Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

MANUFACTURING continued EDUCATION Services Held for RCA Official Funeral services were held Friday for Harry F. Randolph, 57, manager, receiving tube operations, RCA Electron Tube Div., who died Tuesday of a heart attack in Harrison, N. J. Mr. Randolph, with RCA since 1932, was responsible for all aspects of the development and manufacture of all receiving tubes produced by the RCA Electron Tube Div. He lived at Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Joining RCA as a foreman at the Harrison Tube Div. Plant, Mr. Randolph served in increasingly responsible posts in various tube manufacturing divisions. Among his assignments were those of supervisor of construction of the RCA tube plant in Lancaster, Pa., plant manager of RCA Victor Div. plant, and general plant manager for all RCA tube division plants. He is survived by his wife, a brother and a sister. Dynair Operating at New Plant Dynair Electronics Inc., which entered the accessory tv equipment field some weeks ago, has moved into its new plant at Gillespie Field, near El Cajon, Calif., according to an announcement by E. G. (Garry) Gramman, president. The firm is offering such specialized and modified standard products as closed-circuit transmitters, c-c wideband transmitters and demodulators, video line and distribution amplifiers and electronically regulated power supply equipment. Mr. Gramman, who handles Dynair administration and sales, formerly was a member of the sales and marketing department of Kin Tel Div. of Cohu Electronics Inc., San Diego, Calif., and Allen B. DuMont Labs. Vice president and head of engineering and production is L. G. Schlicht, formerly in the engineering department of Kin Tel. V. R. Woolington is secretary-treasurer of the new firm. Midwestern Buys Calif. Firm Midwestern Instruments Inc., Tulsa, Okla., which recently acquired Magnecord Inc., also has purchased Data Storage Devices Co. (magnetic recording heads), Van Nuys, Calif., and installed Francis A. Oliver, its former owner, as vice president of the new Data Div. headquarters in Tulsa. Midwestern bought the entire assets of Data Storage for an undisclosed sum, partly in cash and common stock, according to M. E. Morrow, Midwestern board chairman. All Data personnel will move to Tulsa, it was reported. Purchase was another step in Midwestern's electronics expansion program and attributed to growing requirements by the Magnecord Div. for magnetic heads. MANUFACTURING SHORTS Sarkes Tarzian Inc., Bloomington, Ind., reports delivery of Vidicon camera equipment to Wayne State U. and WBPZ-TV Lock Haven, Pa., and complete studio equipment to KXLJ-TV Helena, Mont. Shure Bros., Evanston, 111., announces its Model 12 Studio Dynetic phonograph tone arm and cartridge (designed for installation where space is limited) includes same onegram needle pressure and reproduction characteristics of Model-16 but is 3Mj inches shorter and handles records up to 12 inches, compared to 16-inch transcriptions in Model M-16. H. H. Scott Inc., Maynard, Mass., announces new features have been incorporated into its Model 99-D amplifier, including front panel speaker selector switch for choosing between two speakers and tapemonitoring switch for monitoring while recording. Additionally, all tape recording jacks are accessible on rear panel. Jack Kaufman, co-founder-general manager, Lewis & Kaufman Ltd. (electron power transmitting and special purpose tubes), Los Gatos, and executive vice president of parent company, International Glass Corp., Culver City, both California, announces opening of office in San Mateo, Calif., for personal representation of manufacturers' products. Foto-Video Labs Inc. (tv equipment), Little Falls, N. J., announces acquisition of 10,000 sq. ft. plant in Cedar Grove, N. J. Webcor Inc., Chicago, announces 25 cent dividend, representing 15 cent quarterly dividend, plus 10 cent year-end extra, payable Dec. 28 to stockholders of record Dec. 15. It marks first cash dividend by Webcor since June 1956. Digges Hits Eggheads, Praises Commercial Tv Commercial broadcasters are the ones largely carrying the ball for educational television, while "intellectuals" criticize tv loudly and blindly and "run the other way" whenever they have a chance to be helpful, Sam Cook Digges, general manager of WCBS-TV New York, asserted last week. He made it clear that he didn't mean this was true in all cases, but said it was true too often. Addressing the Metropolitan College Public Relations Council in New York last Thursday, Mr. Digges said television "has a tough problem in getting through to many intellectuals" because they either won't watch or, if they do watch occasionally, belong to the cult that deems it fashionable publicly to ignore — or to offer blanket criticism of — television." He said that "inaccurate, irresponsible blanket criticism" often is circulated "by the very people who can, directly or indirectly, make the greatest contribution to television." He continued: "We're being damned by the people who'll be damned if they'll watch television to find out if there's anything good . . . and who'll be damned if they'll do anything to improve what, for them — although they have no firsthand knowledge of it — is intolerable." Mr. Digges said "This unfair, uninformed criticism can — and does — have a devastating effect. Some educators are reluctant to move in an atmosphere of this kind. Broadcasters often find themselves stymied by this reluctance in spite of their own desires. The inevitable result: less effective and less educational television." He said he once "had something of an inferiority complex" about what commercial broadcasters were doing for educational television— but no more. "Today," he asserted, "except in too few cases, it is the commercial broadcaster who is supplying much of the action . . . the money . . . and the courage in behalf of educational television." Mr. Digges praised New York's Metropolitan Educational Television Assn. for its courage in proceeding with a program, "The Faces of War," on WCBS-TV about a month ago despite the fact that the New York Public Library, which helped prepare it, elected at the last minute to disown it. Actually, he said, just one man was behind the library's action, yet pressures developed to have the program killed altogether. He also cited New York U.'s courage in presenting a number of programs in cooperation with commercial stations, including the early-morning (6:30-7 a.m.) Sunrise Semester course on WCBS-TV. "While others have talked," he said, "NYU has acted." Mr. Digges also urged educational institutions not to be "too conservative" in their thinking about educational tv, and called for better communications — mutual understanding — between educators and broadcasters. "I have always considered the Madison Ave. jungle a pretty tough place," he said. "The jealousies, the politics, the business rivalries are nothing on Madison Ave. com Broadcasting 1 Cincinnati's Most Powerful Independent Radio Station 50,000 watts of SALES POWER CINCINNATI, OHIO STATION WC KY On the Air everywhere 24 hours a day— seven days a week Page 100 » December 9, 1957