Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-07-15
By the Associated Press

Inc feQeral communications
Commission vacated two 1857
television channel awards in
volying operating stations at
Miami and Boston. The FEC
held that irnproprieties occurred
in both cases.
Concerning Miami's Channel
10. the FEC ruled yesterday
that three of four bidders for
the channel engaged in i'm
proper conduct designed to in
fiuence the outcome. and so are
disqualified to hold a TV
license.
As a result, the commission
Cancelled, as of September is.
the award made to the winning
applicant, Public Service Tele-
vision, Inc, owned by National
Airlines, for Miami station
WPST-TV. That stations OPP
Grating channel was ordered
transferred to the fourth appli-
cant, L. B. Wilson, Inc, which
was not involved in the mis-
conduct charges.
, At Boston, where Channel 5
was awarded to WHDH, Inc,
subsidiary of the Boston, Her
ald-Traveler, the grant was
vacated and WHDH-TV was
shifted to temporary operating
authority.
None Disqualified
The commission announced
it will now make "a further
comparative evaluation" of the
four companies which orig
inally bid for Channel S to
determine which should have
it in the future.
The commission said none of
the original Boston applicants
was disqualified from further
consideration by the reported
off-record actions taken during
the contest. Greater Boston
Television Corp, Massachusetts,
Bay Telecasters, Inc, and Allen
B. Dumont Laboratories, Inc,
were the other bidders.
Ruled out at Miami. in adj
dition to Public Service. were
WHAT, Inc, and North Dade
Video, Inc.
The Miami inquiry Stemmed
from disclosures before a
House subcommittee in 1853
that FEC member Richard A.
Mack had accepted financial
favors during the contest from
a friend, Thurman A. White
side, who was seeking an award
for Public Service.
Two Indicted
Mr.. Mack and Mr.. WhiteSide
both Of Miami, are now under
indictment for fraud in con-
nection with the Channel IL
contest.
The commission agreed with
the findings of a special hear.
ing examiner that Mr.. Macl
should have disqualified himseli
from voting in the case.
The commission said WHAT
Inc, improperly tried to influ.
ence Mack through variou.
emisSaries and that North Dadt
incurred a stigma" by employ.
ing Robert F. Jones, former
Ohio Congressman and former
FEC member, to assist its bic
for Channel 10. The opinion
stated it was not clear what
service Mr.. Jones was to per.
form for the $4,000 fee he re.
ceived.
In the Boston case, FEC ques
questioned the propriety of tw,
luncheon meetings which
Robert Choate, Herald-Tra
publisher, had with the thel
commission chairman, Georg
C. McConnaughey, while tn
Channel 5 contest was pending
The commission said there wa
no evidence the merits of tn
case were discussed but tina
"Choate demonstrated an at
tempted pattern of influence.
Contacts Mentioned
Likewise, the commission
said Mr.. McConnaughe,
lunched ION several occasions
with DR. Allen B. Dumont, hea'
of the Dumont Laboratorie.
Likewise, the opinion state,
that Forester A. Clark, princi
pal in Massachusetts Bay Tele
casters Inc, contacted prom
inent political figures in Wash
ington and also arranged
lunch with Mr.. cConnaughe
at which he listed well-know
Boston residents associate
with his company.
The commission said ther
was no evidence that Create
Boston Television Corp. at
tempted any private contact,
Both the Boston and Man
cases were renewed by a specis
hearing examiner, retired Chic
Justice Horace Stern of tn
Pennsylvania Supreme Cour
Justice Stern reported h