Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

Section of RADIO DAILY, Wednesday. November 2, 1949 — TELEVISION DAILY is fully protected by register and copyright DuM. AGAINST 'DELAYING' COLOR TELE TOPICS A LL IS NOT WELL in the Department of Defense, the public prints tell us in reporting the current and recent interservice feuding, but you'd never know it from watching "The Armed Forces Hour," which bowed on NBC Sunday. Perhaps the series was undertaken to counteract the effects of the news from Washington, or perhaps it merely demonstrates that unification can work and that a happy wedding has occurred in the Radio-Television Branch, Office of Public Information, which produces the program. These weighty questions we'll leave to the seers and pundits; what we're interested in is the show itself. . . . The kickoff program was titled "Your Defense Dollar," and explained where the money used by the Department comes from and how it is used. Following brief intros by top Department officials, the exposition was accomplished through films and charts. Similar treatment for the Army-Navy and Air Force became a bit repetitious, but on the whole the visual material was so well selected and presented that the show was a most interesting and informative documentary. PRODUCTION WAS EXCELLENT all ■ down the line. Film opening, accompanied by stirring background music, commanded one's attention immediately. Timing was perfect, with nary a fluff in the many switches from live to film all the way through. As good as the opener was, future installments should be even better, if production remains on the same high level, because the subject matter will allow more dramatic impact. . . . Series is produced by Maj. Robert Keim, USAF, and Lt. Benjamin Greenberg, USNR. Director is Charles Christensen, of NBC, and Charles Colledge, chief engineer of WNBW, is technical supervisor. Lt. Cass Bielski, USAF, and Ensign Jack Siegal, USN, are the announcers. THE RUMOR MILL keeps grinding out ■ reports about Lucky Strike's program plans, one of the latest being a dramatic series with Robert Montgomery. What is definite is that the firm has looked at just about every available show and apparently has not yet made a decision. . . . CBS is readying a weekly half-hour show to star Red Barber for debut around the first of the year. . . . Ted Steele, of CBS, and Morey Amsterdam, of DuMont, will be among this month's guests on NBC's Roberta Quinlan show. . . . DuMont prepping a network shopping show for Kathi Norris similar to her local WABD stanza. . . . Harold Barry, who guested on Versatile Varieties last week, has been signed as permanent emcee of the show. He just finished a four-month run at the Hotel Biltmore. AGVA In Peace Move Withdraws MM Suit The suit of the American Guild of Variety Artists against the AFM was withdrawn yesterday by the former organization in a move to bring a peaceful settlement to the dispute between the two unions. Announcement of the withdrawal was made last night in a joint statement issued by offices of the two unions. AGVA had brought its action against the AFM in an effort to stop the musicians union from forcing its members to emit the variety performers union. Last night's statement revealed that AGVA has refunded the $50 initiation fee collected from Lee Norman, musician, some months ago. It was the payment of the Norman fee that brought the dispute between the two unions to a head. In a statement issued from his Chicago offices, James C. Petrillo, head of the AFM, hailed the action taken by AGVA as creating "an atmosphere in which I hope and believe this labor dispute can be settled." CBS Ups Schimmel Clarence de Bruyn Sehimmel, associate director at CBS for the past year, has been promoted to director. He has been with the web since 1937 and was in the shortwave division until his transfer to TV in September, 1948. Film Council Names Commiltee Chairmen Appointment of chairmen and vice-chairmen for seven National Television Film Council committees was announced yesterday by Melvin L. Gold, president of the group. In addition, William S. Roach, NTFC vice-president, was placed in overall supervision of the activities of the various committees. Committee Heads Named Gold named the following committee heads: Distribution, chairman, John Mitchell, United Artists Television; vice-chairman, W. W. Black, Official Television, Inc. Production, chairman, Henry Morley. Dynamic Film, Inc.; vice chairman, Jules Bricken, Screen Gems, Inc. Station, Robert Paskow, WATV. Newark; vice chairman, Helen Buck. WCAU. Philadelphia. Membership, chairman, Jerry Albert, United World Films; vice chairman, William Holland, Hyperion Films, Inc. Film Clearance Bureau, chairman, Paul White, International TransVideo Inc. Film Production Clinic, chairman, J. A. Maurer, J. A. Maurer Inc. Program, chairman, Irwin Shane, Televiser Magazine; vice chairman, Helen Buck. Sally Perle, recently elected NTFC secretary and formerly chairman of the press relations committee, was named press representative for the council. Zenith Dampens Color Claims, Says No System Acceptable Kansas City, Mo.— There is not in existence today a color TV system with which "both the public and the industry could live" and there is no answer to the question of when commercial color will be available, H. C. Bonfig, vice-president of Zenith, said here yesterday in an address before the Co-op Club of Kansas City. Long a storm center in the manufacturing field, Zenith had been generally considered to be in the CBS color camp because it has cooperated with the web in building equipment for polychrome demonstrations. The impression was forcibly dispelled by Bonfig yesterday when he revealed that Zenith "had suffered a net loss of $15,400" on the CBS order for 22 color sets at a contract price of $1,000 each. He added that these sets, which cost Zenith $1,700 each, "differed very little" from color receivers that the Zenith organization had built "in our laboratories years earlier." Replying to Bonfig's speech, CBS prexy Frank Stanton said the web's color system "is ready now . . . and can be offered to the public within a few months" after FCC authorization. "It is misleading to compare the cost of handmade models with those mass produced," Stanton said, estimating that a 10-inch color set would retail at $220. If the FCC okays the CBS system, he added, "manufacturers will find that the problems which they are now conjuring up will disappear in their eagerness to give the public this superior service." Goldsmith Queried Re Laboratory Advances Washington Bureau of RADIO DAILY Washington — There mav be radio manufacturers who would like to see color TV delayed, Dr. T. T. Goldsmith, DuMont research director, said yesterday — but DuMont is definitely not among them. Goldsmith was on the stand all day yesterday as the homeless FCC pepoered him with questions concerning the possibility of early color findings in DuMont laboratories. The hearing got under wav in the Commerce Department auditorium shortly after the fire and explosion at the Post Office Building occupied by the Commission two blocks away. Dr. Goldsmith said he could conceive of expenditure by manufacturers to buy up the color tube under development by Dr. Charles Willard Geer, for instance, or to buy up the Color Television, Inc., process. Then, in discussion with Commissioner Frieda B. Hennock, he allowed that a purpose of buying control of these developments might be to shelve them. The DuMont research chief stressed that he was making no charge that this was in the mind of any competitors — simply that it was a possibility. Goldsmith refused to commit himself to any time schedule as Miss Hennock and Commissioner Robert F. Jones sought to get an estimate from him when DuMont's experiments with color might go beyond the laboratory stages. He said his company has been working on a direct-view tube since 1945, then under questioning by Jones admitted that for the most part the developmental work has been by a single engineer. DuMont attorney, William Roberts, interrupted the questioning during this period to protest that some of the matters Goldsmith was quizzed on could not properly be discussed publicly in view of delicate patent problems. He said his comoany did not mind discussion of things already patented — but that a certain secrecy concerning other laboratory matters not yet patentable had to be maintained. Goldsmith said Roberts was referring especially to matters now being worked out between DuMont and the Polaroid Company. The committee on comparative demonstrations met last night to work out details regarding the comparative showing of CBS and RCA color and DuMont black and white. The tests are slated to begin Nov. 14.