Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

5 the position to one year — a departure from previous practice under which chairmanship period was indefinite. Whether chairmanship is to be rotated yearly or Hyde is "on probation" for a year — no one knows for certain. Appointment is popular with staff as well as industry. Feeling prevails Hyde won't chop heads simply for sake of change. * * * * Rosel Herschel Hyde, 55. is indeed a veteran TV-radio regulator. He joined old Federal Radio Commission as an asst, attorney in 1928 while still a law student, went through all the ranks to general counsel until appointed commissioner in 1946. He was born in Idaho, is a Mormon, has 3 sons and a daughter. Hyde had little time to accept congratulations this week, jumping into Senate hearings on educational TV (see p. 7) and FCC budget — as Democrat Paul Walker reverted to commissioner status for remainder of his term which expires on July 1. Hyde's first speech as chairman comes at NARTB convention in Los Angeles next week. Hearing on FCC budget April 23, before Senate Appropriations Committee, came day after House approved $7,100,000 for Commission — exactly what President Eisenhower recommended — and $691,540 more than it got last year. Hearing was amicability itself, with Senate group obviously anxious to raise TV processing funds to point where Commission can clear the appalling backlog of TV hearings in year or two instead of the 4-5 years now in prospect. Hyde made it clear FCC can't ask for more than the $7,100,000 requested by Administration and passed by House, but he objected to the House's redistribution of funds so as to aid TV processing and safety & special services at the expense of other Commission functions. Senate group was impressed by Hyde's testimony, same as Walker's before the House, showing that each TV station creates millions of dollars in business and taxes. It was further impressed by testimony of Sen. Edwin Johnson (D-Colo.), who last year almost single-handedly pushed through extra $300,000 for TV processing. He now asks Congress to give FCC $8,100,000, with $1,671,000 of it to go to TV for 40 examiners plus engineers & attorneys to handle additional hearings made possible. "One of the paradoxical factors involved in this entire situation," said Johnson, "is that it will not cost the Govt, any more to hear these cases next year than it would cost to string them out over a period of 5 years; yet, the cost to the applicants for a 5-year delay would be unbearable. Eventually, the money will be appropriated for hearings, so why not do it now, this year?" If usual pattern develops. Senate will vote additional funds and a SenateHouse conference will split the difference. FCCs situation is favorable, though it would take a long time to find 28 examiners to augment its present 12. Personal Notes; Wm. R. Baker Jr., Benton & Bowles, named TV-radio chairman, Advertising Council; NARTB president Harold Fellows named vice-chairman, govt, relations committee . . . Roger W. Clipp, gen. mgr. of WFILTV & WFIL, now on leave as business mgr. of new TV Guide, elected District 2 (N. Y., Pa., N. J., Del.) director of U. S. Chamber of Commerce . . . John Cowles, president of Minneapolis Star and Tribune, co-owner of new KVTV, Sioux City, la., elected president of Harvard Alumni Assn. . . . Emilio Azcarraga, Mexican telecaster-bi-oadcaster and theatreman, elected president of Inter-American Assn, of Broadcasters at its biennial convention last week in San Juan, Porto Rico . . . Paul Mowrey promoted to gen. mgr., WABC-TV, reporting to Slocum Chapin, v.p. for ABC-owned stations . . . Gordon H. Mills, ex-mgr., NBC Radio, Chicago, appointed DuMont central div. sales mgr., Chicago, replacing David Lasley, resigned . . . Wm. Hollenbeck promoted to program director, KGO-TV, San Francisco, replacing Bloyce Wright, named program director of upcoming WAKR-TV, Akron . . . Byrne Litschgi, exTreasury Dept, and ex-asst. to Sen. Smathers (D-Fla.), becomes associate of Washington attorney F. Cleveland Hedrick Jr., who recently moved offices to 1001 Connecticut Ave. NW; telephone National 8-5923 . . . Richard H. Roffman, WPIX Sunday commentator, planning to conduct 3-week tour of TV, radio, magazine & newspaper offices in 4 European countries in August, thru One World Tours, N. Y. . . . Arch B. Ragan, ex-Burke, Dowling & Adams Adv., appointed mgr. of Atlanta office, Paul Raymer Co. . . . James Atkins, ex-ABC, joins KOA, Denver, as asst, to mgr. Don Searle . . . Joseph Gill, chief engineer, WTVN, Columbus, named engineering director of upcoming WIFE, Dayton, replaced by Marvin Ingerson, asst, chief engineer . . . Sydney King promoted to production mgr. of WBAL-TV, Baltimore . . . Jerry Ford, ex-Grey Adv., joins TV-radio dept., Cecil & Presbrey, N. Y. . . . Arthur Pardoll, ex-Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles, appointed broadcasting media director, Foote, Cone & Belding, N. Y. . . . Joseph P. Henry named head of TV-radio timebuying, D. P. Brother & Co., Detroit . . . Stan Levy named sales service mgr., Jerry Agel promotion director, WHUM-TV, Reading, Pa. . . . Stewart Carr named Chicago & Michigan district merchandising supervisor for NBC, Roy N. James assigned to Minneapolis, Charles F. Barton to St. Louis . . . Bernard Howard elected president of new rej> firm, Stars National Inc., 400 Madison Ave., N. Y.