Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

Section of RADIO DAILY, Friday, December 9. 1949 — TELEVISION DAILY is fully protected by register and copyright PHONEVISION-HEARING JAN. 16 TELE TOPICS TV'S PECULIAR ABILITY to bring ' actuality into the home was demonstrated with candid effectiveness Wednesday nite by "The Author Meets The Critics" award presentation on A3C and the Heisman trophy pickup on WOR-TV. While the former was on the whole a rather stuffy affair — principals sat at a dais onstage with only a curtain for a background — the event was made memorable by the presence of Robert Frost, who received the first prize for nonfiction. It was the poet's initial broadcast appearance and his recitation of three of his poems was indeed a rare treat. Tom Lea, whose novel, "The Brave Bulls," received the top fiction award, was piped in from San Antonio, and Hjme Cronyn read a brief but stirring passage from the book. The major part of the show, however, was just so much talk. John McCaffery presided and other participants included ABC prexy Mark Woods, veepee Bob Saudek, packager Martin Stone and critic Lewis Gannett • JUST AS FROST was the highlight of ■* the literary presentation, so was William P. Kelgard, a wizened character actor, the hit of the WOR-TV coverage of the Heisman Memorial Trophy award to Leon Hart, of Notre Dame, at the Downtown A. C. Kelgard had the toughest assignment of all; he followed the actual presentation to the massive lineman. Introduced as the mayor of Turtle Creek, Pa., Hart's home town, Kelgard stole the show with his warmly humorous characterization of a small town executive. His feat was made even more laudable by the fact that he followed the gridiron reminiscences of such polished speakers as Bill Slater, Bo McMillan, Ted Husing and others. Coverage as a whole was excellent and should add to the stature of New York's newest station. • r ACES WE D LIKE TO SEE back on the ' air, but quick: Imogene Coca, Sid Caesar and Marge and Gower Champion, all of the late, lamented "Broadway Revue." . . . Local Chevrolet Dealers have renewed "Pantomime Quiz" in New York and Los Angeles. ... Ed Herlihy, emcee of WNBT's "Children's Hour" takes up economics today when he reads Prof. Raymond Moley's speech to the NAM session at the Waldorf. . . . Add Cass Franklin, Monica Moore, photog Muky, Gordon Dilworth and Don Russell to the talent lineup for the new DuMont daytimer starting Monday. . . . Phillips H. Lord, originator of "The Black Robe," is readying another show built around "real people in the street." . . . Latest TV feature to be merchandised nationally is Bob Dixon's "Chuck Wagon" series on CBS. Kauffman's Saddlery is manufacturing and marketing the western togs. ABC Continues Drive For New Money In TV Curtis Publishing's "Ladies Home Journal" will make its first use of TV next month in a one-shot promotion over three ABC stations. Program, a five-minute dramatized film based on a story in the magazine's January issue will be aired during the week of Jan. 2 over WJZ-TV, New York; WENR-TV, Chicago and WMAL-TV, Washington. BBD&O is the agency. In New York, the ABC flagship is continuing its drive to bring new advertisers into video, using its "demonstrator" airer, "H o 1 i d a y Hints," as an opening wedge. Latest to make a TV bow via the show is Fanny Farmer Candy Shops, which signed for three participations through J. Walter Thompson. Other new accounts for the stanza include Marchal Jewelers, two participations, through William Warren, and Clark & Gibby, one a week for three weeks, through Needham & Grohmann. Wander Signs Up H. D. For 2 Quarter Hours Chicago — The Wander Co. (Ovaltine) has contracted to sponsor two quarter hours weekly of the Howdy Doody show on NBC, it was announced here this week by Gene Hoge, midwest sales manager. Ovaltine will sponsor the 5:30 to 5:45 p.m. (EST) portion of the show on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Jan. 3, 1950 for 13 weeks. Grant Advertising is the agency. Washington Bureau of RADIO DAILY Washington— The FCC yesterday pushed back the resumption of its hearings on color TV and the further comparative demonstrations for two weeks, on the strength of petitions by CBS and RMA. The resumption of direct testimony, to be followed by cross-examination, was pushed back from February 13 to February 27, with the first demonstration of the CTI color system postponed from February 6 to February 20 and the second comparative demonstration— including CTI, CBS and RCA color— from Feb. 8 to Feb. 23 and 24. The Commission also kissed off Balaban Evaluates Impact Of Television Indicating that Paramount believes that television will compliment the motion picture industry, Barney Balaban, president of Paramount Pictures, Inc., included his views on TV in a report to the company's stockholders which was released yesterday. Balaban's statement about TV follows: "Much is being written and published as the result of incomplete surveys, concerning the effect of fhe rapidly expanding medium of television on the motion picture business. The so-called average "A" picture is now seen by not more than ten to twenty, per cent of our population. It is our belief that, by advertising the appealing qualities of these pictures through television to a larger section of the American people, we should be able to attract a much larger audience to the movie theaters to see them and that television will, in the end, prove a positive rather than a negative influence on the motion picture industry. On the basis of our experience with radio, we can reasonably anticipate that the television medium will discover and develop new personalities for the motion picture screen." WFMY-TV Sells 'Crusade' Greensboro. N. C. — Pilot L'ffi Insurance Co. has s'gned with WFMYTV for sponsorship of the 26-week "Crusade In Eurone" film series beginning Jan. 12. Firm has used the outlet since its September debut. the Arco Electronics proposal that one year of testing, with 250,000 or more amateurs compiling data, be required of the various color system. The Arco plan, the Commission said, "would cause an indefinite and unnecessary delay in the final determination of the issues." The Commission pointed out that CTI has no transmission authority and that the facilities of CLS and RCA for color testing "are very limited and it is extremely difficult to estimate how long it would take them to build additional facilities for an adequate distribution among 'the major cities or metropolitan markets'." FCC Will Consider Zenith Plea For Experiments Washington Bur"nn of RADIO DAILY Washington — The FCC yesterday set for January 16, in Washington, a hearing on "phonevision." Among other things, the announcement said, the Commission will consider "contemplated non-technical aspects of such operation, including use of telephone facilities; whether, if authorized, such a service should be classed as broadcast or common carrier or some other service designation, and, meanwhile, whether experimental operation on a commercial basis should be authorized." Phonevision was defined as the transmission of a standard TV signal by a conventional transmitter operating in the VHF band. However, the content of the picture transmitted is altered at the transmitter by a device which "scrambles" the picture when received by a standard TV receiver. A special apparatus furnished to subscribers would "unscramble" the picture at the receiver. The system takes its name from plans by Zenith to use telephone lines to transmit a coded signal to activate the subscriber's apparatus. Charges would be made for this service. Zenith's program plans contemplate "first run motion pictures, current stage productions, outstanding sporting events, etc." Zenith Asks Rule-Waiver The hearing will be on a petition by Zenith for waiver of any rules necessary to permit its experimental TV broad-ast station W9XZV. Chicago, to test phonevision on a limited commercial basis for a period of three months on TV channel 2. It proposes to serve 300 test subscribers, most of them located within 10 miles of the Lakeview exrhange of the Illinois Bell Telephone Co. in Chicago. Each would be furnished a Zenith TV receiver equipped for phonevision and be charged one dollar for each program viewed. Programs would have no other sponsor. Zenith would lease telephone facilities, including control switchboards, from Illinois Bell for control purposes. While willing to participate in this test, Illinois Bell reiterated its position that the demonstration should, in no way, be construed as a commitment to provide telephone or bookkeeping facilities on a going basis for phonevision or other type of fee television Commissioner Hennock will preside at the hearing. Commissioners Coy and Sterling favored a grant of Zenith's petition for the test demonstrating prior to the general hearing. FCC Defers Color Hearings; Rejects Amateur-Tester Idea