Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

growth of American Stock Exchange. Film is edited version of 22-minute film, "Behind the Ticker Tape," produced by United World Films for release to theatres and non-commercial exhibitors. Princeton Film Center Inc., Princeton, N. J., has produced "Faster Than You Think," 13V2minute narrated film about jet engine for Westinghouse Electric Corp. Company says film is available for tv. National Telefilm Assoc., N. Y., offers local tv stations quarter-hour film, titled "Washington at Valley Forge," for showing before or on Washington's birthday. National Telefilm Assoc., N. Y., is offering stations library of seven five-minute tv film series, totalling 366 episodes. Program titles are: Health and Happiness, Amy Vanderbilt's Etiquette, Baby Care, Household Hints, Design for Living, Pay man's Call to Prayer and M.D. N. Y. State Dept. of Commerce announces availability of several hundred 16mm sound fiilms for free loan to businesses, schools, civic and service organizations. 1955-56 Film Library Catalogue also contains list of films cleared for N. Y. tv stations and is available from department at 122 State St., Albany 7. FILM RANDOM SHOTS Tomoda Productions chosen as new name for Outpost Productions, company filming Frontier series at Hal Roach Studios. Les Lear Productions Corp., Chicago, opening new Hollywood office as an adjunct to Hotel Sherman, Chicago, headquarters. New quarters will be located at ABC Hollywood studios, 1539 N. Vine St. FILM PEOPLE David Shartuck, treasurer. Technicolor Motion Picture Corp., named treasurer of Technicolor Inc. Roger Kay, television and legitimate theatre producer-director, signed to directorial contract by Screen Gems Inc., Hollywood. Robert Firestone, film editor, Transfilm Inc.. N. Y., and Evelyn Diamond, animation artist. Famous Studios, N. Y., married, Jan. I. NEW to WMCT-TV Memphis, Tenn., is NBC Film Div.'s Badge 714. Signing a contract for the syndicated program, which began on the station last week, is Russ Bramblet, general manager of Bramblet-Lane Pontic Dealers, Memphis, with Cris Noell (I), WMCT-TV account executive, and Earl Moreland, station manager. Broadcasting • Telecasting PROGRAM SERVICES' 34 TVS IN 29 CITIES LINKED BY BELL IN '55 AT&T subsidiary reports it now connects 391 stations in 262 communities for television service, cities expansion in color service. Blue note: it says rates fail to cover costs and provide adequate return. NETWORK SERVICE was extended to 34 additional stations and 29 cities in the U. S. during the past year, bringing the total to 391 tv outlets in 262 U. S. cities now linked by more than 70,000 channel miles of Bell System facilities. An even greater expansion was realized in color network tv with 51 stations and 33 cities equipped for color transmission in 1955, bringing the total color link to 190 stations in 134 cities via 51,000 channel miles. These figures were disclosed last week in a special 1955 summary by the Long Lines Dept. of American Telephone & Telegraph Co. At the same time, the department released a new booklet entitled, "The Bell System and Television," which presents various facts and figures on the Bell Telephone System's role in tv. Among the data: • "Bell System now has about $250 million invested in plant and equipment used solely for tv network service — an amount roughly equal to the total investment of the television industry in broadcasting stations." This figure, it was explained, includes investment in local channel facilities, and, the Bell System estimated, amounts to about $700,000 for each tv station connected. • "With minor changes, the 1948 rates have continued in use." although the Bell System claimed that "they still are not sufficient to cover all the costs of the service and provide an adequate return on the money invested in television service." • In 1954, the Bell System's return on its investment in tv network facilities was 3% compared with the 6% earned on its total capital devoted to other services. Commenting on the eight hour daily minimum service period. Bell said it had predicated an adequate return on investment on the attainment of 16 hours a day usage. In 1954, it said, the average daily usage was "just over 12 hours." • In 1954, latest year in which breakdowns were made available, 30% of 69.000 channel miles then provided was coaxial cable and 70% radio relay compared to 3,600 channel miles in 1948 when 77% was coaxial cable and only 23% radio relay. Long Lines noted that the World Series as well as a number of football games were telecast in color for the first time. The Bell System reported an increase in the use of closedcircuit tv with the largest inter-city hookup provided for the Marciano-Moore title fight when 133 outlets in 90 cities received the telecast. Sales Executives to Watch Consumer Interviews on Tv MORE than 1,000 sales executives will "eavesdrop" on typical interviews of consumers based on case studies in a closed circuit tv session held at an American Management Assn. conference meeting Feb. 6-8 at the Hotel Statler in New York, during which AMA will focus at FIRST IN HOUSTON with 17 out of 20* top nighttime show* OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 1. George Gobel 2. HitParade KPRC-TV KPRC-TV 3. Robert Montgomery KPRC-TV 4. Medic KPRC-TV G 5. $64,000 Question Station C 6. Lux Video Theatre KPRC-TV 7. Waterfront KPRC-TV 8. Truth or Consequences KPRC-TV 13. Father Knows Best KPRC-TV 4. People Are Funny KPRC-TV 15. Fireside Theatre KPRC-TV 16. Caesar's Hour 17. Ford Theatre 18. Perry Como 19. City Detective 20. Wyatt Earp KPRC-TV KPRC-TV KPRC-TV KPRC-TV Station B * ARB — October, November, 1955 KPRC-TV HOUSTON • CHANNEL 2 JACK HARRIS Nationally Represented By Vice President & General Manager EDWARD PETRY & CO. January 9, 1956 • Page 53