Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

12 Telecasting Notes: ABC-TV intends to capitalize on its reputation for “the common touch” — friendly, easy approachability, easy to do business with; and at meeting of dept, chiefs last week pres. Kintner had high praise for work so far in building up staff morale, developing new programs, signing more sponsoi's. He took occasion also to introduce new news v.p. John Daly and film v.p. Geoi-ge Shupei't. ABC’s pitch will be, he said, to prove its place by “doing a job and making friends” rather than wasting effort on futile claims and rivalries. Inference about NBC-CBS rivalry — often verging on the personal and growing out of the Sarnoff-Paley feuds over 45 vs. 33%rpm and over color systems — wasn’t lost on ABC topkicks . . . Rating claims & counterclaims: CBS-TV, with Pabst boxing in No. 1 position, gets 7 out of top 10 places in Nielsen report covering 2 weeks ended July 25; gets 9 out of top 10 Ti’endex ratings for Aug. 1-7. NBC-TV claims 13 of top 25 Nielsens, 8 of top 15, noting this is despite summer hiatus of top shows . . . ABC-TV signs $l,000,000-a-year exclusive film processing conti’act with General Film Labs, Plollywood, believed to be first of its kind . . . ABC-TV stalled consti’uction this week on new 5-story $1,500,000 TV-radio center at Golden Gate Ave. & Hyde St., San Fi'ancisco, to house studios and offices of its KGO-TV & KGO; it’s scheduled for completion in May 1954 but telecasts may originate thei’e by Feb. . . . Charles (Bud) Barry, NBC pi’Ogram v.p., due back from Hollywood next week with favorable report on bx-eakdown of major studies’ aversion to pei-mitting name stars to appear on TV ; trade report has him contracting for exclusives on MGM stars for guests . . . Admiral’s adv. mgr. Seymour Mintz cites 93,818 attendance at Aug. 14 All-Star grid game (sponsored on 84-station DuMont hookup plus 530 MBS radio stations) as proof that TV doesn’t cut into sports boxoffice if it’s top-notch event; mediocre event won’t get much attendance even with TV blacked out, he opines . . . TV-radio promotion kit has been prepared by 9 top advertising agencies for 1953 Community Chest drives, which seek to l-aise $260,000,000 this fall . . . Greyhound racing is being televised by British Broadcasting Corp., despite swiftness that makes it difficult to announce . . . Ring Lardner stories to go on TV, Hollywood producer Robert Aldrich having acquired rights and planning to have son John Lardner write teleplays . . . New TV season, with its multifarious duties, given as reason for calling off NBC-TV executives’ seminar that was scheduled at Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., Aug. 31-Sept. 1 . . . KDYL-TV, Salt Lake City, under new chief Bennett Larson and new sales director Douglas Clawson, is separating TV-radio operations along lines of recent NBC realignment, with Clawson handling both TV-radio national spot sales but separate staffs of 3 each for local TV & radio all reporting to him. ■ Of the hapless 16 who forfeited their pre-freeze CPs for vhf channels, mostly out of fear of economics of TV (see p. 4), one now has a uhf station in operation (WEEKTV, Peoria, Ch. 43) ; 2 are now CP holders (WJHP-TV, Jacksonville, Ch. 36, and Portland Oregonian, which must sell its radio KGW to acquire 50% interest in KOIN-TV, Ch. 6) ; 6 are now applicants (WJAX & WPDQ, Jacksonville, competitors for Ch. 12; KGDM, Stockton, Cal., Ch. 13; WMBD, Peoi’ia, Ch. 8; Minneapolis Star & Tribune, Ch. 9). The other 7, who lost or dropped their CPs and are not now applicants were Raytheon Mfg. Co., Waltham, Mass., requii'ed by FCC to give up Ch. 2; WSMB, New Orleans, gave up Ch. 4; WAGE, Syracuse, gave up Ch. 10; KARO, Riverside, Cal., required to give up old Ch. 1; Sunshine Television Corp., St. Petersburg, Fla. (Robt. R. Guthrie), gave up Ch. 7; Utica (N. Y.) Observer-Dispatch (Gannett), gave up Ch. 3; Wm. H. Block Co., Indianapolis dept, store, gave up Ch. 3. FCC appointed new general counsel this week, announced resignation of secretary (since 1937) Thomas J. Slowie at end of leave period that began Aug. 10. New legal chief is Warren E. Baker, 39, native of Ft. Wayne, Ind., 1937 graduate of Indiana U and 1940 graduate of its law school where he was an editor of Indiana Law Review. He was recommended by Sen. Capehart (R-Ind.) and approved unanimously. He has had some communications experience, gained during Navy service 1942-46, which included training at Cornell, Harvard & MIT, and serving as communications officer on seaplane tender Humboldt for 28 months. Married, father of 4 children, he was a hearing examiner for Civil Aeronautics Board from 1946 to 1951 when he became executive asst, to CAB member Oswald Ryan. He comes from that job to FCC post he didn’t actively seek, which was one of factors which apparently commended him to the FCC commissioners. He will be given free hand, it was indicated, in selection of aides. No one has yet been considered for seci-etaryship, usually a political plum, and veteran asst, secy. Wm. Massing will continue as acting secretary until someone is chosen; it’s understood White House offered the job to Charles Garland, mgr. of Gene Autry’s KOOL, Phoenix, and candidate for FCC vacancy, but he declined. George Storer’s $700,000 purchase of KABC, San Antonio (50-kw D and 10-kw N on 680 kc, ABC) was approved by FCC this week, at same time that it also agreed to transfer of Stoi’ei’-owned WMMN, Fairmont, W. Va. (5-kw on 920 kc, CBS). San Antonio station was purchased from Texas State Network interests and will be operated as adjunct of Storer’s TV station KEYL there (Ch. 5) for which he paid $1,050,000 in 1951 (Vol. 7:30, 41). Faii’mont outlet was sold for $350,000 to Peoples Bcstg. Co., which also operates WOL, Washington; WTTM, Trenton; WRFD, Columbus, O. Storer group now comprises allowable limit of 5 TV stations, 7 AMs. Note: FCC this week also approved transfer of control of WCMI, Ashland, Ky., from J. Lindsay & Gilmore N. Nunn to Great Trails Bcstg. Co. for $140,000. Great Trails, controlled by Charles Sawyer, ex-Secy. of Commerce, thus takes over Ashland station’s TV application for Ch. 13 in nearby Huntington, W. Va. KOLN-TV, Lincoln, Neb. (Ch. 12), along with radio KOLN (250-w on 1400-kc), goes into hands of Fetzer Bcstg. Co., Grand Rapids, Mich. (Mr. & Mrs. John Fetzer) as result of FCC authority this week to transfer control fi'om the Edward M. O’Shea-Bennett S. Martin interests for $145,000 cash plus assumption of about $500,000 in liabilities. Gi-ant came just 4 weeks after application (Vol. 9:30). It’s the Fetzers’ second TV station; they own prefreeze WKZO-TV, Kalamazoo, where they also operate i-adio WKZO, and theyYe owners of radio WJEF, Grand Rapids, part owners of WMBD, Peoi'ia, and KXEL, Waterloo, la. Another example of changing radio ownerships being forced by TV: FCC this week approved transfer of KALL, Salt Lake City (1-kw on 900 kc) to 25% stockholders George C. & Wilda G. Hatch in consideration of $125,000. Sellers are Salt Lake Tribune and Telegram (50%) and Abrelia S. Hinckley, wife of Robert H. Hinckley, ABC Washington v.p. (25%). Newspaper company was obliged to divest itself of radio station to qualify for 50% interest in projected KUTV (Ch. 2) along with Frank Carman and Grant Wrathall, 25% each, both retaining their radio KUTA holdings. Radio coming along nicely, too: MBS leports gross billings first 7 months of 1953 were $12,833,249, up 10% from same 1952 period; July billings of $1,658,422 were 23% up. And NBC radio network v.p. Wm. H. Fineshriber Jr. repoi-ts $18,000,000 in new & renewal business signed in last 60 days, $2,000,000 in new orders.