Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

lack of nt'Kative film at that time, RCA had to conserve every possible piece of precious footage. Very often one job wjls completed, torn off the reel, mid the next one started on the same roll of film. One amiisinB incident resulted from this procedure. After several re-takes for a Swedish customer, an KCA technician followed this method, but in his haste to record a Spanish track for an anxious March of Time Foreijrn Department repre- sentative, he omitted tearing off sev- eral hundred feet of previously re- corded Swedish dialogue. When the film was developed, March of Time had to employ an interpreter to de- code the strange language which prologued their Spanish film. Complex Problems Solved Complex problem.s in recording are expertly solved by the studio staff. Frequently the RCA Record Department calls upon RCA film facilities when an exceptionally fine musical disc recording is required. F^irst, the piano and orchestra are recorded on separate sound tracks in the best Hollywood studios, and then sent to "-111" where they are mixed, and sent by phone line to the RCA Disc Recording Studio at 24th Street, where the Master record is cut. If a re-take on a Hollywood pro- duction is necessary when its star is relaxing in the East, the star can come to RCA's studio and re- record the desired changes for substitution in the original sound track. Recently the RCA Film Re- cording Department was called in when RKO needed a realistic Car- negie Hall background to record the work of Rubinstein and Ormandy. Portable equipment was sent into the Hall where two sound tracks were made on-the-spot, and two others piped over telephone lines to "411" for recording. Extending the accommodations of the studios is a Mobile Recording Unit, designed to provide studio facilities outside, and on remote locations. Apart from the income they pro- duce, the New York studios perform the important function of demon- strating to customers and licensees the superior performance of RCA Film Recording Equipment. Sales VOICES OF COMMENTATORS ARE RECORDED IN THIS STl'DIO FOR MITING LATER WITH Ml'Slr AND SOUND EFFECTS TO FORM THE COMPLETED SOUND IRM K OF A NEWSREEL OR TRAVELOGUE. of this equipment are handled from "411" for all the United States, ex- cept for a narrow West Coast striji embracing Hollywood. NBC Video Programs Rank High in Poll NBC's "Texaco .Star Theater" with Milton Berle, ranks first by a wide margin in a poll of East Coast radio and television editors, con- ducted by Television Daily to deter- mine "Your Favorite TV Program." Six other NBC video programs or stars were also honored in the poll, the first of its kind among TV editors. Fifty newspapermen on the East Coast in cities served by television ."Stations participated in the survey. They ranked variety programs first in preference; dramatic, second; sports, third, and forum, ((uiz and children's programs in a fourth place tie. "Phiico Television Playhouse," NRC's hour-long dramatic pi-ogram. garnered a large share of the popu- larity votes from the editors. "Meet the Press." another NBC video pro- gram, was given high rating in the forum category. In the "most promising new art- ists" category, NBC stars took four of the five places receiving the most votes. They are songstress Kyle MacDonnell. star of "Girl About Town"; Barbara Marshall, .song stylist, who has been heard on "Musical Miniatures"; and Helen King, graphologist, topping the list in the women's division. Rob Smith and "Howdy Doody" lead the list of male artists in this category. Radiophoto Circuit Opens A laiiiophoto circuit is now in (iperation between Shanghai and .San Francisco, H. C. Ingles, Presi- dent of RCA Communications, Inc.. fU; Broad Street, has announced. Kadiophoto service to and from this Far Eastern center is expected to be widely used, particularly at this time, Mr. Ingles declared, IHiinting out that such circuits are i-apable of handling written and printed documents, in addition to news photos. [18 RADIO AGE]