Variety (April 1953)

to RAJMO-TELKVISION TV In Lubbock Keeps Pace With JSwffL - m m programs on television were Growth of Texas “Wonder Town S3Sg size video transmission equip- By BOB CHANDLER * ment for on-the-spot coverage Lubbock, April 14. [wr n;i| AM TV of events U P to 25 miles from Patchwork pattern of the FGC 1U0* Dili laXlUg iilU"If a station. By means* of a grants for television stations have n « f ■ ,i i n . “Microlink,” camera crews sent the agency time buyers and ‘ ,3 til 6 Of AtillCtIC DOUtS may relay back to the station media men scbrrying to their ge- m _ their coverage of news events ography books. That they haven't fn Kpon FfomOtOrS IF6 without the use of cable. The come up with the answers on what 1U llw r 1 *vuiui o equipment simultaneously car- markets to buy at what times for St. Louis, April 14. , r ies the sound, a facility which what products is obvious. But they Promoters of wrestling and box- has not been feasible in im- have learned some new names and ing are expected to make a vigor- . mediate, coverage of news found markets where none appar- ous beef against a bill introduced events by TV. ently existed before. in the Missouri Legislature last Raytheon also expects the One of them is the “Vflest Texas week. Bill would levy a state tax equipment to have military ap- city of Lubbock, whose station, on the sale of rights to broadcast plications. Various govern- KDUB-TV’ was the third to be li- or televise boxing and wrestling ment brass viewed'the equip- censed following the lifting of the events. The tax—5% of the gross ment here . freeze r and the first licensed in a receipts from the sales—would be , „ 1 ‘ — secondary market. The local situ- paid by the promoter or sponsor- # ation and reaction to this new in S organization. thing called television is certainly Bill was introduced by Rep. J^()L(lllIvllluI 16v not typical of the other new sec- James S. Lincoln, (R) Harrison ondary markets, but operation of County, who said all revenue » ¥ the station and local reaction to from the tax would be earmarked I AAn< | I I 1 m It, along with its particular advan- for the State Athletic -Commission. B jIHIlil Bjflfl't, \ZflM tages and shortcomings, may pro- Currently, the state commission is O vide some indication to the time- collecting a 5% tax oh gross re- • j* «• 1 buyer and network of what and ceipts from admissions to boxing f I1L VIrA#1 whom they’re dealing with. and wrestling matches. vD J lYdlllU OliCtl Lubbock is not typical of other secondary markets because 12 Auxiliary facet of the ambitious toTstwch'^quired 1“ DuMoilt 81111111161 fES Radio. Programming Ing glass to be read on a map. VIUUvIll U|UIHIIvI for the spring-summer semester is Population then jwas less than the ambitious documentary plan- 32,000. Since 1940, it’s trebled in DwAitfuAmA V A f ning of the burgeoning Public Af- metropolitan arel, wufa® tSwri I TO g^IllS jCl fairs departntent, topped by Stuart 398,000 in the 26-county South . . „ ... Novins. # Plains area surrounding it It’s DuMont has virtually completed Since the beginning of March, a grown to the point where, through its summer replacement lineup documentary unit in the depart- its cotton, cattle and oil industries, with setting of five new network ment has reemerged from limbo to It has the third highest per capita shows. Programs will be aired this a staff of nine men, with stringers income and per capita retail sales spring and summer with an eye .throughout the world alerted and in the country. toward fall commercial airings, ac- CBJ3 Radio newsmen cooperating Along with its growth has come cording to ? ames L * Caddigan, net’s fully. Producers working with a fierce regional pride, a “let’s put P r °S ram director. Novins are Irv Gitlin, who pro- (ContimiPri nn nfltrA 491 Set to replace Bishop Fulton J. duced “The Nation’s Nightmare’’; . p 8 Sheen’s “Life Is Worth Living” on A1 Morgan, experienced tape re- May 19 is “The Music Show,” a porter formerly with WCBS’ Bill rViacftiKnAlr VinMt* Ta WGN-TV, Chicago origination fea- Leonard, and Ralph Backlund, re- UI lCoClUcl/!V I IclUS 10 turing Robert Trendler conducting cently returned to CBS after a re- . n* 1 p in a a 16-piece orch and a choir. Ad- call period in the Army. 1U?<U DUSCn Brewery Un miral Corp., which sponsors Bishop one show, “Bomb Target— Wednesday, April 15, 1953 St. Louis, April 14. Promoters of wrestling and box- Radio Networks Must Rea ‘Nighttime Thinking,’ Sez Cecil have learned some new names and ing are expected to make a vigor- found markets where none appar- ous beef against a bill introduced ently existed before. in the Missouri Legislature last One of them is the tfest Texas week. Bill would levy a state tax city of Lubbock, whose station, on the sale of rights to broadcast KDUB-TV, was the third to be li- or televise boxing and wrestling censed following the lifting of the events. The tax—5% of the gross freeze r and the first licensed in a receipts from the sales—would be secondary market. The local situ- paid by the promoter or sponsor- ation and reaction to this new big organization, thing called television is certainly Bill was introduced by Rep. not typical of the other new sec- James S. Lincoln, (R) Harrison ondary markets, but operation of County, who said all revenue the station and local reaction to from the tax would be earmarked It, along with its particular advan- for the State Athletic-Commission, tages and shortcomings, may pro- Currently, the state commission is vide some indication to the time- collecting a 5% tax oh gross re- buyer and network of what and ceipts from admissions to boxing Time has now come when it’s WAFM-TV, Birmingham, I networks to pit expensive star- Sold lor $1,500,000; ™ “S Boyer Mesi Unload AM Birmingham, April 14. $21,00,000 total billings are now in- Birmingham News Co. has con-, vested in radio and TV. tracted with a brokerage firm to in an interview this week, in survey its properties and • find a which he called for an even more buyer for its radio and FM station drastic slash in nighttime radio WSGN, which it must sell before rates, Cecil said the AM webs getting FCC approval on its pur- should realistically consider night- chase this week of The Television time their ““lean meat period” and Corp. and its properties, including daytime their “fat meat period ” WAFM-TV, WAFM-FM and WAPI. The sale price was reported to be th -? in excess of $1,500,000. clfn 4 nSc ’ Henry Johnston, who is in charge £ ald » f * ho,dd of all radio operations for the Bir- iff 8 Wlth mingham News Co., announced the music ; sale this week. News Co. purchased audienty participation and panel common stock from Ed Norton, ^° w f: Id majority holder, and Thad Holt, ™ a minoritv holder nighttime TV show on nighttime This is the second TV station in rad *° would equal TV’s audience Birmingham to change ownership d0nt in a week. The Storer Co. is now P r ,°" seeking FCC approval on its pur- grammmg. they may yet reach the chase of WBRC AM and TV from p °^™ he , . tbey 11 ev , en } , iav ® to Mrs. Eloise Smith Hanna for a re- consider closing the networks from ported $2,400,000. This station is 8 t0 10 pm - an NBC outlet. Cecil said ad agencies are by no WAFM-TV and the other Tele- means brushing off radio’s value,' vision Corp. stations are CBS af- considering that it has 96% pene- filiates. WSGN is an ABC affiliate, tration of the population, with over No sale price has been given for 40,00,000 families owning 60,000,- WSGN. 000 radio sets. He conceded that “people are still buying radio sets, suggesting that they’re listening, 117*11 7 /inn fi particularly in rural areas not yet Willys LBb loin —** *. __ a* —- - nighttime raido salesmen continue For MiKif Festival * VI AVAUVAV A VtfU f UI homes< , He pointed out they should ...... ~ “wake up” to the current 21,234,000 Willys-Overland through the TV setj f ln use> meaning’ 72 . 6 % Ewell and Thurber agency, will penetration of U. S. families. He sponsor an International Music said nighttime radio was losing im- tSw pact Particularly in urban centres, SSS? like Baltimore, with 95.4% TV whom they’re dealing with. Lubbock is not typical of other secondary markets because 12 years ago it was one of those small towns which required a magnify- ing glass to be read on a map. Population then jwas less than 32,000. Since 1940, it’s trebled in size—it now has 101,000 In the metropolitan area, with a total of 398,000 in the 26-county South Plains area surrounding it. It’s and wrestling matches. DuMont Sommer Programs Set (Continued on page 42) Griesedieck Yields To Rival Busch Brewery On Willys’ CBS Coin For Music Festival v » J . ,*■ ’ , , , * ... - vile Oiiuw, UU1UU uoiuuiuic, WUI1 /V XV Ql I r J- I r 1 I ^ en * ]^ es a hiatu - s ’ ? nd the web u - S. A.,” hit the air March 20. , f Pb penetration, Buffalo, with 91% uti L. lardmalS TClCCQStS will peddle the musical.- The Gftlin-produced program, a which it also bankrolls, beginning penetration, Boston with 90%, and t mite Anri i a “Jimmy Hughes, Rookie Cop,” civil-defense warning narrated by After Aubik A Rnih packaged by Stark-Lay ton Produc- Arthur Godfrey, was repeated last of thp Toni® P f eZ tions, is set to bow April 27. “Johns Sunday (12), at 10 to 11 p.m., at nounred that “nnr t^wieilln nAiinJ- Hopkins Science Review,” which the request of the Air Force and has not been definpr^currently occupies the Mondcty slot, Civil Defense Administrator Val dieck Brn, Prp^rv' Cn U SSJmT ™ves over to Wednesday at 8 p.m., Peterson. statement in which it has relin- f 4 e P lacin 8 “ Adve nture Pl^house.” Three more shows are In the quished its option of .first refusal - J + imi Jl y ^ u ,f hes wlU carrl ®, d works, and more are being to TV Cardinal games this season. ? s one P lanned » the id ea being to air the The Griesedieck statement said it nf «R 7 nn^ hour-long specials about once a has been notified by the new Car- a Production pricetag of $6,700. mon th. dlnal Owner that it had received Also set to go, biit with no start- First of the upcoming produc- an acceptable offer “through the lug dates assigned, are “Climax,” tions, due in early May, is a de- advertising agency representing a half-hour dramatic show compris- tailed account of the iron-curtain Anheuser-Busch, Inc., to purchase in S thr oe vignettes varying m re f u gee problem. Called “The the right to TV National League length from five to 15 minutes; net- Green Border,” a phrase used by games played by the Cardinals.” work’s filmed series from the St. the escapees, the program is being Griesedieck had planned to TV Lou | s ? Q0 » which has been in the produced by reporter David Moore, the first Cardinal game with the ^°F ks ,, r mont us; and The Straw w ho returned this week from new Milwaukee Braves but it fell Hatters, a variety segment ongi- Europe with the unedited tapes, through. Griesedieck will broad- S, a , d . Palisades Amusement Moore had worked abroad with cast all Cardinal games this season Park iu New Jersey. Climax will CBS Radio news correspondents through a 90 station 10-state mid- con yuue into the fall; plan is to Dick Hottelot (Bonn), Alexander west radio web. paC Ji th r ee sponsors for the show, Kendrick (Vienna), Ned Calmer Busch has changed his mind eacb an }® un t of time he (Rome) and David Schoenbrun about renaming the ball park to S a ? a uord. Zoo show also is cer- (p ar i s ). Budweiser Stadium which would odsination 3 is^strktlv Summer “Green Border,” an actuality re- have given headaches to Gnese- °. rigmatl0 . n . 1S s . tri ctly summer, t j n wor( j s 0 f +h e escanees dleck an «J Brewery Corp. <*«» P? rfc the Ml. t P h °e ms elve S , narraHonby had they been placed m a position Locally, WABD, web’s flagship, Edward R. Murrow Bietime treat- of announcing ball games were be- has pacted trio of WMGM sports- men t of the new documentarv played at Budweiser Stadium, casters Marty Glickman, Bert Lee series ls evidenced by the name Falstaff Co. sponsors all ‘ games and Ward Wilson, for a half-hour narrators played by. the Browns from whom cross-the-boarder at 6 p. m., and , ” .. Busch purchased the ball park last has shifted its “One Man’s Expe- . n +r een . sucb rn.Bscale week for a reported $800,000. The rience” from 2:45 p. m. to 6:30, j s1ow Browns obtained a lease to con- cross-the-board. Being planned is the old . s documentary unit tinue using the park at annual “The Long Island Story” for Mon- four years a SO- rental of $175,000 for five years. days at 2:30, starting April 27, and - “In the realm of ideas,” says — “Office Orchid,” for which no date Novins, “television still has a long rmiT/v haa been set. Station has also set way to go. Radio’s experience has TW(|-P ART 0THFII (V “House Detective,” which ran on shown that radio can deal effec- i fi v I mil U1 IlLLiLv WOR-TV, for Sunday evenings, tively with ideas.” FOR RADIO Program is sponsored by TV Home ’ Main difference between the IV1\ IXnulXj OUDrEilluLi Guild. current series and the old mnnh- , Program, on Sundays from 2:30 N \I'£ J7 to 4 p. m.. will run for 23 weeks. Buying nighttime radio nowa- James Fassett, the web’s director (Continued on page 47) of music and commentator for the ' Philharmonic series, will he in i 9 n in charge of the warm-weather music- MonOpOlV SOUaWH tOlTCCS fest, which will be taped, personal- r * t ’ ¥y - ¥ — -. o y netme n rfcarfe e s n tivals roPean ^ FCC tO Voi(( VHF Grant The International music to be CYiarftfl ku 9 Pnact represented on the new program fcJliaiCU Uj u vUaol ITClo will come from the Salzburg Fes- Washington, April 14. n U ^i a ’ S* S ay rf 111 ^ ag ' Those share-time TV authorize, M? Va \i»i er " tions are giving the FCC some many, the Maggio Musicale in Flor- hpadApw ence, Italy; the International Ber- _ , * , , . . gen Festival In Norway, the Sibel- I-* 38 * week, under requirements ius Festival In Helsinki, Finland; of the McFarland amendments to the Festival of Music and Drama the Communications Act, the Com- m * ssion had to pull back permits M°« d 8 ra nted to two applicants who Festival at st °ckbridge, a g ree d,'in order to avoid hearings, Mass * to share the only VHF channel (8) > „ „ in the Salinas-Montdrey, Calif., FRAMER SHS BRACE ™ ttlm „. OF NFW TV CHOWC protest by a rival UHF permittee vi llLiIf If JI1UIfu that the Salinas-Monterey combine Spotlight Promotions has sold will have a monopoly on network two Walt Framer television pro- programs. The permittee, KICU, grams, “Magic Horseshoe” to charged that the channel 8 com- WNBT, N. Y. and “Make a Million” bine .(KSBW in Salinas and KYMB to CBS-TV. in Monterey) have grabbed up all ABC’s AM Sat. Revamp MlK K A nil I aIIxPkNW Program is sponsored by TV Home Main difference between the iyi\ IXnulXj DUDrEilluLi Guild. current series and the old much- Elliott Lewis, back in Hollywood ~ kudosed CBS documentaries-comes this week after a week-in New ^ f rom the emergence of tape re- Y « r iT’ revealed he’s planning two ARr 7 ** Am Rnv 5 ) 1 tm porting, helped’ considerably by off-beat dramas on his CBS Radio ® ual. llCValllp Meas evolved from “Hear It Now,” ' ^m? pense ” (Mondays at 8). ABC radio’s Saturday afternoon in the 1950-51 season. (which went The first, in early May, will he a lineup, subject of a sharp revamp- TV as “See It Now,” plus “Na- two-part presentation of “Othello,” log over the past couple of weeks, tion’s Nightmare,” the following with Lewis in the title role, his gets a couple of new additions, summer). w Yr£ athy Lewis as Desdemona Emphasis on music and news will Whereas “Hear It Nnw” a ”d Richard Widmark as Iago. The bring to the net two five-minute newsy and “NUhtmare” a second, still unscheduled, i§ji radio news shows plus a 15-mlnute musi- gram investigation nf nronn?,.H version of “Sinbad the Saitor," for cal program. “If“ e ‘E®” L f .« man M L « 6 tar S Seeking Konald Co1 - News programs will be aired at menta’ries will explore separate “Susnense” «,m . „ ' 2 and 3 p.m., starting this Saturday areas of national and world prob- MahiHSSn J«v ake i Musical segment, slated for lems. The one-time dramatic an- artd the^lecti”*Auto-Lite°Co J Tnr p 3 °t wiu . f e at ure pianist Paulena proach of CBS documentaries has reDlac. it with - wil ,i Carter - who s made several S ues ‘ dot been excluded in present true cHml fill. ^ , appearances on the net. Program thinking, says Novins. Primarily July^Lewil wfl’l l h rn-mwi*h eek ° f J 101 ? 0 ® Saturday (18), but won’t however, the current documental ts-Jsr 5 • ass I " *“ -Ig-.m.- ^ vWli r sfiu Y »(Jr7 tj)«pao) 1 noo 1 .finefirfXt ‘ tf ^ n rl. “Horseshoe” is set to preem on the network affiliations. Situation, the NBC-TV key Tuesday, April it’s claimed, will “effectively mo- 20, from 6 to 6:30 p,m., and also nopolize” TV in the area, leaving will be seen on Thursdays at the it without a source of programs same time. * Show is a junior ver- and resulting in “an impossible slon of Framer’s “Strike It Rich,” situation.” with kids making their wishes come Because of rights granted undef true by rubbing a horseshoe. No the McFarland amendments, to yet* protest authorizations made with- Million, humorous interviews out hearings, the Commission post- quiz show has been sold to CBS-TV poned effective dates of the chan- as a half-hour, once-a-week night nel 8 permits, pending a hearing time spot. Jerry Lester is tenta- to be scheduled later. tlvely s lanted as emcee * , Previously, the Commission re- n : “ scinded permits granted to WHEC Grossman Named To r r e w ^i R ?rfe N G»don . CBS-TV Operations Post WSAY’ pretested.^ He^said^the Henry Grossman, assistant to Commission acted so fast on the Frank Falknor, CBS-TV veepee in share-time arrangement, that he charge of operations, has been hadn,t had a chance to get in his named director of operations for own application for the channel, the TV web. New role is in addi- Brown had been in process of tion to remaining as Falknor’s preparing his channel 10 applica- aide. * , * tion when authorization to his Departments reporting to Gross- rivals to share the channel caught man, in his new capacity, are net- him by surprise, work operation^, film-service oper- In the Rochester case also, the atlons, production operations, tech- Commission postponed the effec* meal operations and new effects tiveness of the permits, pending a development. I hearing to be scheduled later,, f - *92-200 H all .76*1 boDi'H ** *