American television directory (1946)

TELEVISION OUT WEST Tele-conscious California with its reservoir of film tal¬ ent will make a strong bid for tele-programming and may well attain tele-programming leadership. d. By KLAUS LANDSBERG Director, Station W6XYZ, Television Productions, Inc. Go west — !! That was the decision of the movie makers not so very long ago. Today, Hollywood represents the mightiest center of entertainment man¬ ufacture in the world. Is Hollywood going to be the Tele¬ vision Center, at least of America, if not the world? “YES!” says Hollywood. “NO!’ says New York. And Chicago claims the tele-hub for itself, being strategically located in the middle. It’s easy to argue for Hollywood, pointing to radio, which, in the last few years, decidedly moved West, and shows no tendency to stop this move! “But,” counters New York, “look at the theatre. It still gleams brightly on Broadway, while only flickering faintly qn the West Coast.” And now the battle really starts. With Hollywood claiming its stars as the greatest attraction to Broadway theatre-goers, and New York asking the embarrassing question, “And where do your talent scouts make their dis¬ coveries, and your producers find their stories, but on the New York stage?” Okay, boys, break it up! There’s no sense in fighting, because in the end, you will only discover that economical considerations decide all. And as long as the entertainment medium that pays most sits in Hollywood, the wealth of talent, too, will be found there! Not just actors, but producers, directors, writers, artists and technicians. And if you ask, “How can television afford such high-priced talent?” then think that for every Hollywood discov¬ ery, there are ten — and that’s a con¬ servative figure — who are waiting to be discovered. Don’t forget, either, that most movie stars can’t afford to snub a radio appearance because of that “little” reimbursement. And how much more will a television appearance mean to them! By this time, the reader no doubt will shake his head and exclaim, “Oh, please, let television be a culture bearer — don’t let it go Hollywood.” But no longer must Hollywood hide from this attack — it can point proudly to the war work it has done as a morale builder and as an educator. Who else can claim the development of visual education as his own? The movie capital is well aware of the great role it is destined to play in the television game, but it is equally aware of the difference between a the¬ ater and a home audience. And while it knows that many Hollywood happen¬ ings will attract the tele-viewer, most of the news and sports events which claim nationwide interest take place in the East. And no doubt the West Coast looks to the East for an immediate visual report of such events. All this, of course, is based on the early establishment of transcontinental television networks. Yet while we wait for this, at least a little while, the product of the movie makers will span the country without waves. While only five years ago the West Coast shrugged its shoulders when tele¬ vision was mentioned, it is today just as eagerly awaiting the arrival of tele¬ vision receivers as any other part of the country. The rush for television station licenses is equally great. No major city on the West Coast will be without this service soon. Much barren country and large dis¬ tances divide the western cities but nature has provided high mountain tops to bridge these gaps. A single station on Mt. Wilson can provide television service for well over one-half of Cali¬ fornia’s seven million inhabitants. A station in San Francisco can easily cover Oakland, Berkeley, and even Sac¬ ramento, the state capital. This condi¬ tion, in itself, guarantees rapid develop¬ ment of West Coast television, and provides ample proving ground for the productions with which Hollywood hopes to capture audiences everywhere — upon completion of the Ether-Bridge. Yes, the West Coast is television¬ conscious; it won’t be caught in a siesta. The same young and progressive spirit that overnight made the West an industrial powerhouse, and the art and skill that reproduces Niagara Falls on the desert, will blaze the trail for new enjoyment through television. Look West! ! SHOOTING THE STARS: The W6XYZ field unit interviews a few Paramount celebrities. 56