Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1950)

BROADCASTING TELECASTING q^;;Jq^ Business Briefly TALK OF revival of Cooperative Analysis of Broadcasting, or an enlarged version of it, was heard around convention of Assn. of National Advertisers last week in Chicago. Such an organization, supported by broadcasters, agencies and advertisers, it was argued, could result in important savings for all, since more than dozen different radio and TV research and measurement services now are in operation for which advertisers contend they pay in final analysis. WHETHER FCC will adopt CBS color standards forthwith (meaning this week) consistent with its Sept. 1 report, or postpone action on its own motion in light of general plaint that 30-day timetable for bracket standards is impossible of accomplishment, was big question at filing deadline Friday. FCC was represented as having "open mind" with meeting likely at midweek. General view was that RCA would litigate if final decision favors CBS. TAKE-IT-or-leave-it report: If FCC forthwith approves CBS color standards, there will follow order requiring TV stations to devote at least 20% of time on air to color transmissions, some of it in prime hours. Since FCC has no licensee control over manufacturers, presumably they would engage in color set production only if there's "public demand." Telecasters thereby would be faced with new economic problem of substantial proportions, say those despondent respondents. AT CLOSING of FCC color polls Friday, several Big Ten manufacturers still were among missing although it was anticipated responses were in mails. It's expected Motorola will not protest FCC tentative approval of CBS color but will insist it can't do better than 6% months on simple brackets, using CBS alone, or 10% months for overall bracket standards. It was presumed Zenith would be in similar vein, although timing might be different. Biggest question mark was Philco, which vehemently opposed FCC stance all down line. DON'T be surprised if CBS does not make bid for Thomas S. Lee (Don Lee) Enterprises stock. That does not mean, however, that CBS will not wind up with TV station of its own in Los Angeles market (it now owns 49% of KTTV, controlled by Los Angeles Times). Bids will be opened Oct. 6. PROGRESSIVE Broadcasting System, headed by Westcoaster Larry Finley, has set Nov. 12 target date for beginning of network operations [Broadcasting, Sept. 4]. Affiliates being contacted by train entourage which trekked through South last week winding up in Memphis. Former major network executive soon will join high command, it's reported. MEL DRAKE, former WDGY Minneapolis manager named NAB station relations director in mid-August, may not assume post after all. NAB hasn't yet announced what's to be done finally about vacancy created in July when B. Walter Huffington suffered fatal heart (Continued on page 9i) Oct. 2-3: NAB District 12, Tulsa Hotel, Tulsa. Oct. 4: AAAA Board of Directors meeting, Chicago. Oct. 5: AAAA Central Council, Hotel Drake, Chicago. Oct. 6-7: NAB District 3, Bedford Springs Hotel, Bedford, Pa. (Other Upcomings on page 73) Bulletins MRS. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT signed by WNBC New York' late Friday to five-year contract to replace Mary Margaret McBride, 12:30-1:15 p.m., Mon-Fri., starting Oct. 11. Elliott Roosevelt to appear as announcer. Program available for participating sponsorship. Deal through Roosevelt & Jones, and William Morris, N. Y. Miss McBride moving from WNBC to ABC [Broadcasting, Sept. 25]. INDUSTRY group to meet tonight (Monday) at Waldorf-Astoria, New York, to discuss plans for broadcasting defense council. Invited to attend by NAB President Justin Miller were Joseph H. McConnell, NBC; Frank Stanton, CBS; Robert E. Kintner, ABC; Frank White, MBS; Allen B. DuMont, DuMont Network; Jack R. Poppele, Television Broadcasters Assn.; Robert C. Sprague, RTMA. LBS NETWORK STARTS LIBERTY BROADCASTING SYSTEM without fanfare today (Oct. 2) starts interconnected network service to approximately 240 stations throughout the country [BROADCASTING, Sept. 4]. Approximately IOV2 hours of programming per day will be fed to affiliates by LBS, headed by Barton R. and Gordon B. McLendon, multi-millionaire Texans. ORR APPOINTED # Air Express Division of Railway Express Agency, New York, names Robert W. Orr Assoc., New York, to handle its advertising effective Jan. 1, 1951. 'RED PURGE' PROBLEM DISCUSSED AT CONFERENCE ALL-INDUSTRY conference held in New York Friday under auspices of AFRA to discuss future policy of radio-TV and advertisers relating to dismissal of "controversial" personalities from network shows [Broadcasting, Sept. 25, 18]. Sessions attended by representatives of ANA, AAAA and networks. General Foods Corp., which dismissed Jean Muir on grounds her listing in Red Channels made her "controversial," Thursday temporarily suspended . policy pending "constructive solution" from discussions. FCC ACTION COMPARED TO ORDER FROM KREMLIN AMERICAN public will lose 95% of present $3 billion invested in home TV sets under terms of FCC proposed bracket color ruling. Ross D. Siragusa told National Assn. of Furniture Manufacturers Friday at Edgewater t| Hotel, Chicago. FCC demand on set makers^] to modify sets was issued "with all sublety of an order from the Kremlin," he said. Mr. Siragusa said not 5% of 10 million sets in service by end of 1950 will ever be made compatible with CBS. CBS COLOR CONTINUES CBS announced Friday it would continue daily 1 color telecasts from WCBS-TV New York | "until further notice" as service to any manufacturers testing color TV receiving ■ equipment. Bracket Deadline Stumps TV Set Makers (See Earlier Story, Page 57) AVALANCHE of last-minute replies of TV set makers to FCC's "bracket standards" proposal late Friday made it almost unanimous that, however hard manufacturers may try, they can't meet FCC's apparent early-November deadline to start manufacture. Following pattern established by earlier answers to bracket-sets proposal which FCC offered as alternative to immediate adoption of CBS system, some manufacturers indicated willingness — but inability — to comply, while others took more stinging approach which signified likelihood that court test will follow if CBS system is approved. Submitting replies at Friday's deadline were CBS; Westinghouse, General Electric, National Television Systems Committee, Crosley, Belmont, Stromberg-Carlson, Pilot, Arvin, Gai'od, and John Meek Industries in addition to supplementary brief by DuMont. CBS supported bracket standards concept, based on assumption that costs will not be substantially greater than earlier estimates for internal "two point" adaptation. But it was made clear that CBS cannot confirm accuracy of this assumption, and that "whatever the desirability of the concept of bracket standards, excessive costs could nevertheless preclude their utilization." Page 4 October 2, 1950 Filed Attorney Richard S. Salant, of Rosenman, Goldmark, Colin & Kaye, CBS comments said apparently many manufacturers feel unable to meet FCC's brackets deadline — in which case, FCC was told, color report "requires the immediate adoption" of CBS system. Approval of CBS standards, brief statement continued, would give manufacturers incentive to incorporate adaptation into sets and thus prevent aggravation of compatibility problem, giv f, ing FCC additional time to explore brackets ques-«^ tion "fully." CBS feared wording of FCC's brackets proposal might be interpreted "by some manufacturers" to preclude use of additional adjustment "which, when , desired, would reduce the size of pictures received from CBS color signals in order that the receiver could be converted with a disc converter." FCC was asked to clarify this point. Westinghouse said it has adapted some sets to receive CBS color in black-and-white and, though it cannot meet FCC's 30-day deadline for starting production, purposes to inaugurate three-phase production program based on assumptions stemming from FCC's TV Report: (1) Assuming delay in final FCC decision, Westinghouse plans to build sets equipped with plug receptacle and two-position switch. At Switch Position No. 1, sets would operate on present standards, . but by "relatively simple 'screw driver' readjustments" could be changed to operate on other monochrome standards "within a reasonable range ' of the present standards"; (2) upon promulgation of specific color standards, company would build (Continued on page 9i.) BROADCASTING • Telecasting