Broadcasting the BUSINESS WEEKLY of TELEVISION and RADIO
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May4,1970:0ur39thYea r:50Ç my Broadcasting THE BUSINESS WEEKLY OF TELEVISION AND RADIO Is CATV destined for ad- supported network? p23 There may be some relief in AT &T radio rates. p38 House committee puts strong reins on pay -TV. p49 TELESTATUS: Where UHF penetrates deepest. p57 mmediate seating coast to coast. We've already sold Cat Ballou, Suddenly Last La. KLFY -TV, Las Vegas KLAS -TV, Grand Summer, Doctor Strangelove, Murderer's Rapids WOOD -TV, Topeka KTSB, Tulsa Row, Alvarez Kelly and a group of other fine KOTV, Syracuse WSYR -TV, St. Louis KTVI, features from our POST'60 FEATURE FILM Birmingham WAPI -TV, Harrisburg WTPA, VOLUME 4 catalog to New York WCBS -TV, Little Rock KARK -TV, Salt Lake City KUTV, Los Angeles KABC -TV, Philadelphia WFIL- Dayton WKEF, Milwaukee WTMJ -TV, Okla- TV, San Francisco KGO -TV, Chicago WBBM- homa City WKY -TV, Peoria WEEK -TV, Jef- TV, Dallas -Ft. Worth KDTV, New Haven ferson City, Mo. KRCG -TV, Lexington WNHC -TV, Indianapolis WISH -TV, Hous- WLEX -TV, Omaha KETV. ton KHOU -TV, Denver KLZ -TV, Albany But, there are still plenty of seats up WAST, New Orleans WVUE, Louisville front. SCREEN GEMS WLKY-TV, Honolulu KGMB -TV, Lafayette, The 1970 Peabod Award forTY news goes to Frank Reynolds. "Frank Reynolds, after a career of many years as a hard -core newsman and reporter, became, in 1968, an anchorman of ABC lEveningNews, which he shares five nights each week wi th his dstinguished colleague, Howard K. Smith. Ti lus a fnsh and engaging personality has emerged as a ger';.uine najor- leaguer. "Besides organiz ing, witing and planning this nightly news show, Frank Re" vnolddds trenchant and pertinent commentary, which is clear! labeled as such. Consistently such commentaries arc finey- wrought jewels of precision - provocative and stim ulatzg to listeners, reflecting a unique insight on the i& ;uE of the day and giving voice to the courageous convictioi. Zv)f the author. "For his versatility as newsman and analyst of critical and controversial Aents, Mr. Reynolds clearly merits the Peabody Award for TV news. This engrosses him as a valued member of the select company of some of his illustrious colleagues and his distinguished predecessors. In brief, there is a quality in Frank Reynolds' work that is reminiscent of Elmer Davis. No higher commendation could be uttered." George Foster Peabody Award Citation ABC News CONGRESSIONAL CRp . ARCEPi MURDER RATE CLIMBS... .. : -ILAS ::::ts F.hA OFF ..777, GOALS FOR DALLAS...TOR.tiP WAY 0`TM7717=. AGITATICiN.,.CAI,VII1i gI"O5.,,: i,TLY CLOUDY,..VVATER POLI. represented nationally by Dallas -Fort Worth is continually on the grow! According to ARB's 1969 Television Market Analysis, the Dallas -Fort Worth area is the 10th largest retail sales market and the 12th largest TV market in the United States. The people of such a gigantic metropolitan area deserve nothing but the best, and Channel 4's BIG NEWS is the best! To get your "big news" to viewers in Dallas -Fort Worth, see your 4-11 H -R representativ9 for details about our BIG NEWS. KRLD-TV The Dallas Times Herald Station. CLYDE W. REMBERT, President aA®F7. W Closet/Gait® Expediter Walter Lake, of Los Angeles office of Had enough station reps, McGavren-Guild-PGW, FCC Chairman Dean Burch who has FCC is considering proposal that could associates. KFRE -FM will go to and fetish for getting job done without wast- hasten breakup of multistation holdings buyer. KFRE -TV will pass to Capi- other ing time, let fellow commissioner have in same markets by making sales of tal Cities as part of $110- million deal it at last Wednesday's regular meeting. such properties attractive as tax incen- involving also Triangle's WFIL- AM -FM- With broadcast agenda up and about 35 tives to sellers. Under consideration is TV Philadelphia. WNHC- AM -FM -TV New staff members, request for declaratory ruling that it Haven -Hartford, Conn., and program- plus FCC present, he told Commissioner Nicholas Johnson off af- issue Section 1071 Tax Certificate to li- ing firm. Sold off to other buyers -as censee selling one or more of his prop- part of package of transfers that even- ter latter had said repeatedly FCC ought to explain in in- erties in same market before commis- tually will be submitted to FCC -have statement how public terest would be served by granting trans- sion acts on proposed rule to require been WFIL- AM -FM, WNHC -AM -FM and fer of KRLD -TV to Los Angeles Times - breakup of such commonly owned sta- Capcities' WSAZ -AM -TV Huntington - Mirror as tions. Certificate would permit licensee Charleston, W. Va., and WTEN -TV Al- Co., part of $91- million sale to avoid tax on proceeds for at least two bany, Schenectady, Troy, N.Y. (BRoAD- of Dallas Times- Herald. said he was years- forever if money were reinvested CASTING, Feb. 16 et seq). Total sales Chairman Burch under in that time in similar business. value of spinoffs will run to more than no compulsion to explain anything since there is no rule in force news- Request for declaratory ruling was $53 million. banning paper ownership. When argumentative made by Washington law firm of Pier- Mr. Johnson insisted he was merely en- son, Ball & Dowd on behalf of uniden- gaging in dialogue, it tified clients. Firm noted that, under chairman rejoined Internal Revenue Service criteria, com- No test was not dialogue but repetitious mono- logue. final was ap- mission may issue certificate in connec- No action taken but FCC will have to look elsewhere if it proval is expected this week, when tion with sale that is "necessary or ap- wants court test of its authority to police Commissioner Robert Bartley will be propriate" to change in commission airwaves of obscenity and indecency. policy. Firm said sale of AM, FM or TV present. It will also cover sale of KRLD- Noncommercial wUHY -FM Philadelphia, AM-FM to family of Dallas Mayor John in same market would qualify for tax picked for role last month (BROADCAST- break in view of rule adopted last E. Jonsson for $6,750,000 conditioned ING, April 6), has decided not to play upon subsequent sale of FM station to month barring owner of full -time station it. In taped WUHY -FM program that con- from acquiring another in same market third party, in light of one -to- customer tained language it described as "in- role. -even in absence of mandatory dives- decent" and "patently offensive," com- titure rule now under consideration. mission was sure it had "right" case. It filed notice of apparent liability for Getting out $100 but pleaded with station to take Stern Family Fund, which contrib- Changing balance it to court rather than pay, saying it uted to Institute for Policy Studies' wanted court review to help it establish critical study of television ( "Television Time Inc., is rethinking its broadcasting pertinent standards. Today: The End of Communication future. Ahead may be divestiture of Station, however, will pay $100 in- and the Death of Community," BROAD- certain of its broadcast properties and stead of litigating costly suit. Check CASTING, Oct. 6, 1969) is losing Edgar heavier involvement in CATV and for $100 is expected to be received at Stern Jr., president of WDSU- AM -FM -TV wired -city concepts. (It controls number commission this week. New Orleans. However, Mr. Stem's of cable systems including one now op- resignation is not apparently, result of erating in mid -Manhattan.) Time -Life Stern's funding study or other by Wash- Broadcast may entertain proposals for ington -based IPS. Rather, he was dis- certain of its broadcast properties. but Little bit commercial tressed over fund's decision, over his not all. protest, to sponsor project of Center Although there are no "listings" of New way for noncommercial television for Social Policy, also Washington - properties that might be sold, it would to raise money is being explored by based, aimed at placing on boards of not come as jolt if Bakersfield, Calif.. National Educational Television, New country's major corporations directors and Grand Rapids, Mich., markets in York -based producer of many ETV who represent "public." Time -Life complex were regarded as programs, which is offering to sell to expendable. In Bakersfield company cable -TV operators any of 3,500 titles owns UHF KERO -TV, in Grand Rapids in its library in Ann Arbor, Mich. NET Convert WOOD- AM- FM -TV. Other properties in was sounding out prospects at CATV Latest venture of John T. Reynolds, group: KLZ- AM -FM -TV Denver. KOGO- program conference in Chicago last former president of CBS Television AM-FM-TV San Diego. WFRM- AM -FM -TV week (story, page 23). Although fees and later president of Paramount Tele- Indianapolis. are not fixed, suggested tentative price vision, is cable TV. He's president of would be $15 for half -hour program to newly formed Cable Communication pay for duplication and distribution Service, based in Los Angeles, and costs, plus quarter of a cent per sub- showed up at CATV programing semi- Almost done scriber. Only one condition would be nar in Chicago last week. CBS is plan- packages to Last of station spinoffs in complicated attached to cable distribution of NET ning to offer feature -film to Capital Cities -Triangle transaction are program; no commercials could be in- CATV operators and will, according -TV expected to be announced this week. serted into program. Nothing was said, Mr. Reynolds, enter into cable or ac- Triangle's KFRE(AM) Fresno will re- however, about commercials before or ownership, through franchise portedly be sold for some $900,000 to after.