The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 83

TelevlslonRadio CharKe Hanna Charlotte's Cinderella Station Is Fifth-Ranking Independent Like Cinderella stories? Get ready But first this word about independent stations They are not affiliated with any major network They usually run old movies and cartoons and series that ran long ago on ABC CBS and NBC Okay? WRET-TV is the lone independent It now ranks No 5 among 65 independents for percentage of households tuned in and Radio magazine confirms that THREE YEARS AGO this month it was a different story Channel 36 had issued an unprecedented appeal to viewers for donations to keep broadcasting That plea was made via a three-day movie marathon Some in the Charlotte broadcast industry laughingly called it a money came from outdoor advertising lie already owned WTCG in 1969 when he came up to buy some equipment from WRET-TV then in receivership The Atlantan decided he afford not to buy the entire operation He had to make the buy on his own The board of directors of his own Turner Communications deemed the deal too risky The 1972 most helpful result was a story in the Wall Street Journal about the Federal Communications granting WRET-TV permission to ask viewers for money The head of the Christian Broadcasting Network saw the story During the nevt year CBN programs accounted for some 15 per cent of Ch income CBN was succeeded by Trinity the series Ian Wheeler station operations manager during those grittv years is president of Trinity now STATION FINANCES began edging upward after the marathon but it was only in recent months that red changed to black Turner Communications recently took Ch 36 under its corporate wing In human terms that means 40 employes now enjoy the company fringe benefits other Turner Communications people have had for years The red ink began fading in earnest after Jim Thrash immigrated from Atlanta last spring as general manager A seasoned TV advertising salesman he soon brought other Atlantans to Charlotte: Bob Schuessler as sales manager and Dave Ulrich as operations manager Last summer they announced a gangbuster lineup of classic yesteryear situation comedies the same line-up that made independent WTCG a winner in Atlanta Thrash and crew aimed to hook the kiddies in late afternoon then hit Mom and Dad in early evening with and before they could switch channels TIIE RECENTLY RELEASED NIELSEN ratings (taken in November) show the once-crippled independent es-credited with 18 per cent of TV households during 4:30 and 7:30 pm And it ranks No 2 (tying with WSOC-TV in some instances) with two of catagories 18 to 34 and 18 to 49 Arbitron competitor in the viewer counting biz generally confirms that situation Here are two other Nielsen statistics inclined to shift Ch 36 out of underdog and into high: WRET-TV is credited with 18 per cent of TV households during 4:30 to 7:30 pm in the 21-county area compared with 7 per cent a year ago for the week overall the station has almost tripled its share of households from 4 to 11 per cent in the 21-market area NIELSEN POINTS out in its report that WRET-TV ran some 20 announcements a day during the four-week survey period asking any participants to note in the diaries that their sets were tuned to channel 36 legal but not usually done What the heck It beats a Queenly Metamorphosis In The Ballroom mailman and decides to re-do both her appearanee and her lifc-tsylc In harmony with Durning her partner on the dance floor and off she emerges from her solitary drab shell to become The original music score was composed by Bill Golden-berg Lyrics are by the Academy Award-winning team of Marilyn and Alan Bergman Maureen Stapleton plays a reeently-widowed middle-aged woman who finds a new impetus for her life in of the Stardust at 9 pm Thursday on Channel 3 At the behest of her family and friends Ms Stapleton goes to the Stardust Ballroom There she meets Charles Durning a similarly lonely Jjjta.