Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan - Mar 1951)

ADULT EDUCATION VIA TV 'News' Reports Comments on WWJ-TV Project Folsom (Continued from page 49) the year included the development, with U. S. Navy cooperation, of "the world's largest and most accurate analogue computer," and an electronic "brain" to evaluate the performance of guided missiles, ships, airplanes, and submarines. Another laboratory development was a portable model of the electron microscope, a new non-broadcast industrial television system based on a sensitive pickup tube called the "Vidicon," and a new facsimile system capable of transmitting printed documents at the rate of 120 square inches a minute. Turning to international communications, Mr. Folsom said that RCA had successfully extended the use of its automatic tape relay method of transmission of overseas radiotelegraph traffic, and had introduced a "new two-way, customer-to-customer teleprinter exchange service." RCA Institutes in 1950 graduated the record number of 957 students. Employment of virtually all graduates immediately by industry reflected the "increasing importance of the courses in radio, electronics, and television." ELECT STOKEY As ATAS President MIKE STOKEY, television producer, was officially named president of Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Los Angeles, for the coming year at a meeting last month. His election was unopposed following the withdrawal by three other nominees for the post [Broadcasting • Telecasting, Dec. 18, 1950]. Syd Cassyd is retiring president. Elected to other offices also for the year term were Hal Roach Jr., of Hal Roach Studios Inc., first vice president; Harland Thompson, CBS-TV production supervisor, second vice president; Betty Mears, TV writer, secretary (re-elected); Fred Henry, assistant general manager, KLAC-TV Los Angeles, treasurer; Isabelle Pantone, KFITV Los Angeles production staff, recording secretary; Harry Koplan, program packager, secretary to treasurer; Mark Finley, public relations director, Don Lee Network, correspending secretary. Officers will be installed at the Academy's third annual awards dinner Jan. 23 at the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, when the winners of the annual "Emmy" awards will be announced. ....for the finest in professional tape recording equipment HOLLYWOOD 38, CALIFORNIA FAVORABLE reaction to WWJTV Detroit's private showing of its U. of Michigan Television Hour, held before government and industry officials at Washington's Wardman Park Hotel Dec. 17, was chronicled the following day in the Detroit News, station owner. The newspaper quoted the comments of such observers as FCC Chairman Wayne Coy and Comr. Frieda Hennock; Col. Ed Kirby, radio-TV chief, Dept. of Army, and Sen. Owen Brewster (R-Me.), who attended along with other members of the Senate Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee. Stressing that federal officials described WWJ-TV as "the pioneer in turning the nation's living rooms into classrooms through television," the News quoted Chairman Coy as commenting that the educational series is "terrific" and should be carried a step further by having students take part in the production end. "Along with the need for wellplanned adult education, the television industry needs vehicles to train young men for its expanding STANTON REPORT CBS Color Drum Explained A CBS color television receiver, showing the largest direct-view picture of any system yet, was reported by Frank Stanton, CBS president, in a yearend review released last week. The receiver employs a drum to show a color picture on a 17-inch rectangular tube, housed in a console 34 inches high and 27 inches wide. Its principle is applicable to a 20-inch tube, he said. When a tri-color tube is perfected, he continued, "there will be no practical limit on the size of directview color pictures with the CBS system." Use of color television for medical and surgical demonstrations at major medical meetings in 1951, as in 1950, has been agreed upon by CBS and Smith, Kline & French Laboratories. And a Remington Rand Inc. agreement with CBS provides for the production by the former of Vericolor, industrial TV equipment using CBS color, he reminded. Mr. Stanton said that CBS radio shows were heard during about one-third of the commercial program time of a typical week of the past year. "During the peak listening hours, 6-11 p.m., 37% of the programs were CBS 'packages,' " he said. Total stations in the CBS radio network at the end of the year were 196, an increase of 11 over the 1949 total. CBS-TV grew from 56 to 61 stations during the past year, and it serves a combined potential audience of 10.5 million families, or about 29.5 million viewers, he said. technical staffs," the FCC Chairman reportedly stated. Comr. Hennock said she would "like to see every station in the country duplicating the Detroit effort, morning, noon and night." She felt the series has "drama as well as educational value," and also offers a means of helping Americans who never received formal education. Col. Kirby predicted, according to the News, that national networks will duplicate the Detroit plan and "give the whole nation a graphic lesson in world problems and responsibilities." NBC New York recorded the show, which emanated directly from Detroit, for showing on four TV screens before some 100 invited guests. Harry Bannister, general manager of WWJ-TV, and Herbert Ponting, a director of the Detroit News, explained the project under which listeners seeking official certification from the university's television school may receive material developing the telecast lectures for a $2 fee. About 400 have registered for a TV course in photography starting this month, Mr. Bannister added. Also present at the showing were FCC Comrs. Rosel Hyde, Paul Walker and E. M. Webster; NAB President Justin Miller, and several members of Congress, as well as industry representatives. Red Crown AM-TV Spots STANDARD OIL of Indiana, Chicago, will conduct a month-long saturation campaign during January with radio and TV spots in Detroit and Milwaukee, advertising its new 1951 Red Crown gasoline. A total of 500 spots will be carried in each market, about 10% going to TV. Six AM and three TV stations are being used in Detroit, six AM and one TV in Milwaukee. Agency is McCann-Erickson, Chicago. Telestatus (Continued from page 56) program in both the number of homes reached and the percent of TV homes reached in program areas. For the two weeks ended Nov. 11 the report is as follows: HOMES REACHED IN TOTAL U.S. Homes Rank Program (000) 1. Texaco Star Theatre 5,492 2. Philco TV Playhouse 4,108 3. Show of Shows (Snowcrop) 3,908 4. Show of Shows (Crosley) 3,752 5. Show of Shows (Part.) 3,627 6. Toast of Town 3,620 7. Colgate Comedy Hour 3,609 8. Stop Music (Lorillard) 3,547 9. Fireside Theatre 3,498 10. Howdy Doody (Int. Shoe) 3,391 PERCENT OF TV HOMES REACHED IN PROGRAM STATION AREAS Homes Ran k Program (%) 1. Texaco Star Theatre 60.4 2. Fireside Theatre 53.1 3. R. Montgomery Presents 50.6 4. Show of Shows (Part.) 49.2 5. Philco TV Playhouse 47.6 6. Show of Shows (Snowcrop) 46.2 7. Toast of Town 44.5 8. Show of Shows (Crosley) 43.5 9. Stop Music (Lorillard) 42.9 10. Mama 42.2 Copyright 1950 by A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY TV CONSULTANTS Beacon Opens in Boston BEACON TELEVISION Features Inc., a new TV consulting firm, has been organized in Boston to serve agencies and clients who are using or planning to use video. Emphasis will be on creation and production supervision of television and radio shows and commercials. President of Beacon Television Features is Leonard Sanderson, for six years art director for Alley & Richards, Boston. The firm, located at 420 Boylston St., opened today (Monday.) Services of the consulting organization include advice on TV programming, time and techniques. The company will prepare advertising, promotion, and publicity for productions it handles. RCA VICTOR designs streamlined, unobtrusive microphone, especially for TV programming. Named "Starmaker," as result of nation-wide contest. cable, Norfolk to Johnstown to Pittsburgh by radio relay early in the year. Construction was also begun on a * new relay route between New York and Chicago which went into service Sept. 1 and was extended to Omaha by Sept. 30. Also during September a microwave system went into service between New York and Wash #51 Cable Predictions (Continued from page 49) Richmond and ington. On the last day of that month, 14 cities were added to the interconnected list: Greensboro, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Birmingham, all joined to the network at Richmond; Indianapolis and Louisville, connected at Dayton; Rock Island, Davenport, Ames, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Omaha and Kansas City, connected via Chicago. End of 1946 . 1947 1948 1949 . 1950 . . TV GROWTH 1946-1950 Connected By Bell Circuits Cities Stations Cities with Stations 4 11 30 59 66 2 5 13 26 42* 3 9 30 50 72* Sla'ions with Bell Privately Interconnected Owned Relays Mileage 1 476 1 916 2 3,550 3 8,954 8 1 7,344** * Figures do not include Los Angeles (7 stations) and San Francisco (3 stations) which are connected to each other but not to the East-Midwest network ** Two circuits (750 miles) connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco are not included in this total. Page 58 • January 1, 1951 Telecasting • BROADCASTING