Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1957)

3) 1 uesday, July 23, 1957 Motion Picture Daily Hi Television Today Vief S to FCC Bids Start for S. f. It! •i ( Continued from page 1 ) (equencies unnecessary. Chief proponent filing was Zenith Television orporation. The National Association of Radio id Television Broadcasters said the ' t,est round of arguments clearly lowed that meaningful tests were not ossible. The three proponents have ne thing in common, NARTB said— ley don't really want a test. "Two ly it is unnecessary and the third, While ostensibly supporting tests, prooses conditions and expenditures of 'ich magnitude that in effect a permanent installation is proposed," the [ARTB declared. It said the gravity f the situation and the doubts of the "roponents leave the FCC only one burse of action— to seek further au"fbority from Congress. 1 Joint Committee Files The Joint Committee on Toll _ 'elevision argued that any additional lformation the FCC wanted could e gotten from current wired expedients, without using the channels of ree television. It said the usefulness f this information would be no less ban that of information obtained ;pii(rom limited tests on broadcast fre;uencies. American Broadcasting Co. said be proponents of toll TV had not let the burden of showing that the ssts should be authorized or that ubscription TV would be in the pubic interest. It declared that recent evelopments have emphasized that Congress should be given adequate pportunity to decide on the basic >olicy issue before toll TV is auborized. The network also argued that 'elemeter, Skiatron and Jerrold all pposed tests, while Zenith favored test only if it would be a mammoth ne. "The commission is therefore fcack at the point from which it tarted," it said. 'Abandon the Idea,' Says CBS noi o The Columbia Broadcasting System irief pointed out that all the briefs led earlier "confirm that the data or which trials are proposed may oon be furnished by the operation ion t F wire systems. Under these circum'tances we submit the Commission hould abandon the idea of trial )4».emonstrations." CBS said further hat nobody— neither opponents nor roponents— wants limited trial demontrations. "We believe, therefore, that he concept of trial demonstrations hould be abandoned." NBC Holds Information 'Sparse' The National Broadcasting Comany questioned whether "the sparse lformation filed by the proponents of iay television on the specific quesions raised by the Commission has lade a significant addition to the •resent record." It also repeated its Toll-TV Franchises Special to THE DAILY SAN FRANCISCO, July 22.-Payas-you-go television promoters have started to woo the city fathers. From Hollywood Jerome L. Doff, Skiatron's general manager, wired city attorney Dion Holm saying the firm is "applying herewith" for a franchise and that a formal bid and suggested terms will follow in a few days. International Telemeter Heard A more guarded inquiry about tollTV franchises came almost simultaneously from Lloyd W. Dinkelspiel, local attorney for International Telemeter Corp. He said the firm is toying with the idea of beginning operations in this area but has "not yet made up its mind." •Next came a franchise inquiry from the local law firm of Cooper, White and Cooper. The firm did not disclose its client's identity, but it was noted that Cooper, White and Cooper are the attorneys for KRON-TV, the locally-owned (San Francisco Chronicle) NBC outlet. 'Lay Your Cards on the Table' To all inquiries Holm issued the same instructions, which amounted to: "Lay your cards on the table, and let's see what you have to offer." Holm maintatins it is the city's privileeg to grant toll-TV enterprises the right to serve San Francisco customers. .But that right, he added, will have its price in fees and the board of supervisors will have to approve the terms. stand that Congress must still decide the "basic policy issues underlying the approval of any pay television system." Jerrold Electronics, backer of a wire system, told the FCC that the three major proponents of toll TV have acknowledged that they don't really want a test operation. All have agreed, Jerrold said, that pay TV can be furnished by wire. The public has nothing to gain by tests, since all the information the FCC requires can be obtained from wire service, Jerrold said. It renewed its offer to furnish regular reports on the Bartlesville, Okla., tests. Zenith Radio Corporation said that the "most significant fact brought out by the comments is that subscription TV is inevitable no matter what action the Commission takes." It warned again that further delay by the Commission may result in the establishment of wired TV, which could "destroy television as we know it." Therefore, Zenith said, "we must be given an immediate opportunity to commence initial operations." Skiatron and Telemeter did not file any comments today, believing that the ground had been covered in their earlier comments. Text of VogeVs Statement {Continued from page 6) executive in the motion picture industry. "Speaking to the Stockholders at that annual meeting, Tomlinson said the situation was 'a satisfactory reconciliation,' and added 'I was very happy to sit with Mr. Vogel and we selected what I think is a very fine Board.' "That very day Tomlinson and Meyer set up a secret caucus, and tried to swing incumbent directors behind his plan to make him Chairman, and make Stanley Meyer President in my place. "After promising the Stockholders peace, Mr. Tomlinson and Mr. Meyer, directed behind the scenes by Mr. Louis B. Mayer, were using their new position to continue their plan for seizing control of the company. Mr. Tomlinson and Mr. Meyer moved into our building and with a group of lawyers and accountants, proceeded upon a carefully calculated scheme of harassment and attack. They called for records and documents of the company, some of them twenty years old, and were deliberately insulting to our personnel. Mr. Tomlinson sent letters daily to all directors, making serious charges. I was on the coast, cutting two and onehalf million dollars from our studio costs, revising our production schedule in an effort to make motion pictures of boxoffice value. Each night I was harassed from New York by stories of the bombardment of baseless accusations by Tomlinson and the replies which had to be sent by me pointing out the recklessness and inaccuracy of this letter campaign. Nevertheless, I instructed that all records be delivered to Tomlinson and they were. Every contract, expense account and record sent for was de livered promptly. Not a single impropriety was exposed, after weeks of research by Tomlinson, Meyer and their staff. "I made the decision to call this special stockholders meeting with the advice of directors, executives and stockholders who share my sense of obligation to the company, its owners, its personnel and the public itself. Directors who have resigned have urged me to call a special meeting of the stockholders, for it was clear that the best interests of the stockholders and the company required that its owners should take the matter in hand. "For a long time I remained silent. This was due to my desire not to expose our internal quarrels to publicgaze lest this injure our company. Such forbearance was mistaken for weakness. As often is the case, it accelerated new attacks in the hope that one more blow might wear down the Management, cause resignations of Board members, and that our company might fall into the hands of the attackers. When it became clear that more injury would be done to our company by paralysis than from exposure, I determined to submit the facts to our stockholders. "In the meantime I appeal to all artists, executives and employees to perform their duties enthusiastically. Ours is a great Company. I shall take all necessary steps to protect the Stockholders' interests. You and Management represent the only knowledgeable pool of manpower in this situation. When the Stockholders have spoken, we will be able together, and with added executive and artist power, to go forward unhampered by internal strife."