Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

4— TELEVISION DIGEST MABCH 4. 1963 an industry man was dubious, stating that GE hasn't yet made commercial model, that there's been no fieldtesting, etc. (GE promises demonstration to press in 90-120 days.) Swiss-made Eidophor projector, of which Talar ia is a relative, is distributed exclusively in U.S. by Theatre Network TV Inc. (known as TNT, presumably not to be confused with NTN), which has developed color versions primarily for military uses. Like GE's projector, NGC's ambitious theater network plans aroused mixed reactions from people close to field. Said one: "If anyone has the guts to try it on this large a scale, it almost has to work." Another commented that previous tests of entertainment productions on theater TV had not been resounding successes — "so I'll believe this one when I see it." NGC's Klein summed up his theater-TV plan this way: "What it is, in effect, is the long-awaited coming of pay TV — here to stay and where it belongs, in the superior exhibiting facilities of the nation's motion picture theaters." Home pay-TV interests eyed development cautiously, imofficiolly expressing welcome to any potential new source of programming which they might top. And fact that NGC owns 5 CATV systems caused some speculation that homes eventually may be tied into any nationwide theater-TV network on pay-TV basis. If project gets off the groimd, its significance could transcend theater TV. It could mark start of first real network of programming available to all kinds of pay-TV projects — wired, CATV-linked and off-cdr, in addition to theater. On basis of sketchy information presented to date, however, there are still a lot of Missourians in the industry. NETWORK BILLINGS GREW IN *62: Gross network time billings for 12 months of 1962 were finally issued by TvB last week. Figures showed time-sales gross of 3 networks rose 12.2% last year over 1961 level. Total billing was $798.8 million vs. $712.1 million for '61. Sharpest rise was at CBS, confirming sales & rating success that network is having currently. Jump at CBS was 16% over previous year, reaching new 12-month figure of $311.7 million. NBC moved up 11.5% to new level of $281.8 million. ABC increase was 7.7% during 1962 to reach year-end total of $190.6 million. Figures were echo of gains made by TV networks in early 1950's, when billing figures grew by giant strides. In fact, 1961-62 growth was "largest percentage increase since 1956," according to TvB. During that year, network billings jumped 20% over previous year. ABC TO DROP'IN RESCUE: Vhf drop-ins for 8 markets, due for FCC consideration this week, were defended by ABC against attacks by AMST, ACT, et al. ABC asserted, in pleadings filed with Commission, that there’s a “misconception” that ABC-TV would move its programs from vhfs to new uhfs in those markets. “It would be unfair,” ABC said, “to expect ABC and its advertisers to . . . suffer the losses of switching their programs to uhf stations in these markets.” If vhfs are dropped in, ABC argued, advertisers would be able to achieve greater sales and could thus afford to buy time on smaller uhf stations. ABC also suggested it may be good idea to require operators of vhf drop-ins to simulcast on uhf. N.Y. Board of Regents, meanwhile, came to FCC with extensive ETV plan calling for reservation of following channels: Amsterdam-Gloversville 52, Batavia 79, Boonville-Lowville 56, Dunkirk 46, Glens Falls 39, Hempstead 53, Homell 50, Jamestown 58, Massena 14, Ogdensburg 24, Glean 54, Oneonta 42, Patchogue-Riverhead 75, Plattsburg 28, Poughkeepsie 21, Saranac Lake-Lake Placid 18, Watertown 20. Regents once had uhf CPs for Binghamton, Buffalo, Ithaca, Rochester, Syracuse — but couldn’t get appropriation to put them on air. Midwest airborne educators came through with specific request for 6 permanent uhf channels: Ch. 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82. Engineer Thomas Wright stated: “My Jan. 11, 1963 statement in this proceeding showed that 114 ground based facilities would be needed to ser\'e the area ser\-ed by one airborne 6-channel facility. The present study shows that this improvement in service would be available in exchange for 9 single-channel ground facilities. The increase in service is over 1100 percent.” KTVU San Francisco received one-year license from FCC last week — on promise-vs.-performance grounds. Commission said station carried less local-live, discussion, etc., than promised. WQAD-TV (Ch. 8) Moline, 111. joins ABC-TV as primary affiliate when it begins telecasting Aug. 1.