Variety (September 1952)

24 RABIO»Ti:iJBVllllON Wednesday, Septembcf 10, 1952 I i ' i I , ! I [ 1 ! i'*; M 'j.( i' * ii'i ill T 1 / ■!Vi n •1 1 ! ■■! i •: i •' ( • •*l . a'; li i. ] ) * . I-. r r 1 1 1 I JL I I . i, f • H wood Area Seen AM to Edncl TV; Heimod( Cites LA as School Leader Los Angeles, Sept. 9. - In a strong appeal to utilize television as “a completely new dimension for education," FCC Commissioner Frieda Hennock called on Californians here Mon- day (8) to take leadership in pro- gramming for educational TV sta- tions. Speaking at the U. of Southern Cal^omia, which recently received its permit for a noncommercial video station. Miss Hennock urged that the abundant talent resources found in Los Angeles be put at the disposal of the new station, funds for which have been supplied by the Allan Hancock Foundation. "This area, particularly'in so far as the film broadcasting industries are concerned," Miss Hennock pointed out, "is one of tlie leading centres of mass communications in the U. S. Here are found writers, craftsmen and technicians on a scale that stands comparison to any in the world. Here is a centre from where undoubtedly much of the TV programming of the future will come." These resources not only can but “will be" directed t'o the bet- terment of the L.A. educational station. Miss Hennock predicted. And for this reason, she asserted, the operation should “without ques- tion" be “one of the future leaders” in the entire educational TV move- ment. No Horse & Buggy Age Declaring that “modem man re- quires modern techniques of learn- ing," Miss Hennock urged that education make full use of the video medium to guide the citizen of . today. “Education,” she as- serted, “cannot dwell and dawdle in the age.of the horse and bug^ if it hopes to^do the job that is so necessary' for modern-day America." The L.A. educational station, which will operate in the UHF band, said Miss Hennock, "will open the doors of homes and class- rooms of Los Angeles to the finest (Continued on page 37) C6S-TV Statioiis Foi^e West Link Hollywood, Sept. 9. Formation of a five-city western television network affiliated, with CBS stretching from Frisco* and Phoenix, has been announced by Wilbur Edwards, ELNXT general manager. Other cjties in the skein are San Diego and Salt Lake. First program to go out over part of the newly connected web is the Harry Owens Hawaiian musical, taking off for United Airlines Oct. 6. Stations linked to the chain are KNXT, flagship; KPIX, Frisco; - KFMB-TV; San Diego; KSL-TV, Salt Lake, and KPHO-TV, Phoenix. Latter two have been connected to the network since the political con- ventions in Chicago. To keep pace with the TV ex- pansion, CBS Radio added five new western affiliates to give the net- work a total of 214. New transmit- ters are in Kennewick, Wash., Eu- reka, Cal., and Medford, Klamath Falls and Rosebury, Ore. Change in San Diego affiliates has KFMB replacing KCBQ; CANADA DRY SET AS U. OF P. GRID SPONSOR Philadelhpia, Sept. 9. Canada Dry has signed as spon- sor for broadcasts of all nine Uni- versity of Pennsylvania football games, with the other half of the tab still waiting to be picked up. J. M. Mathes, New York, is the agency handling the account. Games, aired over WFIL, re- ceived highest ratings for broad- cast of the Penn schedule in 1951, with Tom Moorehead and Gene Kelly at the microphones. Penn team meets Notre Dame, Sept. 27; Dartmouth, Oct. 4; Princeton, Oct. 11; Columbia, Oct. 18; Navy, Oct. 25; Penn State, Nov. 1; Georgia, Nov. fl; Army, Nov. 15, and Cornell, Nov. 27. ,WFIL series will also air Princeton-Dartmouth game, from Palmer Stadium, Nov. 22, an open date on the Pennsylvania schedule. VAUGHN MONROE IN CAMEL SHOT TO CBS Camel cigarets is shifting the “Vaughn Monroe Show." from NBC to CBS Radio and in its place will install an audience participation show* Reason for the switch, made via the Esty agency, is that the spon- sor feels the NBC time, Wednes- days at 8 p.m., is more suited to a qulyzer format. New NBC show will probably be “Walk A Mile," which Camels has useds as a sum- mer replacement On Oct. 4 Monroe will go into the 7:30 p.m. Saturday spot on CBS, which the orch had in pre- vious seasons (1946-51). Since January of this year Monroe has been on NBC. Agency figures a Saturday evening berth is a better showcase for a musical offering. Mbve gives CBS Radio three half-hours sponsored by R. J. Rey- nolds. Others are the Bob Hawk show and 'TVIy Friend Irma" (lat- ter is for Cavalier cigarets). Don’t Look Kow, But (T5S-TV Sets Tues., Sat Roster Resolving the four half-hour open segments on the CBS-TV nighttime schedule, namely the Tuesday 8 to 9 hour opposite Mil- ton Berle and the Saturday 9 to 10 slots opposite “Show of Shows,” is becoming an almost weekly has- sle at the network. Nothin’s for sure, as far as the four half-hour periods are concerned, with hardly a week going by that the lineup doesn’t undergo drastic revision. As of last weekend, here’s how the latest version read: Tuesday at 8, the new JanC 'Froman musical, “Canteen,' U.S.A." (which had originally been intended for a Saturday night showcasing); Tues- day at 8:30, the new Red Button comedy show. Saturday night at 9 now calls for a TV version of “Meet Miss Millie” (with a new lead instead of Audrey Totter, who continues in the radio version only); and Satur- day night 9:30, the Eddie Albert situation comedy, “Leave It To Dad." AT&T APPLIES FOR NORTH-BOUND CHANNEL Dallas, Sept. 9. Applications to the FCC was made by the long lines department of American Telephone and Tele- graph CJo., for north bound televi- sion channels from Dallas, and New Orleans, to permit network TV connections for programs originat- ing in those cities. Scheduled for completion by Jan. 1, 1953, in time for the New Year’s Cotton Bowl and Sugar Bowl foot- ball games, the facilities will be available for occasional service only. Under the proposal, the channel from here would be interconnected to the long lines transcontinental microwave system at Omaha, Nebr., and the channel from New Orleans would be connected with the na- tional network at Jackson, Miss. Bil, Cora Baird ‘Wizard’ Puppets Get CBS-TV Axe “Whistling Wizard," the Bil and Cora Baird puppet stanza, is being cancelled out of its Saturday 11- 11:30 a.m. time on CBS-TV. Web felt that the show —which had a big puppet cast and production layout—^was too expensive to sus- tain and it exits after Sept. 20 tele- cast. It has a 4.7 rating currently. Meanwhile the skein is talking to the Bairds about doing another show. “Wizard” has been on the net almost a year, having started as a colorcast series. Mayor Inks 2 Bills to Aid N.Y.’s TV Capital Status As part of the campaign to keep New York as the TV capital, Mayor Vincent Impellitteri this week signed two local laws amending the city’s fire, electrical and build- ing codes to accommodate TV pro- duction and transmission. Mayor said the bills were passed “because we want the industry to stay here, where so many of the country’s most important events and ideas originate, and where sldlled workers and artists can contribute so much.” Diaz Helms ABC Program Dais, Sets Ray Diaz, who returned from vacation last week to find himself upped to national program direc- tor for ABC radio, taking over after v.p. Leonard Reeg resigned, has started wrestling with the web’s fall lineup. Major concentration is on Sunday night, built around Wal- ter Winchell’s return to his 9 p.m. slot Oct. 5. Marlene Dietrich’s “Cafe Istan- bul" will probably -take the 8:30 p.m. slot directly in front of the veteran gabber. Advfenture series will be given a revamp, probably being set in an American city, like San Francisco, with an interna- tional flavor. “American Music Hall," which features the full ABC house orch and veepee Paul White- man, now in the 8-9 p.m. hour, will probably be trimmed to 30 minutes for the 8-8:30 p.m. berth until the end of the year. The musical note will also be featured in the 7-7:30 p.m. span. A new show with Pvt. Eddie Fisher will go in at 7-7:15 p.m. followed by the Three Suns. “Time Cap- sule” will retain its present 7:30 p.m. spot, but the interviews will be de-emphasized in favor of play- ing up the dramatic phases. The 6 p.m. hour will highlight gab, with Drew Pearson moving back to his old 6 p.m. niche when Winchell returns. He’ll be followed by “Monday Morning Headlines” at 6:15 and commentator George E. Sokolsky at 6:30. “Field and Stream," currently skedded later in the evening, will be moved up to 6:45 p.m. In the daytime Diaz will drop the soap opera concept from the 11 a.m. strip, in favor of on audi- ence participationer ‘to lead into “Break the Bank.” He’s dickering with Masterson-Reddy-Nelson, indie packagers, for “Live Like a Mil- lionaire” for the spot. With “Original Amateur Hour” leaving the 9-9:45 p.m. Thursday niche, Thursday will get a dramatic block from 8-10 p.m. Dramatic shows will be skedded at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to be included in the skein’s Pyra- mid Plan.- Diaz joined NBC in 1930 and moved over to ABC in 1942 when the Blue Network was split from NBC. DuMont, in Daytime Expansion, Nabs Dixon In Cincy Origination ^ DuMont is expanding its day- time schedule, with the web grab- bing off the Paul Dixon show from ABC-TV. Dixon, who has been on ABC- TV Wednesdays at 8-9 p. ra., want- ed a daytime spot. He’ll get the 3-4 p. m. strip on DuMont, with the show available to stations east of Omaha. Stanza, which features Dixon, Wanda Lewis and Dottie Mack miming waxings of pop tunes, orig- inates from WCPO-TV, CinclnnatL Mort Watters, WCPO chief, was in town early this week talking to Du- Mont program topper James L. Caddigan about the possibility of the web’s picking up A1 Lewis’ “Un- cle Al" show. “Uncle," aired cross-the-board at 9-10 a.m* on WCPO-TV, has an ARB rating of 12.9, with a cumulative rating of 25.4, In Cincy. Dixon had been aired daytimes on ABC-TV when the network had the Frances Langford-Don Ameche show in the noon hour. Television Network Premieres (Sept. 10-20) Following Is a list of shows, either new or returning after a summer hiatus, which preem on the four video networks during the next 10 days: SEPT. 10 Stage a Number. Talent opportunity. DuMont, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sustalner. SEPT. 13 Stars in Khaki and Blue. Variety.^ NBC, 7:30 to 8 p.m. Sus* .tainer. SEPT. 14 Quiz Kids. Quiz. ‘CBS, 4 to 4:30 p.m. Cat’s Paw Rubber Co. (Alternate weeks), via S. A, Levyne. New York Times Youth Fonim, Panel, DuMont, 6 to 6 p.m. Sustalner. SEPT. 15 Famous Fights from Madison Square Garden. Fight films. Du* Mont, 9:45 to 10. 1 Love Lucy, Situation Comedy. CBS, 9 to 9:30 p.m. Philip Morris, via Blow. SEPT. 16 Milton Berle. Comedy. NBC, 8 to 9 p.m. Texaco, via Kudner. SEPT. 20 Anned Service Football Games. Sports. CBS, 1:45 p.m. to con- clusion. Sustainer. Jackie Gleason. Comedy-Variety. CBS, 8 to 9 p.m. Partici- pating. ^ - 41 Comml TV Bids Okayed by FCC Since Freezelift; 8 EdncT Grants WALLING EXITS NBC-TY FOR PHILLY’S WPTZ ' Philadelphia, Sept. 9. Ernest Walling^ program mana- ger of NBC-TV, has been appointed program director of WPTZ (TV) here. Move is part of general man- ager Ernest B. Loveman’s plan to originate more programs from the station for the NBC-TV skein, as well as expanding local program operations. “Walling, who produced “Lights Out” and “The Clock,” started at WPTZ back in 1941 and was upped to executive producer in 1946. In 1949 he joined NBC-TV program department. RWG, ALA Divorce Not in Cards; Take Dp McCarran Blast Committee of the Radio Writers Guild which has been studying the question of separating from the Authors League of America Is understood to have concluded that a divorce isn’t possible. Study by the eastern region RWG committee-is said to have found that the guild is so closely hound to its parent body that a walkout couldn’t' be done legally. Committee will report to the mem- bers at a meeting at the Hotel Astor, N. Y., tomorrow evening (Thurs.). It's expected to draw a large turnout, since the Senate’s McCarran Committee blast, label- ling the RWG as under “pro-Com- munist leadership,” will also come up for discussion. Separation report is expected to have important significance, since it touches on the question of tele- vision jurisdiction. The Coast region of RWG has a similar com- mittee and has Seeif some RWG members form a Television Writers Assn., in competition with the Screen Writers Guild, which has the temporary award from the ALA of TV jurisdiction west of the Rockies. A recommendation against sepa- ration from the Coast RWG group could throw cold water on plans for expanding the TWA. The separations committees were set up this summer after a na- tional reorganization conference was held by the League. It con- sidered a revamp of the ALA’s setup, and spent only a short time on the video question. That an- gered RWG, which then set up the groups to examine the desirability and/or practicability of exiting the League. On the McCarran blast, the RWG has prepared a point-by-point analysis of the changes against the Guild itself, but not taking up the cases of individuals. Washington, Sept. 9. With issuance of six more per- mits last week, the FCC has novir authorized a total of 41 commercial TV statfons since lifting Of the freeze. An additional eight permits have been granted for noncommer- cial educational outlets. The new permits, all for UHF channels, included two for Read- ing, Pa. One of these, to radio station WHUM, gives the green- light for construction of what is planned to be the most powerful video station in the U. S. Th# permittee has the only high-powetf Klystron amplifier in existence, providing 260 kw power through use of ^ 1,050-foot tower. The sta- tion plans to be on the air this year. Other permits went to WEEU, Reading; WKST, New Castle, Pa.; WAKR, Akron; Midwest TV Massilon, O., and New England Co., Fall River, Mass. In addition, the Commission designated 14 applications for hear- ing because of competition for specific channels. This brings to approximately 150 the number of applications processed for hear- ings. Among these, 23 applications were scheduled for hearings in Washington Oct. 15 and 20. They are for stations in Harrisburg, Pa.; the Tampa-St. Petersburg area, and Wichita. Of the approximately 800 appli- cations which have been filed since the freeze-lift, the Commission has acted on about one-fourth. First hearings on post-freeze TV appli- cations will be held Oct. 1 in Washington. These will cover con- tested applications for stations in Denver, Portland, Ore; Canton, O., and Waterbury, Conn. BAB Tai^et Of Twin Falls Blast « A blast at the radio-promotion ad campaign which Broadcast Ad- vertising Bureau launched in news- papers Monday (8) has been leveled by Frank C. McIntyre, veepee- general manager of KLIX, Twin Falls, Idaho. KLIX topper said he couldn’t go alongf with the request of BAB prexy William B. Ryan that the local stations insert BAB-prepared ads in their local papers. “If radio is so effective,” he asked, “why do we turn to newspapers to tell our story?" We tell our clients they don’t need newspapers; yet you ask us to set an example for those very clients by scheduling a page or half-page ad. We feel radio com- mands enough attention to make newspaper advertising of this sort unnecessary We think radio 1* as good as your ads say it is. For that reason, we’re going to use radio," A spokesman for BAB, in the' absence of Ryan, who is traveling for the radio-promotion outfit, pointed out that the drive Is aimed at being an all-media campaign to (Continued on page 87)