Variety (April 1953)

34 HAMO-TELEVISION Wednesday April 22, 1953 Alert Radio (1st), TV (2d) Scoop All Dailies (3d) on War Prisoner Names The release of names of Ameri-4- can prisoners of war exchanged in Korea last Sunday (19) found radio and television, as usual, ahead of the newspapers. And as usual, radio was ahead of, tele. Name of the first prisoner released, Pvt. Carl W, Kirchen- hausen of 214 Audubon Ave., New York City, was flashed over NBC and CBS radio at 7:15 p.m., fol- lowed by ABC radio a minute later and Mutual. All radio networks kept up a stream of bulletins until as late as 1 a.m. From 10:30 to 11 p.m., CBS Radio had a special program from Freedom Village in Korea, with George Herman' reporting, and a telephone interview by Bob Trout with the mother of Corp. Richard O. Morrison in Burlington, Iowa. In television, CBS-TV broke into the "Gene Autry Show" at 7:16.47 and University Forum at 7:19 p.m. with the first name of Kirchen- hausen. Bob Hope, on "Colgate Comedy Hour," gave the names of Kirchenhauscn and Pfc. Robert Stell of Baltimore, the second pris- oner released. ABC-TV had the first name in the 8 to 9 p.m. "All Star News" show.' Alert thinking and fast footwork got the first television home re- action of the release of the first American prisoner, Private Kirch- enhausen, on the air for Don Hol- lenbeck’s CBS-TV network show, "Sunday News Special,” at-11 p.m. First move started with a call from Bob Fuller of WCBS-TV, N. Y., who wanted Kirchenhausen’s neighbors (the soldier has no rela- tives here) for a .local show, to Jim Kane of CBS-TV press infor- mation, who lives half a mile from the Kirchenhausen address. Kane arrived at the house in the midst of a reporter melee, with NBC-TV cameras shooting the following day’s, "Today" show. Corraling Kirchenhausen's land- lady, Mrs. Frieda Nassauer (who had a 9:31 p.m. phone interview on Mutual radio), and two neigh- bors, Kane rushed them by cab to CBS, where it was decided to put them on the Hollenbeck network show. The taxi transportation beat out a DuMont limousine being sent for Kirchenhausen’s neighbors. On the "Sunday News Special," the woman exhibited letters from Kirchenhausen, which they felt sure was propaganda forced from Kirchenhausen or forged. Hollen- beck also had on his program a •Baltimore origination with the mother, brother and sister of Pri- vate StelL A 15-minute show at 1 a.m., also by Holelnbeck, wrapped up the CBS-TV coverage. Baldrica's WXYZ Post Detroit, April 21. Bob Baldrica has been appointed publicity director of WXYZ-AM- TV. He joins the ABC o&o sta- tion after serving two years as public information officer at the 10th. Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kans., news director of the Far East Network and manager of the Armed Forces radio station in Tokyo. Kovacs Opposite-Berle Show Axed: Pix Subbed CBS Television has dropped the Ernie Kovacs show (opposite Mil- ton Berle), substituting film with the program of last night (20). Passing up the opportunity to build an audience while Berle’s on vacation, the web plans to fill the Tuesday 8 to 9 p.m. spot with pix through the rest of summer, per- haps televising some special events (as it did of the New- Orleans Mardi Gras) as they come up. Chances are not likely that a national sponsor will show up for the film, while special events are too unpredictable and sudden to .find a bankroller in time. WCBS- .TV, N % Y., which got the time and a sponsor locally last year, may 'do so again. Bid to Compel Loyalty Oath by Membership Hollywood, April 21. Request by J. Carrol Naish that all members of American Federa- tion of Television and‘ Radio Art- ists be required to take loyalty oaths has been nixed by AFTRA board on grounds present consti- tutional provisions and recent resolution regarding Communists .provide most effective means of combatting any Red element, AFTRA exec -secretary Claude McCue reports. "We appreciate the sincerity of purpose for which Mr.' Naish’s re- quest was intended, but the board feels there is a question as to Its practical application. There is never any hesitation on the part of Communists to take loyalty oaths. They are not subject to perjury if they lie in taking such an oath before a. union," McCue explained. He said AFTRA’s constitution prohibits membership to anyone who is a Communist, or lends aid to the Commie party. In addition, resolution recently adopted orders any AFTRAite called before House Un-American Activities committee to testify -without any declinations, he points out. Board felt these measures *were ade- quate precautions against Com- mies. L AFTRA’s Honolulu Unit Honolulu, April 14. American Federation of Tele- vision and Radio Artists of Hono- lulu has received AFL charter, ac- cording to Hal Lewis, president of the new unit. Lewis saijd "group was formed be- cause "we’re interested in job se- curity and fair labor practices.” Lewis is Hawaii’s top income disk jock. Membership numbers about 50, with figure expected to double when technicians and other, TV personnel are admitted. Selling Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton WLEV-TV Bethlehem, Pa. ROBERT MEEKER AssotiuHs Now York Chita** lot Angelet fen Frenetic# p'fasiEfrr RADIO TV DIRECTORS AT % JOR PEAR Hollywood, April 21. Reflecting uppance in TV ac- tivity, 90% of the 200 members of the Radio and Television Direc- tors Guild are working, In face of continuing downbeat in employ- ment in pix. There has been a steady increase in net and local TV shows, it’s reported by guild. Job situation is more favorable at local stations, where picture is more consistent, while nets have tendency to hire directors, as- sistant directors and floor manag- ers on a show-by-show basis, guild says. Freelance market has slumped in radio, along with lopping off of a number of AM shows, where- as in video freelance field is bet- ter than ever. Spanish Soap Opera Fans Can Now Cry In Knickerbocker Beer Knickerbocker Beer this week enters the foreign language broad- casting sweepstakes with cross-the- board sponsorship of "Bodas de Odio" ("Marriage of Hate”), Span- ish-language'soap opera on WHOM, N. Y. Sudsery is parlaying its new Spanish venture with its -Ne- gro market entry on the same sta- tion, the Willie Bryant and Ray Carroll show. Two shows will be back-to-back, with "Bodas” daily at 9:45 to 10 p. m. and the Bryant- Carroll segment immediately fol- lowing. "Bodas” is a soapr opera taped in Puerto Rico and installed on WHOM couple of months ago. Knickerbocker sale, for 26 weeks through the Biow agency, cued the move from early evening slot to the late hour in order to back it with the beer’s Negro entry. Bry- ant-Carroll segment • sponsored by Knickerbocker is the first 15 min- utes 'of their late hour deejay-gab show originating at the Birdland nitery. (Knickerbocker-sponsored segment is studio-originated, due to N. Y. State liquor laws prohibiting direct advertising of liquor or beer in a spot which dispenses the stuff.) Knickerbocker, incidentally, will present its Award of Merit for con- tributions to the Negro community to Robert Breen and Blevins Davis, co-producers of "Porgy and Bess” in a ceremony at the Ruppiert Knickerbocker Tap Room next Thursday (23). Station will air the ceremonies from 44:30 p. m., with Bryant and Carroll emceeing. Another special broadcast sched- uled by the stations is awarding of the Bolivarian Merit Order, 3d Class, to Salvador Merced, its Spanish program director. Station will air the award Friday (24) from 5:30-6, then will toss a Recep- tion at the studios for members of the Central and South American diplomatic corps. Award is pre- sented to those carrying out best the principles of Simon Bolivar by the International League of Boli- varian Action. Kaufmann’s Dept. Store Likes Radio After All Pittsburgh, April 21, Kaufmann’s town’s biggest de- partment store, which dropped radio Jan. 1 after 18 years, has had a change of heart and is back on again with daily newscasts. They’ve retagged Beckley Smith, who aired the news for Kaufmann’s during the long stretch it was on to do the same thing again, and he’s on for them at 6 o’clock in the evening cross the board over KQV. In the meantime, Smith had picked up a beer sponsor, Fort Pitt, for his noontime * news on WJAS, and with return of Kauf- mann’s, he’s sold out solid once more. WEEU-TV Preem Hoopla Reading, April 21. Hawley Broadcasting Co.’s WEEU-TV, Reading’s new UHF station, kicked off operations last Wednesday (15) with local hoopla rarely equalled in city. Opening of the station was subject of front- page pieces, all during the week in the two dailies, the Times and the Eagle. wwv. «uuu o. nine was a state and local dignitaries pi on opening night. Station w an NBC-ABC affiliate. New Copyright Society To Sift Legal Problems In Radio, Tele, Vidpix In -an attempt to map a path through the legal brambles that have sprung up around TV, radio and telefilm, papers will be filed this week for a new corporation •ealled the Copyright Society of the U.S.A., to be headquartered in the new Law Centre of New York U. Project is headed by a group of w.k. show biz legalites sparked by Prof. Walter Derenberg, N. Y. at- torney on the staff of NYU. A main object of the society will be to take over the bi-monthly pub- lication of the Experimental Biblio- graphical Bulletin, a piagazine which has been issued sporadically by the Copyright' Office * of the Li- brary of Congress, At a subscrip- tion cost of $10, the publication would record all the latest legal de- cisions and legislation in the U. S. and around the world, dealing with TV, radio and allied show biz copy- right fields. Officers of the corporation are Samuel Tannenbaum, N. Y. attor- ney for many of the major, film companies, as prez; Joseph McDon- ald, treasurer of NBC, as veepee; Louis Swarts, L. A. attorney, veepge; Theodore Kupferman, at- torney for ; Cinerama, as secretary; Charles B. Seton, N. Y. attorney in the AM-TV field, as assistant secre- tary; Harry Henri, N. Y. attorney specializing in the newspaper field, treasurer; Paul Sherman, ASCAP staff attorney, as assistant treas- urer. Viceroy Seeks Stafford For Post-WW TV Show Williamson Tobacco’s filter cig- gie, Viceroy, is definitely id the network TV picture via a 52-week pact with ABC-TV for the 6:45 p. m. Sunday slot being vacated this week by Walter Wirighell, who moves down to 6:30 for the sum- mer and will probably do a 9 p. m. simulcast in the fall. Viceroy show isn’t set yet, but understood ciggie outfit and' Ted Bates agency want to spot singer Jo Stafford in the time. Show would presumably come from the Coast. Viceroy takes over the slot.May 24, with local shows running till then. In N.Y., WABC-TV has slotted Ed & Pegeen Fitzgerald’s "Manners” stanza till May 17. <7 DuM ‘Dark of Night’ Axed Long-expected axe has finally descended on DuMont’s Friday night on-locationer, "Dark of Night.” Program, which had good critical reaction but no sponsor in- terest, goes off the air with the May 1 broadcast. Starting the following week, web has set its new Stark-Layton pack- age, "Jimmy Hughes, Rookie Cop” into the 8:30 spot. Series had origi- nally been scheduled for Monday nights, replacing the "Johns Hop- kins Science Review,” which moves into Wednesday nights. Monday 8:30 slot is still open, with program director Jim Caddigan expecting to set a film in the time. Dallas—WFAA-TV has added Jim Underwood to its announcing staff and Jim Flowers to the sales department. Albany TV Seen By End of Year Albany, April 21. Possibility that Albany will have Its first television station operatng by. the New Year was seen as the result pf authorization last week bv FCC for the Hudson Valley Broad- casting Corp. (operator 0 f WROW) to start construction within 30 days of a relay setup and studio for transmission on Channel 41. FCC action followed withdrawal by Gov. Dongan Broadcasting Co (owner of WOKO) of its applica- tion for the channel and the grant- ing by Hudson Valley of an option for Dongan to buy 50% of the former’s stock. Col. James T. Healey, president and general manager of WOKO, announced on the air that the’ city’s oldest radio outlet would be sold "to another company.” There were unconfirmed reports WOKO might be shifted to a nearby city. At the same time, stories had Healey headed to Hudson Valley as assistant general manager, di- rector of news for the WROW radio and television operators, and commentator. John K. West Elected To NBC Board; Robinson Named to Parent RCA John K. West, veepee in charge of West Coast operations for NBC, was elected to the NBC board of directors last Friday (17), Meet- ing at the same time, the RCA board elected William E. Robin- son, exec vice-president of the N. Y, Herald-Tribune (and golfing intimate of President Eisenhower) to the parent body board. Dual appointments were the result of 'the death last week of Gano Dunn, president of White & Co., who served on both the NBC and RCA board directorates. Gen. David Sarnoff, chairman of both boards, said that the West election was in recognition of “fine performance of duty, and growing importance of the West Coast both in radio and TV.” It's the first time that a Coast veepee has been named to the NBC board. It also creates a situation where neither of the men to whom West reports, William H. Fine- shriber and John K. Herbert, have directorate status, although both are major veepees in the company. KQV’s Chain Store Deal Pittsburgh, April 21. KQV, which becomes the CBS outlet locally on June 15, and A. & P. company have signed a contract for a "lightning merCHAINdising” plan similar to those now being worked by radio operations and retail stores in sev- eral other key cities. In return for purchasing spot announcements on programming over a 13-week period, food adver- tisers will receive end displays in 130 A. and P. super markets and regular stores in the KQV service area. I \ ... whether you sell kickshaws to *, kids, winkies to women, or mix to i men, you’ll reach more of ’em more \ often, more economically with a i KSTProduced television show! 100,000 WATTS REPRESENTED BY EDWARD RETRY and COMPANY a