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

and int-reast'd another 100 per cent from January to the present. As of now, the scope of the oper- ation can only be compared in size, speed, and efficiency with normal motion picture processes of record- ing, processing, editing, and dis- tributing. In terms of rapidity of recording and speed of reproduc- tion, few if any film operations in the world can approach it. Because of the close time sched- ules the operation from the labora- tory in New York to television screens in such faraway places as Albuquerque, X. Me.\., plane, train, bus, and motorcycle schedules have played an important part in the operation. Often one can of record- ing must be completely re-routed from a grounded plane, to a bus, to the nearest railroad terminal, and even back to another plane to make certain of its arrival at the desti- nation at the appointed hour. Mul- tiply this single can of film by the .35 prints which leave NBC Tele- vision nightly and the shipping operation becomes, indeed, a vital factor. NBC uses two developers for proce.ssing the film, one of which develops the sound track, the other the picture. The processing time is approximately 2 to 1. In other words, one hour of program re- quires two hours of developing. In addition to the regular com- mercial weekly programs kinescoped by NBC are the so-called rush "spe- cials." One such special was the kine.scoping of the Presidential in- auguration .January 20. The event took five hours on the air but had to be edited down for out-of-town stations to one hour and twenty minutes of programming. Working n.und the clock NBC Television film editors developed the early por- tion of the film in the afternoon and the afternoon i)ortion was in the laboratory until 10:15 p.m. that night. By that time, the entire production of an eighty-minute negative had been completed and the film was rushed to the printer. By eight o-clock the following morning fifteen prints has been completed and rushed to the air- port for delivery to outlying sta- tions. The films were .seen .Jan. 21 in every television city outside the range of interconnecting facilities. After the picture and sound track are carefully edited and synchron- ized into one strip of negative film, the film is sent to an outside labora- tory where test prints are made. Using the "step-light" printing method, film technicians in the laboratory can then increase the light intensity in any frames to l)ring about an equality of light in 'he entire film. In this way, the finished print often looks better in light quality than the image on a television screen of the original production. Employed in the project current- ly are five men at the Film Ex- change at Radio City; two cutters and editors at Radio City; seven library men; and three at the Film Exchange at NBC's 106th Stret- studios. In addition, a total of l."i engineers and technicians are em- iloyed in the kinescope recording laboratories in Radio City. The kinescope recording division of NBC is under the direct super- vision of N. Jiay Kelly, assistant director of the film division. Franck C. Lepore, manager of film opera- tions, and Victor Borsodi. assistant :nanager of film operations work under Kelly's direction. On the en- gineering staff, Herbert deGroot is technical supervisor of film record- ings. Communications-Key to Victory (Continued from page S) cast in history," he continued, "an estimated two million viewers in the East, including high-ranking Naval personnel in Washington, D. C, watched the flat-top, some 200 miles away undergo a mock attack by its own planes in maneuvers known as TASK FORCE TV. "The Navy noted officially that the unrehearsed action, from the briefing of pilots to the return of the planes to the ship, was pre- sented with a smoothness and tech- nical perfection which made the experimental nature of the telecast all the more impressive and signifi- cant. "The strategic importance of television in naval, military and air operations in this modern age was thus revealed dramatically. The event was declared by the Navy to be 'a milestone of technical achieve- ment and patriotic service to the Navy and the citizens whom it serves.' Takes on New Meatiiiif^ "Far-sightedness takes on a dif- ferent meaning in the great com- plexities of modern war, with supersonic speeds, guided missiles, and the d;inger of "surprise attack". It used to be said that the battle goes to those who get there 'fustest' with the 'mostcst'. The victory, in another struggle, could well go to the side which sees "farthest", 'soon- est'." General Sarnoff paid high tribute to former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, with whom he conversed privately during his recent trip abroad. General Sarnoff, describing Mr. Churchill as a keen student of military history and a brilliant World War II leader, said he was pleased to learn of the British statesman's intimate understanding of the part communications must play in modern military action. General Sarnoff congratulated members of the Association upon their selection of Fred Lack as their next President. He praised Mr. Lack as a veteran in the field of communications who has shown keen interest in the Association since its inception and predicted continued progress under his lead- ership. Sincere appreciation was ex- pressed to Major General Harry C. Ingles, retired Chief Signal Officer of the Army, through whose vision the Armed Forces Communications Association was conceived and through whose encouragement it has steadily advanced. He also ex- pressed appreciation to Brig. Gen- eral S. H. Sherrill, U. S. Army (ret.), for his success as Executive Secretary of the Association. "We pledge anew to our Country, and to all services of the Armed Forces." concluded General Sarnoff, "the wholehearted cooperation of the industry and its workers towards helping to secure the bless- ings of peace for our own Nation and for freedom-loving peoples everywhere." [24 RADIO AGE]