Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1952)

Programs: New Year's Eve pickups from the Meadowbrook, Cedargrove, N. J.; The Stork Club; Hotel Astor Ballroom; and Times Square; 10 p.m.12:30 a.m. Networks: ABC-TV, DuMont Television Network, CBS-TV, NBC-TV. Celebrities: Bernie Cummins and Eddie Lane and bands; Commentators Ben Grauer, Walter Herlihy and Taylor Grant; Bob Eberly, Sherman Billingsley, Peter Lind Hayes, Mary Healy. Guy Kibbee, Jim Farley, Morton Downey, Dolores Gray, Paul Lukas. FOR THOSE who wisely preferred to shun the bright lights on New Year's Eve and elected to night club through television's revealing eyes, the experience was at least a Sober if not always rewarding adventure. Television invaded radio's traditional domain of picking up top festivities with mixed success, proving that the mere existence of TV's penetrating eye does not pe?' se make good televiewing. While viewers were treated free to a not inconsiderable dosage of dance music and cabaret acts, the thought persisted that radio has done this sort of thing much better— and with greater dexterity. * FRANK DALY'S Meadowbrook at Cedar Grove, N. J., emerged as perhaps the choice offering of the DuMont Television Network. But not even the presence of Bob Eberly, an able singer, on this TVtailored show saved it from the temptation of channel-switching. The program featured Mr. Eberly in a singing-emcee role, along with Don Russell and the orchestra of Bernie Cummins, who has won some measure of popularity on the strength of sustaining radio pickups. Perhaps it was not so much the fault of Messrs. Eberly, Cummins and Russell as a poorly organized program characterized by loose ends and a jumble of confusion. Typical of the confusion was Mr. Russell's comment at one point when he felt perhaps the dancers should leave the floor: "Say, who's running this show anyway?" A good question. Mr. Eberly, who gained fame through recordings and appearances with Jimmy Dorsey's band, plainly showed his own discomfort, too. He was, however, in fine voice, though Mr. Eberly with Bernie Cummins is not Mr. Eberly with Jimmy Dorsey. It is a mystery to this reviewer why, with first-class talent at a premium, Mr. Eberly does not have his own program. ABC-TV's New Year's Dance Party proved generally more rewarding. The program featured band and song stylists from New York's Hotel Astor Ballroom. Featured was the band of Eddie Lane. Commentators Walter Herlihv and Taylor Grant filled in with tableside interviews which, while interesting, aren't likely to be preserved among TV's milestones. And what can you say after you say that the music was good and the floor show acceptable ? NBC-TV planted an old New Year's Eve veteran, Ben Grauer, on the marquee of the Hotel Astor for its Times Square Pickup. Mr. Grauer kept reminding viewers that 1952 would be a memorable year, a prediction obviously more soberly evident to home viewers than celebrants, either in night clubs or in Times Square. Mr. Grauer had difficulty in raising his voice above the din of an estimated million people — "most of them are young kids, too" — who crowded the square. Best shot on the welcome to 1952: The slow descent of the luminous ball from the New York Times Bldg. CBS-TV also had its cameras in Times Square — but not until after you had spent 25 interminable minutes at Sherman Billingsley's celebrated Stork Club. Viewers taking in this spectacle doubtless were glad they had stayed home. Mr. Billingsley was shown in his conventional role of table-hopping with such "guests" as Peter Lind Hayes, Mary Healy, Jim Farley, Guy Kibbee, Morton Downey, Dolores Gray and Paul Lukas. It must be reported that Mr. Billingsley was not up to his usual communicative standard. Sometimes the words would just not come out. Here, too, a lack of camera coordination was painfully evident with the result that the host was not always aware he was in range. When assured he was, there was a plug for the cigarette which sponsors him multi-weekly. reflects back to similar situations in United States history, then obliquely presents the Christian view. Prologue is slated for 52 performances including four cycles, each dealing with 13 episodes in this nation's history. Yesterday's presentation, 11th in the first cycle, dealt with "The Flag, Its History and Meaning." Program was aimed at bringing a deeper understanding of the significance of our flag. Through recalling brave deeds of our history's heroes under the flag, it was pointed out that Christ himself thought men should "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's." Over-sentimentalism toward the flag as well as scoffing is derided. Prologue attempted to show that a true understanding of the flag's symbolism will eliminate the need for over-sentimentalism. In the program's own words, it tries simply to "bring a message of faith, hope, and courage from the pages of history." In this reviewer's opinion, it succeeds. ADVISORY POST Streibert Is Named APPOINTMENT of Theodore C. Streibert, president of WOR-AMFM-TV New York, as chairman of the Radio Advisory Committee of the U. S. Advisory Commission on Information was formally announced by the Dept. of State last Wednesday [B«T, Dec. 31, 1951]. Mr. Streibert has been serving Mr. Streibert Program: Prologue. LBS, Sundays, 9:30-10 p.m. EST. CP't: Ian. 6 ?how Included Maurice Jarvis, W. Jack Roney and Denis E. Connell. (Actors, who are professionals, not Georgetown students, vary from week to week.) Director: Rev. Francis J. Heyden. S, J., Georgetown U. Technical Director: Rev. Stephen X. Winters, S. J., Georgetown U. Writer: Vera Cassidy Ash. "THE PAST is prologue. Study the past." From this quotation which adorns the front of the National Archives Bldg., Georgetown U. takes the title of Prologue. The program, produced and directed on the campus of the Washington Jesuit institution, attacks communism not by frontal assault but by insinuation and by praising the United States. Neither does it lay itself open to the charge of being a vehicle for Catholic propaganda. Its regular format begins with current events. as chief of a radio panel — one of four set up by the department during 1951. He has been active on investigative work relating to planning and operation of the Voice of America. At the same time the advisory group announced the radio committee had decided to operate in four specific fields — facilities, program, evaluation, personnel and management. William A. Fay, WHAM Rochester, and Dr. Kenneth H. Baker, Standard Measurements Inc., have been named to serve on subcommittees. In accepting the chairmanship Mr. Streibert succeeds Judge Justin Miller, NARTB board chairman and administrator of Salary Stabilization Board. Judge Miller is on leave of absence as commission member and radio committee chair Other members of Radio Committee are Charles R. Denny, NBC: Wesley I Dumm, Associated Broadcasters; Donley F. Fedderson, Northwestern U., president of University Assn. for Professional Radio Education; Jack Harris. KPRC Houston: Henry P. Johnston. WSGN Birmingham; John F. Patt, Richards Stations; Mefford R. Runyon, American Cancer Society: G. Richard Shafto, WIS Columbia, S. C: Hugh Terry. KLZ Denver. 'SAM SPADE' SUIT CBS, Regis Radio Win Case WARNER BROS, last week lost the almost three-year-old "Sam Spade" plagiarism case against CBS, Regis Radio and Dashiell Hammett when a federal judge ruled in Los Angeles that the motion picture studio's purchase of Mr. Hammett's Maltese Falcon in 1925 did not give it all future rights to Sam Spade, central character in the book. In the suit, introduced in 1948, Warner Bros, contended, on the basis of its purchase of the Maltese Falcon, that CBS airing of the Sam. Spade series constituted plagiarism. Regis Radio packaged the series for CBS, which has since discontinued its airing. Decision held that, although studio had all rights to the story, principal characters such as Sam Spade remain the author's property. JOHN KING Was Radio, Movie Pioneer JOHN KING, 77, pioneer radio and theatre operator in Detroit, died Tuesday at his home in Encino, Calif. He had operated Gateway Inn, near Eagle River, Wis., in recent years. Mr. King was born John Kunsky. He started Detroit's motion picture theatre in 1907, enlarging his interests in Detroit and spreading to |} California. Eventually he helped form the Kunsky-Trendle interests, including ownership of WXYZ De ■ troit and WOOD Grand Rapids, Mich. In 1928 he was elected vice president of First National Pictures, one of the dominant motion picture j' concerns of the era. Since 1930 he had been in semi-retirement. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Sara A. King, and a daughter, Mrs. Robert Albright. Patent Rules Delay FCC postponed until Jan. 31 deadline for comments on its proposed patent disclosure rules [B*T, Dec. 3, 1951] following requests for extensions from "a large number of companies and individuals." Only filing up to last week was opposition by John M. LeBolt of Cromwell Paper Co. who said it would be "difficult to comply with, and would provide unnecessary information to competitors and would require a great deal of paper work by all those holding patents. I feel," said Mr. LeBolt, "that it would discourage the filing of patents . . ." Proposed rule would require annual filing of patent information by broadcast-communication companies. ABC Radio will again broadcast annual "Coach of the Year" dinner — honoring outstanding football coach of 1951— Jan. 10 at 10:30-11 p.m. EST, from Netherland Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati. ABC Sportscaster Harry Wismer will act as emcee. Page 32 January 7, 1952 BROADCASTING • Telecasting