Variety (April 1953)

RABIO-TEUG VISION i^mam Wednesday, April 22, 1953 up for its first ’53 quarter., .Lee Salberir, forjnerly of WBBM-TV promotion, advising WBKB contin- uity... WLS National Barn Dance talent featured on the “Courtesy Hour” all barn-dance telecast.,. Robert H, Sooy joined the Russel New York ; Vivian Ferrar of WNBT^Sens* and Nonsense” to wed Li J. Lyons, U.S.A.F., son of Bronx Borough president Lyons, AprilYS. Bride’s tele commitments peeping it a N. Y. honeymoon . , . $ig Mickelson, CBS-TV news and pub- lic affairs director, off last week for European tour to set up crews for web’s new newsfilm depart- ment, due for full operation May 1 . . . Jane Pickens telephoning for cerebral palsy drive, in Denver, Colo., last weekend (KBTV) and Phoenix, Ariz., next weekend (KWTL), Fourteen-hour stints each . . , Victor-Allan is assistant pro- duction manager of CBS-TV pro- gram department. Richard Rector, for same net, a program service rep , . . Don Appell associate pro- ducer and director of “Freedom Rings” . . . Mary Fickett and Do- reen Lang signed to play sisters on “Armstrong’s Circle Theatre” May 5 ... Margaret Arlen, on basis of WCBS-TV broadcasts of her British trips last year, won Better Understanding Award from the English-Speaking Union of. the U, S. . . . Radio-Newsreel-Televi- sion Working Press Assn, holding Mike and Screen Press Dinner at Waldorf-Astoria May 27. They’ll crown a Mike & Screen Press Queen at the affair . . . Bill Cullen to pinqh-hit for vacationing Garry Moore on CBS-TV for the week of May 18*... Ray Mulderiok starring in own script, “The Devil and Tom Walker,” this week on Dumont’s “One Man’s Story” . , . Jim Coy, NBC-TV newscaster, to narrate and appear with William Frawley in three industrial films for-Cater- pillar Tractor Co. , . . Stephen W. Pozgay appointed sales rep for the Television Transmitter Division, Allen' B, Du Mont Laboratories, Inc. . . . Herb Sheldon expects a fourth heir in June Dan Blumenthal switched from DuMont networjc publicity offiee to Dave Aider’s flackery, there to woik on the DuMont Lab account with Bob Windt... Kenneth Peter- sen, supervisor of engineering fa- cilities at WPIX, resigned to join the transmitter division of DuMont Labs . . . WOR-TV sportscaster Harry Wismer named to executive board of Manhattan Council of Boy Scouts of America , . . Hal Marc Arden named radio-teevee script and production manager at Win Nathartson & Associates . . . Hal Jackson, WMCA dee jay, made his tele bow with the “Hal Jackson Kiddie Show” on WPIX . . . Owen Jordan, who has the lead on WABD’s “Mono-Drama . Theatre” this week, also set for “City Hos pital” on CBS-TV May r 5 . . . Paul Gordon, European Television Corp, topper, due in May 5 from London, with a brace of his vidpix . . » Du- Mont publicist Bob Bernstein scripted Italian and English ^rics for an opera satire,.. VLa, Donna Della Evening,” on the. web’s A* 4 ron WABD M. Seeds copy department via a ?* similar stint at Fhlton Morrissey to disoiiss the lives and hard times ~ g - n - y 7 WNBQ "Jet Pi- >? v «T ftH? 0 «; C,er Date”‘ expanded lot” crew Joining the annual meet- frorn half-hour tominutes in/of the_CM area Boy Scouts. Jimmy Jemail, inquiring fotog of the New York Dally News, makes debut as an aetpr on “Arm- strong’s Circle Theatre” Tuesday, May 26. He plays an inquiring fo- tog . . . Jerome Thor, star of “For- eign Intrigue” vidpix series," in Vitamin Corp. of America spon- soring a half-hour - of WBKB’s "Wrestling from Eainbo.” NBC’s “Mr. Wizard,” Don Herbert and his publicist-wife IViaraleita Dutton have named their newly adopted son Jeffrey Dutton Herbert... Europe vesterdav (Tues) on Russ Reed, teevee weatherman, re- the™ United 6 States .. .A boy signed his berth at WBBM-TV. James Junior, born last Friday (17)' to Mr. and Mrs. James She!-. Sari Francisco don. He’s CBS-TV producer di- Add three more casualties of rector ... Artlnm. Heinemann and sbows w ith tariffs too steep to meet 1 Edgar Peterson of CBS-TV s story ^ be ' neWf increased AFTRA mini- and script department have taken mums . “Treat’s On Us,” conducted over duties of Janice O Connell, b Marjorie King; “Your Show. * who resigned from the nets liter- emcee > d by Lu Hurley; “Stag Par- ary rights and clearance depart- j. y >» starring Russ Coglin ... Jack ment. Hollywood Webb accepted invite to -emcee third annual Cerebral Palsy tele- thon tentatively set for Oakland Auditorium, June 25 . . . “Carmen in Dragon Day” celebration planned a at' Carmen’s birthplace, Antioch, Wally King’s “Kid’s KTLA wrapped up $75,000 sponsorships and renewals in day, with City of Cars picking up April 30 a $26,870 tab for feature films; Capers” began its fourth TV year Yeakel Bros., $18,200, telepix re- . • • KpQ-TV Director Bob Adair runs; Gold Seal renewing a co- migrating to Phoenix. Will work sponsorship of Ina Kay Hutton, for production agency, there. Inside Stuff—Television By April 30, the time when options expire, NBC, CBS and WPIX must give the Empire State Building management notice of their intention to continue or vacate the building’s TV tower. The other TV stations—WABC, DuMont, WOR and WATV—are already signed for use of the tower through 1959. If the three stations renew their options, rent will continue un- changed until April 30, 1954. But the rental for the 1954-59 period is to be determined bV negotiation in November of this year. (Some stations say they’re alerted for a staggering hike in fee.) “If agreement is not reached by negotiation,” says William J. Keary, president of the Empire State Building Corp., “the contracts provide that the’ rental for the 1954-59 period is to be fixed by impartial arbi- trators whose decision is binding on both parties. Up to this time we have not begun active consideration of the matter.” AFL charges that Senator Joe McCarthy took a runout powder on a scheduled TV debate with Senator Wayne Morse (Ind., Ore.) The Federation of Labor says it had a firm commitment from both men to appear on the show, May 10. It said that McCarthy had even agreed to have Robert Morris, General counsel of the Senate Internal Se- curity cojnmlttee interrogate Morse.. McCarthy claims there was nothing firm about the agreement. The Television Service Assn, of Detroit is contemplating a $100,000- a-year plan ,to “educate and sell” the public on the problems of the TV service industry. Idea is similar td one under way in Chi. It would call for ads in all media designed to instruct set owners what they could and could not expect frorn their sets and from service firms. ' . WNEW Meows Up Row In Station Break Jingle Aimed at ‘Copy Cat’ Cott The not-so-serene relations be- Which has a package price of over $4,000 a week, and Frank Taylor Automobile buying 26 weeks of 45- min. wrestling main event Thurs- days... John Ireland and Joanne Dru inked for leads in ABC-TV’s “A Tale of Two Cities,” on “Clas- sic Theatre,” May*5. ..Academy of Television Arts and Sciences plans revision of awards structure’ to in- tween N.Y.’s radio stations re elude creative talent such as writ- ce ived another jar over the week- ers and directors.,.Buying shows end . -\yflTEW, Gotham’s leading in- on KECA-TV Past waek were Bar- die start ed to air a station break hara Ann Bread, Shell Oil, Brown jingle which ln a “ we 're-not-men- “Crown am TKeitre” B femceed^ hy tionlng-names-but-you-know- who- Gliria Swanson tees offMay 5 on we-mean” way accused other sta- KTTV, with Chevrolet Dealers of tions of aping their techniques and L.A. bankrolling,.. Jack Chertok stealing their talent to N.Y. over weekend on biz trek. Jingle, which uses the kiddie re- ...'Screen Qoltns moved offices frain, “Copy Cat, Copy Cat,” is be from Columbia to renovated .apart- ing used as a house courtesy for ment - building ln Hollywood, various of the station’s shows? It’s forced out as result of upped directed primarily at the con- production activities ... Filmcraft sumer, but the dig at other stations, prexy-exec producer Isidore Lind- especially toward WNBC and its enbaum to Gotham on biz. veepee, Ted Cott (ek-WNEW pro- gram veepee), was* obvious to trade- Chic&ffO sters. ~ Written by program manager WBKB’s “Breakfast With Darniy Bill Kaland and house orch leader O Neil’ expanding to 55 minutes Boy Boss (with the blessing of v.p.- ^°^ ir l g „ te i ecaS ^% general manager Bernice Judis, of t course), jingle has a chorus of 10- Neubauer to New York for spot year ,olds chanting the CopyCat sales confab.. .WBKB’s sales are refcam, to boot, really spotty—a total of 3,049 of the Copy cat, copy-cat, copy, copy blurbs being added to the recent copy cat; At WNEW we know one sales spurt.. .WGN’s pre-pre base- thing is true; other stations copy ball game slot filled by Jack Brick- us no matter what we do.” house’s “Baseball with the La- Announcer then takes over with dies.” Quarter-hour " femme fan “But' you know a carbon, copy is interviews'-bankrolled by Land-G- never <|uite. as good 1 as the orig- Lakes Creameries.. .John McPart- inal...And, if you want the orig- lin, WNBQ sales topper, annound- i na i music and news formula, stay mg that^the recentiy acquired tuned to WNEW.” Bob and Kay ^how is completely -Courtesy for various programs „ bankrolled ... Motorola, Chi TV with lrirfc rinsim* “T p* “Stage a Number” ... John Savage I manufacturer, having its greatest . lib 5 “L guesting on today’s (Wed.) segment sales hypo with $64,‘700,QQO racked ^ more listeners than we ever had before; copy cat Tied in with the announcements which the station is airing every, hour, will.be a full-page ad stress- ing the ."carbon copy is riev.er as* good as the original” theme in the N. Y. . Journal - American, . with which the station has an exchange agreement. WNEW in past months has been miffed at talent laids, in addition to longstanding claim by the indie that it’s. responsible for many of the Innovations in AM program- ming which are standard today. It cites block programming, early- morning teams, all-night shows and the basic muslc-and-news pat- tern. On the talent side, WNBC grabbed off Gene Rayburn (of the morning team of Rayburn & Finch, now Klavan & Finch), and more recently, ABC signed Martin Block, who starts at the network next Jan. 1. Station claims despite raids and Imitation, it emerged last year as the only station to increase its au- dience. mi] BLOOMINGTON Serving a 2 BILLION S MARKEI 34 r c of the PEOPLE 34": of the FAMILIES accounting for 35" of the SALES in ALL INDIANA Second annual. television fellowship for graduate study at Johns Hopkins U. sponsored by Baltimore- station, WAAM-TV, is now open to applicants. Fellowship is available to. both network and local sta- tion personnel and carries with it a stipend of between $4,500 and $6,000 for a nine-month residence period' at'the Hopkins campus. No academic requirements 'are made of the applicant since no' credit or degree is given for the work. Fellow is to pursue Studies related to video rather than a strictly TV project. Winner for 1952 was Wil- liam Suchman, assistant art director at ABC. Applications are. being accepted by the fellowship committee at Johns Hopkins U. until Jviay 15. Winner will be announced no later than June 15. WPIX becomes" the first New York station to air matriculated college courses, via its 10-week series of English classes in conjunction with New York University. Course, for which listeners pay a fee and receive textbook, weekly assignment sheets and a final exam and certificate of participation, bowed on Monday (20). Classes on the Daily News station will be .conducted by Warren Bower, assistant dean of University's division pf general education, Milton I C Kalb, chairman of the academic department Of* the division and Maxwell Numberg, instructor in the division. Number of broadcasters were cited last week by the English-Speaking Union of the United States for their contributions to international cooperation. They include Margaret Arlen, CBS, and Ted Hallock, formerly of KPOJ, Portland, feature reporting; Seymour N. Siegel, director of WNYC, N. Y.’s municipal station, for his contributions to American knowledge of the people of the Commonwealth, both through WNYC and the National Assn, of Educational Broadcasters; and John Thompson, KNBC, San Francisco, news reporting. Awards for uni- versity stations will go to Dorothy Greenwood, radio adult education director of the U. of Minnesota, and Henry Mamet, radio director at U. of Kansas City. A new, simplified single-control television camera, the Multi-Con, was previewed yesterday (Tues.) by Standard Electronics Corp., a subsidiary of Claude Neon, Inc. Camera is lighter (72 pounds to 125), smaller (33%), and less ex- pensive ($15,000 as compared with $17,500) than the present standard tele camera. Additional savings are claimed through employment of 16 mm. lenses, ability'to use on all types of pictures both live and film, and incapability of "blowing out” or “burning in.” ' The Multi-Con will be introduced'and ‘tested at the NARTB meeting in Los Angeles next week. .... NARTB Meet Continued from page 26 several innovations. . It will be the first NARTB powwow to be ad- dressed by a Republican chairman of the FCC—Rosel Hyde, who-was - named, to the post Saturday „(18) by President Eisenhower. It will also be the occasion for the “First Annual Keynote Award” by NARTB to the person making ^ the most, important contributions to the art of broadcasting. The award will go to Bfig.' Gen.'David Sarnoff, board chairman 6f RCA and NBC, who will make the key- note address at the first * general session on April 29. Convention sessions, which will run four days beginning next Tues- day,. wi^l b$ held at the Biltmore Hotel. Most delegates will stay at the Biltmore and Statler. Now starring oh NBC's 'ALL* STAR REVUE Saturdays, 8-9 p.m., EST -Mgt.i william Morris Agancy y WTTV - af*ihated with all - rpc a i ■' * a it> ow •' rr*ic r o wave relay 3vst-.-^ C i n c i - 1 n nt' and Bloomington to cm-g . vE network ,hcwi to .'lowers W T T V ■ > ; a - :■ and operated by bork.-^ TorziO" c^a ' c . - * • e - a \;;' ■ o ”" V b\ ROBERT MEEKER ASSOCIATES, Inc. N ■ v , ■. Loubville—Personnel changes at WKYW brings in new program di- rector, Rhett Turnipseed of Gaines- ville, Ga. Jim Bollinger, formerly d.j. with WINN, now doing the "MilSical Clock” series, while Mel Berman, from Philadelphia is air- ing the “Music Hour” and several other WKYW shows. Lamar Crask has several general announcing as- signments, while Bruce Wilson has been made a production coordina- tor at the Station. Three new en- gineers are William Neff, Hardin Lynn apd T. J. Utley. ~-the new wrinkle in television is TEEVEE * / v * library programmiag ... look lor the new Wrinkle 1. NARTB CONVENTION, April 27, 28. 2V, 30, May 1