Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

4— TELEVISION DIGEST FEBRUAEY 4, 1963 but there's question whether phone company can or will accommodate competing cables on its poles. City also owns some of poles, will charge CATV $3 per pole per year. Contract provides, among other features : at least 8 CATV channels, distribution of all local stations' signals, a weather channel, no installation charge, $4.95 monthly fee, readjustment of rotes after 3 years to produce "fair return," payment of tax to city of 2% of gross. All-in-all, the Austin action is another mark in growing significance of CATV — its move into larger cities, its attraction of telecasting interests. Personals Dr. George R. Town, Iowa State U. dean of engineering, will receive NAB’s 1963 Engineering Achievement Award at annual convention. J. Drayton Hastie elected pres, of Reeves Bcstg., succeeding Richard Weininger who becomes chmn. of exec, committee; Hazard E. Reeves elected board chmn. Richard M. Dunn, ex-Wade Advertising Bcstg. dir., Chicago, named ABC-TV Daytime Program Development dir.; Irv Wilson, ex-WGN-TV Chicago gen. sales mgr., appointed sports & special programs supervisor, both new posts. Wilson is succeeded in Chicago by Richard E. lungers. Louis Dorfsman, CBS-TV sales promotion & advertising creative dir., awarded Cooper Union Augustus St. Gaudens Medal for Professional Achievement, highest award given to an alumnus. FCC Chmn. & Mrs. Minow fly Feb. 14 to Geneva, where he’ll be spokesman for U.S. delegation at UN conference on use of science for underdeveloped countries, in Feb. 16, 18, 19 sessions. They’ll go to London for Feb. 21-22 meetings with heads of BBC & ITA, leave for U.S. Feb. 23. Joseph M. Sitrick, Blackburn & Co., elected Washington Broadcasters Club pres., succeeding NBC vp & WRC-TV-AM-FM Washington gen. mgr. Joseph Goodfellow. Other new officers: Alfred Beckman, ABC Washington vp, chmn.; Robert Kennedy, Kear & Kennedy, vp; Maury Long, Broadcasting vp & gen. mgr., secy.; Lawrence Richardson, WTOP-TV-AM-FM Washington, treas.; Howard Frazier, management consultant, asst, treas. Arthur Hamilton, ex-WNBC-TV production & business affairs mgr. and radio WNBC N.Y. station mgr., appointed radio WJAR Providence station mgr., succeeding James E. Gleason, who moves to WJAR-TV as program dir.; Frederick R. Griffiths promoted to WJAR-TV & WJAR public affairs mgr. Gerald B. Grinstein is promoted to chief counsel of Senate Commerce Committee, succeeding Harold Bayton; he’s 30, a Seattle attorney, has been on staff since April 1958, concentrating on marine, fishery & transportation activities. Dr, Michael M. Bennett, St. Petersburg Junior College pres., elected educational WEDU (Ch. 3) Tampa pres., succeeding Col. Brintnall H. Merchant, who remains a dir.; William E. Coletti appointed production mgr. Bruce Wallace, WTMJ-TV-AM-FM Milwaukee promotion & public service mgr., elected Wis. Bcstrs. Assn, pres., succeeding Don Wirth, radio WNAM Neenah vp & gen. mgr. . . . Gus Chan, ex-radio WAAT Peoria, appointed program dir., new WCIU (Ch. 26) Chicago, due in May. . . . Gil Lee, asst, to pres, of KBTV & radio KBTR Denver, retires Feb. 15. H. Keith Godfrey promoted to MCA TV vp, N.Y. . . . E. Jonny Graff, ex-Independent TV Corp. sjmdication sales vp, named Embassy Pictures TV vp, N.Y., a new post. Ulrich Hitzig, Swiss TV Network programming official, is spending 2 months as guest of WRCV-’TV’’ Philadelphia, observing station operations. Hugh G. O’Gara named WJRT Flint local sales mgrr. . . . Kenneth Hatch promoted to KSL-TV Salt Lake City national sales mgr. B. T. (Ben) Newman appointed to new post of broadcast administrative mgr.. General Electronic Labs. Richard L. Freeman appointed mgr., Detroit, Adam Young, succeeding William Morgan, resigned to become gen. mgr., WPON Pontiac, Mich.; Lewis S. Krone appointed radio account exec., N.Y. Obituarfi Joseph A. McDonald, 59, Washington TV-radio attorney, plunged 150 ft. to death Feb. 1, from bridge over Cabin John Creek near Glen Echo, Md. Friends reported he’d been suffering severe depression. He was partner in firm of Hennessey & McDonald, came to Washington in 1958 after serving as a top attorney for NBC in N.Y. since early 1930’s. An expert on copyright matters, he served fer years on committees negotiating music rights for networks & station groups. From personal standpoint, he was distinguished by gentle & gentlemanly manner. His wdow, son, 2 daughters, sundve. Ban on TV-radio in courts (Canon 35) should be retained, American Bar Assn, special committee concluded last week, stating: “Since most of our state judges still are elected in political campaigns, in which their success can be affected by the media of public communication, it is unfair to subject them to potentially powerful pressures for a favorable decision as to courtroom pri\-ileges. . .” NAB Pres. Collins termed this “a shocking lack of confidence in the integrity & objectivity of the judiciary.” NAB may rent oflSces to outside organizations in new building planned adjacent to hq. in Washington. Reports of possibility has started scramble of inquiries. Building plans are still in early stages. It isn’t known whether new structure will cover both new & old sites, how much will be spent, target for completion, etc. New building committee will be appointed soon. American Assn, of Advertising Agencies holds annual meeting April 25-27 at The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.