Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

PROGRAM SERVICES AWARDS Skiatron Confident Of Pay-Tv Test Soon STRONG optimism that FCC "soon" will approve a trial operation of pay-as-you-see television was voiced last Wednesday afternoon by several directors of Skiatron Electronics & Television Corp. at the firm's annual stockholder meeting in New York. Skiatron, which manufactures radar equipment for the Armed Forces, also owns the SubscriberVision system requiring decoding equipment. According to Arthur Levey, Skiatron president, the firm has spent $784,576 to date in promoting its pay-as-you-see system — "far less than our competitors," i. e., Paramount and Zenith. This figure includes monies spent in taking its case before FCC. Additional "costs" went into giving an option for 25,000 shares of Skiatron common at $1.87V2 per share (total $46,875) to James M. Landis, senior partner of Landis, Taylor & Scoll and a director of Skiatron as well as its special counsel, "for legal services in the negotiation and preparation of a licensing agreement for SubscriberVision and for advice and consultation on FCC matters." In reading the president's statement, Mr. Levey noted that Skiatron was in "the soundest position in its history . . . tripling the size of its laboratories and making a small profit despite continued large expenditures for the future of SubscriberVision." Asked by a stockholder whether Skiatron's concern with the nebulous state of pay-tv wasn't draining the firm's resources, Mr. Levey said it wasn't. He declared that electronics is Skiatron's principal activity, and once pay-tv is approved, the firm will be pressed for production of the decoding instruments required. Another stockholder wanted to know why Mr. Levey on Tuesday disposed of 7,500 shares of Skiatron "if the firm is doing so well." Mr. Levey seemed prepared for such an eventuality as this, for he immediately proceeded to "bare" his financial record. "I disposed of the shares privately," he said, "so that it wouldn't affect the open market." For 17 years, Mr. Levey went on, his life has been one of "very hard work, worry and financial sacrifice." He noted that to date he has invested some $400,000 of his own money; he has had to "lose out" on "very substantial long-term film contracts with a number of firms," i.e., Monogram (Allied Artists), Paramount, 20th Century-Fox, which would have given him 5% of the gross on distribution of certain films in Great Britain; he has had a fiveyear fight with General Precision Equipment Co., 20th Century-Fox and Paramount (1942-45); and he has "paid personally" some 82,000 shares to scientists, lawyers, consultants and accountants "so that our company would not have to take either cash or stock out of its treasury." All this, he said, was done in the best interest of Skiatron, and "so I feel entitled to sell shares occasionally to provide funds towards my maintenance." He still holds 441,981 shares — over 10% of the total stock — and gets an annual salary from Skiatron of $10,000. Shortly before the one-hour meeting adjourned, it was learned that C&C Television Corp. President Matthew Fox (head of the privately-owned Skiatron TV Inc.) had on April 3 picked up the option for 75,000 shares of Skiatron (public) common at $1.75 per share (total $131,250). The rights were to have expired April 6. Should Skiatron TV Inc. enter active operation pending FCC approval, it would be obligated to pay Skiatron Electronics 5% of its gross income. Community Antenna Firm Gets Option for Unitronics Merger COMMUNITY ANTENNA Inc., Reno, closed-circuit television organization, has an option to merge with Unitronics Corp., Long Island City, according to Brantz Mayor, Unitronics president. The four-year-old Nevada firm currently serves 2.300 subscribers in Reno and will extend its service to nearby Sparks. Eight antennas, installed on two mountain peaks in the area, give engineers the option of selecting the clearest signal. According to Mr. Mayor, Unitronics net earnings for the first two months of this year were 76% higher than the corresponding period of 1956. Sales for January and February amounted to $5,451,000, a 40% increase over the like 1956 period. The better equipped stations are dominating the field with more listeners and more advertisers m GATES RADIO COMPANY MANUFACTURING ENGINEERS SINCE 1922 QUINCY, ILL., U. S. A. Seven Radio-Tv Women Get 'McCall's' Awards LEE PHILLIP of WBBM-TV Chicago wa: selected Thursday as the "Outstanding Worn an in Radio and Television for 1956" b\ McCall's magazine, which announced its annual "Mike' awards to women broadcasters. Miss Phillip and six other 1956 win ners were to receive their golden ""Mikes" at the Mc Call's Award Din ner in St. Louis last Saturday during the national convention of American Women in Radio and Tel evision. [B«T, April 15]. Miss Phillip was singled out for her "Operation Inoculation" project last year conducted in cooperation with the Chicago Board of Health, which is credited with helping to "conquer the city's worst polio epidemic by persuading thousands of parents to let their children receive the Salk vaccine." Other winners in various categories: Ida A. McNeil, KGFX Pierre, S. D. "executive, service to the community"; Marian O'Brien, KETC (TV) St. Louis, "ex ecutive, service to women"; Sophie Altman. WRC-TV Washington, "executive, service to youth"; Elsie Kemper, WMAR-TV Baltimore, "broadcaster, service to the commu nity"; DelVina Wheeldon, WCKY Cincinnati, "broadcaster, service to women"; Helen MISS PHILLIP KEMPER WHEELDON PARKHURST Parkhurst, Westinghouse Broadcasting Co., "broadcaster, service to youth." The McCall's awards were established in 1951 to give national recognition to public service contributions by women in broadcasting. Judges for the current awards were Fairfax M. Cone, president, Foote. Cone & Belding; Bette Doolittle, chairman, national public relations committee of AWRT: Wendell H. Ford, president of U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Mrs. John G. Lee, president, League of Women Voters of the U.S., and Otis L. Wiese, editor and publisher of McCall's. Page 108 April 29, 1957 Broadcasting Telecasting