Local Stations Please Copy

In the reception hall of the Atlanta Journal's 50,000-watt Station WSB ("Welcome South, Brother"), hang three plaques--awards from Variety for outstanding community service. Last week Manager John M. Outler tacked up a telegram announcing that the station had just won a fourth--for improvement of race relations in race-riven Georgia.

As it celebrated its 25th anniversary, WSB could look back on an impressive list of good works. The station gives free time to local universities--not excluding Atlanta University (for Negroes). Farmers get a daily hour (5:30-6:30 a.m.) of down-to-earth farm news, plus such extras as gifts of bred ewes to 4-H Clubbers. And with its parent paper (TIME, March 17), WSB watches "Hummon" Talmadge like a chicken hawk.

WSB's greatest public service, in the minds of many Georgians, has been its de-emphasis of advertising. After 17 prosperous years of broadcasting commercials, the station still gets along with a one-man sales department. Says Manager Outler: "If you gain the confidence of your community, all you need in your sales department is a wide transom over the door and a big basket under the transom."

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