The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • 75

The Raleigh, News N.C., Sunday, and August 13, Observer 1978 Leisure Living Entertainment, Art, Travel, Gardens Section 1,700 ft. Sears Tower 1.454 ft. World Trade Center 1.350 ft. Empire State Building 1,250 ft. Eiffel Tower 984 ft.

Ch. 28's tower near Apex CAMe 7 LINE ME C.6. AIR Station manager Douglas McLarty wants to make a major force in Triangle market Staff photo by Dixie D. Vereen Ch. 28 makes its move By BILL MORRISON Entertainment Editor Even the masterminds behind WPTF-TV.

the "new" Channel 28, agree that it will be no bed of roses changing a video David into an electronic giant. "It will be a slow fight. There will be nothing magical about it," said station manager R. Douglas McLarty of WPTF-TV's attempt to gain parity in the highly competitive Raleigh-Durham television market. Actually, the battle will be lost before it begins if the station's highly touted 5 millionwatt signal fails to dramatically improve the quality and range of WPTF's picture.

Monday signal The mere flip of a switch will largely dictate the station's future when the new signal goes on the air Monday night at 7:30 barring unforeseen technical problems. Channel 28, formerly WRDU, is taking an expensive gamble that it can become a Staff photo by Bob Kretz News director Woody Durham, right, works with staff on script major force in the local TV market. Durham Life Broadcasting Service its parent company, has invested more than $3 million in the operation beyond its $2.275 million purchase price. Channel 28 has a long way to go. Its average share of the local viewer audience is only 15 percent, less than half that of rival channels 5 and 11.

Always a money-loser, the station received only 4 percent of the local TV advertising dollar as late as 1976. The station has improved its ratings in the Triangle area (Wake, Durham and Orange counties) in recent months, but fares only half as well in the outlying ADI (area of dominant influence), which contains 60 per cent of the viewers in the local, 20-county market. Durham Life Broadcasting realized that an improved signal was the only panacea for the station, which it purchased July 1, 1977. The broadcasting company, owned by Durham Life Insurance subsequently invest- On the Elvis' memory remains strong a year after his death. Page 3 Garner singer's poem lands a prize By BILL MORRISON And something quite unexpected Jones's Possum Holler club," she Entertainment Editor did happen.

said, obviously thrilled by the prosBonnie Strickland would do well to Her first attempt at songwriting pect.) read Loretta Lynn's autobiography. was picked from more than 300 en- And there's always the chance that There's a heap of consolation there tries as the Eastern North Carolina her composition one of 15,000 nafor a struggling country music sing- winner in a national contest spon- tional entries will be picked as the er. sored by Kentucky Fried Chicken. grand winner. Actually, the prize will Not that Bonnie Strickland.

a be divided between two songs that, in Garner housewife by day, a some- turn, will be recorded by Barbara Simple, poetic what frustrated country entertainer "It's Been A Good Life Lovin' Mandrell for distribution to country by night, is particularly downheart- You." a gentle waltz with a poignant music stations. ed. lyric, swept past the competition. It If it turns out otherwise, she says, But. Lord, she says, "I'd go to was the essence of country music, there's always something else waitNashville tomorrow if I got the simple, poetic and from the heart.

ing in the wings. Country singer chance. I surely would. I've been A trip to Nashville in September "Now. that's just like Bonnie." Bonnie Strickland looking forward to something hap- accompanies the honor.

say I pening for so long now." might get a guest shot at George See GARNER, page 9 ed $1.7 million to increase the station's operating power from 2 million to 5 million watts, the strongest signal permitted by law. The signal will be beamed from a new tower near Apex. It has combined that with innovative programming changes and aggressive promotions aimed at attracting more viewers. WPTF-TV still has the handicap of being a UHF (ultra high frequency) station. The signal can be received only by those homes equipped with cable TV or an appropriate antenna.

The firmly entrenched competition operates on VHF (very high frequency) bands as accessible as the nearest television receiver. Furthermore, those stations plan to "fine tune" their present pictures by shifting to taller, more effective transmitter antennas. WRAL. Ch. 5, Raleigh, will put a tower-antenna in operation Sept.

11. WTVD, Ch. 11, Durham, plans a more powerful facility sometime next year. Shares audience WPTF must also share the NBC audience with WITN. Ch.

7, which plans to expand its coverage area by about 20 per cent when it goes on the air with a new, tower. Durham Life petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to deny the contruction permit requested by the Washington, N.C., station, but the petition was denied in May. The parent company's concern is understandable. Television isn't the only game in town, but it's among the most expensive. Although WPTF-TV's gross income almost doubled during the year ending July 1, the Durham station still lost roughly $500,000.

Last week, Durham Life Broadcasting blamed its loss of $611,000 for the first half of 1978 on Channel 28 operations. (Triangle Telecasters, the former owner, suffered overall losses of $2.57 million during the eight years it operated the station.) Carl Venters president of Durham Life Broadcasting, says the $3 million his company has invested includes the $1.7 million TV28 NEWS See CHANNEL, page 10 Staff photo by Jim Strickland.