Sponsor (Nov 1948-June 1949)

New developments on SPO.XSOH siorios p.s See: "TV . . . More Film Than Live" IsSUe: February 1948. p. 31 C..L:~.* What's the status of off-the-tube film Sublet recording Within the past 12 months, the quality of film recordings, comparable roughly to radio's e.t. recordings, has made tremendous strides. New techniques in processing, new sound-recording circuits, new film stocks have raised the level of the film recordings (each producing organization has its own title for them, i.e., NBC's "Kinescope Recordings," DuMont's "Teletranscriptions," etc.) to a level where in sight-and-sound quality they are rapidly approaching the soughtafter "one-to-one" transfer of TV picture quality. With the improved techniques of production, they have taken themselves out of the bracket of "movies" and into a specialized TV process that is comparable to motion pictures only in its basic use of a sound camera and film to record visual images. The use of film recordings has parelleled both the improved quality and the general growth of television. Each of the four major TV networks and a handful of independent TV stations are busily engaged today in film-recording anything from 2-15 hours a week of programing I the majority of it commercially sponsored) that goes out over the coaxial cable. Such shows as Philco Television Playhouse, Admiral Broadway Revue, Original Amateur Hour, Arthur Godfrey, Colgate Theater, Toast of the Town, and Window on the World are being viewed via film recordings (usually a day to a week after being viewed live in cable-serviced cities). Film recordings are the answer to the sponsor who wants to have his show telecast in markets where there is no network service on cable. The) are also the answer for the sponsor who cannot send his show to the Midwest via cable because another network has been allocated the time (on the current "share-and-share-alike" basis) on the coaxial cable. Independent stations are in the picture too, and Paramount's two stations (WBKB, Chicago; KTLA, Los Angeles) are installing a Paramount-perfected system of film recordings. The two Paramount stations plan to exchange sustaining and commercial shows, which will cut down the amount of time that each station must spend now on programing, while giving advertisers direct access to the two markets. Already advertisers are finding useful secondary reasons why they should film-record TV programs. One TV advertiser (the brokerage house of Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Beane) built an effective, low-cost ($2,500 vs. the $75,000 it would cost to have a commercial film producer do the whole thing on sound stages) sales promotion film out of the commercials clipped from the TV film recordings made on their show, America Speaks. Other advertisers and producers are planning to use their TV film recordings as open-end e.t.'s, as training films, as special promotion stunts at conventions and sales meetings, etc. Many of these secondary uses depend on the degree to which union and property rights situations can be smoothed out, but indications are now that 1949 will see these problems overcome. Although film recording costs are still fairly expensive (depending usually on the length of the show, the number of duplicate prints to he made, and the shipping charges) the off-the-tube film recording is becoming an increasingly important TV programing tool, and not merely an "expedient measure" to fill in all the gaps in TV network service. (Please turn to page 32) Remember the story about . . . Franklin's lightning experiment that grew into the Age of Electricity Many great achievements come from small beginnings. Take WWDC in Washington, for instance. It started out small . . . and then it grew . . . and grew . . . until today it is a huge power in the Washington market. Today your sales message over WWDC goes out to a buying audience that brings you profitable sales — economically. Get the whole story from your Forjoe man today. WWDC AM-FM-The D. C. Independent Repretented Notionally by FORJOE & COMPANY 14 FEBRUARY 1949 15