Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

NEW SERIES VOL. 3, No. 35 TELEVISION DIGEST-5 UPCOMING STATIONS: KNMT (Ch. 12) Walker, Minn. I hopes to be on the air in Nov. , reports Glenn W. Flint, F gen. mgr. of owner KCMT (Ch. 7) Alexandria, Minn. , I, which plans to operate KNMT as a partial satellite. Work ' on transmitter house near Hackensack, Minn, is scheduled for completion by mid-Sept. A 2-kw RCA transmit1 ter awaits installation there. Base hour will be $150. I Avery-Knodel will be rep. WBGU-TV (Ch. 70 ETV) Bowling Green, O, plans i Jan. 2 programming after testing since late in Nov. , I according to Dr. Duane E. Tucker, gen. mgr. & dir. of bcstg. at Bowling Green State U. Installation of RCA transmitter on the top floor of University' s new administration building is to start about mid-Sept. Tower will be installed on roof. Robert F. Kissinger, chief engineer of radio WBGU, will also oversee WBGU-TV. Robert Clarke will be production mgr. WEIQ (Ch. 42 ETV) MobUe, Ala. is installing GE 12-kw transmitter and hopes to be in operation by Jan. 1, says Raymond D. Hurlbert, gen. mgr. of state' s chain of ETV stations. Blaw-Knox 500-ft. tower is ready; contract to install antenna & transmission line will be let after Oct. 1. WSVI (Ch. 8) Christianeted, V. I. now plans Dec. tests and Jan. or Feb. programming, writes George A. Mayoral, vp & chief er^ineer of owner WORA-TV Mayaguez, P. R. The transmitter-studio building is half completed. A 500-watt Visual Electronics transmitter is on hand, as is a 60-ft. Utility tower. Rep not chosen, base rate not set. Tiff between NAB & Ga. Assn, of Bcstrs. reached letter -writing stage last week. Jack Williams, GAB I exec. secy. , & Ray Carow, WALB-TV Albany & GAB pres. , wrote separately to NAB vp Howard Bell protesting his public stand decrying attempts to bypass NAB's national leadership on such matters as editorializing & international broadcast conference (Vol. 3:34 p2). WilI liams said its editorializing activity "does not constitute ( a challenge to anyone," expressed hope that other state j groups would have similar conferences. He said GAB I supports NAB, stated he believes NAB should have fullI time "liaison man" for state assns. (It's known that NAB is working towards greater cooperation in this area. ) I Carow said he believes in full cooperation, but wished NAB would have consulted with him before releasing "antagonistic attitude" to press. Bell was on vacation, but Pres. Collins commented: "It is difficult to respond without appearing petty. " He said groups should "work cooperatively on common objectives and separately on separate ones, but not have head-on collision with each other coming around the same barn from different directions." Subsidizing uhl conversion in its area, KCHU (Ch. 18) San Bernardino is helping defray costs of converters to its viewers by paying $10 toward price of each one purchased from local dealers. In full-page ads, station will tell consumers that they can convert to all -channel for only $14. 95. Recently purchased by local newspaper, Sun & Telegram, station will debut new format Sept. 15, emphasizing local programming, including local newsfilm & telecasts of local athletic events, as well as top-quality feature films. • Station has held meetings with TV & uhf converter dealers & distributors, will inaugurate 17-hour-daily, 7-days-aI week programming Sept. 29. FCC Should rescind fairness doctrine statement made July 26 (Vol. 3:30 p3), NAB said last week. Commission "errs when it attempts. . .to lay down by specific rule the precise manner by which fairness doctrine is to be achieved or judged, " NAB gen. counsel Douglas Anello said in letter to FCC Secy. Ben Waple. Provision in 2 examples cited by FCC— that station "must" send transcript of controversial program to attacked person or party— is too rigid, Anello stated. It would encompass, he said, cases where station may not be involved in controversy and also cases involving paid political broadcasts by person other than candidate. Attorney said July statement presents "an entire new concept in Commission policy. " Sen. Pastore (D-R. I. ) holds hearings this week on 4 communications bills. Sept. 4 at 2 p.m. : (1) S-708, to provide that FCC may not consider member of Congress as favorable factor in applications for station license or permit. Sen. Proxmire (D-Wis. ), bill's sponsor, is first witness. (2) S-1193, FCC-requested bill to require that petitions for intervention in FCC hearings be filed not more than 30 days after publication of hearing in "Federal Register. " (3) S1005, to authorize FCC to grant special temporary authorizations for 60 days for certain non-broadcast operations, introduced by Sen. Magnuson (D-Wash. ) at Commission's request. FCC Chmn. Henry will testify on one or more of these bills. Sept. 3 at 10 a. m. ; (4) S-920, to permit alien amateur radio operators to operate in U. S. , provided there's agreement between U. S. and alien' s own govt. Sen. Goldwater (R-Ariz. ), who introduced bill, will testify. House editorializing hearings, chaired by Rep. Rogers (D-Tex.), pick up again Sept. 18-20. Communications Subcommittee in July heard from networks, NAB, FCC, Congressmen, others (Vol. 3:29 p3). It now wants to hear from broadcasters, has invited requests for appearances. Among those who are tentatively set to testify; Ben Strouse, WWDC Washington; some members of Ga. Assn, of Bcstrs. ; John Tyler, KFDA-TV Amarillo; Charles Crutchfield, Jefferson Standard Bcstg. UPI will produce & syndicate its own TV newsfilm, effective Oct. 1, ending collaboration with Movietone News after 12 years. Movietone said it's discontinuing domestic newsreel service. 1964 TELEVISION FACTBOOK ADVERTISING The 1964 Edition of Television Factbook (#34) is now in preparation and advertising space reservations are being accepted. The Factbook, with a circulation sharply increased to 10,000, is used daily by executives in all facets of the TV industry— the people who make the decisions and buy time, equipment, services. Thus it becomes the most effective advertising medium available to those selling to the television and advertising industries. The Factbook, including its exclusive coverage maps and viewing data, marketing information and directories, will be fully updated throughout. Furthermore, it will contain the most comprehensive International Television Directory yet published. To reserve your advertising space in this 1200-page compendium, call, write or wire: Television Factbook, 2025 Eye St. N. W. , Washington, D. C. 20006; Phone: (202) 965-1985; TV/X: 202-965-0979. Many choice positions are still available. Copy deadline is October 15, 1963.