U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1961)

Continued from preceding page began producing llie sets as soon as the approval for multiplexing came through. "This is a great new field with tremendous potential," Fogel said, "and we planned long ago to waste no time in going to stereo the moment it was approved." Fogel predicts that stereo broadcasting will create a huge demand for stereo receivers in the same lasbion that stereo records set off a boom in the phonograph industry. According to Granco, industry sources expect stereo sales in the next II? months to add $50 to $75 million to the $300 million annual fm market. Many people in all phases ol radio are still fuzzy about (be new types of fm equipment. In an effort to familiarize the industry with stereo fm, the Electronic Industries Assn. held a symposium on stereo at this year's music show in Chicago. The KIA brought together leading figures in the field of radio, including Meagher and Robert F. Lee, FCC commissioner; prepared a booklet called, "A new world of broadcast sound— the facts about fm stereo;" and staged a demonstration of fm stereo transmission and reception. L. W. Sandwick, vice president of Pilot Radio Corp., believed the symposium was notable because it was the first time the electronics industry had arranged for a "full factual report" on a new advance at the time of its introduction. A further indication of industry interest in stereo is the announcement that fm stereo broadcasting will be the central theme of the 1961 Delaware Valley high fidelity music show in Philadelphia during late October. According to Harry Bortnick, the show's director, it will have the largest and most concentrated advertising and promotional budget ever allocated for this type of activity in the Delaware Valley area. All media, including newspapers, radio, posters, direct mail, cab signs, trolley and billboard displays and promotional tie-ins through store exhibits, will advertise the show. If these and other similar promotions achieve the desired effect of creating a boom in fm receivers, then it follows that advertising agencies might take another look at fm. At present, most agency people, like many of the stations, are sitting back and waiting to see what happens. As a result, it will be sometime before the significance of stereo can be accurately measured. Stations already sold on the idea of converting to stereo are still faced with the obstacle of finding the money to buy the equipment. The FCC has laid down strict requirements lor the quality of equipment. During the EIA symposium, Robert E. Lee, FCC commissioner, explained that "the commission is requiring the stations broadcasting this new tec b nique to adhere to very high standards in order to provide the public with the type of service that they are entitled to expect from this new and probably relatively expensive equipment. All this will go to naught if the receiving equipment does not match those high standards and I hope the heat of competition will not result in killing the goose that will lay a beautiful golden egg." PROGRAMING The idea of programing to a highly specialized audience continues to catch on with stations throughout the country. In Detroit, WDTM-FM started a medical news service expressly for doctors. Prepared in cooperation with the Michigan State Medical Society, the service is programed as a series of segments inserted each Tuesday between noon and 3:05 in the station's regular music presentations. The segments include announcements of the coming week's medical events, a five-minute report of current medical news, two 90-second interpretive medical features, a five-minute medical abstract, and an interview with a medical authority. In the first broadcast, the two interpretive features were on glaucoma and common sense rules for sunbathing; the abstract con cerned the complications resulting from Addison's Disease and diabetes occurring in the same patient: and the interview featured a University of Michigan professor discussing hospital costs. In New York, WRVR-FM presented another unusual specialized program last month: eight continuous hours of live folk music. The program, aired from the station's studios in the Riverside Church Theatre, featured a number of the country's top folk singers, including Theodore Bikel, Pete Seeger and Oscar Brand. The station enjoyed the project so much that it plans a second live eight-hour show this month. This time it will present solo and chamber music. Two fm milestones occurred last month. In New York, WNCN hired a performer at what the station calls j the highest salary ever paid a talent in the history of independent fm stations. The performer is Galen Drake, a veteran radio personality long associated with WOR New York. Drake was given a three-year contract and will broadcast three shows daily. WNCN, flagship of the Concert Network, also plans to sign up several other well-known radio performers. All the shows will also be carried by the network's other three outlets: WHCN Hartford, t WXCN Providence, and WBCN ' Boston. In Detroit, WDTM believes it is the first fm-only station to send a reporter overseas. The station's correspondent, Dan Price, will travel through England, France, Germany I and Switzerland, taping interviews i with government and business lead-, ers, as well as the man on the street. BUYING FM A co-ordinated schedule of 2,366 spot announcements on five New England fm stations has been bought by Monks' Bread. The company purchased the schedule after a trial flight over WPFM-FM Providence, during which sales increased more 10 U. S. FM • August 1961