Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

NEW SERIES VOL. 3, No. 27 TELEVISION DIGEST-5 New Emergency Broadcast Rules: Old Coneirad system is out, and new Emergency Broadcast System has been adopted by FCC, effective Aug. 5. In new set-up: ( 1 ) System will be used “during a war, threat of war, state of public peril or disaster or other national emergency.” (2) TV & FM stations, plus AMs not holding special authorization, will go silent during emergency. AM stations in emergency system continue on their regular frequencies— 640 & 1240 kc no longer used exclusively. (3) System will transmit only federal govt, messages — closing down other times. All stations in each area will carry same program. Call letters won’t be used, but area identification will be employed. (4) During weather emergency, all stations may transmit warnings. (5) Official federal govt, messages will be sent to stations via AP & UPI teletype. (6) Non-network stations in system may be connected to any network during emergency. Network TV gross time billings for April were 8.8% above April 1962’s figure, according to TvB, totaling $68,913,571 vs. $63,330,106 year earlier. By network: ABC-TV, $18,576,083 vs. $17,237,755, up 7.8%; CBS-TV, $26,414,025 vs. $24,193,144, up 9.2% ; NBC-TV, $23,923,463 vs. $21,899,207, up 9.2%. For year’s first 4 months, total billings were $272,888,865, up 5.8% from $257,948,482 in same 1962 period. In April, biggest gains were shown in weekday daytime billings, up 24.6%. For first 4 months, Sat.-Sun. daytime was biggest gainer, up 30.6% over same 1962 period. Yon can advertise in Russia, apparently, though you can’t sell your product there. Visitors to recent Stockholm international TV conference picked up brochure which starts: “What do you know about the possibilities of advertising your client’s goods on the vast market of the Soviet Union?” It reports that TV-radio time may be purchased, as well as space in 6 million copies of technical journals, 2.5 million copies of newspapers. Queries are directed to: “Vneshtorgizdat, Orujeiny per., 25a, Moscow, USSR.” FCC is being besieged by groups, such as equipment manufacturers, which seek to use Commission’s forthcoming computer system for many projects — estimating markets, etc. But FCC policy, under Exec. Dir. Curtis Plummer, is to shunt aside temporarily virtually all requests — concentrating on setting up system to speed its own processing procedures. Add broadcasters into CATV ; Robert W. Rounsaville applies for franchise in hometown of Rome, Ga., will apply for 2-3 more in Southeast. He owns 6 radio stations: WFUN Miami, WTMP Tampa, WVOL Nashville, WYLD New Orleans, WLOU Louisville, WCIN Cincinnati. He also holds grant for WATL-TV (Ch. 36) Atlanta, now off air, is selling CP for WTAM-TV (Ch. 41) Louisville to Producers Inc. CATV in Conn, has go-ahead with recent signing of bill by Gov. Dempsey, giving PUC power to require utilities to lease pole space to groups with CATV franchises. Triangle Publications is an applicant for New Haven, where it operates WNHC-TV. TV blackout of pro football games was attacked last week by WPSD-TV Paducah & Kentucky Congressman. Station wrote FCC that CBS & the National Football League refuse to let it carry any NFL games on days when St. Louis Cardinals are home, even though WPSD-TV’s transmitter is 114 miles from St. Louis. WPSD-TV charged that blackout standard of 75 miles from game city hasn’t been adhered to by CBS-NFL, that WPSD-TV has been deprived because its Grade B contour extends to within 35 miles of St. Louis. Rep. Stubblefield (D-Ky.) introduced bill (HR-7365) which, he said, would clarify 1961 anti-trust exemption legislation, specifically banning TV blackout of more than 75 miles from home city for any pro sport. “Town Meeting of the World,” CBS’s unusual Telstar II project July 10, will feature instantaneous country-tocountry switching for first time. Participants: Eisenhower from Denver, Eden from London, Monnet from Brussels, von Brentano from Cologne. Participants, as well as members of audiences in Denver & London, will ask questions back-&-forth. Program will be carried live 12:15-1:20 p.m., repeated via tape 7:30-8:30. FCC Chmn. Henry was to appear on ABC-TV’s Issues & Answers July 7, having taped interview July 3. His next speech is Aug. 14, Chicago, before communications subcommittee of American Bar Assn., devoted primarily to space, common carrier, etc. After speech, he plans 2 weeks in Memphis hometown. He also has Nov. 20 speech scheduled for NAEB Milwaukee convention. News cribbing from local newspaper without authority is a “violation of a property right.” So ruled Pennsylvania Supreme Court last week in case involving Pottstovm Mercury & radio WPAZ. Station had argued that there is no property right in news, but court held in unanimous decision that there are expertise & resources involved in developing local news. Switch from Ch. 10 to Ch. 23, by KERO-TV Bakersfield, Cal., under FCC order, was scheduled for July 1. Operation on both channels for 2 months is planned. Station is using GE equipment, delivering 1.76 megawatts, 3,700 ft. above average terrain, from Mt. Breckenridge. Interest in trade publications Radio-TV Daily & Film Daily has been bought by sportscaster-promoter Harry Wismer, who becomes assoc, publisher & exec. vp. Extent of interest wasn’t disclosed. H & B American Corp., CATV system operator, has application pending before FCC to buy stock in Communications Satellite Corp. It speaks of possibility, someday, of using satellite signals to feed CATV. Deadline for start of Denver pay-TV over KCTO has been extended by FCC from July 3 to Oct. 3, at station’s request. Station told Commission it has about 800 subscribers lined up, plus sources of programming. QXR Network, acquired in April 1962 from N.Y. Times by Novo Bestg., now has 36 radio affiliates in top 50 markets with addition of 6 new affiliates last week. Short-spaced adjacent-channel move of KATU (Ch. 2) to Portland, Ore., has been granted by FCC which denied AMST opposition — Comrs. Bartley & Lee dissenting. Grey Public Relations Inc. is new subsidiary of Grey Advertising Inc.