Broadcasting (Apr - Jun 1949)

WNHC-TV ADDS ADC Affiliations Total 34 WNHC-TV New Haven has signed an affiliation agreement with ABCTV, bringing to 34 stations, 24 of which are on the air, the network's current total of affiliates, including owned and operated stations. Station, owned by the Elm City Broadcasting Corp., is managed by James T. Milne and operates on Channel 6. WNHC-TV is also affiliated with DuMont, CBS and NBC. Navy Games on TV THE Baltimore Sunpapers (WMAR-TV) have acquired local and network television rights to three U. S. Naval Academy 1949 football games. Games the Sunpapers' station will telecast include : Princeton, at Baltimore Stadium Oct. 1 ; Duke, at Annapolis Oct. 8, and Columbia, at Annapolis Nov. 12. Plan TV Forum EDWIN S. SEVERSON, chairman of the public relations and sales promotion committee of the retail council of Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, has announced a television forum will be held at the Bellevue-Stratf ord during the week of Oct. 10. Purpose of the forum is to discuss the effects of the rapidly growing industry on the country's economy. NO GUSH, NO MUSH, NO BLOOT&, NO THUNDER, NO COMMENTATORS, NO ANALYSTS BUT LOTS OF GOOD MUSIC! and lots of GOOD HOOPERS • Ask Jack Koste in New York, or Jack Mulholland in Chicago KITE SAN ANTONIO 1000 Watts at 930 on Any Dial represenfed nationally by INDEPENDENT METROPOLITAN SALES DAVID SUTTON (I), CBS-TV sales manager, congratulates two CBS-TV account executives on their recent promotions. George Arkedis (r) becomes western sales manager and Kingsley Horton (center) assistant general sales manager for the television network. [Broadcasting, May 16]. HOW AGENCY BUILDS A TV SHOW Should Be Right From the Start — Nelson TELEVISION shows ought to be right from the start. Mistakes should not be corrected "on the fifth or ten performance." That is the view of George R. Nelson, head of George R. Nelson Inc., Schenectady, N. Y. The agency's approach to the problem of producing TV programs has attracted the attention of industry leaders. "Simple little shows of the type we're using could admittedly be done without a tremendous amount of rehearsal," said Mr. Nelson. "We have chosen to do it the hard way. We want every camera shot, every light trick, every bit of audio pickup to be as nearly perfect as possible." Mr. Nelson was referring specifically to a program his agency developed for one of its clients, the Mohawk Carpet Mills, Amsterdam, N. Y., on a 52-week basis. The Monday through Friday series (7:30-7:45 p.m., EDT), launched May 2, is telecast on the NBC eastern TV network. Coaxial cable to the Middle West was not available at 7:30 p.m., but Mr. Nelson said his agency plans to kinescope for "many additional stations" until the cable does become available in the fall. "Effective Sept. 12," Mr. Nelson added, "we pick up the entire inter-connected network, plus several additions, both by cable and kinescope." Program features Morton Downey, in his first regular TV series, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Roberta Quinlan and guest stars on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Commercial treatment on the show is somewhat unusual, according to Mr. Nelson. An attempt is made to "actually demonstrate and sell the product — carpets and rugs." And Mr. Nelson said his agency, after considerable experimentation, succeeded in "showing carpets and rugs pretty clearly." The carpets and rugs are shown "live," because the Nelson agency believes that jumping from live to film to live is not good television "if it can be avoided." Explains Preparation Elaborating on how meticulously his agency goes about the preparation of even the "simple little shows," Mr. Nelson said: ". . . we have gathered a number of television 'pioneers' who actually have spent weeks putting the shows together and cleaning them up. Among these folks are Ed Flynn and myself of this agency [George R. We've been working on an almost daily basis since 1937. Ditto [for] Bob Cragin who is our chief writer. "From Syracuse we brought in Paul Adanti in an advisory capacity. . . . He grew up with the old WRGB outfit in Schenectady, has handled every phase of television work — cameras, lights, direction, sound, complete engineering and production gamut. He built and manages WHEN-TV in Syracuse. "In an advisory capacity, too, we use Douglas McMullen [formerly employed by Mr. Nelson, now with the Army Film Section, New York, and winner of an 'Oscar' award for his Army documentary]. . . . "Directing the shows for NBC is the man of our choice, Clark JoneSj who grew up at WRGB . . . then went to WPIX (TV) in New York and was recently taken over by NBC. "Advising us on camera work, too, is our associate, George Burns, . . . official photographer for the Saturday Evening Post, Holiday, Cosmopolitan and a string of other magazines . . . top photographer for General Electric, American Locomotive Co., and . . . others." And, finally, said Mr. Nelson, "many others have been recruited to aid in this television series. After putting the shows together we gave them the usual dry runs, camera rehearsals, dresses, and then kinescoped both the Downey and Quinlan shows. We used the original kinescopes for critical review purposes, ripped them apart and started all over again." Derby Telecast WAVE-TV Louisville estimates that approximately 140,000 persons viewed its telecast of the Kentucky Derby May 7. The Louisville Sears, Roebuck store had a crowd of 3,000 viewers, "many of whom waited in the store four and a half hours before post time to get a good seat at a TV set," WAVE-TV reported. Telecast was sponsored by Gillette Safety Razor Co. WAVE-TV used two cameras and a Zoomar lens. The race was called by Joe Palmer, with local color and commentary by Bernie Bracher, WAVE-TV sports director. A CHICKEN IN EVERY POT! WHAT STATION CAN DO IT? • See Centerspread This Issue ON THE AIR EVERYWHERE 24 HOURS A DAY WCKY CINCINNATI 50,000 WATTS OF SELLING POWER Page 46 • May 23, 1949 BROADCASTING • Telecasting