Variety (May 1958)

50 RADIO-TELEVISION f^R/ETf META on the Rocks; Entire Staff The Metropolitan Education 4 Television Assn, suffered a blow yesterday • Tues.) when Dr. Alan WiHard. Brown, prexy, revealed that he was. laying off its entire staff of 35workers because of lack of funds. Layoff is effective June 1. META. Dr. Brown, said, needs $200,000 to carry on its work'"'dur¬ ing the. summer, and expressed the hope that it would not mean the complete shutting down of the N. Y. educational tv project. He anticipates that funds will be forth¬ coming to restore META to its full strength in the fall. META has been supported by six foundations, Carnegie, Fund for Adult Education, N. Y. Foundation, Old Dominion Fund, Rockefeller Bros. Fund and Avalon Fund. Dr. Brown recently engaged Elizabeth Bradley to head a fund-raising drive but apparently it did hot get underway in sufficient time to draw the urgent donations. Earlier this month META appeared on the CBS airlanes in a program called ‘.‘Con¬ cept” designed to raise funds. The results were evidently disappoint-, log. Affected in the layoff are Rich¬ ard D. Heffner, director of pro-, T-J Honifc Onf gramming; Arthur Hungerford, di- | I CO Jieeie fiaDgS UUl rector of operations; Arthur Settel, director of public relations, and Meryl Evans, a member of the press department. Dr. Brown indicated that he would make a determined effort' in the next few days to raise the necessary funds for survival. FCC Matty Fox Finalizes Hazel Bishop Takeover Deal was finalized last week whereby C & C Television Corp. purchased controlling stock of Hazel Bishop, with Raymond. Spec- tor, Bishop prexy and Matty Fox, president of C & C, inking the agreement. Spector sold all of his preferred and common stock, which upon conversion of the preferred will represent 836,000 shares or more than 60% of common to C & C at about $4.50 -per common share, This would amount to approximate¬ ly $3,762,000. C & C will make a similar offer to, other. Hazel Bishop sharehold¬ ers within 90 days. Spector will act as president, and chief executive officer of Hazel Bishop under a five-year contract. The advertising agency' bearing Spector’s name was not affected by the transaction and 'will continue to promote Hazel Bishop, products. Radio Review STAN FREEMAN SHOW Director: Kathy Revner . 15 Mins, Mon. thru FrL, 11:30 ajn.; Sat., 120 Mins., 1:30 p.m. participations WCBS Radio, N.Y. A pleasant Weekday morning in¬ terlude is offered by Stan Freeman in his new r show' on the CBS Radio N/Y flagship. ; • ; V # • Freeman, a vet performer, in the broadcast and nitery fields, tickles the keys with tunes, spins a num¬ ber of records and offers Some chat-') ter. In addition to the Monday through Friday 15-minute strip, he’s on Saturdays for two hours in the afternoon. On show caught Friday (16), he evidenced real pro touches. He may not open any new paths in radio, but he comes over the airw'aves as an amiable, enjoyable personality, the “boy-next-door” type as he bills himself. The commercials seemed heavy< detracting from the entertainment. Nevertheless, it shaped up as a re¬ laxed, easy-going 15 minutes for the busy housewife*. Iloro. Continued from page 28 to charge* that they have a strong¬ hold on the industry via the RCA patent pool. Hotspot of the week's, hearings, however, .was the point that the FCC. by carelessness—if not W'orse —operates, its licensing procedure as a kind of revolving dpor. It was . charged that the Confimission selects a winner in a contested liearing and then permits. him to sell out early, for a fat profit, to a contestant of inferior qualifica¬ tions. The general picture,, as pre¬ sented by staffer McMahon, *was this: 1. Contested license applica¬ tion cases face long and detailed hearings before an FCC examiner. The Commission then grants the license to the one considered most qualified. 2. But there is little or no in¬ vestigation when, the successful applicant sells his station’s assets and. license to one of the unsuccess¬ ful competitors, or even to some¬ one who w ould , never have been considered at all by the FCC, as an original applicant. Commented McMahon: “Sta- - tions have been sold for large suths or money where actual operation ha-'- baielv begun and where indi¬ cations were that the buyer was basically buying a channel alloca- l ;/*“- 5 >n</e.,the seller had little > Washington, May 20. Vi i '-e it . . . „ . Sharp division on whether iiet- McMahon speciScally picked out! >voM[S * hould bd p rohl b it ed .from C..a!.nti . t.i,e m Denver. The e f tin g stations, /other than. A..,dd. i Radio ^Television sold, ^ ® national spot sales to » s bs.o«uy,<MTim»Me. AtoJ. 4#eM , ras voiced, today iTues.- in before / the Federal tiU . ' Cominuhicatiohs* Commission, . the operation- and sold at an esti-j ... <. . ■ .... ■ ... nva‘.ed' profit *of S2.901.372 over the 1 Speaking against the Barrow Re- Station Rep Shingle; Other Changes in Field With 1958 just about having com¬ pleted three innings of 7 play, the station rep field is off to a booming start with the scheduled announce¬ ment of two more entries in the field and host of changes within the existing repperies themselves. Latest to hang out his shinglp as a national representative is radio- tv man Ted Steele. He currently is put Wooing stations. Another new entry into the field is the disposed head of ABN, Bob Eastman; . East¬ man expects to open his office next month and so far has lined up WNEW, N.Y:, and WHK. Cleve¬ land. Also joining the fold are members of the Balaban radio /group: WIL, St Lbuis and' WRIT, Milwaukee, and subject to FCC ap¬ proval. KGKO, Dallas. - .Another rep, Henry Christal, w'ho currently reps only radio, is toying with theidea. of moving into tv. Christal, who shuns ratings-and sells without them for the most part), may have to change his policy according to other reppefies. who say tv spot selling is based chiefly on Nielsen, Pulse and ARB.: The changing rep scene in ’58 has also seen Charles Bernard taike over Joseph H. McGilvra Without an announcement and the Ram- beau reppery take over the College Radio Group to form Rambeau, Vance, Hopple. In addition to this, Burke-Stuart was bought out by a West Coast based reppery. Ben: Hoberman, a tv salesman for ABC’s -owned & operated WXYZ, in Detroit, becomes gen¬ eral manager of WABC Radio, the New York o&o on June L He re¬ places Stewart Barthelmess, who might return 'to the network side of the ABC picture. Though it Was only made, public last week, the decision to change leadership in the Gotham flag) had been brewing for several weeks. There* are many factors Which entered into it. Besides, which, Barthelmess has expressed a de¬ sire to get back into the network, where he held various sales execu¬ tive positions before going to WABC. Hoberman. the new boss, hav¬ ing been with WXYZ-TV for eight years, is described officially as a close associate, of James Riddell. Riddell, overall boss of WXYZ, is moving to; New York July 1 to be¬ come executive vicepresident of ABC Radio and ABC-TV. Barthelmess and the radio Web are currently holding talks about his mpveover. He’ll likely end up in sales, although report is that dickers have not. been limited to jobs in that area alone. ■Make Me Laugh’ As A British Entry “Make. Me Laugh,’’ the Mort Green-Geprge Foster package on ABC-TV, has been sold to Jack Hyl¬ ton TV Productions for presenta¬ tion on commercial tv in. Great Britain. Hylton plans a September start with 'the show on one of the ( ITA outlets, utilizing English com¬ ics. 7 • bo«*k value of its stock. . * ( port recommendation, which would MvMahwn --aid further that “sta-! Put the CBS and NBC spot sales tions have irequentlv been sold i radio-tv divisions out of business, repeatedly before they have done • were Jay W. Wright, exec. V.p. pf an\ actual broadcasting and * . .. : KSL and KSL-TV, Salt Lake City, before -ta:ions licenses have been and Glenn Marshall: Jr., prez of granted.' . WMBR-TV (AM> t Jacksonville, Fla. “There arave inconsistency in; Both outlets are CBS affiliates arid providing elaborate procedures for i are represented, in the .national lieen-in^ to determine the best : spot sales division. qualified applicant, only to have'.j 7 Members of the Station Repre- the ba<is tor the decision shattered ; sentativeS Assn., in their.testimony, by a transfer.” . came put strongly for the Barrow Rep. Oren Harris (D.. Ark.).’ proposal which would: take .the committee - chairman, spoke darkl.v NBC. CBS spot sales division out of “skullduggery**• and-- “chicanery” of the station representation field in connection With the practices, for other than o&o T s. -——^————— [ Not all the testimony of the SRA rrr> [witnesses were aritLnetwork. Ac- fvv S /lUg, niaiuS j cording to Lloyd Griffin, of Peters, Washington, May 20. I Griffin, Woodward, Who spoke in The Federal Communications= SR.Vs behalf, “No one is more Commission is planning for its aware of the accomplishments of usual vacation months this August, i.the television networks than we Following the practice of the past j are. No one is . more appreciative, few vears. the FCC is scheduling; of the value of netwprk program- no hearings or oral arguments durr^ming to our business, or of the im- ing that month. portance of network affiliation, than we are. Of course, we share this appreciation with the network affiliated stations we represent.” The opposing forces split on the issue Of public interest being served by nets engaging in the rep business, with . Wright and Mar¬ shall contending that the CBS spot sales division offered superior service and procured more biz than the indie reps. : "Frank Headley, prez of H R. Television and SRA topper, maintained that there is a conflict of interest between spot biz and network tv, and having.the same business organization engaged in both fields deters free compe¬ tition.' /v-. . .. Eugene Katz, head of the rep¬ pery bearing his own name, appear¬ ing as another SRA- witness, called for a modification of option time as it is currently practiced. Katz came out in opposition against the Barrow . recommendation . that op¬ tion time be eliminated entirely. SRA wltnesss John P. Blair, of Blair TV and Blair Television As- [sociates, called “unwarranted” the Barfow recommendation that the nets spell out the .'criteria they utilize in granting and rejecting affiUations and in discontinuing af¬ filiations. Also testifying was Lloyd Griffin who outlined the role of the independent national represen¬ tative. Wednesday, May 21, 1958 From the Production Centres Continued from pace 34 passed a few days here to look, over pilots screened by Frank O’Coni nor . . . Sam Fuller, former NBC producer and program exec, is part¬ nered in a cafe-hotel in the yalley.. . . Hollywood Ad Club didn’t like the way things w r ere being run oh tv commercial cqmpetish so with-, drew its participation. IN CHICAGO . Norm Ross and* Dorothy Bond were set t6 unveil a new day tinier oh. WBKB until hoods set fire to Allgauer’s Restaurant last week. Allgauer. was to have sponsored . . . Bill Taylor,, director at WBBM-TV for past. 10 years, was fired last week .. . Chicago American tv critic Janet Kern in Gotham currently for a look-see ... . WGN Inc. has cut back a total of five announcers since a year ago. Present count is 13 . . . Don Meier, network producer-director for NBC-TV here, spending the week in Champaign-Urbana as consultant to U. of Illinois’educational station, WILL-TV ,. WBBM singer Bill Lawrence lays off a couple days next week to undergo a . tonsilectomy . , . Beulah Zachary, “Kukla, Fran and Ollie” producer, available now for any good tv offers, indicating dim hopes for a return of KFO ... Betty Ryan spelling Joan Kohn as p.r. director of WTTW while latter tours Europe, and Susan Kaplan pinchhits on-the-air promotions at the educational station while Loret- t* Lorenz spends five months in Mexico ... WBKB dropping “Science ’58” and “Books and Brent” at the end of 13 weeks June 13, meaning signon will be cut back to 8 a.m. for the summer. “Norm.Ross and Fac¬ simile” remains. - IN BOSTON . Richard P. McKee, son of a former mayor of New York, Joseph P. McKee, bought facilities of Key Chain Stations with outlets in. Berlin and Conway, N. H„ and has assumed operating control of WKCBM, AM, WKCQ, FM, both of Berlin, N. H.; and WBNC, AM, Conway . . > Brockton gusted Frank Luther, WNAC-TV. personality, with “Frank : Luther Day” turning out a motor caravan, visits to. schools and hos¬ pitals . . . Ruth Sylvano, WNAC-TV press is new girl photog for the. station . . . A four hour p.m. disk jock show is up for grabs at WORL with Dave Maynard, vet platter spinner there, ankling to WBZ-TV . . . Norm Prescott, WBZ-WBZA disk jock, off to World’s Fair at Brussels, where he will emcee 11 radio shows featuring Benny Goodman and orch produced by Westinghouse . Four Preps, Jack Scott and the Kalin Twins did Bob Clayton’s “Boston Ballroom” s&ipw ovef WHDH-; TV, and Dotty Todd, Connie Francis, Fpnr Esquires and Brookline High get spotlight on his Saturday (24) show. IIS PHILADELPHIA . . • WCAU-TV is going on the air 15 minutes earlier each day. New line¬ up has Bill Hart with news at 6:30 a.m. followed by “Mr. D.A.,” “Car¬ toon Theatre” and “Bill Bennett Show” ... WFIL-TV’s all night show —which features movies through the wee hours of the a.m. is going to add an occasional interview. Billy Kretchmer, well-known local jazz musician, was the first interview . . . Murray Arnold, of WPEN, aiid. Bob Lemon, of WRCV-TV, will speak to members of Pennsylvania As¬ sociation of Broadcasters at Galen Hall (May 25). Clair R. McCullough^ . of WGAL, Lancaster, will receive a pioneer award . . . Ed McMahon, former WCAU and WCAU-TV personality, joins WIP for summer months* He’ll fill in for vacationing. Joe McCauley, Jack Pyle and Boh Menefee. IIS SAN FRANCISCO : New KCBS sales manager is Seymour Whitelaw, who joined CBS radio in 1951 after leaving Don Lee Broadcasting Co. He succeeds Richard H. Schutte, who quit to become Coast manager of Robert E. Eastnian Co., radio reps . . . About 420 persons turned up for gala Aim Holden testimonial on occasion of the KGO-AM personality’s 35th anni on the air—included among 120 wires and cables Miss Holden got was one from California Gov. Goodwin J. Knight addressed to. Ann Holden, c/o KJBS, gulp! . ,. Frisco pressure’s growing for telecasts of Giants* on-the-road ball games but so far Horace Stonehamr-and, presumably, Matty Fox—have turned deaf ears . . . KRON, and the NBC affiliate’s news chief. Bill Cothran, won a California Associated Press certificate of merit for “outstanding news work in 1958”—KRON was the only Northern California station to win one ... IN CLEVELAND ... Westinghouse President “Don McGannon talked (19) to Sigma Delta Chi initiation supper . ... New AFTRA officers are Tom'Carson, WJW, president; Warren Guthrie, freelance; vice president; Bruce Charles, WHK, treasurer; Betty Nickel, - freelance, secretary. Members of the Executive Board, Paul Bedford, Jim Graner, KYW, KYW-TV; John Fitzgerald, Jim Doney, WJW-TV; Hal Morgan, WGAR; Frank Jay, Pat Dopp, Jimmy Dudley, freelance . Jack Perkths *WEWS newscaster slated for army call . . Jim Passant, joined KYW publicity staff . . . Henry Simmens, WNEW, named WHK general manager with DuMont takes over June 1 . ... James Bloyd upped to WEW$ chief engineer . . . Bill Gordon, WHK, berthed in permanent WEWS 1 p.m. daily va¬ riety spiel replacing Dorothy Fuldhelm . . . John McClay, assistant to KYW-TV vice president Rolland Tooke, conducting seminar tv man¬ agement course at Western Reserve. IN DETROIT WJBK-TV is aiding the “Keep Detroit Dynamic” effort by giving free time for auto dealer interviews on Jac LeQofTs. 6:30. and 1 11 p.m. newscasts. Also, station is contributing a total of 148 20 and 60-second. Spot annourisements, donating 68 station identification breaks and shar¬ ing 720 IDs in the “Buy Days Mean Pay Days” campaign. Keith Me-. Kenney, sales manager, in cooperation with program director Ralph Rust, conceived and executed WJBK-TV’s part in the attempt to prime the economic pump , . . Bob Runyon has Been named news director of WKMH . . . “Summer Concert” series' by the Detroit Symphony Or¬ chestra will be broadcast each Thursday evening over WJR beginning June 12 through Aug. 9, marking the ninth consecutive year the sta- : tion has presented the series. Sponsors are National B^nk of Detroit, the Detroit Edison Co. and the Trust Funds of the Recording Indus¬ tries, adipinistered locally by the Detroit Federation of Musicians. IN WASHINGTON Ted Ayres, producer of CBS’ “Face The Nation,” copped the $500 Sidney Hillman Foundation award for show’s televised interview with Russian premier Nikita Khrushchev ... WRC received five put of 10 annual tv awards presented by local branches of the American Asso¬ ciation of Univ. Women, for following shows: “Other Two Billion”; “25th Semester”; “Teen Talk”; “Traffic Court “ and “The Muppets.” . . H. Leslie Hoffman, prexy of Hoffman Electronics Corp . will re¬ ceive electronics industry’s 1958 Medal of Honor at association’s 34th annual convention here this week . . . WTTG’s Max Resnick emceed a telethon past Sunday (18) on behalf of St. Constantine apd Helen building program . . . “The Russian Revolution,” produced by WPIX, New York, has. been purchased by WMAL-ABC for use on its channel In. near future^. ..