Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

6 Telecasting Notes: Republic Pictures is preparing for release to TV 81 Roy Rogers and some 60 Gene Autry films produced between 1937-52 as result of San Francisco appeals court rulings last week end. Court overturned long-standing lower court injunction preventing Republic from releasing Rogers films and upheld denial of injunction in similar suit brought by Autry (Vol. 7 :42-44 & 8:20). Films will be released by Republic subsidiary Hollyw'ood TV Service. Republic pres. Herbert J. Yates told stockholders meeting April 9 that the Rogers and Autry films are worth $3-4,000,000 as TV material (Vol. 10:16) ... TV film production overseas by U. S. producers is expanding, despite warnings by AFL Hollywood Film Council, says June 9 Variety: “At last count, there were 6 series currently on the air that are still producing in Europe [and another] 16 shows in production overseas that are definitely scheduled for fall release, most of them through major distributors” . . . Doing it the hard way: Earle Ludgin & Co. adv. agency’s v.p. John Baxter and TV director Hooper White made special trek to Europe to film series of 1%-min. commercials for Helene Curtis Industries (Spray Net), with spots shot against famous backgrounds in London, Paris, Rome . . . Columbia Pictures, now devoting 2 of its Hollywood stages exclusively to TV production by its subsidiary Screen Gems, is drawing up plans for 2 or 3 more stages, has dropped negotiations to lease studios from Motion Picture Center . . . MCA, owner of TV film producing subsidiary Revue Productions, reported signing 5-year studio rental deal with Republic Pictures . . . COMPO (Council of Motion Picture Organizations) reported debating sponsorship of 4 TV shows a year to plug the movies, despite fact that MPAA’s projected ABC-TV filmed show never got off the ground after more than a year’s planning and negotiation . . . Famed playwrights Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse signed by CBS-TV to create series of dramas and comedies by midwinter — first 3 expected to be auditioned within 90 days; CBS won’t confirm that at least one will be in color . . . Margaret Truman’s TV-radio contract with NBC has been renewed for another year . . . DuMont’s $5,000,000 “Tele-centre” at 205 E. 67th St., N. Y. is to be dedicated June 14 by Mayor Wagner, event to be televised over network 12-12:30 p.m. Building has 5 major studios, one of them devoted to color, and 5 control rooms. Ceremonies will include demonstration of color film scanner and 19-in. color sets . . . WGN-TV, Chicago, with antenna now atop Tribune Tower, has contracted for new tower site on 41-story Prudential Insurance Bldg., due for completion next year; antenna will be 925 ft. above ground, transmitter quarters will occupy 3000 ft. of space . . . WJBK-TV, Detroit, with WJBK (Storer) contracts for own new 3-story studio building across from huge New Center Bldg., on which construction begins in few weeks. Music Corp. of America enters theatre-TV field through deal with Box Office TV Inc., under which MCA acts as sales representative for BOTV in soliciting closedcircuit theatre-TV business meetings. BOTV in turn, has agreed to hire only MCA talent for its theatre-TV shows unless client specifically requests a performer not in MCA stable. Tieup is reminiscent of similar deal made last year between Wm. Morris Agency and Cappel, MacDonald & Co. for production of theatre-TV shows (Vol. 9:23) — but Cappel, MacDonald never became active in theatre-TV. Subscription TV holds no charms for 20th CenturyFox, pres. Spyros Skouras told Variety this week. He said he’s interested in theatres and they’d be hurt by pay-asyou-look which, he stated, is not attractive economically anyway. He also scotched rumor 20th Century is seeking to buy Matthew Fox’s newly-acquired interest in Skiatron’s fee-TV developments. Federal has delivered its first 12-kw uhf transmitter to WNAO-TV, Raleigh, N. C. (Ch. 28), which went on air last July with Federal 1-kw. New transmitter is now in test operation at Raleigh. Incorporating Eimac klystron tube, the 12-kw transmitters are now being promised by Federal for 30-day delivery. Mere trickle of transmitter shipments is now being reported by the manufacturers, despite considerable number of orders for associated equipment (particularly film scanners) they say they signed at recent NARTB convention. RCA shipped 10-kw transmitter and associated equipment June 8 to upcoming WBRZ, Baton Rouge, La. (Ch. 2), due on air in Sept., or earlier. On June 9 it shipped 5-kw transmitter to WABI-TV, Bangor, Me. (Ch. 5) to replace original 500-watter. Only GE shipment reported this week was 12-kw transmitter June 9 to replace 1-kw of WFIE, Evansville, Ind. (Ch. 62). * ♦ * In our continuing survey of upcoming new stations, these were the reports received this week: KCKT, Great Bend, Kan. (Ch. 2), began construction, May 18, has GE equipment ordered for July 1 delivery, reports pres. E. C. Wedell. It plans test patterns about Sept. 15, programming Sept. 26. It’s 50-mi. from Hutchison, 91 mi. from Wichita. Rep not yet chosen. WLAC-TV, Nashville (Ch. 5), now plans July 1 test patterns, July 15 program tests, full commercial operation as basic CBS on Aug. 6, reports gen. mgi-. T. B. Baker Jr. Under setup of new WLAC-TV Inc. recently approved by FCC, Baker owns 25%, A1 Beaman 25%, Casualty Insurance Co. of Tennessee 50%. It will use RCA 10-kw transmitter and 1000-ft. Ideco guyed tower with RCA 12-bay antenna. Base rate will be $550. Rep will be Katz. WCNY-TV, Carthage, N. Y. (Ch. 7), with construction already underway, this month starts work on 500-ft. guyed tower and 12-bay GE antenna, plans programming between Aug. 15 & Sept. 25, writes asst. mgr. James W. Higgins. It expects to ask for July 15 delivery of 20-kw GE transmitter. Owner Watertown Times gave up Ch. 48 CP in Watertown for proposed WWNY-TV (Vol. 10:10), is building WCNY-TV at Champion Rd. site, 6 mi. west of Carthage and 9 mi. east of Watertown. It will carry CBS & ABC. Base hour will be $150. Weed will be rep. WBTW, Florence, S. C. (Ch. 8), with Sept. 15 test pattern target, has begun $500,000 construction job, which includes new studio-office building with 10,000-sq. ft. of floor space, reports exec. v.p. Charles H. Crutchfield. Kimco 750-ft. tower and RCA 12-bay superturnstile antenna are due for completion this month, and RCA 50-kw transmitter with associated equipment will be installed first week in Aug. Owner Jefferson Standard Bcstg. Co. also operates WBTV, Charlotte, and owns 16.5% of WFMY-TV, Greensboro, N. C. WBTW plans Sept. 26 commercial start as basic CBS, will also carry WBTV originations. Rep will be CBS-TV Spot Sales. Fourteen newsmen went on strike June 12 at CBS’s WBBM-TV-AM, Chicago, seeking raise in starting pay from $82.50 to $110 a week. The newsmen, members of Radio Writers Guild of Amei-ica, also have a demand, rejected by CBS, that writers receive credit mention by newscasters at end of each news program. CBS & IBEW have agreed on new 2-year contract from May 1 covering about 1100 TV-radio engineers at Network and owned stations; increases provide $162.50 weekly for journeymen (up from $150), $190 for technical directors and master control engineers (up from $166.50).