The film daily year book of motion pictures (1948)

great promise for speeding extension of television program service throughout the nation. Radio relay stations are now in operation between a number of cities, and others are being erected. Eventually these microwave channels will reach out further to connect additional communities in television network service, especially cities not reached by coaxial cables. Many broadcasters have heard about the experiments being conducted from time to time with coaxial cables and radio relays which can carry not only television, but ordinary speech, telegraph) at high speeds, and of course FM and television programs. Because these new cables and relays can handle several services simultaneously, thev are likelv to be completed sooner than we expect. I should not be surprised, if it is possible to have a television coast-to-coast network within the next few years. In considering home-television, we must recorgnize that good programs are the master key to public acceptance of the art. Television's popularity as well as its speed of advance will be governed by the caliber of the shows. That is the important responsibility of the broadcaster. The success of television and the popularity of the video station will depend upon it. The telecaster will, of course, have the problem of talent. He cannot depend solely upon the radio, motion pictures, and other established sources of entertainment for his performers. Television is a new art form that calls for new techniques and for the develop tnent and encouragement of new talent to supplement present radio entertainers. Main well-known radio artists will adapt themselves to television as successfully as the artists of the silent screen adapted themselves to the talkies. News and sports already have proved natural drawing features for television. Films also will play an important part in the flexibility of television programming. But timeliness is the great advantage which television has over .ill other forms of visual entertainment. Those who watched the Davis Cup tennis matches, and big league baseball games throughout last summer, can attest to this. News associations are studying methods of television news service to supplement the service they now perform for sound broadcasting. The Presidential nominations and election in 1948. with political candidates competing for public attention, will stimulate public interest in television on a widening scale. It is an interesting fact that broadcasting received its first real impetus in 1920. when the Harding-Cox election returns were broadcast and picked up by amateur stations. It was the Presidential election that really put broadcasting in the news and stirred public interest. Then came the Dempsey-Carpentier fight in 1921, which gave tremendous impe t ns. And strangely enough, the same factors are asserting themselves in these early days of television. Today, international television may seem far off. But let us recall that five years after sound broadcasting started as a nation-wide service, we had international broadcasting. While the technical problems of international television are more difficult to solve, never theless, I believe we shall achieve interna tional television in about the same period of time. The scientific knowledge for doing the job exists. In fact, I know of no problem in international television that money cannot solve. When I think of international television. I do not look upon it as only between the United States and Europe, Asia or South America, but intracontinental as well; for London may look-in on Paris. Berlin. Rome or Moscow, while their citizens in turn will look-in on London or on other cities of their choice. Such television has broad possibilities in portraying the way of life of one nation to another. For example, discussion in the press or on the radio of a food shortage is one way of imparting information, but to be able to see hungry men. women and children in breadlines would help more fortunate people to visualize instantly the dire circumstances and basic needs of their fellowmen. Television is moving forward rapidly and is destined to become one of the major industries of the United States. In addition to serving the home, television has application to the theatre, the motion picture studio and entertainment film. In the manifold processes of industrial life, television also is destined to play an important role. The possible size of the television industry is indicated by the following figures: In the first two years of sound broadcasting, that is, 1921 and 1922, the sales of receiving sets amounted to approximately S100,000,000. In those two years, more than 500 broadcasting stations were on the air. Now, for the first two full years of postwar television operation, namely, 1947 and 1948, with approximately only ten per cent as many stations on the air, that is, 50 instead of 500, it is estimated that the public, dining this two-year period of television, will spend approximately $375,000,000 for receiving sets — S375.000.000 in television, as compared to SIOO.000,000 in sound broadcasting. This does not take into account the additional expenditures on television transmitters, the cost of electing and operating them and the cost of programs. Therefore, in round figures, within .i year and a half or so from the present time, we shall approach a S500.000.000-a-year industry in television. And that will be only the beginning.