Broadcasting (Jan - Mar 1950)

COLOR TESTS Fourth System Seeks Hearing SPONSORS of the three principal systems competing in FCC's color television hearings accelerated their test operations last week, while the proponent of a fourth system sought admittance to the proceedings. RCA, developer of one of the rival systems, disclosed simultaneously that its work on singletube color has reached a point where it may be demonstrated to FCC within 90 days. "We are encouraged by our prog Telestatus (Continued frovi Telecasting 8) prior to that date will be protected for six months from the effective date of the rate changes, provided there is no lapse in schedule. New Rafe Protccfrion Policy for WICU (TV) A NEW policy of rate protection for advertisers has been announced by WICU (TV) Erie, Pa. Effective Jan. 1, the station now is giving six months' protection from the date an increase goes into effect. According to Roger S. Underbill, station manager, the station formerly gave protection for six months from the date of the first telecast. Top Pulse Programs In Six Cities Announced FIRST PLACE honors for December in each of the six cities in which The Pulse Inc., New York, conducts TV audience research, went to the following shows: Program Average Rating Nov. New York — Texaco Star Theatre Chicago — Godfrey & Friends Philadelphia — Texaco Star Theatre Washington — Texaco Star Theatre Cincinnati — Texaco Star Theatre los Angeles — Texaco Star Theatre Dec. 76.3 46.2 58.3 50.9 44.3 31.0 72.4 44.3 59.7 47.8 51.0 32.4 Nielsen Reports For New York TOP program in the Nielsen TV rating for the New York area was Texaco Star Theatre, according to the cross-section survey conducted by the firm in the four-week period ending Dec. 10. Follow-up was Toast of the Tovm, A. -C. Nielsen Co. reported. Complete box score: ress and we believe that the demonstration will provide helpful information to the Commission," E. W. Engstrom, vice president in charge of research, RCA Labs Division, said in a progress report to the FCC. He said the demonstration "will indicate the status of the advances we have made on the single-tube work" since RCA's color system, employing three tubes, was demonstrated last October [TELECASTING, Oct. 17, 1949]. In the meantime, CBS commenced "public" demonstrations of its own color system, which are slated to extend throughout this month in Washington and New York and subsequently in Philadelphia. RCA began transmissions in Washington last Tuesday for observations on automatic color phasing; established a receiver laboratory for test and development work in Silver Spring, Md., just outside of Washington, and planned regular color transmissions for a month starting Jan. 16. Color Television Inc., sponsor of the third color system, said it was starting regular transmissions last week in San Francisco, its "home." Bid for recognition of a fourth color method came from Theodore A. Wetzel, of Milwaukee, who said his system was completely compatible with existing black-andwhite standards and that existing sets and camera equipment could be converted at "very low cost." Mr. Wetzel said that, in his color system, "standard tubes used for black-and-white television systems are employed"; "use of mirrors or reflecting surfaces need not be employed"; "no motion of the color filters is required, yet complete color coverage is achieved"; "only slight modification of existing camera equipment is required, and that at very low cost"; "no change whatsoever is required of the television transmitter station equipment." System Possibilities He told FCC that "the invention may be applied to effect a field color sequence color television, line color sequence television, or dot color sequence television, depending on initial choice." Further, he said, "receivers may be constructed to selectively receive from any one of different transmitters, each employing different styles of color sequence television transmission." CBS, opening a month of intensive testing in Washington and AIR CREDIT Hagedorn Claims Agency Right in Xmas Show SCREEN credit on television shows should be given to the agency when it deserves it, Horace Hagedorn, vice president of Kieswetter, Wetterau & Baker Inc., New York, told Broadcasting last week. He revealed that the agency at the suggestion of its client, Abraham & Straus, Brooklyn department * — ■ store, asked for credit on its twohour long Christmas show but was tuine d down by Vv^ N B T (TV) New York, carrying the program. However, Mr. Hagedorn stated that the agency plans to ask for screen credit next year on the same program and on any other TV show for other clients during the year, "whenever it deserves it." A WNBT spokesman told Broadcasting that one of the reasons for rejecting the idea of a screen credit for the agency was that the show was produced by WNBT. Mr. Hagedorn emphasized that Mr. Hagedorn Nielsen-TV Rating % of TV Homes Usii Rank Program (Number (At Telecast Time) of Homes Homes TV Radio Telecasts) % (000) % % 1. Texaco Star Theatre (4) 80.0 712 85.1 5.0 2. Talent Scouts (4) 59.1 526 78.1 8.7 3. Toast of Town (4) 56.5 503 79.0 8.9 4. Lights Out (4) 49.7 442 82.7 5.7 5. The Goldbergs (4) 48.5 432 81.1 5.4 6. Studio One (4) 45.0 401 69 0 5.5 7. Suspense (4) 44.3 394 78.3 3.3 8. Phiico TV Playhouse (4) 43.9 391 75.9 6.2 9. Godfrey & Friends (4) 41.7 371 69.2 5.3 10. Ford Theatre (2) 38.3 341 70.7 6.8 the agency or any other agency for that matter deserves a credit when it has taken an active hand in production and overall activity on the show. Cites Christmas Show As for the recent Christmas show for Abraham & Straus, he said that the agency conceived the show for the department store at a cost of $20,000. He explained that the agency's recommended policy for the department store was to use television for holiday shows instead of parades. For example, he pointed out that the annual Macy parade on Thanksgiving Day cost approximately $150,000 with a potential audience of two and a half million "while a two-hour long television show done with real warmth costing one tenth of that amount within a two or three year period would also attract a potential audience of two and a half million." "We plan to produce the twohour long television show for Abraham & Straus as a traditional event every year," Mr. Hagedorn said. "We also plan to ask for agency credit," he concluded. New York, planned to demonstrate "every phase of television programming." In Washington, CBS color sets were installed in the homes of six of the seven FCC Commissioners, Comr. Frieda B. Hennock declining the offer. By this week the network hoped to have color receivers set up in one or more public places in Washington, to get public reaction. In all, CBS told the Commission, the network would have some 39 receivers available at the outset. -Among last week's CBS color shows was a pickup of Golden Gloves Boxing matches at Turner's Arena in Washington last Thursday night. In Washington, CBS is using the WOIC(TV) transmitter and the studio facilities of WTOP. In New York, the colorcasts are on WCBS-TV and WOR-TV, while in Philadelphia the facilities of WCAU-TV will be used. RCA's test plans were outlined in a voluminous report which included a series of technical studies and papers and co and adjacentchannel interference of monochrome and color signals; UHF television, and color operations. Dr. Engstrom reported on work at RCA's experimental UHF television station at Bridgeport, Conn, (see story Telecasting 12). From Sept. 18 until Dec. 30, 1949, Dr. Engstrom reported, the RCA color system had a total of 409 hours of test operation on the air in Washington — 305 hours on RCA-NBC's WNBW (TV), and 104 hours on the experimental KG2XCL, operating on 523-529 mc. RCA is constructing a group of 20 direct-view 10-inch color receivers, the first to be ready during the week of Jan. 16 for delivery to FCC's Laurel laboratories. A second is to be available the following week for delivery to the Condon Committee, which is investigating color prospects for the Senate Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee. Beginning the week of Jan. 30, Dr. Engstrom said additional sets should become available at the rate of two a week. Others will be built later. Color Television Inc.'s report, submitted by President Arthur S. Matthews, said regular transmissions employing its color technique would be started during last week and continue until "such time as it becomes necessary" to move the equipment to Washington, where an official demonstration is slated Feb. 20. He said CTI now has a 20-man staff, in addition to consultants, and that its transmitter equipment was "substantially complete" and seven color receivers were "in the process of completion." He pointed out that CTI is experiencing difficulty in getting sufficient tri-color tubes. DuMont Labs, he said, has furnished a few; their workmanship is good, he reported, but diflSculties are encountered due to large spot size, which affects definition and resolution. Page 10 • TELECASTING January 9, 1950 BROADCASTING • Page 56