Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

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3 action of Eugene Katz, head of Katz Agency and a spokesman during FCC hearings. SRA's position was that networks held powerful weapon over affiliates, could force them to join network list of repped stations, expanding at will. Networks disavowed any intention of expanding lists. SRA said it couldn't object if networks had rep organization for their own stations, no affiliates. Some lawyers raise this question; If CBS (or NBC) threw all its owned stations into new rep firm, would it so dominate firm as to violate spirit of FCC's decision — if FCC says networks must get out of rep business? Stations have tried to establish own rep firms cooperatively in past, without success. It's pointed out, however, that none ever had a big, smooth, outfit like CBS or NBC spot sales to start with for momentum. VIDEO TAPE REVOLUTION ADVANCES: "Birth of a New Era in TV Technology" was our head line a scant 32 months ago when Ampex Corp . turned 1956 NAB convention on its ear with demonstration of a perfected magnetic TV recorder which hardly anyone in the industry even dreamed was in existence (Vol. 12:16). Today video tape is an everyday working tool in TV industry — in fact, on the network scene, life without it would be almost unthinkable. New uses for tape are limited only by the imagination. Ampex has delivered nearly 240 recorders (worth almost |11,000,000, exclusive of such accessories as color converters) in the 32-month period. In a tabulation prepared for our forthcoming 1959 Spring-Summer TV Factbook, all Ampex Videotape Recorder deliveries are listed. A breakdown of Videotape installations — projected to Feb. 29 — shows 83 installed in U.S. TV stations, 63 at U.S. networks, 13 at advertising agencies and film studios, 23 at schools and laboratories, 59 in foreign countries (mostly at TV stations) . Because of the industry-wide interest in video tape installations, we have pre-printed the list in this issue. It will be found on p.l6. MILITARY TV PROGRAMMING BREAKTHROUGH: It's been a long uphill fight, but the Armed Forces TV Service thinks it may now have a plan to bring both quality and quantity in TV programming to the 350,000 American troops and civilians within range of the 30 military TV stations at far-away and isolated bases. Programming has been main problem of AFTV since its first station went up in late 1953. It has depended on largesse of networks, sponsors, packagers for films and kines — and too often sponsor permission was withheld, even though programs were televised by AFTV with commercials intact, adding a grateful "plus" audience. AFTV has now embarked on a new plan — it will make its own kines of network shows, subject to permission of sponsors and packagers. Under Defense Dept. Radio & TV Branch chief Lt. Col. John H. Lay, it has just reached agreement with CBS after 6 months' negotiations, and will announce similar deals with NBC & ABC. Something new has been added — or subtracted; Under new policy, prompted mainly by complaints of unions, "selling" commercials will be snipped out — although sponsor identification (backgrounds, name of show, etc.) will be retained. With a potential audience of 350,000 not duplicated by any other TV outlets — and aside from any patriotic angles — it's still a good bet for any sponsor, considering it won't cost him anything but his permission. Because its budget is tightly limited, AFTV still welcomes — and is getting some — film prints and kines direct from sponsors and programmers. Its kines will be made in Los Angeles field office of Armed Forces Office of Information & Education. AFTV will make 5 kines of each show it has permission to rebroadcast, bicycling these prints among its 30 stations from Eritrea to Okinawa. AFTV stations currently are programming 40 hours weekly — much of it outdated movies and fifth reruns, because of lack of available new programming. Seven more of the low-powered stations will be built during 1959, but no more are planned in 1960 because of tightness of budget.