Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

Section of RADIO DAILY, Friday. November 4, 1949 — TELEVISION DAILY is fully protected by register and copyright ►COLOR 75 YEARS AWAY—DuMONT TELE TOPICS A STRANGE THING occurred in our ** home Wednesday nite. For some reason still unknown to us — pure cussedness, perhaps — we turned off at an early hour the voracious electronic monster that has consumed so much of our time and devoted our attention to the radio, which undoubtedly had become broken-hearted with neglect. The results were surprisingly satisfying. For one thing, we were able to enjoy complete relaxation, a state that is all but impossible to achieve while watching TV. Secondly, we heard two very fine programs. Our renewed acquaintance with Groucho Marx reaffirmed our conviction that he is the funniest man in show business. While the comedy of Bing Crosby and guest Bob Hope which followed was rather strained, the program as a whole was fine entertainment. The laughter of the studio audience, however, indicated that there was considerable byplay between the two stars that sound only could not bring to home listeners. Hope especially should be an asset to TV programming if and when he makes a stab at it. But the act that we would like to see on video above all others is comprised of Messrs. Adolph, Leonard and Julius Marx. Groucho is wonderful on AM; can you imagine the results if he, along with his brothers, could also be seen? On a bi-weekly, or even monthly schedule they'd lift TV comedy to new heights. DALTIMORE WILL AGAIN be repre" sented by a network program beginning Nov. 18 when "Reward," a WBALTV detective series, bows on NBC in the Friday, 9:30 p.m. spot, alternating with bi-weekly "The Big Story." Packaged by Leon S. Golnick, program recently completed a 26-week commercial run on the Baltimore outlet. . . . Robert Mann will produce and Alex Leftwich will direct the Herb Shriner show which goes on CBS for Philip Morris in place of "Ruthie" Monday. Shriner will script with Norman Barash and Carroll Moore. . . . Dick Pack and Jo Ranson are working on a new text book, "Opportunities In Television," to be published early next year by Vocational Guidance Manuals. An earlier tome, "Opportunities In Radio," is in use in schools throughout the country. iiELVILLE BURKE, legit and movie director, has taken over direction of "Colgate Theater." His first play for the show, this Sunday, will be "Remember The Day," which he directed on Broadway 14 years ago. Play ran for 122 performances with a cast which included Keenan Wynn, Frank Thomas, Sr., and Jr., Joe Brown, Jr., John Drew Devereaux and Russell Hardie. See Cost And 'Doubt' Hurting TV-Set Sales Washington Bureau of RADIO DAILY Washington — The two important reasons for resistance to sales advertising of TV receivers in the Washington area are cost and "belief that the new medium is still in a developmental stage," the American Research Bureau reported this week. On the basis of one thousand personal interviews in the area, the bureau reported that "many prospective buyers hesitated to shell out the considerable amount of money required for a set because they feel a lot of refinement is still necessary to give them better reception, eliminate flicker and interference and reduce eye strain." In addition, a sizeable part of those awaiting improvement mentioned color as something they are waiting for. In regard to the color issue and others, there is a widespread fear that sets bought today may be outmoded soon. Navy Signs For 13 Weeks To Get Recruits Via TV Washington Bureau of RADIO DAILY Washington — Contract for a new recruiting series to run 13 weeks on TV stations throughout the country was let by the Navy yesterday to Graphic Reports, Washington video production outfit headed by Michael Fooner. Eliminating the need for film, Fooner will design special art for each show with "built-in animation," accompanied by a script for local narration by Navy or station production people. On File Calgary — Eight private concerns In Canada have applied for TV licenses, A. D. Dunton, chairman of the CBC board of governors, revealed yesterday. Four were from Toronto, two from Montreal, and one each from New Westminster, B. C, and Hamilton, Earlier this week, Dunton had scored private to broadcasters for "a marked lack of interest. . . . in establishing television transmitting stations in Canada." IT&T Chief Outlines Int'l TV Development (Continued from Page 1) briefly on the status of television in various European countries, and disclosed that a new video project now in the engineering stage in France embodies a system of 819 lines, as against 441 lines in the present French system. He disclosed also that the Big Three of international communications carriers — RCA, Western Union, and American Cable and Radio, are attempting to work out among themselves a method of "commonsense consolidation of facilities" to improve existing service. A special feature of yesterday's REC meeting, before Harrison's talk, was the presentation of Red Cross Certificates of Merit to Red Barber, CBS sports director, and Mel Allen, Yankees sportcaster. The awards were in recognition of their support on the air of the Red Cross' blood bank campaign. CBS Denies Morris Charges Of Political Favoritism Cancellation by CBS of a scheduled telecast featuring the major candidates in the upcoming New York election was termed by Newbold Morris, Republican LiberalFusion candidate for Mayor, yesterday as "an accession by CBS to the will of one candidate to the unfair advantage of the others and the public as well." Contained in a wire to CBS prexy Frank Stanton, the charge was immediately denied by Joseph H. Ream, web's executive v-p, who acted in Stanton's absence from the city. In his return wire, Ream said, "There is nothing invidious to you and your candidacy in cancellation of this program and all candidates are equally deprived of proffered opportunity so none is being discriminated against." A spokesman for Morris said that the candidate was first invited to appear on the show, scheduled for this Sunday night, on Oct. 19, and accepted immediately. This week, the spokesman said, after Mayor William O'Dwyer, who is seeking re-election on the Democratic ticket, had declined to appear on the show, Morris was notified the program had been cancelled. Doubts Mfrs. Feel Polychrome Is Ready Now Washington — Dr. Allan B. DuMont told the FCC that stories about color TV being just around the corner are "just fooling the public." As a commercial service comparable to black and white, he said, color video is probably 15 years away. Pointing out that the hearing was called by the FCC and not by the industry, Dr. DuMont said he doubts that any manufacturers "think that color television has been sufficiently developed, nor have they asked for a hearing, nor do I believe that any of the television broadcasters believe that color television is ready, nor have they requested a hearing. "For the first time, the Commission is asking the industry to do something it is not ready to do. The manufacturers and broadcasters who have developed television to its present state of public acceptance, are being accused of holding back color television for their own selfish interest. "I do not believe this is so. If we can agree that allocation may take place on six-megacycle channels without obstacle to the later use of color equipment as an improvement of an established television system, then there is no reason why color cannot come when it is really ready and when standards of quality and performance can be adopted." Questioned Closely Questioning of Dr. DuMont by Commissioners Hennock and Jones got quite hot at two or three points, although the session ended quietly enough. DuMont stressed that he did not mean color need wait 15 years to come out of the laboratory, but rather that it would take that long before it was ready for the public. He finally shaved his estimate to 10 years. He indignantly rejected the idea that manufacturers were "holding back on color for their own selfish ends." Jones suggested that DuMont warn purchasers of its home receivers that there is a possibility the sets will become obsolete, or undertake to bring all its outstanding sets in to its factory to convert them for color reception. It is not necessary to do anything of the sort. Dr. DuMont said, "because color isn't that close. We are not representing our sets as anything but black and white receivers, which is a fixed service that will continue." He scored both the CBS and RCA systems as completely inadequate, stressing the small picture in the CBS system and the non-uniformity of color in the various receivers used in the RCA demonstration.