Variety (December 1953)

100,000 WATTS MINNEAPOLIS Wednesday, Derembfr 2, 1933 ECA’s economic progress. Folsom sparked RCA’s television merchandising by making the basic patents and general production technique available to the entire TV trade. He did a standout job when Sarnoff first brought him east from Montgomery Ward and Goldblatts in Chicago to become veepee of the RCA Victor division in Camden. Shortly thereafter Gen. Sarrtbff upped himself to board chairmanship and relinquished the presidency of the parent Radio Corp. of America to Folsom, after having held both posts for some time. Continued from pace 44 promotion for KDKA, and his wife are back from a holiday in ilavjr . . . Joe Deane, KQV deejay, and his wife celebrated their eighth we i ding anni . . . New announcer at WCAE is Bill Steinback. He's u<»ik- ing the night shift while continuing his studies atDuquesne L\, whe*-* he worked for the campus FM station, WDUQ . . J Slim Bryant and U • Wildcats have washed up their radio and TV commitments with it . Duquesne Brewing Co. and Bryant’s now dickering with a couple of prospective new sponsors . . . George Eisenauer, of WDTV staff, und.- - went a nose operation at the Montefiore Hospital . . . Pittsburgh |><*J Marc Daniels set to direct Robert E. Sherwood's first original TV drm . on NBC Dec. 29 . . . Carl Beta, former WCAE announcer who was ui . der contract to 20th-Fox for a year, has returned to Hollywood to •>! , v > Preston Foster’s son in “Waterfront,” new TV film series. IN MINNEAPOLIS ... KSTP flack Joe Cook says he’s getting a plaque for Gov. C. E. Ander- son of Minnesota for being the most cooperative—toward press-agt*nt, of all public officials. At Cook’s request the governor posed in front of a TV newsreel camera holding up two unpegged wiggly live lobster^ showdng them to a beautiful girl. Previously, for Cook* the governor had held a golf session in the gubernatorial office, given Bob & Rav a governors’ kit and he also had posed on different occasions with Bob Hope and the NBC chimpanzee, J. Fred Muggs. Asked by the governor “What’s next?”, Cook replied he’s going to have a matched set of angle worms flown in from the Coast for a picture with the state’s top ex- ecutive . . . Larry Haeg and Fred Heywood, WCCO radio general man- ager and promotion head, respectively, named Hennepin county March of Dimes campaign for Infantile Paralysis Foundation funds campaign co-director and special events chairman . . . Women took over opera- tion of radio station KASM, Albany, Minn., for third anniversary cele- bration. male staffers taking day off and turning over their chores to members of American Legion Auxiliary and Business Women’s Pro- gressive Club. . . . Naomi Kiordan set for Kraft’s production of “The Christmas Carol” on ABC-TV Dec. 24 ... . Ideal Publishing’s Movies mag has added a TV section. New York Peter Fernandez cast for “Valley FOrge" on CUfvTV "You Arc There" Sunday <G> and his wife Marian Russell plays a lead same day on net’s "The Web" . . . WNBT, the Gotham TV flagship for NBC, is the richest station in the world —yet it doesn’t even own a mobile unit for remote pickups. It has to rent from the network . . . Jack Farrrn joined Barry, Enright & Friendly as producer. He formerly produced the “Johnny Jupiter" show for Martin Stone. Kill Krendle, formerly sports editor of tin* N Y. Enquirer, joined ABC’ as a publicity writer . . . C hris Gampbrl and Perry Fiske into I tie cast of “Dry Run" on CBS’ “Studio One" Monday (7) .. . DeWard Jones, WABC-TV pub- licity-promotion director, named publicity coordinator for the sta- tion’s telethon for United Cerebral Palsy Dec. 12 . . . DuMont topper Ted llergmann to Dayton tomorrow (Thors.) to address tlu* Ad Club there. The four gowns designed by Gene Coffin for Lilli Palmer in her costarring stint with husband Rex llarrison on “U. S. Steel Hour” (ABC-TV) next Tuesday <8> were made at a reputed cost of $5,000. One of them is a sheer wool robe with a mink collar em- broidered with bronze and gold beads. Play is “Man in Posses- sion" . . . John Henry Faulk exits liis capsule "Light & Bright News” on WCBS-TV* “Saturday Feature Report” Dec. 12 and the spot will he filled by Walter Cronkite with a news summary from Washington. Faulk’s a busy bee on the personal appearance loops. Yesterday (Tues.) the AM-TV’er addressed the “Columbia Dames” of Colum- bia U.’s Teachers College, then flies to his native Texas to speak to a group under sponsorship of that oil magnatre^s, Mrs. O. P. Davenport (with the Faulk family included in the entourage). Hollywood New series, "The Greatest Drama,” using newsreel footage, launched on KHJ-TV . . . L. A. Countv school teachers favor KTLA’s “City At Night" and CBS’ “Omnibus” as best educational shows, survey reveals . . . KLAC deejay Dick Haynes grabbed role as a d.j, in “Favorite Story" series . . . Resumption of shooting on "Mr. and Mrs. North" is set for Dec. 8 at Goldwyn studios . . . Dirk Powell has part of a jet pilot in “The Test," shooting for ‘‘Four Star Playhouse.” New show fea- turing Charlie Dressen, former Dodgers manager, and Will Gould, is being prepped by Phil Weltman of the William Morris agency . . . Jack Bailey subs for Jack Smith on CBS’ "Place the Face" for five weeks while Smith is away on per- sonals . . II. E. Edwards joined Jack Rourke Productions as sales promotion director . . . “The Al- coholic Can Come Back” shifts from KKCA-TV to KTTV . . . Bossman Dirk Moore of KTTV hack from a Gotham biz junket. lassmm Continued from page 33 er Day.” thus giving P&G a major chunk of the early afternoon Co- lumbia time, where it currently sponsors “Search For Tomorrow” and “Guiding Light.” (Client also has a major stake in the NBC-TV 4 to 5 programming via “Welcome Travelers and “On Your Account.’’) While the TV webs welcome the additional P&G billings, a turn- about by the soap sponsor (by far biggest advertiser in daytime ra- dio i in regards to its afternoon AM soapers would be nothing short of a calamity. In terms of both NBC and CBS, it would represent a blow from which it could hardly recover. The Nielsen returns on daytime radio perhaps shed some light on the attitude of soap opera sponsors toward the medium. In years past, or to be more accurate in the EG (Before Godfrey) era, the weepers monopolized the Top 10 rating pic- ture. Nobody else had a look-in. The Oct. ’58 Nielsen tally, on the other hand, shows only five of the suds sagas making the Top 10 grade. The Godfrey morning seg- ments on CBS take care of the other five. Chicago Bev Younger back with Studs Terkel and Chet Ruble as a regular on “Warehouse TV” seen Saturday nights on WBKB . . . Alex Dreier’s “Man on the Go” lost its Tuesday night slot on WNBQ . . . Toni Gilman co-emeced 16-hour Cere- bral Palsy Telethon Saturday <28> at WFBM-TV. Indianapolis . . . Lynwood King has taken over the director’s chair on NBC-TV’s "Hawkins Falls" . . . Art Mercier’s “For Men’" five-minute squib via WBBM-TV now bankrolled cross- the-board by Whitehall Pharmacal . . . Chi NBC-TV exec producer Ben Park vacationing for two weeks . . . Sears Roebuck renewed Continued from page 32 San Francisco, interests in three outlets in the state of Washington, two in Hawaii, and one in Texas. A show cause order was also is- sued to McCaw. The Commission deferred, pend- ing an overall UHF study, propos- als by NBC. ABC and DuMont to permit networks and others to own more than five stations, pro- viding the additional outlets be ultra high. Pointing to opposition to these proposals filed by Sen. Eg win C. Johnson (D-Colo.) and several broadcasters, the agency said it is now “actively engaged in studying the position of the post- fieeze TV station” and that it is accordingly deferring considera- tion of this phase of the monopoly question. Hennock Dissents In a separate opinion, Comr. Frieda Hennock objected vigorous- ly to the provision which would permit CBS to prosecute its TV applications. “I strongly disap- prove of this exception,” she said. “It will result in permitting a TV applicant who is also a TV li- censee, while prosecuting the ap- plication, to retain his existing in- terests, even though, if his appli- cation is granted, the resulting multiple ownership situation would be contrary to our rules and would have to be adjusted through divestment.” Licensees, Miss Hennock added, “have no vested right in their au- thorizations. They are bound by new rules which we adopt in the public interest. Yet. here the Com- mission intimates that applicants may have such a right in their ap- plications, because they ‘may have gone to considerable expense and otherwise relied on the policy pre- vailing before 4his change/ This is bad law and worse noliev." new' limitations did not go far enough in that they failed to cope with the problem of geographical concentration of station holdings. Miss -Hennock would limit owner- ship in TV to one station in any slate or regioq considered an “in- tegrated economic unit.” Although such restriction would require di- vestiture of some existing inter- ests, she asserted, “the benefit which would accrue to the public would far exceed any private in- convenience.” Adoption of the new rules will eliminate such proceedings as the Paramount-DuMont control issue, under which hearings were held to determine whether Par’s owner- ship of the B stock in DuMont constitute (ontinued from page 33 WNBQ newscast for another 12 weeks. Eloise Kummrr to continue working the plugs . . . Contribu- tion kitty for Chi’s educational station on Channel 11 has now hit $801,000 . . . On-Cor Food Prod- ucts latched onto 15-minutes of Art Hern’s morning “Pied Piper" strip aimed at the pre-school set via WBKB . . .Don Herbert, vaca- tioning from his NBC-TV “Mr. Wizard” show, will pa. at the S. Kann & Sons stores in Arlington, Va., and Washington, D. C. Satur- day (5» to autograph copies of his "Mr. Wizard Science Secrets" book. Tome has just has its fourth printing of 25,000 copies . . . An- nual "Boys Club" telethon set for Jan. 2 from NBC’s Studebaker Theatre . . . Carlton Kadell. Bill Griskey, Richard Clary and Jackie Berkey added to NBC-TV’s "Haw- kins Falls” cast. October NBC-TV reversal. The cumulative 10-month picture for ’53 shows CBS TV leading by about $400,000. Columbia billings total: $77,367,723. NBC-TV figure is $76,979,840. CBS Commanding Radio Lead In radio, however, the PIB pic- ture for October is a reverse of the CBS NBC Oct. TV story, with Columbia going 61% ahead on its $5,477,711 in billings against NBC’s $3,395,554 and the p.c. figure rep- resenting an all-time high for CBS over its chief competitor. ABC’s total for the month was $2,653,079 and Mutual hit $2,172,527. for a four-web figure of $13,698,870. In the recap for the 10 calendar months CBS is in the not unexpect- ed van by a wide margin, with $51,- 433.555 vs. NBC’s $38,047,598, but the percentage of its leadership over National—35:2—is consider- ably smaller than the lush Octo- ber superiority. Counting the ABC $24,155,398 and Uie MBS $18,927,- 720. the overall billings amounted to $132,5A64,180. O tober, 1952, hillings were ahead of this year’s 10th month due to the big coin outlay in a Presiden- tial year. But for the 10 months this year, the CBS gain was about t- n and the only other upbeater was MBS with 12%. NBC was in arrears by 3.5% and ABC by 12%. sive TV rights to Andre Maurois’ bestselling biog of George Sand. “Leila” . . CBS considering A1 Freedman as chief writer for its new “Earn Your Vacation" TVer. Freedman writes the AM version . . . Mort Green and George Fos- ter signed to write the Dec. 13 “Colgate Comedy Hour." which will star Ferry Como, with Martha Kaye and Ben Blue as guests . . . Jerry Rosen of Mercury Artists Joining the show biz group organiz- ing the Dec. 12 Cerebral Palsy telethon on WABC-TV. Jane Pickens will appear, marking her seventh CP telethyn stint this*year . . . Joe Silver, straightman on the Red Buttons show, had its pact extended for another 13 weeks . . . Connie Gordon’s oil painting show, “You (’an Paint Originals." re- turns to WPIX next Sunday (6>. under TV* Art Activities sponsor- ship. Thesp Ed Peck got three emer- gency calls to till in vacated roles over a seven-day period last week on WOK-TY’s “Broadway TV The- atre." on DuMont's “Rocky King" and then again on Du M's “Colonel Flack” . . Carol Mills, star of \\ XTV’s Harmony Ranch" show, rut two sides lor Rita Records . . . Eugenia Rawls to star on NBC’s “Campbell Soundstage” Dec. 27 control. The action also removes any possibility that the Commission may reverse itself on its ruling that Par and DuMont together may not own more than five TV stations. They now have four. Cerebral Palsy Telethon Set for WABC-TV Dec. 12 United Cerebral Palsy’s third an- nual telethon in New York will he a 21-hour affair on WABC-TV start- ing Saturday night. Dec. 12. Affair is being headed by Leonard Goldenson, president of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, which owns the station, and presi- dent of UCP. Last year’s UCP telethon on the station ran 18 hours and reached $553,527 in pledges. Surprise was that collection amounted to 116% of the pledges, a total of $642,824. Falsom’s Dinner Fort Worth —Bob Grammar has been named operation supervisor and Phil Wygant production super- to increase sales profitably,., economically reach /9 Channel 8-land Miss Hennock also thought the visor on WBAP-TV here Manchester. N. H.— Wallace A walker has been named to suceeec as general managei of WMLR here, it has been an nounced by former Gov. Fra neb I . Murphy, president and treasure! of the Radio Voice of New Hamp shire, Inc., which operates the out LEBANON Would you like ut to toll you that TV is a wido-opon field - opon to new writers at well at to the professional? . . that you can receive at much at $750.00 for 'i hour script; proportion- ately more for an hour ihow? . . . that we can tell your material if it it distinctive? Wall, WE CAN I The fact it that 60% of our TV tales hot been for bepinnertl Con we be of help to you? Write or phone! DANIEL S. MEAD LITERARY AGENCY 414 Fourth Ave., New York 16, N.Y. HARRISBURG ^LANCASTER YORK Represented by MEEKER TV, Inc. NEW YORK LOS ANGELES CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO S‘e ■"-<« Ststioe O i ■ M^Co 11 ouqh 4re; ie«t