Variety (Apr 1949)

30 TELCiVISION Duffy Sees TV Oustripping AM By 1954;'Arnol(i Notes Talent Boost Most radio, advertising and in--f dustry toppers feel that television will outstrip AM by 1954 and the video boom may halt the onset of a depression, BBD&O prexy Ben Duffy told the City College Business School Radio-TV Confer- ence Wednesday (30); Slightly more than 100 registered at the parley, with 230 persons attending the luncheon session. According to a confidential BBD&O survey, :most broadcasters and admen feel that TV will eclipse AM, Duffy reported, but 89% believe radio will not die. ''XV is in the chorus line with the other media, and no one has picked one star," he explained. "As long as new media bring new sales, manufacturers will find addi- tional money to pay the cost. Costs must' be measured in terms of goods sold, and video may im/ crease sales ten-fold. The Ameri- can public has a tremendous ca- pacity to absorb new prgsjucts and there is no such thing as satura- tion." Edward Arnold, speaking on the relation between, films and TV, said : that eventually half of tele's output would be in vidpic form. Video will not kill the exhibitors,, he forecast, because tele will play a' big rdle in theatres. He . added that tele will give talent great op- portunities. "Video is not going to put out of business AM and FM stations KRMRUPPEDINNEW Dlf MONT SHUFFLE ' In''ataother move, to boost the quality of DuMont television's pror gramming, program chief James Caddigan has upped Tony Kraber to manager of program presenta- tion for the network. In addition, he has established a revised or-: ganization plan for the depart- ment in which a different supervi- sor-will be in charge of all shows originating from the web's three N. Y. studios. They, plus remote operations chief Harry Coyle, will report directly: to Kraber, who was formerly program manager of WABD, the web's N. Y. flagship. New plan is part of Caddigan's move to expand, the: programming emphasis from WABD to a more network-wide basis. New studio supervisors have not ..been named, but Kraber, in addition to oversee- ing their work, will also be in di- rect charge "of all announcers, dir rectors, floor managers, makeup artists^ set designers, studio crews, etc. DuMont's studios include those at the Wanamaker store, the homeoffice on Madison avenue and the Adelphi theatre. Under the operations setup, writers will report to Larry Men- kin, recently-named program plan- ning manager. Frank Bunetta, who will work directly under Caddigan WedncBtlay, April 6, 1949 Can. B casters AskFree (Of CBC) Hand In Development of Video Outlets HARRY SALTER MUSICAL DIRECTOR - :St6p the Music—ABC If Pays to Be lgnor;int—CBS ABC's Norton Envisions Chi TV Blue Skies' which have a reason for existence,'^ to supervise the training of pro declared Elliott Sanger, v.p; WQXR, N. Y. "That reason for existence must be the need for the specialized services of AM and FM. Tele is not a substitute for good music and cannot be as fast with the dissemination of news as radio. Other specialized fields for the indie AM and FM broadcaster are dance music, hot'Jazz; local sports, organized labor and; in larger cities, the foreign-language audience." Patience Needed Hubbell Robinson, Jr., CBS pro- gram v.p., said, "Neither AM: nor TV can prosper by depending en- tirely on the talents of proven per- ^formers or formula id^as. Progress in both will depend on the willing- (Continued on page 37) UA's TV Dept. Sets 50 Assorted Pix for Its 1st Sked of Releases ■ Fifty television films, ranging from two full-length leature oldies to specially-produced five-minutc duction perspnnel and the develop- ment of special effects, : Chicago, April 5. ABC-TV, Chicago, will hit the $1,000,000 business mark by the end of the year, according to John H. Norton, ABC Centrai Djvision yfeepee.' But, even though Nortoii expects WENR-TV to tie bpeirsitirig in the black by Qctobet, ABC Will plow this money back into Chi video development. The network is completing ia- stiallatioh of $250,000 of equipmeht In a new 4,000 sq. ft. tele studio on the 42d flooi- of the Civic Opei^a building. (This space, incidental-; ly, is where WENR debuted 19 years ago, aiid^ has recently been Used by Universal Records.) With the new studio, ABC-'TV's third in Chi, the web is adding an addition- al complete engineering and- pro- gramming crew to the payrolls. ; In view of the bright commer- iCial- picture, Norton has assigned three account execs to handle video including Actors Equity, Chorus sales exclusively;' Central Division Equity, American Guild of Musi-1 has turned in over $400,000 in web cal Artists and the American Fed- billings thuS: far, and , a like eration of Radio Actor.s—have ac- ' amount has - b^en : signed for cepted the plan in principle, al- WENR-TV. Programwise, Norton feels that Next Round Up On 4A Tele Authority Presidents of the member unions in Associated Actors & Artistes of America will meet Friday (8) to hammer out remaining points at issue in the 4A's Television Au- thority Plan". AH unions but one in the 4A"s COLUMBUS T-DAY SANS CROSLEY HOOPLA Columbus, April !5. ; TrDay came here Sunday (3) with unaccustomed quietness as, WLW- C, third link in the projected five- city Crosley chain, went on the air. Tliere was little of the hoopla which usually characterizes the first entry of television into a city.^ WLW^C carried: a full-page ad in both of the city's Sunday papers. The Columbus Citizens gave three pages to the operation and the Columbus Dispatch gave it space and pictures on the first page of its second section. . WLW-C officials plan no special ceremony until studios are com- pleted probably in June or July. The peculiarity of T-Day here was caused as much by the method of the station's operatiofi as anything else.- . ■ ■ .■. •, Other than spot announcements the'station expects to carry "live": from a temporary studio in the i transmitter garage and films tele- I cast here, its programs will be , beamed from WLW-T, the mother station in Cincinnati. Mobile unit broadcasts of special events • and the Red Bird baseball games will also originate here, but the rest' competition; and that no increase * w i^u Toronto, April 5. I Would-be operators of TV sta- tions in Canada are vociferouslv up in-arms regarding the decision of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. to apply the same principles to TV in this country as now gov- ern Canada's federal-controlled ra- dio networks. Prior to the CBC's TV announce- ment, the Canadian Assn. of Broad- casters, whose membership em- braces the 115 independently, owned and operated radio stations: in this country, passed: resolutions at its recent annual Conveiiition ^ asking that the power, of program regulation be removed by the CBC for the mutual development of TV outlets, private and federal-con- trolled, in Canada. CAB members also pointed out that TV service in Canada will be inadequate to the Canadian pub- lic unless TV is permitted free ac» ' cess to TV material from every possible source, this referring to a present CBC regulation which forbids the rebroadcasting of U. S TV programs by Canadian stations. CAB members also insist that the period of TV license be lengthy " enough to enable the license-hold- er to get back his initial invest- . ment; that such private license- holders: be free from having to compete with federal-subsidized ' of the schedule will be a duplicatc 0^' Cincinnati's. ABC Contracts For Flock of Pix . Hollywood, April CpF Productions has inked a first option contract with: ABC for three tele-pix series. Three pilot pix have been completed and aired to N.Y. for network approval. Films are slated to be made 1ft series of 26. Three groups include a series of fairy tales; with music, a musical melodrama package and dramatic section. Initialer in dramatic pack- age stars Roddy McDowall, Jean Ward, Mary Bradley, Steve Brant- be made in the present $2.50 an- nual fee tor listening sets. (Gon-. eral opinion in the TV trade is that' .set-owners will be levied anywhere I from $10 to $25 annually _\vheti ' the CBC's expensive television sel- ! up gets underway.) I Dunton Kebuts Charges I In swift rebuttal of charges by ; applicants for. private TV licenses \ in Canada, Davidson Dunton, CBG i chairman, submitted a lengthy statement to Variety. This pointed (Continued on page 3d) Home-Made TV Pix Backlog Readied For Canada's TV Entry Toronto, April 5. Beating the pistol on TV in Caur ada, where outlets under the Fed- eral-sponsored Canadian Broad- though taking exception to certain Programwise, Norton feels that if^ ^",1,1';'"'^^ t, d ^ featured „ points. The one holdout is ±he Chicago has every opportunity of > ,i„ Parsons han-, castmg Corp.'s policy will not get American Guild of Variety Artists, climbing into a dominant position ?comedy-relief. Gordon Jenkins I under way for a year or 18 months, whose leaders have said they en- in network originatiah. Currently, I • Aciair cienea original | William Brown-Forbes, president dorse the TVA, but so far have not i WENR-TV feeds 11 hours weekly to I p.^^if f"" ^^P^f for two musicals, of Cinevision of Canada Ud., here, committed them.selves and haven't the \veb, and a heavier schedule is I f^. "^^''^'?*ir^^"'^^ iarnbo-,is first in this country to start listed tlieir objections. anticipated when new eastbound i "^lanK Kicnarcis, Uanny il^aclt-■ rolling up an extensive b;icklofi of The proposed plan calls for the , cable allocations are made. Nor-1 t"" • i i TV film's. These are in continuous musical shorts, were set this week I'l^^u.^^T i ^^O.OOO packages because the by United Artists tele chief John Mitchell as- the . first schedule of 'the: company's TV film releases. Complete roster lis up for rental to ad agencies and broadcasters at prices commensuvate with the. size of the market, scaled down from a. Y. as the starting point. List, available on either 16m or 35m prints, includes a series of 13 shorts featuring the Striders, Negro I ^eTves'Take over the reins after a Z^'Tv'ht"v-f' v"-''f-'''''^"!i'^^ P^'^o'l of one year or longer, for TV by Video Varieties and a AFRA favors the second course as series of eight produced by the more democratic, but is meeting same outfit titled ''Shorty Warren I opposition from Equity, AGVA and His Western Rangers." Two , and AGMA, who feel that even- leatures, both released originally I tunlly the TVA members miglit knotty problem of tele jurisdiction (big names aren't in the midwest, jointly with the Screen Actors I but he points out that Chi is able Jeannie Taylor, 'Tony Barr, Bade \ production at the Toronto studios Thomas and Ben Cameron are top of J. Arthur Rank, with product liners in melodrama series. CSF is headed by Frank Cald Guild': Control of TVA would be ! to produce low budget programs al \ S'f"'. S'^^^'^'^ 1-awrence "far below" those of New vested in representatives of the I a cost member unions, on a proportional i York. basis according to numerical I Rehearsal time in Chi, tor in- strength. [ stance, i.sn't billed even close to Chief point at is.sue is whether I the high New York figures. Slides, control should.remain permanently I in New York, another example with the five 4A unions, tfi- whether i cited, cost $100, while in Chi the the video performers should them-1 cost is never over $5. Secret of these savings, of course,' is radio personnel doubling in brass in video operation. by UA, are "Scandal in Paris," pro- duced by Arnold Pressburger, and "Dark Sands,'! produced by Walter Futter. Also available are sports subjects, travelogs and a group Of documentaries. vote to merge with APHA. One objection raised to giving the video performers policy con^ Atlanta Gets Its 1st Stearns. Stearns is also mu.sical director for the film. All pix are tailored for 30-minute video slot. They were filmed in: color and on 16m. Thesps were paid SAG scale. being distributed in the U. S. by i Film Eqiiities Corp., New York. ^, : i?rown-Forbes'' selling poiiit ' is- that general production costs on these films are at least 25% lower ; than in the U. S.; that his use of a ' terrific amount of unknown Ca- i nadiah talent, chiefly in the radio I and nit cry field, is more than coi- ; respondingly lower; As televised : from WBEN-TV, Buffalo, the/ Ca^ j nadian-made product has had'an' I okay Toronto reception. Jack Sterling, who took over Ar-1 . ^^P^''* open-end comincr- thur Godfrey's early morning ra-1 three-five minute come- dio Show la.st year on CBS starts ' "'^ use Mildred Morey, Mo»ity a new half-hour cross-the-board ' ^^^'"^^ Ms.ta\ of the Wrifi- STERLING SET FOR NEW COLUMN-TYPE PROGRAM Baseball Telecast television series April 18 on CBS-l4'^y, 'Canada) radio show; Atlanta, April 5. Sports- minded television set trol is that it would be setting up owners Monday (5) evening viewed a new union, to which dues would have to be paid. Proponents of the In announcing availability of the ' AFRA approach, however say that pix, Mitchell noted that UA hopes j whether or not TV actors are given eventually to concentrate solely on , control, administration of the set- 'rv. It's to be a column-type pro gram, on which he'll interview in- teresting people in the news. Sterling's ^show is to be slotted I in the 1 to 1:30 p. m. segment Seyler, dancer; Billy O'Connor Trio; Charlie the Cheerful Chef scries, Current schedule includes 41 sev- en-and-a-half minute dramas; a se- ries of 12''2-minute Shakespearian films produced especially for TV. But, he said, the industry's "pres;- ent transitional status" necessitates a compromise by including the sub- Wets turned out originally for theatrical release. which will necessitate a switch in ^F^^^ "'''"S puppets. Now id cut- up will require, additional dues. 'KukIa' Moves to WNBQ Chicago, April 5. ' Kukla, Fran and OUie" will Cason, shift.to WNBQ in Augu.st after a .summer, hiatus. Chi program will wind up at WBKB June 10, despite a 'handsome" last minute offer from John Balaban to retain the top-rated show. Rea.son for change is that RCA, "'"''■ sponsor, owns NBC net- their first baseball' telecast over WSB-TV, Atlanta Journal station. Game was between Atlanta ■ tlme'W^'Vwo'olherstrlD nroamms 1 ^5"^ Pi-ocess 'isT"'sporiV"series in- Crackers, of Southern BB Assn, j «„ the web. dTo by Doan'^^^^^^^^ skiing, hockey, three on T7ir«^T"H*!! ^^"^^"'' ^ i'air" is to L nove^^^^^ fi.'hing; a travel series L'r''' T d' H„Hr '^^Si'V^". 12:30 to 1 Hme'lT^ ?he Wa^ ' dealing with straight, scenics or tour. Thad Horlon, WSB-TV sports director, did the spieling in this initial telecast and production details were in the hands of Frank show's 'Timid SouF Package For Ernst Truex, Sylvia Field Ernest Truex and his wife, Sylvia Field, have been signed by the Wilbur Stark-Jerry Lavton wnrt -^"^^ package agency for the-leads in a ; ^„"tlet Bn^^'TiES new weekly-half^ur television the !;,.nnM I„ i,^" series based on cartoonist H. T.! wo,,irtX » ^' '"i^ that he Webster's "Timid Soul" character. ' and re-^.^mp lil wSl?"'*" .''?5=''""."' Jerry Holland, original writer on , August sometime in t^^■S£;gnV\^K•n 'w'^XV TV Cocktailery What is believed to be the first cocktail lounge exclusively devoted to television. With spe- cial chairs equipped to hold drinks and sandwiches, will be launched soon at the Hotel Beverly, N. Y. Lounge was de.signed, built and, furnished especially for video viewing, with RCA and the hotel tied in on it. Spe- cial RCA projection set, fur- nishing a 6x4' foot picture, is to be used. Up Tab on 'Studio One ren Hull show is to go from 12 to fieographical oddities filmed in On- 12:30. Addition of the Sterling si-- ^"^^ Scotia, Alberta and ries is part of CBS-TV's gradual I "'''tish Columbia. expansion into a projected full day- 1 „, — time p rogramming setup. WeStlHgllOUSe tO Picfc Penn. Solons Would Drop TV AmUS. Tax j Deal was near the inking stage . Philadelphia, April ,5. I this week for Westinghouse l^lec- Ihe Pennsylvania House of Rep- trie to pick up the tab on CBS- resentatiyes unanimously passed a TV's "Studio One" series of hour- long legiters produced by Worlh- ington Miner. ■ McCJarin-Eticksbn; ad agency fflF Westinghouse, pitched the shpvi' tb four of its cHentisi, with th^ electWc bill designed to relieve liquor licensees in the State from paying an amusement tax for the use of television sets. The measure was sent to the Senate for concurrence. Under a ' firm looming as the hottest pros- regulation of the Liquor Control I pect. Program, now aired twice Hoard, licensees with video sets 1 monthly in the Sunday night 7 to are now iorced to pay a tax 8 slot, may go once a week as soon amounting to one-fifth the annual license fce« as the bankrolling deal is wrapped up.