Variety (February 1950)

24 RABID Vfditcsday» Fdbniai^ 229 1950 Strongest m St. L Ar^ 4* j Philadelphia, Feb. 21. A hew programming idea, with a ^rohg pareht-teaclier tiein which makes daily televiewing by kids a reward for good behavior, has been launched on WCAU-TV, with I St JLouis, Feb, 21. I With four local stations tossing its' FM broadcasting licenses into the waste basket in recent weeks, KXpK, local ABC outlet, last week received an okay from F.CC to ex- pand its FM broadcasting. Fdict Fl«;ie Simmons secretarv and the staUon the most poWe^ Jiiisie bimmons, secretary ana, $t, Louis area. FCC girl-Friday to CBS board chairman fbA Cn \ first approved the sale by KWK, *'lhe Ghost Rider” telecast Mon-1 Paley,^ h^^ iilUtual outlet of its tower, day through Friday, 5:30 to. lumbia Records jackpot as author 6:30 p,m to luinbia^RecOrds jackpot^s^th^|; — Opi^p^u CljirleV Vaflda, dirertor ol vision for. WGAtJ, conceived the plan which is made up: ^ m two sec- tions-^ daily firstrun Western film and a “performance card” for Tune has been recorded by Hugo Winterhalter brch and choir. It’s their initial collaboration. Miss Simmons is one of the Writers jave use rf by i of Parody Ijrto on the CBS^ giveaway Chicago, Feb. 21. W. Donald Roberts, CBS western sales manager, resigned vFeb. 16* [reportedly over a difference in pol- He will be replaced by Wen- dell Campbell, moving in from gen- eral manager slot at WCGO, Min- . , . .neapolis, to take over the Ghl post which I Monday. (20). ' The selection of CampbeU is con- sidered another indication - of the [gathering power: of the H, Leslie Atlass steamroller in CBS affairs. Campbell, like Jack Van Volkeh- burg, new CBS sales manager^ Is regarded as an Atlass iiian. Roberts is reported to have turned down art effer to rejoin CBS in New York, where he was sta- tioned before taking over Chi post seyen years ago. He is said to watch parents will make the privilege of watching TV a well-earned reward. Program supplants WCAU-TV’s *^ake 10” show* a yariety program headed by Bd McMahoni which gave up the ghost'la “Hie Ghost Rider” after several futile months of attempting to compete with the juve fare which clutters the screens at that hour. Featured is an anortyinous cow- boy who' heads ”The Ghost Rider Club.” Glub is the element that is exploited to carry put the prp- i|cy; gAm’s plans fpr insuring good her' havior and g o o d televiewing habits. To belong the child must hold a ''performance card, is filled otit by mother., The card contains space for nia to Check on whether the offspring has done at least one good deed a day, whether schoolwprk was completed heforc Watching tele- vision and whether he watched “Ghost Rider.” Youngster with the best perfbrmanGe Card each week receives valuable prizes, aipong which are his own tele- vision set, a complete Gene Autiy outfit, and a day spent atthe ! Ijggji over; top • according^ easlem annex of the famed King j spots jn two Chi agencies. He re- Ranch. Monthly winner also gets j jogg^ comment, other than to say he has some deals on the fire, and will announce his plans in about two weeks. Replacing Campbell at WCCO will be Eugene Wilkey, moving up froiii the assistant general man- ager slot. Wilkey will be WCGO’s third g.m. in recent months. Robert Sutton becomes program manager of WGGO. He succeeds Lee Bland, who joins Leo Burnett agency as assistant radio director. story downtown bank building* lie tower makes it the highest ip Sf. Louis, reaChihg 574 feet above street level. in operation KXOK-FM will raihate 70,000 waitts of radio power, assuring a clear, strong signal ih a 17,50^square mile area. KXOK is the only r^ommerc^l stati^^ broadeasfing completely independ- ent FM service in this area, With lio progtaihk from standard AM reproduced, its FM programs con- sist oi music, news, weather and public interest statements, with commercials linflited to brief an- nouncements. Horace Heidt will fly to Europe on April 17 for an Armed ForCes- backed junket during which he’ll visit 15 cities and tape three broad-^ Youth Opportiin- ebmplement of 60 musicians and entertainers. ;/ ; GI who wins Heidt-s talent coiit test will return with the nuaestro on May 0 for a Uv S. iuiloughi a personally autographed from Autry. Emphasis Is given not to the prizes or the film, but to the per- formance card. Being a member in good standing and eligibility for prizes all hinge on the per- formance card turned in by the kid’s mother. Vanda believes pro- -am is an important step in using television as a constructive force. The code of menibership empha- sizes good behavior and . alerts children to their responsibilities both at home, and in school. Even before it was launched, “The Ghost Rider”, program had the blessings and sanction of Philly educators, and was gen- erally hailed as a constructive plan to have children watch TV and yet receive proper incentives and discipline. "We in the television industry are convinced that the medium is the greatest ally the teacher ever had,” Vanda declared. “No one expects television to replace home itudy; but both parents and teach- ers have told us when children can’t watch their favorite pro- grams unless they, do their home- work, school lessons improve. “But there is more to it than this* A wide variety of programs bring rich experience to the child’s! eatloris for messages on network world-^he can watch history being} programs^ a 20-second TV strip has made, he has a front seat at sports been prepared by Benton & events and he can enjoy drama, [ Bowles, which has donated its serv- puppet shows and adventure. Oiu: i ices to the drive. Points broad- Ad Council Sets Heavy Campaign to Push Aid For Soon-Due Census Extensive radio and television campaign is being Uiied up by the Advertising Council to push the 17th U. S. census, which gets un-. der way in April. AC was given the decennial inventory at top pri^ ority because of its Importance to; the public and to business. Census information on changes, In popu- lation, housing, agriculture, . in- come, etc., brought by the war and postwar years, will have, great sig- niflcance in manufacturing and marketing, AC stresses. To supplement regular AC allo- 7 : Toronto, Feb. 21. Getting under the wire with a $63,450 deficit on its fi.scal year’s operations, the Canadian Broad- casting Gorp, must-find additional revenue or reduce its services, to Davidson Dunton, CBC chairman, Caught between the squeeze of existing revenue collections and rising operating costs, the state-operated system, as of the fiscal year ending March •31, showed revenues of $7,533,213 as against expenditures of $7,596,- 663. The CBC has recommended that the anhual $2.50 fee levied oh Canadian set-ownOrs be increas- ed to $5. Of the current revenue, some 30.% of this comes from commer- cial program sources, with the CBC not desiroiis: of increasing this and preferring to hold such revenue to its present figure in 'keeping with its policy on minimum com- mercial commitments.' That $2.50 set-pwner tariff contributes to the other 70% of GBC’s stOady reve- nue!. ■' Unless the revenue basis Is changed, the CBC will hot be able to carry out planned extension of service, including the filling in of gaps in the trans-Cahada networks, according to Dunton, This includes areas where set-owners are paying that $2.50 license fee but not receiving the coverage they feel they deserve. Herb Moss, the radio-TV pro- ducer (ex-“Truth br Consequences, Vox Pop,” etc.), goes Into the tape recording business starting March iV with establishment of the Gotham Recording: Corp. Moss is teaming with Stephen F. Temiher, former supervisor of ABC'a tape recording, With Harry F. Landon also checking out of the .ABC recording department March 15 to head up Gotham’s sales-service department. Frank J. Hale, New York industriaUst, has been des- ignated chairman of the board, and Rose Gray has been named secre- tary-treasurer. Behind Moss* switchover from radio, into the recording biz is the feeling that a whole untapped area for creative operation has opened fpr use of the highly-developed Ampex tape. Moss will have a production unit of writers, direc- tors, researchers, composers, etc.* to service industrial accounts (re- cording conventions, etc.) , moving into educational spheres for taping school productions, tying in with civic Organizations, handling re- cording facilities for packagers, etc.'Moss says the accent will be bn “creative assignments.” Mindy Carson’s Pitt in plan at WCAU is to make 'The Ghost Riders Club’ a c 1 e a n, healthy, outdoors concept of en- tertainhient that will make the daily TV program a reward for good conduct, for work well done/' Vanda said/ In MplSv too Minneapolis, Feb. 21. Ralph Moffet, WCCP ^riouncer, is getting advice from the Univ. of Minnesota psychology department regarding the music and stories he should use oh his radio kiddies’ programs* He has .asked the de- partment to approve his material and give him suggestions. Moffett decided this course of action after receipt of complaints from some parents that one of his stories* which he thought entirely suitable, was "too harrowing” for their youngsters. Met Opera singer Mimi Benzell has been inked by World Broad- casting System lor a series Of long- hair and pop recordings for re- lease tn WBS’ 700 outlets. Miss Benzell was ehosen after a poll of the stations. Stanley Melba orch will back the thnisii* casters Will stress to their audi- ences arethe census’ importance to everyone, that all questions should be answered truthfully and that all personal information is ab- solutely ihonfldential. They Love Him in Baito , " Baltimore, Feb. 21. Abe Burrows was kudosed by the Baltimore Advertising Club, Sat. (18) night when Maryland’s Goy- ernor, William Preston Lane and Mayor Thomas D’Alesandro pre- sented him with the club’s annual award as the “outstanding person- ality of radio and television” for i949.;,v.,;:- Gold plaque previously had been handed to Bert Lytell, Milton Berle and Kenny Pelmar. Pittsburgh, Veb. 21, Mindy Carson’s engagement last week at the Carousel paid Off—in spades. Previous to her Pitts- burgh stand, KDKA, major link in, the NBC network, hadn’t been carrying hei* three-times weekly late night show bt 11:15 because station has a locally popular sports program by Johnny Boyer nightly In that slot. Immediately after Miss Carson’s arrival in town to play the Carou- sel, she did a guest shoion KDKA’s noontime Brunch show and then singer and her husband and per- sonal manager, Eddie Joy, Went Into a huddle with Joe Baudiho, boss of KDKA, Who had been Im- pressed with Miss Carson both in person aind in her Brunch bit, over what to do about her Hooper-high sustained Result pjf the conference was that Baudino agreed to tape-record Miss Catson’s. quarter-hour from; the network and play it back on KDKA on the regular Monday, Wednesday and Friday; nights 15 minutes later Washlngtpii, Veb. 21. Possibility that the FCC may speH out in unmistakable terms reguiatipns to prevent horse-racing broadcasts from being iised to pro- mote gambling/ were seen last week :at oral lurgumeiiits ori an ex- aminer’s rCcomimend^lon to renew the license: of WTtDt lii Wilming- ton, pel. The tJdmniisslon’s legal dlvlsibn has challenged the i-ecom^ mendation., ■ Members of the Commission,7 through thehc- questioning of oppos- ing counsel in the case, manifested keen interest in arguments of T h 0 m a s W lisp n,: representing WTUX, and . Aithur ’ Scheinerj of the Commission’s law department. Wilson contended the rules aren’t clear as to the time lag between conclusion of races and announce- meht of the results and that FCC ought to clarify them. He claimed that previous practices of WTUX, for which the station was cited for hearing, followed the pattern of other horserace broadcasts in vari- bus parts of the country. X|r his brief m support of his arguments, Wilson also cited the Commission’s recent decision re- newing licenses of the Don Lee stations because it felt that revoca- tion would be too drastic a penalty for violating chain regulations. • Scheiner argued that WTUX Should not he excused on the grbiihd of inexperience bf man- agement or lack of familiarity with Commission policy. He contended that the :station’s programming structure was intended to aid the interests of illegal gambling rather than to provide service to the gen- eral public. Furthermore, he charged, the management misled FCC in its previous. representations, and can- not be relied upon to carry out promises of improved program- mlng. Examiner Challenged In his initial decision on the case, . Examiner Jack P; Blume recommended renewal on a finding that the station had instituted re- forms and because of a question as to what purpose would be served by revocation* He said the Wil- mington police advised that .such a course would not be helpful in law enforcement because other stations supply bopkmakei^ with informatibri they need* Blume also cited the inexperience of the sta- tion’s management as ah extenuat- ing circumstance and . noted t hat changes Were made when radio counsel was engaged. Blume's recommendation av a * [challenged 1l)y the Gommisssion's legal department, which requested ! the oral argument. A measure was recently intro-; duced in the House by Rep. Char- les E. Bennett (D., Fla.) which would authorize the Commission to prohibit interstate transmission by wire or radio of horse or dog race bets during the 30 minutes preced- ing each race or of brbadcnstlng results within 30 minutes follohdiig a race. The ban would be Invoked wherever such transmissions would interiere with ehfbrcemeht of any state laws regulating gambling. <Jaiiv 8-14) Current Previous •"——Current Homes. Rating- Points Change +2.6 + 1.2 . + 3.2 -j-2.6 ■ • +2.0 +3,7 , +1.5'/ + 2 . 2 , +4;o +2.6 —0.9 0.0 +1.9 +6.6 -^ 0.8 + 1.6 +0.3 + 0.8 +0.2 —1.4 Chicago, Feb. 21. , Final details are being cleared up here in negotiations between ABC and Port McNeiU which will keep the “Breakfast Club” emcee at the web. NBG had been woping McNeill, blit the latter was givert the A treatment by ABC , brass, Who came here two Weeks ago for. a fete, rnarldng the 10th anhi of Swift & Cb.’s participation In the morning stanza. It’s Uhfici'stood McNeill pay hike for his work on year-old show. gets a the IT* ABC’s Acad Award Hollywood, Feb. 21. ABC Will cariy the AGademy Award show March 23 on 298 sta^ tions. Broadcast will hit the east at 8 p m. but will not go out on the Pacific network until 10.15 p.m..due to previous time commit- ments. Armed Forces Radio Services will shortwave ceremonies the world in tliree broadcasts.