Evening star., 1963-05-31

five VHF-TV stations and
two UHFs-and the purchase,
for the highest price ever paid
q station $40 million plus
caps q fantastic career of
broadcast empire-building by
Metromedia's John w. Kluge.
(And it all began here, in 1916,
when he. Joe Brecher and
others finally put WGAY on
the air in Montgomery County
and nurSed 1t to success)
The other count involving
Los Angeles KTTV goes back
to 1860 when the station
(owned by the Los Angeles
Times-Mirror Co.. challenged
the small reduction Of option
time ordered by the FEC in
that year and the commission
asked the United States Court
of Appeals to return the case
to 1t for further proceedings,
Wednesday, Of this week, the
FEC vacated its 1860 ruling
(Which had reduced option
time from three to 2l2 hours)
and banned it altogether for
Tv.
=
What's option time2 It's the
reason why WMAL or WTOP
just can't 60 around humping
network programs at will. It's
the practice by which the sta
ton affiliated with q network
agrees to show the networks
programs for 9 minimum period
during each time segment OF
the broadcast day.
Why do stations agree to do
this2 Because it's the only way
they can get the networks
shows. ..-.
Networks insisted, shrilly in
the early years that option time
was a must. We'll know better
after September 10, when the
ban takes effect.
The Commission now con-
cludes that TV time optioning
''is not essential to network
ing, is both an artificial re-
straint on access to TV station
time and an abdication Of TV
licensee responsibility. (and) is
contrary to the public interest. "
The FCC's move in this
direction should come as no
surprise. 1t has been in the
curious situation Of judging
individual stations on a record
of programs which are sup
piled, in the main, by net
works-which are not regulat-
ed. AS the FEC (in 1860
informed the Congress:
However, the Commissions
continuing studies and cOnSid-
GRAFTON have brought It to the
view that the present statutory
pattern, which places the en-
tire responsibility for broad
cast matter on individual sta
ton licensees, has been so
affected by the realities Of net
work brOadcasting that 1t is No
longer able 10 provide reason
able assurance that the air
ways will be used In the pub
lie interest solely through reg
ulation Of station licensees"
Option time was one Of
those realities"
= 80
Question:: What's KTTV'S
acquisition by Metromedia
mean to Washington viewers?
Don't know about that, either
but we hope 1t improves
the chances for q sale next sea-
son Of that bright, satirical
news review. Whats Going On
Here?" The following note
from co-producers Clay FelkeI
and Jean Vanden Heuvel
should explain what's beer
going on since its highly enter
tanning preview-premiere
Public response in the form
of telephone calls and letter
to our first show was great
and most encouraging, and
was overwhelmingly in favo
Of the basic idea Of the show
At the moment. we are nego
tiating for the continuation o
the show In series form"
Weekend Wash: Rod Tay
lOr marries in Santa Monic
tomorrow former New Yor
model MARY Hilem). Tay
lor starred in the Hong Kon
series. ABC-TV's loss wi
be the University Of Washing
toms gain -. Bill Shaded,
fine television newsman. leave
town June Is TO become pro
fessor Of the University
School of Communications. q.
Glenn Corbett refuses TO joi
the breast beating over the de
mise Of It's q Mans Worl