Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 49

r'yv frLL EDITION Page 12 (Section 3 Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona. February 27, 1953 4 i aaa( VtA 1 5 a 'f- At- 3tv V. iv 5 -s JJaI i 1 JV JJf ryy1' i i -X'J RALPH The buckeys business ftS 'SS MAW AND VALLEY mgT 1 CIVIC political L- "i''Sfe -l LEADER IS THE GENIAL feA. hJ- AUNAGER OF PHOENIX'S A A JJ NEWEST TELEVISION A f.M;A fg STATION, KTVK Its EQUIPPED TO 1 TRANSMIT COLOR TV. iWfZ 3MJL HI '1 IT'LL GO ON THE Ttl--'A- AIR 1 ft)hfTi AN ARIZONAN FOR JV WfeY 55 YEARS, WATKINS IS V.

Pj fMN. A WORLD TRAVELER AND A'WtTI HAS RECORDED MAW OF fJ HIS TRAVELS ON COLOR Sfi X1 W' I COLOR TV. STATION A VW. I'LL B6 ABLE TO SHOW IA VVA IN OF PEOPLB yrf BUCKET-HAS A NAME Jrai tT THE COAD-HE SAYS TO 11 l's! Tn Si 1 fp Arizona's first local color camera-x ii laii uitiiuprojcctor( part of a new 81 mil lion television center built for KTVK-ABC TV. Robert Latham, left, is chief engineer of the station.

To the right of the camera-projector is Governor McParland, president cf Arizona Television Company, and Ralph Watkins, treasurer and KTVK general manager. Channel 3 will begin broadcasting tomorrow at 8 p.m. He 1oanepthe name of buckeye's western Nine Years Planning Pays Off "It took, nine years to plan, six months to build." That, in a sentence, is the story behind KTVK, the new million-dollar Phoenix television center which begins regular broadcasting on Channel 3 at 8 o'clock tomorrow night. Sounds simple, in a single sentence. But seven Arizonans remember nearly every day of those nine years, called in the TV industry "the most careful planning of a station in the U.S." The seven men are KTVK's corporate owners, who visited 70 stations in 16 states and Mexico, bofoie the first plans were drawn.

"WE BEGAN' in 1046." says Ralph Watkins, general manager of the station. "Ed Cooper, 'Mac' (then Sen. Ernest McFarland, now Arizona's governor1, and I decided to build a station large enough to bring the best television to Arizona." It was an ambitious decision. But today, the Arizona Television Company's big center at 16th Street and Osborn Road rivals many of the TV installations on the West Coast. The first locally-originated color television will be part of regular program service.

The original planners found more enthusiasm in four other long-time Arizonans Leon M. Nowell and Henry Larson of Phoenix, Lorenzo Wright of Mesa, and Bassett T. Wright of Chandler. They incorporated. "Then." says Watkins, "our real work began." WHILE SOME of the men toured outstanding TV stations, others set out "to find out what people wanted in television." Out of these visits came a unique approach to TV programming: the formation of the KTVK Citizens' Advisory Board, with prominent leaders in the state to help plan station programs.

When the time came to blueprint the TV center, a site away from the downtown area was chosen "to make it big, with room for expansion." J. H. McDowell, a Phoenix architect widely-known for acoustical design, laid out the building with 10. 000 square feet of-floor space. It includes the largest TV studios in Arizona.

The American Broadcasting Company arranged to release its schedule of network programs to the station. All ABC-TV shows previously seen tn Arizona, plus several new programs, will begin on KTVK, Tuesday, March 1. TO ORGANIZE and direct KTVK -programming and operation, the owners selected Sean Dillon, a 25-year veteran of theater, radio, and television. Dillon's experience includes production and direction of such nationally-seen programs as "Break the Bank," "Stop the Music." "Captain Video," and "Famous Jur Trials." All equipment for ihe Channel 3 station was built by Radio Corporation of America. Chief engineer is Robert Latham, a University of Arizona graduate with 12 years irj TV and electronics.

Commercial manager is Burton LaDow. whose wide experience as a sales executive with several state firms has been recently directed to radio and TV. He won national recognition in 1053 for "outstanding achievement in community sales relations." The public is invited to visit the TV center tomorrow. "We'll be-in a new chapter in our history," says Watkins, "and everyone is welcome to see out special dedication sfmm CELEBRATION to JOHNSON -THE EXACTLY AND the comedy TEAM OF OLSON NAME FITTED THEIR SHOW PROVIDED THE SPARK THAT TURNED TT INTO A L0NO-RAN(j HIT it 4 rvA. caav- -Ar-1 a AA4Af 4 MMiH'q To ARIZONA'S MOST POWERFUL TELEVISION STATION Valleyites Featured Local personalities from a wide variety of Arizona life will be an important part of the local-live programs to be seen when new TV station KTVK begins broadcasting tomorrow.

Dr. Charles Kendall, pastor of Phoenix Central Methodist Church will be the family counselor on "To the Ladies." weekdays at 4 p.m. Newspaper columnist Ansnn B. Cutts will appear on "About reviewing drama, art, and music. TOLICE REPORTER of The Arizona Republic, Gene Mc-Lain.

will prepare and present the hard-hitting "Special Assignment," a re-creation of famous Arizona crime cases, Mondays at 0:30 p.m. Frank Gianelli. Republic sports editor, and Warren Wilson, Republic sports reporter, will be featured in a sports review program, Saturday afternoons. On Sunday afternoons. Gazette Society Editor.

Maggie Savoy will be the host for "House Guest," a tour of Valley homes. Most of the stale's newsmen will take part in rotation on at p.m. Mondays, and quiz important Arizona people on controversial topics. Prominent ranchers and farmers will be seen with University of Arizona agriculture scientists on a regular Friday program at 5:30 p.m. Military men and women will present a Thursday evening half hour of service talent and activities.

IWl'L COZE, famous painter and French Consul in the Valley, will appear in an unusual program called "Open Your Eyes," at 9 p.m. Sundays. He will be assisted by lovely. Helen Codden, 23-year-old John Powers model. Widely known designer Ann La Vance will be seen with her own fashion show.

The Arizona State College at Tempe drama workshop will produce "The Play's the Thing," Sundays at 2 p.m. A rF 3 rmif rnl Tnnlli Directors of KTVK, Phoenix's newest television station, are U1U1U1 uuulJ1 shown in the control booth. They are Robert Cawley, seated left, production co-ordinator; Sean Dillon, standing, station manager; and Ray Gallagher, program director. Chief announcer Art Brock also directs programs. Channel 3 Facilities Compare With Coast Net Installations A SALUTE TO CEL 3 KTVK Williams Insulation Company 1347 N.

22ND AVE. KTVK facilities, including the largest television studios in Arizona, are comparable only to West Coast network installations. "The station was planned so the largest local programs could be presented for maximum viewer enjoyment," ac ON YOUR FIRST DAY OF TELECAST FEBRUARY 28 FROM THE cording to Ralph Watkins, general manager. "As an example, we have scheduled an agriculture show which can include a full-scale cotton picking machine, right in the main studio, in modern farming demonstrations." KTVK'S MAIN full two stories hij square feet of Studio is also studio i a with 3.150 floor space, two stories. with 1.400 is a third square feet.

There standby studio the same size. Engineering space is the biggest in Arizona TV 2.0S0 square feet which contains the newest RCA color cameras, black and white color projectors for slides and opaque cavd, color film projectors, camera control, and monitors. Seven preview monitors show every picture being produced or received. A large announcers' booth is equipped wih dual audio controls. Adjoining the engineering area and studios is a tastefully furnished audience viewing room which can seat 35 persons.

rvCUT)ET IN' the center's 10.000 square feet of floor space is a large film editing and storase room, a complete carpenter's shop, and an art room. Eighteen modern offices line the front and south side of the downstairs area, which includes snack bar and lounge. Three RCA television cameras will be used for studio productions, and two cameras assigned to the station's heavy remote program schedule. Seven Who Planned, Built New Station All Arizonans TO KTVK PERLITE INDUSTRIES CF ARIZONA INCORPORATED 2128 E. HENSHAW ROAD The seven men who planned a television center for Arizona, incorporated the Arizona Television Company, then built KTVK's studios- and transmitter, are all Arizonans.

General manager and treasurer of the corporation is Ralph A. Watkins. an Arizona resident for 30 years. He has been a Buckeye automobile dealer for the past 17 years. Wat kin's civic activities include leadership of many charitable, veterans', and public groups.

VICE PRESIDENT and a director of Arizona Television is Leon M. N'owell, a Phoenix resident for 40 years. He has been an Arizona rancher since 1015. and owns and manages extensive farm operations in Pinal County, and in Blythe and Ripley, Calif. Henry Larson of Phoenix, the secretary and a director of the ONGRATULATIONS HOAAE corporation, has lived in zona 42 vears.

Larson, a Ari-vet- eran court reporter, is also engaged in citrus farming. He is widel5- known in the Southwest as an amateur Arizona historian. Corporation director Lorenzo Wright of Mesa is a true Arizona pioneer who came to the territory 70 years ago. Wright was a law enforcement officer during the unsettled days before statehood, later became state prison warden and the state cattle inspector. Pie and his six sons now opera-ate a chain of Valley supermarkets.

ONE OF THE sons, Bassett T. Wright, is also director of Arizona Television. He is a 43 year Arizona native, a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and resides in Chandler. In addition to the supermarket chain, he is a partner in a Mesa laundry firm. Ernest W.

McFarland, Arizo-governor. is president of the corporation. He has lived in Arizona for 33 years, served the state as an expert water-rights attorney, a superior court judge, and U.S. Senator. He was a member and chairman of many senatorial com-unications committees.

He operates a farm in Pinal County. Edward Cooper, chief of staff for many congressional studies for radio and television, is a director for Arizona Television. The "youngest" Arizonan, Cooper has lived in Phoenix six years, and is now on assignment in Washington. His present- position is director of the Television Department of Motion Picture Association. FARMER GODFREY CONGRATULATIONS Construction Co.

CHAXXEL 2801 N. 32nd ST. KTVK PIONEER ELECTRIC GO. INCORPORATED 2350 w. Mcdowell road VICTOR H.

NELSON BUILDERS HARDWARE COMPANY 903 E. CAMELBACK Save time and money shop the ads in The Republic 0 4.