Television digest with AM-FM reports (Jan 1951-Jan 1952)

10 I Sponsorship of political conventions, election night returns and 13-week pre-election “get-out-the-vote” series — possibly largest single sale ever made by a network to a sponsor — was announced at week’s end by Westinghouse and CBS. Entire TV-radio package will cost Westinghouse some $3,000,000, including promotion, was placed through Ketchum, McLeod & Grove, Pittsburgh. While both political parties insist they have made no “definite” decisions on sponsorship of their nominating conventions, CBS says both Democratic and GOP National Committees have approved Westinghouse deal, and neither party will receive any fee. Details and time clearances are yet to be worked out, but CBS hopes to clear time on 50 TV stations for the political series. Other TV networks haven’t announced presidential campaign plans yet, but it’s assumed all 4 will cover conventions^— probably with their own sponsors. Westinghouse-CBS elections plans include: (1) Coverage of July 7 GOP and July 21 Democratic conventions in Chicago’s International Amphitheatre, with convention floor proceedings simulcast, human interest angles and sidelights handled separately for TV & radio. Minimum of 20 hours covei’age is planned for each convention, using CBS staff of 200, including such top names as Edward R. Murrow, Lowell Thomas, Robert Trout, Douglas Edwards, Don Hollenbeck, etc. Background programs will be presented over TV & radio Sunday evening preceding conventions. (2) Non-partisan political series giving equal time to candidates and speakers from both major parties, beginning in August and ending election eve. Programs will probably be weekly half-hour simulcasts. (3) Election night returns Nov. 4 from 9 p.m. until trend is evident. One of heaviest usei's of TV, Westinghouse sponsors high-budgeted Studio One on CBS-TV at estimated annual cost of $2,300,000 (Vol. 7:20) and this fall presented NCAA college football schedule on NBC-TV at about $2,000,000 (Vol. 7:36) — both figui-es including promotion. TV’s impact on movie attendance is on wane, will continue to decline during 1952 and as long as materials shortages hamstring receiver production. That’s forecast by Paul Raibourn, Paramount Pictures v.p. and head of its KTLA, Los Angeles, in Dec. 26 Film Daily interview. He reasons that it’s the novelty effect of a new TV in the home that hurts film attendance worst; after novelty wears off, set owners go back to the movies. With drastically curtailed set production, there’ll be far fewer new TV homes. At same time, he adds, Hollywood studios will get more revenue from TV as production of films for TV becomes “more and more of a factor.” Three applications filed with FCC this week brought total pending to 473, of which 26 are uhf. Single uhf was from KWCO, Chickasha, Okla., for Channel No. 25 in Oklahoma City, while vhf requests came from KWWL, Waterloo, la.. No. 7, and KVOL, Lafayette, La., No. 6. KVOL is 50% owned by publisher Morgan Murphy (Daily Advertiser), who is already in for several other cities in which he has radio-newspaper interests. [For further details, see TV Addenda 13-X herewith; for listing of all applicants to date, see TV Factbook No. 13 and Addenda to date.] Now ‘the “walkie-pushie” — a man-propelled mobile camera devised for Rose Bowl game by Jack Burrell, engineer for KNBH, Los Angeles. Camera is mounted on 4x6-ft. 3-wheel platform; power comes from 20 automobile batteries, produces signal receivable up to half mile. Big advantage is fact camera can be moved about field, unhampered by cables. For “clear cut” test of Telemeter (coin-box) system of subscription TV, Paramount Pictures Corp.’s 50%owned International Telemeter Corp. has asked Palm Springs, Cal. city council for permission to install $100,000 community-antenna system to pick up signals of all Los Angeles stations. Paramount v.p. Paul Raibourn says idea is to get an “isolated test without confusion and publicity.” He doesn’t disclose how experiment would be conducted — whether or where signal would be scrambled, what programs would be used, how much ■ viewers would pay for what progi'ams, etc. Speculation is I that signal could be scrambled at Palm Springs receiving | site, thus avoiding interruption to programs of Para I mount’s KTLA, Los Angeles, during regular viewing hours I needed for tests. Paramount this week answered competi I tor Skiatron’s request for late-run films to test Subscriber | Vision (Vol. 7:51) by saying Skiatron will get same treat I ment as Zenith did with its Phonevision tests (Vol. 6:22) as soon as it requests and gets FCC permission for home tests, and as soon as details of proposed experiment are clearly spelled out. Says Raibourn: “We’re like FCC was when it authorized the Zenith tests. We don’t want any ! impression given that we’re endorsing the system.” Lashing National Football League’s restrictions on ' TV-radio broadcasts of pro grid games as “patently ille ^ gal behavior,” Justice Dept, attorneys filed brief in Phila I delphia Federal Court Dec. 24, asking that NFL’s motion | to dismiss govt.’s injunction suit be denied (Vol. 7:41,4849). NFL’s motion contended: (1) Pro football is not trade or commerce within meaning of Sherman Anti-trust Act. (2) TV-radio limitations don’t deprive public of any i thing except seeing game on day of play, since game can j be seen later on film and heard on recorded broadcasts. i (3) Limited broadcasting isn’t unreasonable restraint, since it’s imposed only 12 days each year to protect goodwill and franchise of each club. Justice Dept, argued that NFL’s TV-radio restrictions are “division of markets or territories” and “illegal per se.” Federal Judge Allan K. Grim fixed Jan. 8 as date for argument on briefs. Theatre-TV proponents are “one happy family” again. Twentieth-Century-Fox Dec. 26 filed reply with FCC endorsing joint comments of Motion Picture Assn., Theatre Owners of America and National Exhibitors Theatre-TV ^ Committee in which they made it clear they want exclusive frequencies for theatre TV, are interested in shared industrial frequencies only as last resort (Vol. 7:50). Joint comments, filed Dec. 17, came in reply to Sept. 11 petition by 20th Century-Fox (Vol. 7:36) which enthu I siastically advanced idea of joint use of industrial fre ^ quencies for theatre TV. Paramount hearing will open Jan. 15 (Vol. 7:47) but ‘ recess until Feb. 4 after DuMont testimony — FCC and j parties agreeing they need more time. Case involves, among other things, ABC-United Paramount Theatres ^ merger and proposed $6,000,000 sale to CBS of UPT’s WBKB, Chicago (Vol. 7:21). ‘ Extra Copies of TV Factbook No. 14 Our semi-annual TV Factbook No. H will be off the presses shortly after Jan. 15, 1952 — containing directories and basic reference data about stations & networks (including rate schedules), manufacturers, program suppliers, FCC and others concerned with TV. One copy goes to each full-service subscriber. Extra copies will be available to subscribers at $2.50 ; if you place pre-print orders for quantities of 20 or more (i.e., before Jan. 7, 1952) we’ll supply them at $1 per copy.