From the MCRFB old radio news scrapbook: 1946
King-Trendle Sale To ABC Adds 5th Outlet To Network
NEW YORK, May 4 — Expansion plans of American Broadcasting Company took a long step forward this week with the web’s purchase of all outstanding stock of the King-Trendle Broadcasting Corporation of Detroit for $3,650,000. The deal was announce Thursday, May 2, by Edward J. Noble, chairman of the board of ABC, is now contingent upon FCC approval.
King-Trendle Corporation, which grossed $2,357,000 last year, owns WXYZ in Detroit, WOOD in Grand Rapids, and the Michigan Network, servicing a gropu of outlets within the state. WXYZ is an ABC affiliate and WOOD is an NBC affiliate.
WOOD To Be Sold
Under present plans, the King-Trendle Corporation, a wholly-owned ABC subsidiary, will retain WXYZ and the Michigan Network, but will sell WOOD.
ABC, with the acquisition of WXYZ in Detroit, now has five owned and operated stations — the others being WJZ in New York, WENR in Chicago, KECA in Los Angeles, and, KGO in San Francisco.
Disclosure of the sale of WXYZ proved a surprise even to staff members here, although negotiations, closely guarded, had been underway for about six months. Price was set high and the deal was not expected to go through for this reason. Expectation here now is that another network, unnamed, may make a bid for the station before the deal is finally okayed by the FCC.
Plans of George W. Trendle, originally head of the present United Detroit Theaters Circuit before he switched 100 per cent to radio, are to operate as a production agency after the deal is finally met approval in Washington. He is retaining rights to The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, Challenge Of The Yukon, and Ned Jordan, Secret Agent — the last name no longer in production — and would continue to produce these shows, presumably using the facilities of WXYZ for both the direct origination and the Coast rebroadcast.
H. Allen Campbell, general manager of WXYZ, is slated to leave with Trendle, while James G. Riddell, assistant commercial manager, is expected to be promoted to the post of general manager. Merritt Schoenfeld, who has been in the local ABC office for some months, is expected to take over in a supervisory capacity. Also slated to go with the new Trendle agency are Earl Moore, formerly station supervisor, who is currently handling television research, together with the entire of the Lone Ranger group, including Fran Striker, principal writer. END.
(Information and news source: Billboard; May 11, 1946).
