Hollywood Studio Magazine (May 1966)

“FACTS & FANCIES” Continued from Page 11 Nobody knows which he will choose, but we can assume this fact. He will not pay 50c to watch a $100,000 program when for the same 50c he can watch a $1,500,000 program. It is as inevitabie as knowing that you can’t seil hamburger at the same price as top sirloin. Quality is reflected in price and free tv and pay tv will have the same inter-relationship. Therefore, to claim that our currently populär tv shows will change to pay tv is economic nonsense. They’ll still be free, but on pay tv, the revenues available will Support much more expensive shows and natural economic law will see that this occurs. Now, of course, people will point to the Sports events, such as football and baseball, which are now available for free on television. Well, first of all, we know that locally, the home games of the Rams and Dodgers are not on television. So seeing these at-home games for a nom¬ inal fee would be an immense benefit for those who haven’t the money, the baby- sitter, or the time to get to the Stadium. Furthermore, some teams are showing their home games in theatres for an ad- tnission Charge. Why not pay for this Charge at home? Nevertheless, there probably will be Television... some events which may move from free to pay tv. However, it would be incon- ceivabie to enact a law which would state that the owner of an attraction should be prevented from exhibiting his product in the most lucrative manner possible. We all now that movies killed vaude- ville, but they also provided much more economic opportunity for the actors and actresses. Rather than grinding out the same show several times a day and travel- ling from coast to coast, one performance is recorded on film and shown to millions in the theatres. The entertainment was better and many jobs were created. It would have been just as logical to forbid actors from changing from Vaude¬ ville to the movies, as to say they can’t move from free tv to pay tv where they can make more money. In the last analysis, it will be the free ehoice of millions of people that will de- termine the fate of pay tv. If the public refuses to pay to watch the atractions, pay tv will « die a natural death and only the entrepreneurs who invested money will be the loser. In the meantime, free tv will continue its shows within the ad- vertisers budgets, and pay tv will show what the public will pay for. The Amer¬ 1966 BUICKS £ AT FLEET PRICES TO UNION MEMBERS BRING UNION CARD ASK FOR Louis Lombardo Industrial Fleet Representative LEASING AVAILABLE ■Bones” HAMILTON BUICK-OPEL CO. 5747 Van Nuys Blvd. Van Nuys 785-7423 873-1177 Res. phone 894-4458 For faster Service call for an appointment ican public has never been so stupid äs to pay for what it could get for free, and competition will force pay tv to offer superior programming. Now, let’s see how the only operating over-the-air pay tv System works at WHCT in Hartford, Connecticut. First of all, the Station broadcasts a scrambled picture. As you may know, the tv picture is made up of many individual horizon¬ tal lines combined to make an image. In scrambling the picture is turned into Seg¬ ments of seven lines each, and then each part is shifted right or left. In addition, the sound is garbled and sometimes the colors are inverted as in a photograhpic negative. The combination of these ef- fects make the picture. total uninteilir gible. In order to unscramble the tv signal, the set owner will rent a decoder for $39.00 per year, plus a $10.00 Installa¬ tion Charge. This decoder is simply at- tached to the regulär antenna lead-in- wire and, needless to say, it does not in- terfere with reguiar TV in any way. This "little black box” is about the size of a small table radio and has a two-way knob, one way for free tv and one for pay tv. The only other diai on the decoder is similar to an automobile mileage indi- Continued on Page 25 Gladys Skinner's TRES CHIC DRESS SHOP 12438 Moorpark I /2 Blk. East of Whitsetf Studio City The Ultimate in Ladies Fashions .. . Dresses Sportswear Sample Dresses Hours: 10-5:30 Mon. thru Sat. + 10% DISCOUNT to all Universal Employees on regulär merchandise 769-2961 14