Variety (April 1953)

Wednesday; Afttil 8; 1953 PfiaRI&TY KAMO-TEIMISIO.V SI Inside Stuff—Television Broadcast Music, Inc. has just released its “22 Television Talks,” culled from its TV Clinics of last spring. Book was long in coming, but more than worth the wait. It's a factual and informative “how to do dt” on every phase of television programming and production, transcribed from off-the-cuff talks by the men who have been in the industry from the ground up. T eafing through the book, a station manager can find anything frnm a complete description of how to set up a newsreel operation (from Roger Clipp of WFIL-TV, Philadelphia), to cutting stagehand by using sectional sofas and four-foot-high sets (from Charles Holden ABC-TV exec producer). WDSU-TV’s (New Orleans) Bob Swezey* gives the local programming problem a thorough going-over, and a score of other top execs discuss everything from music clear- ance and copyrights to hidden costs in programming. It’s a useful reference volume, a station manager’s troubleshooter. Have TV commericals today gone overboard in using the demon- stration^technique? j n a talk last week (1) before the Metropolitan Advertising Men, N. Y., Barry Ryan, prexy of Ruthrauff & Ryan agency, took a swipe at tele pitches that “have to strain to apply demonstration.” “I have seen the art of beer-drinking demonstrated on television more times than I care to remember,” he said, “but I am singularly unimpressed with the arguments ,that accompany most of the demon- strations. , . “I have yet to see a demonstration of cigaret smoking that struck me as effective a device for selling cigarets by TV as was the chant of the tobacco auctioneer on radio.” Eddie Nugent, ABC-TV’s staff director of “Talent Patrol,” “All Star News” and “Saturday Night Boxing Bouts,” is doing a fast burn over an inadvertant snafu pulled by the web’s press department. Nugent was skedded to direct the skein’s new Thursday night quiz, “Personality Puzzle,” but at the last minute Sonny Diskin was sub- stituted. Stanza was panned, arid the press department’s credit list- ings still billed Nugent as director, who naturally resented being as- sociated with a turkey. Bob Doyle is now skedded to take over the stanza’s directorial chores. Iowa’s KVTV Preems Sioux City, April 7. A third Iowa TV station—KVTV on channel 9—went on the air last week to serve a wide area in the northwest section of the state and in neighboring Nebraska and South Dakota. The station, located in« downtown Sioux City, is affiliated with the CBS, NBC and DuMont networks and is inter-connected by coaxial cable to bring live tele- vision to the area. Owned and operated by the Cowles Broadcasting Co., the sta- tion received its channel allocation last June and construction permit last November. General manager is Robt. R. Rincher, with Art Smith as resident manager. Small Southern Station Form Dixie Network Tuscaloosa, April 7, Group of indie radio execs last week announced formation of the Dixie Network Co., an independent regional network which will cater to smaller stations in. the south. Network will headquarter in New Orleans, and will start with daytime programming, with plans to expand into full-time broadcast- ing after a few months. President of the new web^is William K. Wil- liamson, instructor of radio and TV at the Univ. of Alabama. Keith Glatzer will be in charge of pro- gramming, while James E. Lake will be director of' production. Fla/s UHF’er Preems Miami, April 7. WFTL-TV, new ultra high fre- quency station in Ft. Lauderdale will begin test patterns this week on channel 23. It is the first UHF station in Florida. Station’s general manager Noran Kersta addressed a meeting of RCA-Victor dealers and revealed plans for a concentrated campaign to acquaint set owners in the area with the solving of converter prob- lems enabling reception on stand- ard sets in use. He also stated that negotiations were under way with NBC and other networks for pro- gramming of live shows. Emerson 10G Grant • To Houston KUHT-TV As Educ’I Incentive Emerson Radio Corp. has given a $10,000 grant to KUHT-TV, Hous- ton, first non-commercial educa- tional station in the country. Sta- tion, operated by University of Houston, is scheduled to go on the air next Thursday (16). Award is part of the Emerson $100,000 educational television grant for the first 10 educational stations to go on the air. Emerson prexy Charles Abrams flies to Hous- ton to make the award Monday (13). In Now York this* week, Abrams expressed the hope that bow of KUHT-TV would stimulate action by other educational appli- cants. Initially, station will* broadcast from 5 to 9 p.m. weekdays. Air time will be expanded to 30 hours weekly during the summer, with 40 hours planned for the fall. First course slated for the station is psy- chology, with lectures and labs. Greensboro—Joe C. McDowell and Hanson Dustin joined WFMY- TV as account executives, Gaines Kelly, station’s general manager, announced. McDowell was former- ly with WCRS, Greenwood, while Dustin was on the advertising staff of the Fredericksburg (Va.) Free Lance-Star. FCC May Get Funds to Expedite Backlog of 550 TV Station Bids Washington, April 7. \ provided on the ground that it will The House Appropriations Com-j no j : more than a year. . | You would have to go on the nuttee may recommend that funds j assurn p^ on ” Bartley replied, “that be provided the FCC to hire suf- j y OU start off with about 40 qualified ficient examiners to dispose of a , examiners at the beginning of the backlog of 550 contested TV ap- plications within a year. This possibility was indicated in testimony released by the Commit- tee last week of hearings held Feb. year.” “Can them Rep, you get Thomas asked. “I do not know,” Bartley replied. Rep. Thomas: “Given the ex- aminers and the engineers and 26 when the FCC budget for the j other help, you should be able to wind them up in a year, and if you do not, it would seem to be your fault.” Walker: “We have tried to re- form our rules, our hearing pro- cedure, through cooperation with the bar association, and we have made some progress, I think. If we can get all the lawyers to com- ply and to cooperate fairly in ex- pediting these hearings—” Rep. Thomas: “With a, good trial examiner you can certainly handle the lawyers.” Walker: “Yes.” fiscal year beginning next June 30 was taken up. The Commission asked -for an appropriation of $8,- 000,000, or approximately $1,600,- 000 more than its allotment for the current fiscal year. Unless the increase is granted, FCC Chairman Paul A. Walker told the Commit- tee, it will take “years” to handle pending applications and the pub- lic will suffer for want of a com- petitive TV system. Although the increase requested would still leave several hundred applications pending at the end of 1954, members of the Committee expressed strong interest in clean- ing up the entire backlog as soon as possible. Rep. Albert Thomas (D-Tex.) said that at least three members of the Committee would be willing to let Walker write his own ticket “if you can clear up the backlog within one year.” Asked by Rep. Thomas how long it would take tlie Commission to clear its backlog' with its present staff, Walker estimated it would take “three, four or five years”. Asked how much additional per- sonnel would be required to hear the applications by the middle of 1954, Commission budget officials said 159. Comr. Robert T. Bartley, when asked if he thought the Commis- sion could handle 5Q0 hearing cases in a year if the additional] Fort Worth—Gene L. Cagle, prez staff is provided, said it could be 0 f the Texas State Network and Another CBS Moving Day CBS Television is vacating its offices at 51 E. 42nd St., N. Y., later this month. The second-floor of- fice building rental was once, in the postwar early days, the center of the net’s tele operation. It’s the old bailiwick of John L. Van Voikenburg, CBS-TV prexy, and later Worthington (Tony) Miner’s “Studio One”‘operations. Tele press information depart- ment, final occupants will move into the old Sheffield Farms prop- erty on 57th St., now CBS-TV’s production center. * It’s the third moving day this year for the TV press boys. done in theory. “I do not think we general manager of the web’s key can give a positive answer,” he : outlet here, KFJZ, has been named added. to the board of directors of the “Suppose,” said Rep. Thomas, j Advertising Federation of Amer- “we set out in specific appropria-j ica. He replaces Oveta Culp Hobby tion language that the funds are'’ who resigned. * America’s Leading INDEPENDENT Producer Offers a Unique Service to the Sponsor THE FOUR Production - Packaging - Publicity - Promotion ^ High Ratings at Lowest Cost per Thousand lie Heart Appeal That Makes for Sales *Ar Creative Ideas Always Ahead of the Parade WALT FRAMER Productions America's Leading INDEPENDENT TV Producers 123 West 44th Street New York (36) N. Y. PLcza 7-0800