeds Jerry Lee, resigned, as commercial mgr., WOAI-TV, San Antonio . . . Lawrence L. Wynn, ex-International Transvideo, then KFBI, Wichita, named to newly-created sales managership of WABD, New York . . . John Patrick Smith promoted from national sales mgr. to asst. gen. mgr., WCPO & WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, succeeded by Glenn Clark Miller . . . Charles F. Harrison Jr., ex-Ohio radio newsman, named news editor, WFIL & WFIL-TV, Philadelphia . . . R. David Kimble, ex-WBBM, Chicago, joins BAB as national promotion director under v.p. Kevin B. Sweeney . . . William K. Treynor, asst, station relations head, to direct new NARTB office in San Francisco . . . Kenneth Greenberg succeeds Charles Sterritt, now with CBS sales in Detroit, as chief of audio-visual div., American Red Cross publicity dept., Washington . . . George T. Duram, ex-E. C. Hooper, ex-TV radio chairman of ANA, joins Geyer, Newell & Ganger as media director . . . Sam Blake now in charge of TV-radio dept., Ettinger Co., N. Y. INTEGRATION” OF RADIO with TV, adopted as basic policy by NBC last month with naming of Sylvester Weaver and Frank White to top v.p. posts (Vol. 8:25), this week took form of realignment of top executives and reassignments at lower levels — all looking to unification of departments. John K. Herbert, radio network sales v.p., becomes v.p. in charge of both TV & radio sales, with TV sales v.p. George Frey reporting to him. Charles C. Barry, radio network program v.p., is now v.p. in charge of both TV & radio programs. Frederic W. Wile Jr., TV network production v.p., heads both TV & radio production, also supervising technical services for both. All report to v.p.-gen. mgr. Frank White, as does Harry Bannister, station relations v.p., and Robert Sarnoff, v.p. in charge of film div. Also reporting to White and serving both TV & radio henceforth are Sydney H. Eiges, press & information v.p.; Ruddiek C. Lawrence, promoted from TV sales development mgr. to newly created post of director of promotion, planning & development; Charles J. Cresswell, network controller; Henry Sjogren, controller for 0-&-0 stations. Operations v.p. Edward D. Madden becomes asst, to president Joseph H. McConnell. Executive v.p. Charles R. Denny takes charge of NBC’s 5 TV and 6 radio stations, public relations, staff engineering. Reporting to Denny will be James M. Gaines, v.p. in charge of 0-&-0 stations; Wm. F. Brooks, public relations v.p.; 0. B. Hanson, engineering v.p. Joseph Heffernan, financial v.p., continues in that capacity with added staff duties; he’s currently in Hollywood negotiating for possible purchase of an AM station — expected to be either KFI or KMPC. NBC has TV outlet there, but no radio. Guatemala City will have TV, if plans of local W. J. Dorion & Co. are carried through; it reports ordering equipment, makes unspecified, costing $450,000.