Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1960)

VOL. 16: No. 26 9 Stations NEW & UPCOMING STATIONS: WJPB-TV (Ch. 5) Weston, W.Va. began programming June 22 after having been airing test patterns since May. It is an ABC-TV primary affiliate, but also carries CBS-TV shows. It has color-equipped 5-kw GE transmitter with 25-kw amplifier and 510-ft. Blaw-Knox tower with 5-bay antenna at studio-transmitter site on Fisher Summit, Jane Lew, W.Va. Although it has studios available in Fairmont, W.Va., they won’t be used at present because construction of microwave hookup to transmitter has been held up by protests filed by WBOY-TV (Ch. 12) Clarksburg, W.Va. and WSTV-TV (Ch. 9) Steubenville, O.-Wheeling, W.Va. WJPB-TV stockholders are J. Patrick Beacom, pres. & exec, dir., 50%; Thomas P. Johnson, chairman & treas., 47.5% (also Pittsburgh Pirates vp and stockholder in offair uhf WENS Pittsburgh); George W. Eby, secy., .2.5% (associated with Harris Enterprises, Pittsburgh). Beacom formerly operated Ch. 35 in Fairmont, W.Va., which also used WJPB-TV call. He also owns radio stations WVVW Grafton, W.Va. & WBUT Butler, Pa. and publishes weekly Mannington (W.Va.) Times. Charles Arnett is asst. gen. mgr. & dir. of TV ; John Connelly, commercial mgr.; J. J. Cooper, program dir.; J. C. Strelauski, engineering dir. Base hour is $225. Rep is Gill-Pema. New starter changes U.S. operating total to 567 (87 uhf). * * ♦ In our continuing survey of upcoming stations, these are the latest reports from principals: KSOO-TV (Ch. 13) Sioux Falls, S.D. has 25-kw RCA transmitter nearly ready for use and has changed target to mid-July, writes Morton H. Henkin, pres, of grantee KSOO Inc. It’s also installing RCA traveling-wave antenna on 1000-ft. Stainless tower. Base hourly rate will be $450. Rep will be Avery-Knodel. KERA-TV (Ch. 13, educational) Dallas, Tex. plans to have equipment tests completed July 23 in order to start limited programming in Aug. It would then go to full schedule in early Sept., reports exec. dir. Martin Campbell. The station has moved to temporary studio-offices on Harry Hines Blvd., near standby transmitter and 300-ft. tower it purchased from WFAA-TV (Ch. 8). The latter recently began construction of its $3.5-million plant adjacent to parent Dallas Morning News building. KCND-TV (Ch. 12) Pembina, N.D., after getting FCC approval to change to 1350-ft. Stainless tower, has set Sept. 1 target, according to operations dir. Charles K. Bundlie, of KNOX-TV (Ch. 10) Grand Forks, N.D., which owns 25% of KCND-TV. Construction of the transmitter house will begin July 1. RCA 2-kw transmitter is scheduled to arrive July 15. Antenna is due Aug. 1. Network affiliation hasn’t been signed. Base hour hasn’t been set. Reps will be Meeker, Wayne Evans (Minn.), Pembina TV Sales (Winnipeg, Man.), Television Representatives Ltd. (Canada). XEWT-TV (Ch. 12) Tijuana-San Diego plans to begin test patterns July 1, programming in Spanish July 12, reports gen. & sales mgr. Ernesto Hevia for owner Telesistema Mexicano. It has 5-kw GE transmitter installed on Monte San Antonio, where studios are also located. Rene Armando Lafon is program director, with Felipe Fernandez, chief engineer. Base hour is $96. Rep not chosen. WXTV (Ch. 45) Youngstown, O. has Oct. 27 programming target says Sanford A. Schafitz, 70% stockholder, who also owns radios WWIZ Lorain, 0. and WFAR Farrell, Pa. It will be independent outlet in city which already has 3 uhf stations. Construction of studios and the transmitter building has been completed and 1-kw RCA transmitter is 50% wired. Foundations are ready for 300-ft. self-supporting Ideco tower on which work begins June 29. Joe Leonard, from WWIZ, will be gen. mgr., with Ray Dio, chief engineer. Base hour will be $250. Rep has not been chosen. What Fate WNTA? if WNTA-TV is sold, the price will be around $12 million, we learned in N.Y. last week. Parent company NT&T is reportedly “anxious” to make an outright sale to ex-NTA Chmn. Ely Landau. According to NT&T’s terms, however, Laudau (or any buyer) would have to pay cash, for deferred debts as well, station sources told us. NT&T still owes payment for WNTA-TV to Irving Rosenhaus, who sold WATV Newark to NT&T. In another area, the official stop date on Daywatch, WNTA’s unsuccessful Storevision project, was June 25. Daytime WNTA-TV programming plans following Daywatch’s finale were nebulous late last week. One WNTA executive told us it would probably be as follows : The station will go on the air at 3:30 p.m. with a public-service show, as yet unselected, followed by The Leland Shoiv, a 30-min. physical culture series which is produced & sold by Leland, the programs’ host, followed by a 2-hour movie. NAB abolished its organizational services dept, last week in an unannounced reorganization move by the policy committee headed by Clair R. McCollough (Steinman Stations). Out with the dept, went mgr. Fred H. Garrigus, whose resignation was accepted as of June 20. Functions of his office, devoted primarly to NAB liaison work with public-service & educational organizations, were taken over by new industry-affairs vp Howard H. Bell (Vol. 16:25 p2). The policy committee’s decision to eliminate the dept, (staffed only by secretarial help in addition to Garrigus) was another step in the committee’s revamping of NAB’s hq structure. Garrigus came to NAB in July 1955 from radio WEEI Boston, once the home station of the late NAB Pres. Harold E. Fellows. He did not announce his plans. WDAN-TV (Ch. 24) Danville, 111. has been sold to Plains TV Corp. (WICS Springfield, 111., WCHU Champaign and WHNB-TV New Britain, Conn.) for $75,000 by the Gannett Publishing Co. The purchase covers equipment but the building & tower space will be leased to the new owners at a $1,500 monthly rental. Grant of Ch. 9, Baton Rouge, to WAFB-TV (Ch. 23) is recommended in an initial decision issued by FCC examiner Walther W. Guenther. Competitor radio WIBR had agreed to drop out after WAFB-TV gave it an option to acquire 20% of the Ch. 9 station for $167,000 during the period between 18 & 30 months after it starts operating or for $38,000 during 36 to 39 months. WAFB-TV also agreed to pay WIBR’s application expenses up to $23,000. Ch. 9, Alpena, Mich, should be granted to Lake Huron Bcstg. Co., now that competitor Gerity Bcstg. Co. has dismissed its application, FCC examiner Basil P. Cooper recommended in an initial decision. Gerity filed an affidavit stating that it is receiving no payment from Lake Huron for dropping out. The prospective granteee operates WKNX-TV (Ch. 57) Saginaw-Bay City.