Radio daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

Record Details:

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TELE-RECEIVER MARKET BOOMING TELE TOPICS ON RADIO, the Longines Wittnauer special Thanksgiving Day show on CBS, probably was very pleasant listening. On TV, most of it was sheer boredom. Featuring the Longines Symphonette, conducted by Mishel Piastro, and the Wittnauer Choraleers, under Eugene Lowell, the program was primarily audio and under the restrictions of AM duplication, did not belong on video. There were three dance numbers, featuring Bambi Linn, during the hour-long stanza and the remainder was merely orchestral and choral music. There were many unimpressive shots of the orchestra and singers, with the latter reading from a score. Apparently cognizant of the fact that music cannot be seen, the producers tried to gimmick the show by screening film clips to illustrate various songs. Thus we saw pictures of hills for "Hills of Home," a man in a horse-drawn cart for "Going Home," and other films, all equally imaginative. . . . Show was produced and directed by Alan Cartoun, with choreography by John Butler. Frank Knight was the announcer. • THE SECOND special holiday show seen * by this reviewer was also a bit disappointing. Although much better than last year's counterpart, the Elgin American show on NSC was at best a spotty affair. With the exception of the Ritz Bros., none of the stars showed to best advantage and the high spots were supplied by lesser-known performers. Emcee George Jessel offered his usual supply of quips about Jo'son, Cantor and Zanuck as well as plugs for his pictures. Milton Berle, who had done an excellent job that morning on the Macy parade pickup, used many of the oldest jokes at his command. Phil Regan and Frances Langford sang two songs each, and neither seemed very happy when Jessel got in on the act. The broad comedy of the Messrs. Ritz registered very well in their opening song routine, but became quite flat in a bit about "Snow White." • STANDOUTS IN THE 90-minute show were Los Gatos, a sensational tumbling trio, and Florence Hin Lowe, a graceful, amazing contortionist. Miss Lowe, incidentally, was unannounced because Jessel was building up an intro for the Ritz Bros, when she came on. Similar treatment was received by Avon Long, who danced to a song by the Charioteers. The concert hall routine of Mata and Hari was good, but has been on video several times now. Dance numbers were excellent, thanks to Esther Junger's choreography and the efforts of a group of spirited young dancers. Production was a bit sloppy, with closing production number interrupted for the end commercial followed immediately by chain break. New Film Recording Developed On Coast Development of a new automatic system making possible simultaneous recording, on original film, of a live broadcast without interruption of the show or additional personnel was announced at the weekend by the Wootten Engineering Co., of Hollywood, Calif. System consists of a "coordination unit" that converts a standard 16 mm. Mitchell camera into an automatic unit controlled by the video camera. Two additional automatic instruments, used in the laboratory, convert the films into release prints suitable for rebroadcast, eliminating necessity for splicing, editing, etc., Wootten said. Release prints are obtainable in a matter of minutes after processing of the negatives has been completed, it was said. System was invented by William A. Wootten, Los Angeles 16-mm. film producer. Arthur Michaud is business manager of the firm. New Musical Film Series Planned By Fairbanks New series of 26 film musicals starring Danny O'Neil was scheduled yesterday by Jerry Fairbanks Productions for production early next year. The 15-minute featurettes are planned as a sequel to "Paradise Island," now being aired by 33 stations. Untitled as yet, series theme will be western in contrast to tropical settings of "Paradise Island." Filming is tentatively slated for Receiver Production Under Way In Can, Montreal — Television sets destined for Ontario are coming off assembly lines in Montreal. This city is still without TV facilities apart from freak reception over long distance but has a station at a local plant, where only technicians and employees of the company compose the audience. There is no license to transmit, so there is no reception outside the four walls of the plant. About 12 Canadian firms have inaugurated or plan receiver production, and by the end of 1949 Canadian output may reach 7,000. Canadian Marconi Busy Canadian Marconi Co. is turning out sets at its Montreal factory. S. M. Finlayson, general manager, said that not only had the company been producing sets since late summer but that cross-Canada experiments were being made to test reception possibilities under present conditions. "We are very keen to obtain a license to operate a television station here in Montreal," he said, "If private licenses were granted now. areas could be opened up and Canadian stations in operation by the end of next year." At RCA Victor, Canada's only operative 12 channel test transmitter provides tests for receivers now in production. the producer's facilities at Churubusco studios in Mexico City where "Paradise Island" was shot early this year. Work on scripts for the 26 quarter-hour shows was started early this week. The Week In Television FCC Concludes First Phase Of Color Hearings The FCC concluded the initial phase of its color hearings with two days of comparative demonstrations of CBS and RCA color and Du Mont black and white. The Commission proposed that the proponents of the various color systems conduct field tests for at least one hour a day for W days "with a reasonable number of receivers distributed both to technical and non-technical persens not connected with the development of the system." At the lame time, Dr. Allen B. Du Mont revealed that his firm is working on a 441-line color system, still in the experimental stage, but with greater color fidelity than either the CBS or RCA systems. ... A plan to syndicate two hours of daytime programming daily to stations on and off the cable was announced by Du Mont, Stations would pay for the shows, not more than SlOO an hour, and sell local participations. . . . A large degree of similarity between AM and TV rate customs was reported by a BAB survey, with shorter rate guarantee periods, higher charges for shorter program periods in relation to basic hourly rate and extra charges for studio use the major differences. Nine Months Of >49 Exceeded Whole Of Last Year (Continued from Page 1) sold in the third quarter of 1949 was from 12 to 13.9 inches, constituting 44 per cent, but tubes of 14 inches and over represented 21 per cent. Manufacturers reported sales of 648,823 units valued at $17,154,450 during the third quarter of this year, a slight decline from the 777,054 units valued at $23,123,698 sold in the second quarter of 1949. A breakdown of the RMA cathode ray tube statistics shows 609.517 tubes valued at $15,926,047 sold to equipment manufacturers in the third quarter bringing the total for the three quarters to 1.992,541 units valued at $58,253 474. Tubes sold to "sers and distributors, the U. S. Government, and for export comprised the remainder. 700.000 to New York-Newark TV receiver manufacturers reporting to RMA have sent more than 700,000 sets into retail stores in the New York-Newark are3. RMA reported Friday, with 503,352 sets having gone out to 49 cities during the third Quarter of this year. A total of 2,209.724 sets are said to have been shipped thus far to these areas (since Jan. 1. 1947) by RMA members, with 1,255,346 having gone this year. More than 100 000 sets have gone to six cities, with Phil3delohia reoorting 253.303. Chicago 209 600. Los Angeles 190 294, Boston 11° 928, in addition to New York's 505,703 and Newark's. RMA members account for apDroximately 80 per cent of the sets manufactured. New York was the destination of qo sets in the third quarter, with ^3.842 for Newark. Los Angeles received 55?.9<S2. and Chicago 52 906, while Philadeloh'a was the sh'nping Wrni'W for 48,842 sets and Boston for 30,695. Radio AJH Empbasi7»d In Xmas Seal Drive Radio has b«on called "a vital factor" in th° fight against tuberculosis by Dr. James E. Perkins, manning director of the National Tuberculosis Association. He pointed out that radio has assisted health pdu"ation programs of the tuberculosa associations and the annual Christmas Seal campaign. Said Perkins: "We wish to express our sincere thanks to radio for its splendid support."