Variety (Dec 1946)

W«'«li«'««lay, December 4, 1946 TGI^VISION 31 FIREWORKS FOR COLOR HEARINGS U. S. Tele Tops British Technicafly, But Loses on Sets, Programs Chicago, Dec. 3. Despite the fact that the United States ranks way out in front in the tecluiical development oi television, jiarsland Gander, radio editor of tlie London Daily Telegraph, in Clii- cago on his way to New Vorli fiom Hollywood, pointed out in an inter- >vicw here last week that the U. S. lags far behind in prograniniing and the amount of sets in use as com- pared to England. Gander admitted that this colmtry is fat ahead of the entire world in the technical aspects of video, ba-sing his conclusion on what he had seen in visits to the foremo.st television laboratories in the U. S. surprising element, . according to Gander, is the paradoxical fact that wliile America is so far advanced in scientific standards of television, in London alone there are 20,000 video receivers, with the strong possibility of that figure reaching 50|()00 witliin ■ a year. BBC is able to support its Inrge audience due to a larger varia- tion of programs, and a greater amount of daily television fare. Here, he pointed out, is where our television outlets drop bekind. -Whether British video sliows are as of high entertainment value as ours is doubtful, but its a cinch there's more of it. Head of a large telcvi.sion outlet here pointed out in combatting Gander's argument of the small quantity of video enter- tainment offered here as compared to Britain, is due to most television stations still experimenting with programs, now that the teclinical end is fast gaining a high standard. Video execs here are crippled through the non-cooperation of Pctrillo's musicians union and In most cases while trying to program standards to the AM level, malte the fatal mistake of attempting to pro- duce shows as high in value as the modern,, streamlined radio shows, forgetting how long It has taken radio to bring about its high quality, the American exec said. In spite of the fact that there were no Bing Crosby, Bab Hope, or Andi-e Kostelanetz shows at radio's incep- tion, television wants to start right off with top show.s, and it looks as though the public will have to wait until such shows are ready for tele- casting. Forgotten, here according to Gander is the theory that even a floperoo would make for good enter- tainment to a new television audi- ence, just as bad shows went over big when AM radio was in its infancy, "AM radio is finished," Gander said. "But it will be a long time dying." Speaking of American radio. Gander said he thought singing com- mercials "simply frightful." Re- minded that British newspapers carry advertising on the front pages, he came back witl), "readers can Ignore them." Gander would not hold still for U. S. t-adio fare being more varied or of a higher quality than BBC'S. "Consider music," he said, "Except for Toscanlni and the Metropolitan opera we've got you licked to □ frazzle." Don Lee, Ansco In Tv.NewsreelPact Hollywood, Dec. 3. Television newsreel deal, the first of its kind here, has been worked put between Don Lee's experimental station, W6XAO and Ansco. Ar- rangement calls for the latter to process reels shot by a special Lee crew and time allowed runs from Ave to 48 hours, depending on cir- cumstances and material. Special crew is being set up by Don Lee which will cover public fiyenls and record them on silent 16m film. Stuff will then be ru.shed to Ansco for handling and on deliv- ery telecasted on the .station's regu- larly scheduled Monday night pro- gram. ■. \ Sound effects will be added later where necessary via the special crew consi.sting- of announcer, lensman and sound effector, , Television Reviews ARMY-NAVY GAME With Bob Stanton, Ben Gfauer, an- nouncers Producer: Burke Crott, 225 Mins.; Sat. (30), 12:15 p.m. GILLETTE WNBT-NBC, N. Y. 1 Mfl.ro lO NBC television climaxed its col- lege football coverage laiit Saturday l30) with the Army-Navy classic in what was probably their best grid- iron scanning job to date. Using tour Image Orthicon cameras, producer Burke Crotty mi.ssed hardly a play of the thriller, giving viewers better than a bird's-eye view of the hectic closing minutes. i Crotty could probably have taken more care in placing his four cam- eras around the field, since the rear view of a spectator's head blotted out the game at several points. Cam- eras were probably set up, however, when the stadium was empty and how was Crotty to know tliis guy in the stands would keep jwnping up and down in front of his lenses? He managed to follow the ball in flight on most of the pass and punt plays, something that's been lacking from NBC coverage of previous games this season. Comparison of the game's cover- age this year with that in 1945 points up the fact that tele has progressed' considerably during the last 12 months. Viewed on a new RCA table-model set, the pictures were amazingly clear and sharp am', could be compared favorably with the best newsreel shots. Whereas the trans- mission over the Bell System's co- axial cable irom PhlladelDhia conked (Continued on page 37) DuMont W3XWT Goes Commerciai Washington, Dec. 3. Commercial t«le took a big step forward in Washington last ^Friday (29) wl)«n FCC handed a flO-day permit to WTTG, DuMont's tele station here. Station will operate commercially on temporary basis, using experimental equipment of DuMont's test station W3XWT: Leslie Arries, manager of WTTG, said station hopes to be in opera- tion with its fullpowered 5kw sound- and-picture transmitters early in ,1947., , ; y ■ First sponsored show to go on the air here will be professional hockey match from the Uline Arena, Dec. 10, sponsored by U. S. Rubber Co, Other commercial shows .shown on DuMont's Manhattan station 'WABD, sponsored by Chevrolet Motors and others, will also be fed out over the Washington transmitter. The DuMont's D. C, outlet will also televise the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the White House, Dec. 24, it was under.stood. ' Meanwhile ABC-affiliate WMAL here conducted its first tele tests last week with two Image Orthicon cameras shipped in from RCAi Sta- tion hopes to make its video debut early next year. WMAL's FM and tele transmitters will both be lo- cated on the American University campus in uptown Wa.shin8lon. PAR VIDEO STATION SETS SIX-NIGHT SKED Hollywood, Dec. 3. New, ambitious program schedule Of Six nights weekly goes into effect ThUrs. (5) on Television Produc- tions' (Paramount) station W6XYZ here. Replacing the crstw.hile' two,, nights weekly sked," the blossoming will put station on programming par with all other stations In nation, including NBC and DuMont in the cast. ■ Betog brought here for the expan- sion move by W6XVZ are two RCA Image Orthicon cameras, first ever consigned to the coa.st. Gadgets are now en route by air express, and will be used for remote pickups, as station's new programming includes considerable sports' coverage. FGGPeiGTS WK.-LONG MEET Washington,. Dec, 3. FCC spokesmen predicted today (3) that the upcoming hearing on pros and cons of commercializing Columbia's mechanical color video WGiild probably last the entire week of Dec. 10 and possibly longer. A good cross-section of the tele in- dustry has already signed up for the hearing and CBS, on whom the burden of proof lies, has said it may reijuire as much as 17 hours for its direct testimony alone. With characferistic thoroughness, the net will put seven of its top men on the stand, with color-tele inventory by Peter Goldmark ex- pected to consume as much as 10 hours in direct presentation. Other Columbia officials who will testify include: Dr. Frank Stanton, pre.si- dent; yeepees Adrian Murphy and Larry Lowman; Donald JHorton, di- rector, of Television Audience Re- search Institute; William B. Lodge, CBS chief engineer, and Paul H. Reedy, engineer. On the other side of the field, RCA. DuMont and the Televisidn Broadcasters Assn. are already on record in opposition to the CBS pro- posal. Allen DuMont, president, and T. T. Goldsmith, Jr., director of research, will headline the DuMont Black-and-white Wind Washington, Dec. 3. CBS color men take note. With FCC's long-awaited heai'- ing to decide whether or not to commercialize the CBS-type of mechanical color video set for next Monday, Dec. 9, it was learned here this week that at least two FCC engineers tave . already put their own hard- earned ca.sh on the line for RCA black-and-white tele receivers. Outside-FCC sources reported that Curtis Plum mer, chief of FCC's Television Division, and aide Hart Cowperthwait, had both put in orders for the mono- chrome sets some weeks ago. It doesn't necessarily mean, of course, that FCC members ha\ e made up their minds on the color question. But it shows which way the wind is blowing. At the same time, all six FCC commissioners are getting, their fill of the black-and-white im- ages through RCA or Dumont receivers installed in their' homes. presentation in favor of waiting for electronic color. Jack Poppele. pi'esi-, dent, will speak for TBA, and at- tempt to coordinate TBA views with those , of the Radio Technical Plan- ning Board. RCA, which expects to be on the stand between two and four hours, has tabbed Dr. C. B. Jollifle to testify but fs keeping mum on identity o£ its other spokes- men until the hearing opens. One of the most important wit' nesses will be David Smith, director of re.seareh for Philco, who ako heads, this television eomraittee tjf the RTPB. Manufacturers To Aid CBS may expect at least qualified support from several of the manu- | facturer.? : who have filed appear-I ances. Bendix, WestinghOu.se, and Federal Telephone and Radio Corp. have all worked on CBS type trans- milting and receiving equipment and will report on ' its eftici^sncy and probable costs. Similar info will be presented by Federal Teleconcimuriir cations Laboratories on its experi- ment.? in: rainbow tele;; Another technique for arriving at color video will be interposed b.y Thomascolor, Inc., whose representa.- lives Carl Haverlin and E. C. Page will describe the Thomascolor proc- ess of photography and its pos- sible uses in video. DuMont. it is anticipated, vvill also demonstrate for FCC .its new light- beam (technique of relaying either black-and'White or color video to demonstrato its versatility and pos- .«ible u.ses to devise pther types ol color broadcasting, i L^ht-Beam Tbtovision' Shown By DuMont Would Kill Coaxials, Fed Telenets, Tlieatres Cheaply All In The Family Eddie Giosa, boxer who scored a 10-round decision over: Lulu Constantino in the feature bout at Madison Sq. Garden, N. Y.,' last Friday (29) night, atso scored one for television. Giosa, to whoin pugiUstics is mainly « side dish,; works as a wireman in the television trans- mitter section of RCA-Victor in Camden, N. J. His wife, family and relatives naturally watched him win the fight over an RCA tele receiver, as televised by WNBT (NBC, N. Y.). Hooper s Bid For Telerating Sample C. E. Hooper made, his bid to the television industry for audience measurement, this: week with the claim that retooling for video would be a Siniple maneuver involving no scrapping of methods presently used for 'Obtaining radio Hooperatings. Consequently, Hooper declared, tech- niques and statistics already in effect for radio can be transferred to television at no additional charge. In his bi-weekly Hqoperating Hi- Lights, Hooper points out that tele should actually get its audience measurement figures at a relatively lower price than radio because one mea.surement budget could apply tor both media. Radio ratings will continue to be'comparable with the past, he said, whereas tele ratiniis can be compared to each other and also to radio. To get video audience mea.sure- ments, all that's necessary is the in- clusion of a question a.sking whether the interviewed was "either looking at or listening to a program just now." In that way, it will be pos- .sible to get a figure on the si2e of a tele audience that's directly com- parable to radio Hooperatings. Be- cau.se only a certain number of known people presently own tele sets, the, private surveys conducted by Hooper thus far utilized the files on these owners, instead of making Calls at random. Hooper cautioned that the present tele surveys were not comparable to anythiiig else, since all pre.»ent owners are enthusiastic f;in,s who have already been ■■surveyed to death." Thus, he said, tele ratiii.ia.s now should not be compared with radio ratings b.y. reducing the two to eo.mparative audience costs. Com- pai^if'on of television :again,«t radio lislening today Will, however. shoW the fi-ce choice: of, the. t'':le-radio owner between the two media. IMexico's Azcarraga Spreads Self in Tele • Mexico City, Nov. 26: Eniilio Azcarraga, head of the syn- dicate of hi.s name that opcrate.s Mexico's largest stations, XEW and XEQ, and various auxiliary services, .such as disk plants and two big loc'al (ilmhouse.'!,, has become Mexi- co's pioiieer television chain opera- tor. Azcnrraga has asked the Ministry of Communications . and Public Works for franchises covering a .')0,OOO-watt lelevisibn station here, and one each of lesser potency , in the key provincial cities of Guadala- jara, Tampico, Mbnterrey, Torreonf Puebla and Vera Cruz, which he hopes to start early next year. Cincinnati—Croslcy Radio Corp, is the first to receive two FCC tele- vision permits in one day. One is for WLWT, Cincy, which will oper- ate on channel 4, and the other for WLWC, Columbus, to outlet on channel 3. Beaming will emanate fiom the tallest buildings in each City. By , DOROTHY HOLLOWAY Washington, Dec. 3. , It's not a joke, son. Some day yovt may oe abe to rig up a television network tied together, by notliing' more substantial than "light bcam.s," And ultimately you may be able "to do it with miiiTO:rS," This, at any rate, is the promise of "n'intoyi ■■'^i" —a sensational: new development by wliich tele programs may be sent from city to city over "light beam.s" rather than radio waves or costly coaxial cable. Method was claimed r«erul also for large screen theatre video, Photovfsioh got its first public demon.stration hero at the Washin.c;^. ton Potomac Electric Power & Liuht Go. auditorium last week before 400 members and friends of the Ameri- can-Institute of Electrical Engineers. . Invention is the work of Dr Allen B. DuMont president of 'Dni>"(lit l;.'b. and was demonstrated here; by Dr, T. T. Gold.smith, Jr., director of re- sea I'ch for DuMont, Tlie Use of 'light beams," Gold- smith said, brings television netwo' '--s definitely closer, and may "ultimate- ly simplify: and cheapen" video bi oadcasts in the home. The new ''light beam" technique to relay pictures of an outdoor I'ootr ball game from field to transmitter ; and thence to other cities is many times cheaper than the co-stly A. T. & T.-coaxial cable now used, it was pointed out. It will also transmit images with much greater shnrpnc.=s and clarity since, Goldsmith said, "a television image loses about 40% of its definition or sharpness when it is transmitted by coaxial, cable.". :He added: "The coaxial between- New ' York and Washington costs millions to install; a series of relay stations between the two cities for the" trans- mi.ssion of pictures and sound over ; tlie light beams would not exceed I $30,000. Color, Too Photovision can be used to relay color video as well as black-and- white pictures. It o.perates in light or dai-kness, without any intei'fer- .ence from static or other interfer- ence inherent in radio. Goldsmith - ;:dm!liod, however. H'-t ri.lbt now/ I photovision will not woi'k .sati.sfac- torily in fog or in atniosph''ve heavi- ly charged with du.st particles; He described this, however, as a "tem- porary" obstacle which: will be over- come. Other engineers upheld his afsertibrt that "light beams''had been ■ widely :;used by the English, Ger- ' mwns and Americans for relaying i voice communications during^ the : ; war. . ■ ' - .; I In IHe demoastration, pictures I we:-,f u-i'n.smitted and broken anrl rer , : l>ioken by intercepting the light ; beam.s over a 12-foot distance. Gold- smith explained that public tests would .shortly be made in which pic- ;tui'es would be relayed with equal I clarity over -distances up to five miles. He suggested that the dem- ' otvtrnlioiis that engineer could ih- lerccpt the beams with mirrors and , , then flash them around the room;.- I ultimately, reproducing the complete imap,e on the second tv screen^. ■ 600,000,000 Mc RCA's all-electronic : color tele. I Goldsmith said, operates on the ultra- high radio waves—500 megap.y.cle.s a .setond-^but photovision is , literally': I oLit of the t,adio spectrum, operating : 1 on 600,000,000 megs a .second. By using this "high intensity , ehiargy !..s6iirce'.'"ghost images and' shadO\v' I ell'ects" 4rre eliminated on tv screens. I Photovi.slon may also , be used to I ,!end tele broadcasts from, a central j transin'itt.er to motion Efcture thea- I trcs for showing . on theatre tele- |. vi.sifin screens. This could be done 1 so that no other broadca.stei-s or tcle- i viewere outside the film houses could I intercept the programs. I Question of FCC's jurisdiction over i"lighl'' as well as radio beams came I up for some discussion at the denj- ! onftlration. Goldsmith pointed out i that I he Communications Act merely I provides for jurisdiction over- "wire ( or radio communications," not light