Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

\; Section of RADIO DAILY. Wednesday, November 16. 1949 — TELEVISION DAILY is fully protected by register and copyright \ no takers for garden sports TELE TOPICS THE most important part of any ' dramatic show is the script. This is 'nothing new; it's been recognized by everyone in the production field. The validity of this axiom, which is too often .overlooked in TV, was graphically demonstrated by two shows that appeared on CBS Monday nite. "Silver Theater" offered "Don't Give Up The Ship," an > original by Nelson Giddings, which was as dreary an attempt at comedy as is ^ likely to be found anywhere. "Studio One," on the other hand, did "Two Sharp 'Knives," by Dashiell Hammett, a whodunit that is loaded with excitement and suspense. Tony Miner's series has been discussed at length in this space in the past, so let's see what "Silver Theater" had to offer. . . . Giddings' story revolved about a man and wife who rent a room .to a poor, homeless high school student. Naturally, this student turns out to be a tall, blonde, 26-year-old veteran, a veritable Adonis. Since the wife is also blonde 'and beautiful (Louise Albritton) and the husband an easy-going guy (Henry Morgan) the complications are quite obvious. To make matters worse, the student * (Charles Nolte) wins a giant jackpot that clutters the house with electrical gadgets. Wife loses husband, husband loses wife, ► until they are brought together in a trailer — one of the jackpot prizes — by the maid (Myrtle Ferguson), another contest prize. All this was squeezed info Va half-hour production that was rather sloppy in several spots. . . . Frank Telford is producer-director, and Y & R the agency for Int'l Silver. • A DVANTAGES of modern science dept., ** or, What next? NBC announced yesterday that it will carry on its network 'the wedding of Vice-President Barkley and Mrs. Carleton S. Hadley via a remote pick-up by KSD-TV, St. Louis. Cameras will be set up in the church yard and * vestibule of St. John's Methodist Church to cover arrival and departure of principals and guests and the web expects that the actual ceremony also will be covered. Cameras will be set up also in the home . o'f Mrs. Hadley's best friend, where a wedding luncheon will be held. Pickup r will begin at 11:45 a.m., EST, and run through until approximately 1:30. Any questions? • I A MERICAN TOBACCO has apparently ** decided on a bi-weekly hour-long dramatic series starring Robert Mont | gomery for Lucky Strike, with both CBS and NBC pitching for the show. BBD&O is handling the program. . . . CBS's claim to first use of Dr. Frank Back's Video .^Reflector has been disputed by NBC which says it used the new "lensless lens" for its fight pickup from the Garden last Friday nite. (I * No Color TV Chosen For BBC— Ashbridge Denying reports circulated last week that BBC would immediately begin color tele tests based on the CBS mechanical scanning method. Sir Noel Ashbridge, director of technical services of the BBC, informed RCA yesterday that "no definite arrangements have been made for specific tests nor is any practical development in the immediate future envisaged." This was announced yesterday by RCA. Sir Noel said that "the only work in color television by the BBC consists purely of research experiments." "Naturally," he declared, "all existing and proposed systems are under review. The BBC is equally interested in RCA and other promising systems. No arrangements nave been entered into with any British or American firm so far." Dr. Peter Goldmark, of CBS, on his return from London last week had informed the press that the BBC plans to proceed immediately with experiments based upon the CBS color system. In reply to the RCA statement of yesterday, Dr. Goldmark said, "RCA is again attempting to ride CBS' coattails in color television." British interest in color was "awakened" by the recent demonstration of the CBS system in London, he said, adding: "Following the familiar RCA pattern, RCA has rushed in after CBS, as it has done in the past in this country, to block the CBS system and keep color television from the public." Two TV Men Named To NAB's Directorate Washington Bureau, of RADIO DAILY Washington — Robert D. Swezey, general manager of WDSU-TV, New Orleans, and Eugene Thomas of WOIC, Washington, yesterday were named to NAB board membership — the first two TV representatives on the directorate. This is in line with earlier structure committee recommendations. Integrated Plugs Best, Starch Survey Reports Integrated commercials are most effective, while demonstration is apparently relatively ineffective, according to an analysis of the first two months of the Starch Reports on Television Commercials, released last week. Jack Boyle, Starch's TV chief, warned however that these are preliminary findings subject to modification. Comparisons based on the percentage of viewers over non-viewers who would buy the brand advertised follow: integrated, 80 per cent; dramatic, 72; cartoon and stop motion, 63; demonstration, 25; service, 14. Masland Show Renewed C. H. Masland and Sons Carpet Co., has renewed Masland At Home Show, with Earl Wrightston, for a second 13-week cycle on CBS, effective Dec. 14. Anderson, Davis and Platte is the agency. Press-Time Paragraphs Texaco To Sponsor Opera Opening Opening night of the Metropolitan Opera, Not: 21, will be sponsored on ABC for the second successive year. Opera will be "Der Rosenkavalier." Pickup will start at 8 p.m., EST, and will be fed to Detroit, Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Milton Cross will be narrator. Standard Kate Card Ncars Completion Final version of a standard station rate card, drawn up by the TBA commercial operations committee, is expected to be combleted for publication and distribution to the industry before the end of the year. Committee, headed by Herminio Traviesas, of CBS, met yesterday to arrange for a final review of the card before submitting it to the TBA board. Colleges Mulling Grid TV Ban Methods to conteract what is alleged as TV's detrimental effect on attendance at college football games will be a major topic at next month's meeting of the Big Ten and the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference. ECAC chief Asa Bushnell is expected to call for a nationwide ban on video pickups to bolster gate receipts. Report High Price Ashed Of Hochey And Bashetball TV rights to three major winter sports series at Madison Square Garden are being offered to stations and sponsors by Garden prexy Ned Irish with no takers so far and prospects slight it was learned yesterday. Main obstacle to sale of college basketball, professional hockey and pro basketball, it was said, has been a price tag far above the figure a bankroller would be willing to pay. Another hurdle has been the fact that college basketball has been scheduled on different nights of the week so that a sponsor would have difficulty buying a regular weekly program, it was said. Irish, however, said yesterday that he is offering three separate packages — 15 Sunday night hockey games, 22 Saturday night college basketball games and 20 pro hoop contests, mainly on Wednesday or Saturday nights or Saturday afternoons. He said he has "several prospective sponsors" but declined to name them. He also refused to reveal his asking price, saying that he is "not negotiating in the press." $4,000 Per Game Reported The original asking price for 38 college court contests was reported to be $150,000. This would be about $4,000 a game or $88,000 for the present Garden package of 22 pickups. Original price asked for pro basketball and hockey was said to be $70,000 each. It was reported however, that these prices were considered far out of line by both sponsors and stations and have since been reduced. Only regularly scheduled sports pickups from the Garden, besides boxing, is N. Y. Rovers hockey Sunday afternoons, on WPIX, with Sunset Appliance Stores picking up the tab. Last season college basketball and other events, such as the horse show, rodeo, track, etc., were scanned by CBS under sponsorship of Camels and Wrigley gum. Pro basketball was on ABC last season and Rangers hockey on WPIX for Schaefer beer. CBS had first call on all Garden events except boxing last year but dropped the pact when it expired this spring because of network commercial commitments. Set Sales Record In D. C. Washington — Record monthly high of 6,350 receiver sales was set in the Washington area during October, the Washington Television Circulation Committee reported Monday, to bring the city's total to 69,550. t