Broadcasting (Jan - Mar 1950)

ork time is anything but ual, however. Nearly seveneighths of the sponsored time on WCBS-TV is used by network programs (859f ) and network shows account for almost as much 34.2<"f ) of the station's sustaining ours. Only in participating shows do local programs get more time hours (59.2'~() than network shows. The emphasis on network programming is no accident. J. L. Van Volkenburg, newly appointed CBS vice president in charge of network sales (AM and TV alike) and formerly head of all CBS-TV operations, told Broadcasting : "For the past few years, as TV stations were first appearing in many cities and as facilities for connecting them into networks were being developed, we of CBS television have operated on the theory that our first responsibility was to direct our main efforts to programming of a type that not only was good local broadcasting but that would provide programming for our affiliates as well. "This phase is now coming to an end," Mr. Van Volkenburg stated. "We expect in the not too distant future to adopt for TV the pattern which has been so successful in AM and to set up a local operation for WCBS-TV distinct from that of the CBS-TV network, comparable to the autonomous operation of WCBS, New York key station of the Columbia radio network." CBS TV technical facilities in New York, without trying to separate what is network, j what station, comprise a transmit'i ting plant atop the Chrysler Bldg., i main studios (four) across the i street in the Grand Central Ter) minal Bldg., four more in Lieder'i krantz Hall and three theatres. With rehearsal halls, staff offices, carpenter, painting and maintei nance shops, storage space, etc., the facilities occupy some 200,000 square feet (4.6 a'cres) of floor space, roughly one-third of the enI tire CBS New York operation. 1 These TV technical facilities : include : 9 Live talent studios, f 2 Telecine studios. I 6 Announce studios (audio). ' 7 Rehearsal halls (in addition, AM ■ studios are sometimes used for this purpose) . 34 Camera chains (representing an investment of approximately $510,000). 7 Film camera chains (five at (Jrand Central, two at Liederkranz) . 12 Projectors (three 35mm, five j 16mm, and four Teloptican projecI tors). (Investment — S72,000). I 34 Type 5820 image orthicon tubes 1 in cameras, plus 34 spares. (Investment— S88,400). 7 Iconoscope tubes in cameras, plus seven spares. 1 6000 Electron tubes in the overall audio-video and radio system. 155 Video isolation amplifiers (sections of distribution amplifiers) over 1 100 of which are located in TV Mas\ ter Control at Grand Central. 125 Microphones, including unidirectional, bi-directional and nondirectional types. 170 Regulated video equipment Page 63 • BROADCASTING power supply units, 110 of which are located at Master Control. 80 Video monitors, 50 of which are located at the Grand Central Studios. 11 Video (camera) control consoles. 12 Audio control consoles. 12 Program and switching consoles. 700 Video selector relays at Master Control. 170 Camera lenses (Investment on this .item in excess of $50,000). 85 Racks of auxiliary and terminal audio/video equipment, 47 of which are located at Master Control. 11 Sync, generators. 3 Radio relay equipments. 205 Fluorescent light fixtures. 665 Incandescent light fixtures. 150,000 sq. ft. of scenery and backdrops plus 1,500 bulk pieces of scenery and props. At least $50,000 worth of test and measuring equipment. The CBS video operation in New York requires the services of some 580 employes, including 175 technicians, cameramen, etc.; 78 program personnel ; 128 engaged in executive, production, sales and general operations; 120 in building, theatre and shop operations. UNLIKE NBC, which has segregated its video operations into an autonomous division, CBS maintains a close integration of AM and TV at the top executive level. Frank Stanton, CBS president; Adrian Murphy, vice president and general executive; Hubbell Robinson Jr., vice president in charge of network programs; J. L. Van Volkenburg, vice president in charge of network sales; Frank Falknor, vice president in charge of program operations; William B. Lodge, vice president in charge of general engineering, are all responsible for TV as well as radio. Edmund Chester, director of news, and Red Barber, director of sports, also supervise video as well as audio coverage of those fields. CBS executives concerned with only TV include: David Sutton, TV sales manager ; Worthington Miner, manager of TV program development; Richard Redmond, director of general TV operations; Paul Wittlig, manager of TV technical operations; Arthur Duram, TV sales promotion manager; Robert Wood, TV traffic manager; John DeMott, TV production manager. Concentration on network programming has given CBS-TV and WCBS-TV a number of video's top shows, such as Arthur Godfrey's WITH the WCBS-TV operation so closely aligned with that of the network, the combined studio facilities of both are constantly kept busy. TOP PHOTO — Lilli Palmer and Frederic March rehearse a lively scene for Ford Theatre as Miss Palmer's husband. Rex Harrison, observes from the sidelines. MIDDLE PHOTO — Worthington Miner (left), manager of TV program development and producer of Studio One, intently watches the monitors during a program. BOTTOM PHOTO— This dramatic moment was caught during a scene from "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," presented on Suspense. FROM these antennae high atop Chrysler Tower, WCBS-TV's signal Is transmitted to New York and surrounding territory. Lipton and Chesterfield programs. Mama, The Goldbergs, Toast of the Toivn, Studio One, Ford Theatre, Inside USA and People's Platform. But it has also forced WCBS-TV to drop most of its sports coverage, in which it pioneered with great success from 1944 to 1948. This year even baseball is being discontinued. Despite the emphasis on programming for the network, WCBSTV has its share of local business, currently airing Winner Take All and Pantomime Quiz for New York's Chevrolet dealers, Faye Emerson Shotv for Arnold Bakers (Continued on Telecasting 11) k