Broadcasting (Jan - Mar 1950)

Telefile (Conti7iued from Telecasting 5) an SRO throng. Entries totaled 6,944. Another one-time offer brought 8,447 requests for a trio of pamphlets given by the National Livestock and Meat Board in a 15minute meat cooking and cutting demonstration in a 90-minute telecast of t""se International Livestock Show Nov. 29. Booklets on meat carving, pork and meat recipes w^ere given free to anyone writing in. The demonstration, which had no advance promotion, was planned by Paul Visser of NBC Chicago's agricultural staff. Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. was the sponsor. Clinton You^.e, The Weatherman, gives daily repoits on current and projected weather condit'ons in an informal manner. Although he'd had no previous air work, he was drafted from Bill Ray's news staff when it was found he had meteorology training in service. His wife, Jeanne, a non-professional, gives down-to-kitchen commercials for Ceresota Flour. The sponsor, Standard Milling, from Oct. 17 through 31 (11 shows) offered a starfish scatter pin to viewers sending in 50 cents and a proof-ofpurchase label. Twelve days after the offer, 2,181 persons had mailed their money to a specific post office box number. * * * SIMILAR response was recorded after another one-timer on the first sponsored telecast of Walt's Workshop. Walt Durbahn, a high school vocational instructor, demonstrates how to make simple household gadgets from wood. Edward Hines Lumber Co. offered free to anyone writing in a set of simple plans on a bird feeder, an item with a very limited appeal. In five days the station received 651 requests. Client's cost per inquiry was 84 cents. Promotion Director Smith said. Because of advance planning and teamwork, WNBQ shows are put on the air more effortlessly than would normally be expected. The Garroway show, for example, considered by the trade a complicated production, is the result of one three-hour story conference. Produced by Mr. Mills and written by Charles Andrews of Needham, Louis & Brorby, Chicago, the show was custom-made for Dave Garroway. An AM and TV local and network star now, he returned to his staff announcing job at the division after the war and couldn't get a sponsor. "He couldn't be sold because he doesn't have a phony sell. It's as simple as that," says Mr. Mills. A batch of new video stars have come into their own as a result of appearances on the Garroway show. Among them are Singers Jack Haskell, Connie Russell and Bette Chapel, Comedian Cliff Norton and Dancers Margaret Gibson and Charles Tate. Meticulous production plans re quire that everyone be a quarterback— from producers to cameramen and electricians. With this stress on behind-the-camera techniques and peisonnel, camera operators are called in on conferences with set designers, choreographers and directors. Each director is hired specifically for the category in which he has had the most experience — music, drama, special events, variety. A specialist director can therefore cue dancers from a ballet score. Ted Mills, working directly under Jules Herbuveaux and yet on his own, coordinates operations, production and facilities. George Heinemann, operations manager, is responsible for films, spots, station breaks and everything that gets a show on or off the air. Norman Felton heads production, handling all shows. He works with Producers Don Meier, Bill Hobin and Reinald Werrenrath Jr., who also heads the field crew. Tom Horan, facilities manager, is in charge of art, design, construction, stage hands, props and studios. Complete authority for hiring rests on the program manager. Of about 100 applicants per week, 20 are selected to come in for personal interviews. No final hiring takes place until Mr. Mills and his five-man production panel screen each interviewee. Ninety-two persons are employed by WNBQ, and 166 others at the division work jointly on AM and TV. In television, there are 34 in engineering; 10, transmitter; 5, executive and business offices; 2, program administration; 13, program production and direction; 5, program preparation (operations) ; 18, production facilities; 3, network sales, and 1, local sales. AM and TV staff members include 14 in general offices; 3, executive; 4, continuity acceptance; 5, local sales; 10, national spot sales; 9, promotion and advertising; 7, mail room; 18, night manager and guest i-elations office; 2, station relations; 4, press; 5, public service; 4, telephone; 6, traffic; 15, announcers; 7, sound effects; 7, communications; 7, music library; 3, program; 15, service; 5, studio setup; 8, news and special events, and, 8, central steno. STUDIO facilities, which the division is quickly outgrowing, are elaborate yet compact. The most complete unit probably is that used by Burr Tillstrom and his Kukla, Fran & OlUe gang. Built at an estimated cost of $100,000, the section includes a 38-by-14-f oot studio designed especially for the puppet show. Equipped with ultramodern lighting and production facilities, it has shelves for props and wardrobe files for puppets' costumes. The Kuklapolitan Players also have a suite of three offices, a kitchen, reception room and dressing rooms for Mr. Tillstrom and Fran Allison. The Mart TV plant consists of five studio systems in all — three for live shows, a film studio and a Te-Ve Drawn tor TELECASTING by John Zeigler "You realize, of course, your television career is finished!" sync studio, used to feed synchronizing signals when no picture is being transmitted during station break time. Howard Luttgens, Central Division chief engineer, is a 30-year-old radio veteran. Working with him is Paul J. Moore, TV operation supervisor, who has been at the division since 1930. Studio AA has three RCA studio cameras; facilities for lap dissolves, superimpositions and other special effects; preview and on-air monitors; mike booms and other audio equipment, including transcription turntables and echo chambers, and a full complement of lighting fixtures and accessories. It is 70 feet long, 46 feet wide and 25 feet high, and is used for largeset shows. Studio BB is for film and slides. Its facilities are two RCA field cameras, two RCA 35mm and two 16mm film projectors, two 35mm slide projectors, a Projectall projector, 16 and 35mm viewing projectors, a preview room, film splicing and editing equipment, and a film storage vault with a capacity of 500,000 feet. Incoming programs are routed for lelay to the network or transmitter through studio CC, where Kukla, Fran & Ollie originates. Facilities of DD are identical to AA, except RCA field camera chains are used. Studio DD is 15by-30 feet wide. Master control, where all studio operations are supervised, is responsible for monitoring, with adjustment and distribution of incoming shows; distribution or routing of shows from one studio to another; monitoring and distribution of all outgoing programs, and location and replacement of equipment which fails in service. As many as five shows may be monitored and adjusted simultaneously. Six outgoing channels, each with a regular and emergency feed, can pipe shows to local transmitters and network legs. The heart of field operations is in the Linn mobile van, a portable control room which transports three RCA field camera chains, lighting equipment and microwave relay gear. Field crew includes seven engineers in addition to the supervisor. The picture from Mart studios is transmitted over wideband 7 mg coax circuits to the 42d floor of the Civic Opera Bldg. and sent out with a radiated power of 22.8 kw on Channel 5. All sound and TV broadcasting studios and offices are air conditioned, and 425 tons of air conditioning machinery are needed because of the high heat load of TV lights and equipment. Although no official figures on plant and equipment investment are available, it is understood the total is well in excess of $1 million. Despite the fact that the investment is admittedly heavy, "We are very optimistic, and the station is really rolling," reports Mr. Showerman. "Present operations and business indicate a profit operation in the not distant future." Discussing how a TV station can make money, Mr. Showerman said the "quickest and easiest way" is to build up a volume in chainbreaks and spots. "It's harder to sell live and film shows. We are doing very well with the former, and have also sold several local originations." He cited Herbie Mintz's But Not Forgotten and Cactus Jim, a western film, as successful participation periods. He also termed sale of the Projectall "profitable." It is usually sponsored for about five hours weekly. WNBQ expects to build additional network originations, he said, but will also concentrate heavily on local programs. "We have many plans for daytime television, none of which has been set definitely. We do feel, though, that daytime TV must be just as interesting and absorbing as radio's daytime serials. Any new programming we begin will start before 6 p.m. rather than late at night. Some of this will be along the public service line, in which we plan to remain strong." One idea for the daytime hours is origination of a shopping show for women which would emanate from a Loop department store. "Programming, as always, is the thing in television," Mr. Showerman asserts. For this reason, "Our main rule is simple: Give TV program men their heads and let them know their budget limitations." MR. SHOWERMAN looks for a rate increase soon, because Chicago-area coverage has grown from 52,000 sets a year ago to an estimated 325,000 sets as of Jan. 1. An NBC study shows this to be the greatest increase — 525% — in any city where the network operates an O & 0 station. New York coverage went up 190% in a year, Hollywood, 2367c. Rates will not be increased proportionately, but a fair increase from the station viewpoint would be about 50%. The Jan. 8, 1949, Rate Card No. 1 calls for $500 per hour for Class , F a 15 Si IS E! it ^ fill Page 14 • TELECASTING January 9, 1950 BROADCASTING • Page 60