Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

5 Personal Notes: John J. Fitzgibbons, pres, of Famous Players of Canada and prime mover in grant of upcoming CFCM-TV, Toronto (Ch. 4), named “Film Pioneer of the Year” at Canadian Picture Pioneers Assn, testimonial banquet Nov. 25 . . . Richai’d D. Buckley resigns as pres., John Blair & Co., and Mr. Blair has resumed presidency . . . Gordon Gray, WJR & WGAR eastern sales v.p., succeeds James Gaines as v.p. in charge of operations of WOR-TV & WOR, N. Y., when Gaines leaves Dec. 31 to head WOAI-TV & WOAI, San Antonio; Teleradio’s Mutual network, meanwhile, has named Glen Taylor as administrative v.p. in charge of policy, under pres. Tom O’Neil . . . J. G. (Gus) Rountree, onetime FCC field engineer, with A. Earl Cullum consulting engineers since 1946, is establishing his own TY-radio consulting engineering practice in Prentice Bldg., Dallas, effective Dec. 1 . . . Clarence L. (Chick) Doty resigns from Edward Petry & Co. to become v.p. & gen. mgr. of WSBA-TV & WSBA, York, Pa. . . . Robert H. Boulware, mgr. of WLWT, Cincinnati, hospitalized as result of auto accident Nov. 17, was to be released this week . . . Martin H. Percival promoted to mgr. of San Francisco office, NBC Spot Sales, succeeding Heber H. Smith Jr., named mgr. there of John Blair & Co. . . . Rev. Charles Brackbill Jr. named director of TV-radio committee of Presbyterian Synod of N. J., Princeton, which is headed by Jack Poppele, now with Scheck Adv., Newark . . . Herbert A. Carlborg named CBSTV director of editing, succeeding James Shattuck, now assigned to color sales . . . John McCormick, ex-gen. mgr. of WNBK, Cleveland, joins Screen Gems Inc. as midwest sales mgr., Chicago . . . James A. Lilly, ex-KOY-TV, Phoenix, named production mgr. of new KBID-TV, Fresno (Ch. 53), due on air in Dec. . . . Warren Park named director of color TV by WJAR-TV, Providence . . . Donald H. Saunders, engineer in charge of technical operations, appointed to new post of station exec., WTOP-TV & WTOP, Washington, in charge of operations evenings & weekends TEXT OF FCC’s new TV multiple ownership rule (see p. 1), effective 30 days after publication in Federal Register : Section 3.636 Multiple Ownership — (a) No license for a television broadcast station shall be granted to any party (including all parties under common control1) if (1) such party directly or indii’ectly owns, operates, or controls another TV broadcast station which serves substantially the same area; or (2) such party, or any stockholder, officer or director of such party, directly or indirectly owns, operates, controls, or has any interest in, or is an officer or director of any other TV broadcast station if the grant of such license would result in a concentration of control of TV broadcasting in a manner inconsistent with public interest, convenience, or necessity. In determining whether there is such a concentration of control, consideration will be given to the facts of each case with particular reference to such factors as the size, extent and location of areas served, the number of people served, and the extent of other competitive service to the areas in question. The Commission, however, will in any event consider that there would be such a concentration of control contrary to the public interest, convenience or necessity for any party or any of its stockholders, officers or directors to have a direct or indirect interest in, or be stockholders, officers, or directors of, more than 5 TV broadcast stations.2 (b) Pai'agraph (a) of this section is not applicable to non-commercial educational stations. 1 The word "control” as used herein Is not limited to majority stock ownership, but includes actual working control in whatever manner exercised. In applying the provisions of paragraph (a) of tills section to the stockholders of a corporation which has more than 50 voting stockholders, only those stockholders need be considered who are officers or directors or who directly or indirectly own 1% or more of the outstanding voting stock. . . . Ansel E. Gridley, gen. mgr. of new WWOR-TV, Worcester, Mass. (Vol. 9:47), no longer controls radio WGFM, Fitchburg, Mass., whose principal stockholder is now F. D. Edes, with Raytheon, Chicago . . . Charles R. Freburg named administrative asst, in charge of programming of new KWWL-TV, Waterloo, la. (Ch. 7); Ralph Mlaska, chief engineer; Jack Turley, production mgr.; Warren Mead, program director . . . Allen Preville named sales mgr. of WRTV, Asbury Park, N. J. (Ch. 58) due shortly; Richard Behrman, production mgr. . . . John Grant, exCBS, N. Y., joins Desilu Productions Inc. as house attorney and asst, to Martin Leeds, exec. v.p. . . . Will Williams, ex-Better Business Bureau, named mgr. of adv. & publicity, KGO-TV, San Francisco . . . John Hitt, ex-WFAA-TV, Dallas, named asst, chief engineer of new KSLA, Shreveport . . . Edward F. Lethen Jr., ex-CBS Radio sales extension director, named asst, to Leonard F. Erikson, director of Voice of America ... Dr. Benjamin Shimberg, ex-Public Health Service, joins Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N. J., as director of educational TV research . . . Alvin Kabaker, TV-radio director, Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, named TV chairman and Wm. B. Templeton, Sherman & Marquette, named radio chairman of 1954 Heart Fund John G. Cole, ex-Ruthrauff & Ryan, named asst, director of Hollywood office, Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles . . . Wendell Adams named radio director, Wm. Esty Co., as George I. Chatfield is promoted to exec. v.p. and James Behane & John Peace to v.p. . . . Harold L. Maddox, TVradio executive, named to head new midwest branch office in St. Paul set up by Western Adv. Agency, Los Angeles. . . . Dale Hart, ex-WBAP-TV, Ft. Worth, named program director of upcoming KARK-TV, Little Rock, Ark. . . . Mary Dunlavey, ex-Harry B. Cohen Adv., N. Y., named TV-radio director of Town Adv. Agency, Philadelphia . . . Nadine Miller resigns as administrative v.p., C. E. Hooper Inc. . . . Allan H. Kalmus, onetime NBC publicity, resigns as mgr. of Lever Bros, news bureau. New multiple ownership rules (see p. 1) involve these groups most directly: (1) CBS-TV owns 100% of WCBSTV, New York; WBBM-TV, Chicago; KNXT, Los Angeles; 47% of WCCO-TV, Minneapolis; 45% of WTOP-TV, Washington; 100% of applications for Boston & St. Louis; 45% of application for Pittsburgh. CBS-AM owns 100% of WCBS, New York; WBBM, Chicago; KNX, Los Angeles; KCBS, San Francisco; WEEI, Boston; KMOX, St. Louis; 47%, of WCCO, Minneapolis; 45%, of WTOP, Washington; 45% of KQV, Pittsburgh. (2) J. Elroy McCaw owns 100%, of AMs KORC, Mineral Wells, Tex.; 50%, of KYA, San Francisco; 50%, of KELA, Centralia, Wash.; 50%, of KPOA, Honolulu; 50%, of KILA, Hilo, Hawaii, 33%%, of ICYAK, Yakima, Wash.; 33%%, of KALE, Richland, Wash.; 20.369% of KLZ, Denver. He also has application pending for purchase of 75%, of WINS, New York, and is required to drop ownership in KPOA as condition of purchase of KONA (TV), Honolulu. Of 30 channel shifts ordered by FCC for pre-freeze stations under new allocation plan, 21 have already moved and most of rest are due shortly. Here’s FCC’s informal information about plans of the 9 remaining: WNHC-TV, New Haven, Ch. 6 to 8, was due to shift Nov. 25; WOC-TV,' Davenport, Ch. 5 to 6, this weekend; WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids, Ch. 7 to 8, Dec. 8; WTTV, Bloomington, Ch. 10 to 4, mid-Dec.; WNBK, Cleveland, Ch. 4 to 3, Dec.; WXEL, Cleveland, Ch. 9 to 8, Dec.; WRGB, Schenectady, Ch. 4 to 6, Jan. 3; WTAR-TV, Norfolk, Jan.; WHAM-TV, Rochester, Ch. 6 to 5, spring. FCC Broadcast Bureau’s TV and aural divisions were consolidated this week into new broadcast facilities div. under James E. Barr, former chief of aural facilities div. Cyril M. Braum, ex-TV div. chief, is now engineering consultant, Joint Committee on Educational TV (Vol. 9:46).