Radio showmanship (Jan-Dec 1944)

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Look ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ and L isten 1 by THOMAS H. HUTCHINSON, production manager, RKO Teleoision Cor^ m Six basic ideas of proven visual material will provide four competing television networks with 11,680 hours of visual programs a year is the belief of the production manager of the RKO Television Corporation, New York City. EVERYONE interested in television is justifiably thrilled over the fact that in spite of the war, there are television programs on the air in the Nc^v York area every night in the week. But it is well to remember that so far there are no competitive program services. Think of the spot program builders are going to be in when the television audience has the choice of several programs! If we are not to be caught unprepared when television receiving sets go on the market the time to gain experience in this new medium is right now. Before the war almost (K) per cent of the radio programs in this country were musical. 1 do not beliexe that musical television programs will fill the percentage of time on the air in television that they have filled in radio. This means that we must devise some new type of entertainment if we are to maintain the television schedule ihat the pid:)lic will demand. The similarity in audience reactions between motion pictmes and television will be \c'ry close, loi alicr all, telexision is a motion pi(tiuc in spile ol wlial some |)C()j)l(' may say to the • 372 • contrary. The basic sut ject matter used in mc tion pictmes is dramii musical comedy, animat ed cartoons, news, com mercial shorts, and educa tional features. Tha means that these six basi ideas are proven visua material, and in general television is gc ing to have to program its stations witl the same six basic ideas. The importan thing in television is not going to b XV hat we do but lioxu we do it, and thi becomes doubly important in view o the fact that for a long time to come th economic factor in tele\ision w^ill lore us to present our tele^ ision program just as cheaply as possible. STRONG AUDIENCE APPEAL In my opinion, good, solid, rehearse( entertainment is going to be the back ground of television programs. Not fo a nn'iuue am I losing sight of the tre mendous audience pidling power o spoiling e\enls. when we can see then as they happen. I'll admit nothing cai top them lor up-to-the-minute inlornia tion, but luifortunately we don't hav championship boxing matches ever excning. ancl horse races, the majority of football and baseball games all occui in the clavtime. Some day telex ision ma pi()\ide an audience that xvill recjuirc these games to be played at night be^ RADIO SH O WM ANSH II