Broadcasting (Apr - June 1950)

At Dea CBS TEST POSSIBLE ON RCA TRI-COLOR TUBE POSSIBILITY that RCA's new single tri-color kinescope may be tested soon in CBS' field sequential color TV system appeared Thursday during further cross-examination of Dr. Peter Goldmark by FCC Comr. Robert F. Jones in Commission's color TV hearing. (See early story page 69). The CBS system inventor told Comr. Jones it would take "about two weeks" to arrange for showing of RCA's tube with his system, if such tube were made available. Dr. Dean B. Judd, Bureau of Standards color expert, told FCC he had seen picture on an RCA color set, being tested for Senate Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee's Condon Committee on color TV, and that it was equal in color fidelity to any CBS pictures he had seen. He said he found CBS color rendition was "uniformly good" while RCA's and CTI's have been "occasionally good and occasionally bad." He said color fidelity of RCA and CBS systems are being compared by Condon Committee but he wasn't authorized to release data. He indicated results may be available about May 15. Dr. Judd said he found CBS' "crispening" circuit caused "slight to appreciable" improvement to appear optically in that system. Dr. Goldmark, in answer to further crossexamination by RCA Counsel John T. Cahill, asserted public would prefer color disc to no color TV at all. He indicated data on CBS crispening circuits had not been supplied to industry since technique was still being refined, but all necessary information would be given on record. Further hearing Tuesday is to be devoted to cross examination of Dr. Allen B. DuMont and Dr. Thomas T. Goldsmith, DuMont Labs, research director. CBS gave FCC data on patent elements of its system and total licensing fees which may be payable by manufacturer of combination standard monochrome and CBS color receiver, assuming licenses from RCA, Hazeltine and CBS. RCA fee was said to be about lVs% of retail set price, Hazeltine's 0.5%. CBS fee was quoted at 25tf on sets retailing less than $100; 50<s for $100-180; 75<f for $180-250 and $1 for $250 or more. Alternative option for CBS is 0.33% of retail price. SAG-TV A BATTLE LOOMS FOLLOWING 4 A BOARD MOVE JURISDICTIONAL dispute loomed Thursday after international board of Associated Actors and Artistes of America, parent body of all actors' unions, voted to vest control over video performers in Television Authority. Action expected to set off warfare with screen guilds. Following 4 A's green light to TVA, Screen Actors Guild issued statement, describing action as "authorizing jurisdictional war against SAG and Screen Extras Guild." SAG said it would ignore 4 A's directive. Both film guilds are members of 4 A's but are outnumbered on board. Officials believe issues may be resolved in court. SAG scheduled to consider such recourse at Hollywood board meeting today (April 24). ST. LOUIS TV BID PARK PLAZA HOTEL, St. Louis, has applied for new commercial TV station there, FCC reported Thursday. Facilities sought are Channel 7 (174-180 mc) with ERP of 48.6 kw visual, 24.3 kw aural, and antenna height 509 ft. above average terrain. Park Plaza is one of Koplar family group. Transmitter would be atop 35-story hotel with station proposing to draw upon extensive entertainment activities and talent featured at hotel. dline... FCC BEGINS HEARINGS ON 'UNIFORM POLICY' TODAY SIXTEEN licensees, applicants, and other radio groups to participate in FCC's "uniform policy" hearing scheduled today (Monday), corrected schedule showed Thursday. Question involves establishment of uniform FCC policy with respect to non-radio law violations by broadcast applicants, with participants expected to put most emphasis on question of anti-trust violations. Most feel case-to-case approach is better than any "uniform policy" [Broadcasting, April 17]. FCC said participants would be heard in following order, each attorney to have 20 minutes maximum (attorneys listed in parentheses): Allen B. DuMont Labs (Roberts & Mclnnis); CBS (James H. Neu); WMGM New York and KMGM Los Angeles; (Bingham. Porter & Booth); NAB (Petty, Wasilewski, and Farr); Paramount Pictures Corp. and Paramount Television Productions (Arnold, Fortas &r Porter); WPTR Albany (Leonard H. Marks); 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. (Welch. Mott & Morgan); United Paramount Theatres (Hogan & Hartson); KFWB Los Angeles (Fisher, Wayland, Duvall & Southmayd); Westinghouse Radio Stations (John W. Steen); Yankee Network. WKY Oklahoma City. KOB Albuquerque, KGLO Mason City, Iowa, and WTAD Quincy, 111. (Pierson & Ball). TV NEEDS EDUCATORS, HENNOCK TELLS SCHOOLMEN EDUCATORS "must get in television at the beginning and . . . stay in it," FCC Comr. Frieda Hennock asserted in special Meet the Press presentation Thursday at 37th annual Schoolmen's Week observance at U. of Pennsylvania, Philadephia. "Education once sold its broadcasting birthright for a mess of pottage," she said. "You can't let that happen again!" Warning that proposed UHF band may be television's last space in spectrum, she said "education must make itself heard now or risk forever having to hold its peace. . . . Education has the choice of now sitting down to the first course of a sumptuous repast, or later coming in as a beggar for its crumbs." GRANT FOR NEW STATION PROPOSED INITIAL DECISION recommending grant of new station on 1010 kc with 250 w daytime at Marlin, Tex., to Falls County Public Service, reported by FCC Thursday. Proposed grantee is partnership of Virgil H. Gage, radio information specialist, Veterans Adm. Hospital, Waco, and W. L. Pennington, Texas State Highway Dept. engineer. Hearing Examiner J. D. Bond ruled question of possible use of 1010 kc by KWBU Houston in effect moot since KWBU is now operating on 1030 kc under special service authorization and seeks permanent assignment on latter frequency. KWBU earlier had been granted permit for 1010 kc at Corpus Christi. Examiner said even if 1010 kc were used by KWBU, minor resulting mutual interference should not preclude grant of first local service to Marlin. FTC STRIKES STATEMENTS STATEMENT of Bristol-Myers Co. that Federal Trade Commission was "predisposed" to issue cease-and-desist order against anti-histamine products "because it feels that failure . . . to do so will result in severe criticism of it and possible adverse action against it by various persons, organizations and groups" was ordered stricken from record by commission last Thursday. Statement was contained in answer to FTC complaint against BristolMyers' Resistab (cold drug) [Broadcasting, March 27]. Closed Circuit (Continued from page U) rights, though officially "suspended" wheij baseball lifted some of its restrictions, ha been quietly resumed, on basis of recer complaints. One complaint deals with differ ential some major league clubs have establish^ in their charges. Example: Chicago Cubs reportedly asked $50-per-game for rights t broadcast their games on stations more tha> 50 miles from minor league club, but $750 pe game if station was within 50-mile radius. ANNUAL radio-television festival based oi all-network and all-station hookup to be pro i posed to NAB board by Bob Richards, publii affairs director. Extravaganza would include community-level observances as feature of Ra dio Week, and designed to show people benefit, of American radio system. TEXAS is buzzing with reports that forme ; Sen. W. Lee O'Daniel will run again this sum mer for governor following withdrawal o major candidate. "Pappy" O'Daniel's com ments had folks guessing. If he runs, he'; expected to revert to hillbilly musical cam paign which first carried him from radio int( politics. STANDARD OIL of New Jersey, New York through Marschalk & Pratt, sponsoring Voice, and Events, NBC sustaining network show ir Elmira, N. Y., only on 13 week test. FCC STAFF study of transit radio, once "com ; pleted" and submitted to top staff officials, re portedly is now back in FM law section foi further work, including incorporation of date requested from transit FM broadcasters or (1) contracts, and (2) program logs anc j pertinent brochures and press releases. A: originally submitted, report is understood t( have questioned whether transit-, store-, anc factory-casting, etc., are strictly "broadcast ing" and whether such specialized program ming is in public interest. INCREASED interest of Charles R. Denny \ NBC executive vice president, in supervisioi of radio program department suggests networl ; may not be in haste to fill chief program jol' vacant since transfer of Thomas McCray to West Coast. Mr. Denny has taken charge o: programming, in addition to acting as pro-ten chief of radio network. EXHAUSTIVE study of buying habits ii , some 1,700 homes, showing sales impact of tele vision advertising, will be unveiled in fev weeks by NBC-TV. Study will be basis of full dress sales presentation. AUTOGRAPH Souvenir Baseballs, New York i through Huber Hoge & Sons, New York, look ing for availabilities of five minutes before anc after baseball broadcasts and 15-minute spor shows in as many markets as obtainable. Cam paign will start April 24 in some markets. ANDERSON JOINS SSC&B G. WILLIAMS ANDERSON Jr., formerly ac count executive with Cecil & Presbrey, Nev, York, joins Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles in similar capacity. Mr. Anderson pre viously served with Foote, Cone & Belding oi Lucky Strike and Toni Home Permanent ac counts, and with CBS. FRITZ JOINS AGENCY EDWARD C. FRITZ Jr., former account ex eeutive-salesman at WBBM Chicago, join W. E. Long Co., Chicago agency and manage ment consulting firm, as radio-television di rector. He will develop radio-TV business fo agency's wholesale bakery clients, six of whicl currently use radio or television. Page 94 • April 24, 1950 BROADCASTING • Telecastin;