Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

4 last Oct. 25 with defense mobilizer Charles E. Wilson and DPA chief Manly Fleischmann, to discontinue (or not to start) mass production of color TV sets (Vol. 7:43). Feb. 8 meeting will be at lower level, with asst. NPA chief H. B. McCoy presiding. Purpose of meeting, said NPA, is "to obtain additional advice from the TV industry representatives on (1) whether NPA order M-SO provides the type of control and achieves the objectives discussed at the color TV conference held Oct. 25, and (2) whether this order requires "clarification or amendment." Behind scenes is bitter dispute as to whether Oct. 25 agreement was intended to cover theatre TV as well as home TV — climaxed by sharp letter to Mr. Wilson by Sen. Johnson, head of powerful Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee (Vol. 8:2). After letter went out, cogs started turning and Feb. 8 conference was called. At week's end, Sen. Johnson still awaited Mr. Wilson's formal reply. NPA had been adamant — at least until Sen. Johnson's letter came down from Mr. Wilson — in its position that industry and Govt, had agreed Oct. 25 to ban the production of all commercial color TV equipment. "Color TV is outlawed," said one NPA official, "and if color theatre TV isn't color TV, what the hell is it?" Film producers and exhibitors, however — now preparing theatre-TV case for upcoming FCC hearing (Vol. 8:2) — say M-90 went beyond terms of agreement reached at Oct. 25 conference. They insist the agreement applied only to mass production of home TV receivers, and that theatre TV wasn't mentioned at meeting. They also hasten to point out that production of color theatre-TV equipment wouldn't be "mass production" in same sense as home color, because of the relatively few receivers required by theatres. And they argue that additional materials needed to equip future theatre receivers for color would be comparatively small. To which NPA replies: The color ban has only one purpose — to save mate rials. If color theatre TV requires extra materials, it's banned. There have been no formal requests for amendment or repeal of M-90 . Joint committee, composed of Motion Picture Association, Theatre Owners of America, National Exhibitors Theatre-TV Committee and other theatre-TV proponents, has ordered its legal committee to seek clarification and take appropriate action. Chromatic TV Labs (owned 50% by Paramount Pictures), planning to make the Lawrence tri-color tube, has asked clarification of M-90 through counsel Paul Porter (Vol. 7:48,52). Mr. Porter's view of the controversial Oct. 25 meeting is that manufacturers and Govt, agreed color sets could be produced if manufacturers could do it with their quota of materials for black-&-white sets, with no extra materials. * * * * * TV manufacturers are satisfied with M-90, NPA says. "We've not received a single complaint from a manufacturer," say those charged with administering the ban. Principal objectors to M-90, the film producers and exhibitors — the ones who undoubtedly touched off Sen. Johnson's intervention — aren't scheduled to be represented at Feb. 8 meeting, except indirectly by the manufacturers who make their equipment. How strongly these manufacturers will plead their case isn't known now. At any rate, theatre-TV manufacturers will be outnumbered about 3-to-l by those who make home TV equipment only. "We deal with manufacturers," said an NPA official. "There's no reason why we should invite theatre owners & film producers to a TV manufacturers' conference." Theatre-TV manufacturers who attended Oct. 25 meeting and presumably have been invited ~to Feb. 28 meeting are RCA, Paramount Pictures (invited because of its ownership of Chromatic Labs) and GE (which will make Eidophor for 20th Century-Fox). CBS, whose color system is part of Eidophor theatre equipment, also has been asked. # * * * Pilot Eidophor-CBS color installation is scheduled to arrive in U.S. by air from Switzerland early next month. It will be installed in 20th Century-Fox's home office theatre at 444 W. 44th St., New York, where it will be put through its paces. Film company has ordered AT&T 10-mc cable to carry pictures from its Movietone News studio f ew blocks away, will experiment with transmissions using various bandwidths.