Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

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5 TV Fights as Usual: Breakup of boxing monopoly held by Madison Square Garden and N. Y, & I Chicago International Boxing Clubs was ordered I by Supreme Court this week. The decision apparently won’t immediately affect regular weekly fight telecasts, but the experts certainly do not agree as to the decision’s eventual effect on TV boxing and the fight business in general. In 5-3 ruling, Supreme Court upheld 1957 antitrust findings against combine by N. Y. District Court Judge Sylvester J. Ryan (Vol. 13:10, 17), who held that monopoly included control of broadcast rights to fights. No interruption of scheduled TV bouts under IBC contracts (which can be assigned to other promoters) was foreseen, however. Spokesmen for both NBC (Fri. night fights sponsored by Gillette, which contracts with IBC) and ABC (Wed. night fights sponsored by Bi’own & Williamson and Miles Labs, produced independently by Lester Malitz) told us no change in schedules — which run until June — is anticipated. Under Court’s ruling, N. Y. Garden and Chicago Stadium are allowed to operate independently. Reaction of other ring promoters to decision was mixed. Heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson’s mgr. Cus D’Amato, who has been Garden holdout, said ruling “may force one of the weekly TV shows into the hands” of a producer with whom Patterson can do business. His last fight was promoted on theatre-TV (Vol. 14:36) by ex-TelePrompTer v.p. Wm. P. Rosensohn, who commented that IBC dissolution should liven up boxing — “for both promotei’s & fighters.” Jack Dempsey figured decision would pi’oduce “new birth” for boxing. But ex-IBC pres. James D. Norris, who must sell controlling stock in Madison Square Garden, warned that it takes big organization to guarantee continuation of regular TV fights. “Now the sponsor is going to have to deal with Joe Blow one week and somebody else the next week,” said Norris. “I just don’t see how it will work.” Others thought Supreme Court’s decision hadn’t solved boxing’s problems — that TV already had ruined ringside gates. “Too much TV,” was way chairman Joseph (Jocko) Miller of D. C. Boxing Commission put it. On other hand, promoter Teddy Brenner of St. Nicholas Arena in N. Y., which has had no TV since last Aug. and which has been closed recently, announced he was opening up again. He hopefully welcomed “any TV ^ sponsor.” NagnuSOn Backs Cox: General support for Cox Report to Senate Commerce Committee on small-town TV problems, including recommendations for FCC legitimization of unauthorized boosters & regulation of CATV systems (Vol. 15:2) came this week from Chairman Magnuson (D-Wash.). “Generally, I think a lot of the recommendations are \ very good,” Magnuson told us. Committee itself hasn’t studied report point-by-point, some members reporting they hadn’t had time to get around to it yet. But Magnuson said staff report by special counsel Kenneth Cox “speaks for itself; it’s pretty comprehensive & well thought out.” Outside the Committee, support for recommendations by Cox — particularly on issue of boosters which wei’C outlawed by FCC after report was written — was assured by other western Senators. And of 4 new Democratic Senators added to Committee this week, 3 are from western tier of states, including Sen. Bartlett of Alaska. Sen. Mansfield (D-Mont.) took Senate floor to denounce FCC action on boosters and point to Cox Report. He said that unless FCC reconsiders its position, he’ll urge Magnuson to summon FCC to hearing to explain its failure to adopt “reasonable rules.” Sen. Carroll (D-Colo.) told us: “I am in favor of booster authorization unless there is clear danger to navigation. There’s just no sense to the FCC’s policy now.” Colo, state legislature unanimously memorialized Congress to force FCC to license boosters. Added to Commerce Committee, to give it 11-6 Democratic majority, were new Sens. Engle (Cal.), McGee (Wyo.) & Hartke (Ind.) in addition to Bartlett. None has special broadcast industry interests or connections, although Hartke (ex-mayor of Evansville) and McGee (ex-history teacher at U of Wyo.) are experienced TV & radio performers in their home states. First thing Hartke did after his appointment to Committee was to get copy of Cox Report, carry it home to read. Dissenting opinion on Cox findings on CATV & boosters was filed meanwhile by a manufacturer. The Cox Report’s fears that CATV will stymie development of I’egular TV stations aren’t borne out by facts, according to Milton J. Shapp, presL of Jerrold Electronics Corp. He noted that in same week the report was released, grantee KTLE, Pocatello, Ida. (Ch. 6) reported that RCA was shipping it 10-kw transmitter and that it expected to be on air by April 1 (Vol. 15:2). Jerrold operates CATV system in Pocatello. Florida's ETY Showcase: When Florida Educational TV Commission completes its ambitious network plans (see p. 4), it will have studios at the 3 existing state universities plus the new U of S. Fla., now under construction at Tampa, and at the 10 existing “community junior college centers” (each generally consisting of one white and one Negro college) plus 4 more junior college centers which soon will be erected. TV is a “built-in” in all new school construction in Florida. Wherever an educational institution is beyond the range of an educational TV station, it will be linked for closed-circuit reception. In addition to the benefits of better instruction in colleges, network is expected to make possible better programming for the state’s 5 vhf educational stations (4 on air, one planned) . State has 4 vacant uhf educational channels — and its FETC plans to interconnect any stations which eventually are built to operate on these channels. FETC was established by law in 1957 at request of Gov. Collins. It’s headed by Jacksonville attorney Judson Freeman. Only member with a TV connection is former NBC pres. Niles Trammell, now pres, of WCKT (Ch. 7) & radio WCKR, Miami. Its exec. secy, is former Nieman Fellow James Etheridge Jr., onetime staffer of Tampa Times, owned by same interests as WFLA-TV, Tampa-St. Petersburg (Ch. 8). Newly named consultant to ETV network and director of TV for U of Fla., Gainesville, is Kenneth Christiansen, former pi’ogram mgr. of Educational TV & Radio Center, Ann Arbor, Mich.