Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

J Section of RADIO DAILY, Tuesday, October 25, 1949 — TELEVISION DAILY is fully protected by register and copyright AFM PROPOSES SCALE FOR TV FILMS ► TELE TOPICS "CORD THEATER," which is setting an " enviable record for consistently high quality drama, did it again last week with a sensitive, entrancing production of "On Borrowed Time." Adapted by Nancy Moore from a play by Paul Osborn, the program was wholesomely sentimental, yet never became maudlin. The performances of the three adult leads — Walter Hampden, Dorothy Stickney and Basil Rathbone — were as fine as any the medium has seen, while young Tommy Rettig was well-nigh perfect as Pud. Garth Montgomery produces the series, and Marc Daniels directs. Sets were by Samuel Leve, costumes by Paul du Pont and music by Cy Feuer. . . . Part of the success of "Ford Theater" must be attributed to the fact that it is aired biweekly. The advantages of such a schedule, from a production viewpoint, are too well-known and too numerous to repeat here, but if bi-weekly means the level of entertainment supplied by the show, we wish more programs would follow suit. Sponsor plans to begin a weekly sked after the first of the year, but two separate production units will be used. . . . Commercials, by Transfilm, were especially well done. One directed to women, plays up the "fashion" features of the car, while the second, for men, does a thorough job on performance. Agency is K. & E. • DOB SMITH and "Howdy Doody" mark their 400th performance on NBC today. Now seen across the board, show started as a once-weekly Dec. 27, 1947. Since then it's drawn more than a million pieces of mail and over 200,000 ticket requests and has been merchandised on 28 articles. . . . Local Chevrolet Dealers Assn. will sponsor the Golden Gloves on WPIX for the second straight year, through Campbell-Ewald. They'll bankroll the finals, semis, and perhaps, the quarter finals. . . . Video Varieties has completed a series of nine film commercials for Vaseline Hair Tonic, through McCann-Erickson. . . . Charles Henderson and Mirzi Mayfair have signed for their third cycle on "Stop The Music." Cast and crew for the show, incidentally, now totals 140. • OFFICIAL UNVEILING of ABC's N. Y. Television Center will be held Thursday. . . . "City At Midnight," which bows on WNBT tonite from an intersection on New York's lower east side, will originate its second stanza from the 52nd street jazz belt, and its third from the dock area. Don Luftig is scripting the latter two installments. . . . After putting in a full day's rehearsal for "We, The People," Celeste Holm cracked: "Television is just like summer stock — only fall never comes." . . . Darla Hood and the Enchanters, vocal quintet, left the cast of Ken Murray's "Blackouts" to join Paul Whiteman for a featured spot on his ABC Goodyear show. Admiral Opens Lab For Fringe Testing Chicago — Admiral Corp. has placed in operation the first laboratory specifically designed for fringe area testing. R. A. Graver, vicepresident of the firm, said yesterday. Laboratory, with 95-foot towers, Graver disclosed, has been located at Harvard, Illinois, which is 70 air miles from Chicago transmitters, and 80 miles from those of Milwaukee. "There," said Graver, "all Admiral models in process of development are subjected to rigorous testing on both Chicago and Milwaukee signals, and are not approved for volume production until they have demonstrated their ability to bring in clear pictures from both signal sources." "There, also, spot-selected production models are brought for special 'fringe area' testing to make certain the production models all retain the same 'fringe area' ability as the development models. Tied in with the 'fringe area' test, are continuous control tests for picture focus and clarity, plus experiments with new circuits to even further simplify and stabilize television tuning and set operations." WPIX Ups Two Peggy Gannon and Alex Courtney, both associate directors, have been promoted to full directors at WPIX, it was announced yesterday. Both have been with the News outlet since the station started last year. Nielsen's Top Ten {New York — Sept.) Toast of Town. WCBS-TV. . . 53.6 Suspense. WCBS-TV 41.3 Philco Playhouse, WNBT. ... 35.9 Kraft Theater. WNBT 32.8 The Goldbergs, WCBS-TV. . . 32.3 Fireside Theater, WNBT 32.3 Hopalong Cassidy, WNBT. . . 31.5 Cavalcade of Stars, WABD.. 30.3 Amateur Hour. WABD 30.1 Godfrey Friends. WCBS-TV.. 27.9 Sets In Use Pass 2,500,000 Mark Television sets in use have passed the 2,500,000 mark with the installation of some 255,000 receivers during September, according to a report yesterday by Hugh M. Beville, Jr., NBC research director. Thirty-one per cent of all U. S. video sets are located in the New York area, he said. A year ago 46 per cent was the figure for the New York area. As of Oct. 1, 48 market areas are covered by television, an increase of five new TV stations and three new markets over the previous month. The new markets are Dallas, Johnstown, Pa., and Greensboro, N. C. The stations are KECA-TV, Los Angeles; KBTV, Dallas; WJACTV, Johnstown; WTVN, Columbus, and WFMY-TV, Greensboro. RMA Would Defer Color Test; Polychrome Pleases Johnson Washington Bureau of RADIO DAILY Washington — RMA yesterday added its voice to the RCA request for a delay in the comparative demonstration of color and black-andwhite TV systems, now slated to be held here November 14. Meantime, the FCC heard a top official of Color Television, Inc., predict that whatever tne Commission might do, commercial color television is at least two or three years off. TV operators will experiment with it, but there will be no commercial exploitation for several years, said Col. Donald Lippincott. It will take time to develop technics of make-up, stage setting, lighting and to solve other production problems created by the shift, he said. He recalled that it had taken years before it was possible to utilize Technicolor on more than an experimental basis. Likes Both RCA And CBS Meantime, it was revealed that the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee chairman, Edwin C. Johnson, whose insistence upon full speed ahead on color has been credited with a large share of responsibility for the present proceedings, viewed RCA color at the weekend. He was reported to have been very much impressed with it and delighted by the compatibility features of the system. Johnson, it was said, found the CBS picture better, but was enthusiastic about the prospects for development of the RCA system. Also Asks Royalty, Other Conditions For Contract (Continued from Page 1) leader. "Musicians shall be engaged as librarians to keep track of film," the memorandum states, and sets a scale of $2.50 an hour for librarians and $2 for assistants. What is regarded in the trade as tantamount to a demand for payment of royalties on films is a section outlining in broad details the terms of the AFM royalty agreement with the recording industry. Statement adds: "The Federation welcomes this suggestion and is prepared to consider the most practical methods of applying this formula to these similar circumstances." Other Conditions Outlined Other conditions set forth by the union follow: "If television films are made for scripts or similar dramatic episodes, or for anything in which music and dialogue alternate, then the musicians can only render services if the script is recorded in its entirety. . . . "The producer further agrees to register identification of picture and music sound track with the Federation. "It is further agreed that all music already recorded, and commonly referred to as recordings, will not be disposed of, sold, leased or used for any television purpose. . . . "No foreign sound track can be used for television film without permission from the American Federation of Musicians. . . . "The Federation is advised that the present development and status of the industry does not warrant steady and continuing employment of musicians by producers of television films. On the basis of such advice, the Federation is willing and prepared to enter into agreements governing single engagements for its members." New BBC Station Sutton Coldfield. England— A new television station, bearing the name of this midland city near Birmingham, will begin operations on Dec. 17 with programs originating at Alexandra Palace. London, it was announced yesterday by the BBC. The initial telecasts will be carried from London to the new station here via a relay station. A coaxial cable is planned for later next year. The new outlet here has a potential audience of 6.000.000 persons.