Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

9 “ Color Trends & Briefs: One of first stations to telecast color slides, Seattle’s KING-TV is now getting a lot of “mileage” out of its new continuous film scanner, built by Eastman Kodak and obtained through GE. Celebrating station’s first commercial colorcast of film Aug. 17, Ziv’s My Favorite Story, sponsored by big Olympia Brewery, engineering director James L. Middlebrooks reports that KING-TV is now able to give public enough regular color programs to mean something. Station carries color TV film 4:30-5 Mon.-Wed.-Fri., plus color features such as Alice in Wonderland “from time to time.” Besides these, it has own color film shot by staff, such as scenes from recent local shindig known as the “Sea Fair,” using 16mm Ansco and Kodachrome. Evei*y morning, station has about an hour of color test signals and slides starting at 8:30, and slides are colorcast 4 p.m. Tues. & Thu. Middlebrooks says that “quite acceptable” programs can be built around slides, with music backgi’ound and commentary. Frequently, he says, people are invited in with their own slides taken on vacation, etc. Result of this stepped up schedule, according to Middlebrooks, is that public is becoming much more color conscious. There are 67 color sets in town — in hands of distributors, dealers and public. Affiliated with ABC-TV, which is offering no color as yet, KING-TV is determined to build name in coloreven though competitors will get big-time color extravaganzas from CBS-TV and NBC-TV. Next step is purchase of live cameras, though delivery date is not yet known. Most stations are well aware of fact that a lot of color can be telecast economically through film, and each week sees more getting delivery of scanners. Among latest: WBTV, Charlotte, is now installing DuMont equipment. DuMont shipped scanner this week to CBS’s KNXT, Los Angeles. WMAR-TV, Baltimore, expects delivery of RCA 3-vidicon scanner within 6 weeks. This week’s network color schedules: NBC-TV — Aug. 24, segments of 11 -noon Home, cooking demonstration and 4-min. film; Aug. 26, Home, pickup from Wisconsin State Fair, Milwaukee, and from Associated American Artists Galleries, N. Y. CBS-TV— Aug. 25, Big Payoff. 3-3:30. That “spurious radiation” rule proposed by FCC this spring (for full text, see Special Report, April 17), has badly disturbed a lot of industries — including some far removed from TV-radio. That was certainly evident in the 75 comments filed by Aug. 16 deadline. Many pleaded for more time to study problem, so Commission again extended deadline for comments, to Oct. 15. Comments came from every conceivable source — switch makers, elevator builders, power companies, campus radio operators — in addition to such groups as RETMA, NARTB, & individual TV-radio manufacturers. Certain portions of rules were attacked as Impossible to comply with economically, or totally unnecessary. Much attention was directed to the rules limiting radiation of carrier-current systems — the so-called “wired-wireless” method of inducing communications along wires such as those used for electric power. Comments said it would be incredibly difficult to achieve compliance — and quite unnecessary because systems seldom cause interference. Even Govt.’s own Rural Electrification Administration snapped at FCC, saying: “The present proposed rules indicate a policy of the Commission to force carrier systems to protect radio services operating in those bands with no restriction on the radio services because the radio sej-vices are authorized by the Commission. This policy is apparently being considered without an examination of the relative public interest.” All CBS SPONSORS will get a whack at color in rota^ tion schedule through April 6 that started with Lincoln-Mercury’s Toast of The Town Sun., Aug. 22 — indicating intention of that network to go all-out in promotion of colorcasting. Next on its agenda is Colgate-Palmolive’s Big Payoff, Aug. 25, and Nash-Kelvinator’s Danger, Aug. 31. Quite a few full-hour shows (7 for Chrysler) and some filmcasts are planned. CBS reports that at least 81 stations will be carrying the color schedule by Jan. This is complete schedule (asterisk meaning West Coast origination and number indicating date) : September — *Life With Father, Johnson Wax, 7; Love of Lije, American Home Products, 8; *Meet Millie, O’Cedar, 14; Best of Broadway, Westinghouse, 15; What’s My Line? Jules Montenler, 19; ’’‘My Favorite Husband, International Silver, 25; Jane Froman Show, GE, 30; *Chrysler Show, 30. October — Garry Moore Show, partlc., 4; Burns & Allen (film). Carnation, 4; Best of Broadway, Westinghouse, 13; Studio One, Westinghouse, 18; *Bob Crosby Show, partic., 18; Two for the Money, Lorillard, 23; December Bride (film). General Poods, 25; “Chrysler Show, 28; Mama, General Foods, 29. November— God/rej/’s Talent Scouts, Llpton Tea, 1; “House Party, Kellogg & Plllsbury, 4; “House Party, Lever Bros. & Dole Pineapple, 5; Perry Como Show, Liggett & Myers, 5; Best of Broadway, Westinghouse, 10; You Are There, Prudential, 14; “Jack Benny Show, American Tobacco, 14; Search for Tomorrow, Procter & Gamble, 17; The Line-Up (film). Brown & Williamson, 19; You Are There, Electric Companies, 21; Godfrey & His Friends, Toni & Frlgidaire, 24; “Chrysler Show, 25; “That’s My Boy, Plymouth, 27; Celeste Holm Show, Bristol-Myers, 28; Jo Stafford Show, Gold Seal Co., date to be announced. December— Valiant Lady, General Mills, 1; Valiant Lady, Toni, 2;/ Love Lucy (film), Philip Morris, 6; “Red Skelton Show, 7; Best of Broadway, Westinghouse, 8; Beat the Clock, Sylvanla, 11; Arthur Godfrey Time, various, 13; “Meet Millie, Carter Products, 14; Fred Waring Show, GE, 19; “Chrysler Show, 23; Omnibus, various, 26; Guiding Light, Procter & Gamble, 30. January— *Lt/e With Father, Pet Milk, 4; Best of Broadway, Westinghouse, 5; Doug Edward & The News, 7; “My Favorite Husband, Simmons, 8; Doug Edwards News, American Home Products, 10; Doug Edwards News, Pall Mall, 11; Doug Edwards News, Bendix, 12; Jackie Gleason Show, Shaeffer Pen, Nestle & Schick, 15; Strike It Rich, Colgate, 18; “Chrysler Show, 20; On Your Account, Procter & Gamble, 21; Robert Q. Lewis Show, various, 24. February— Best of Broadway, Westinghouse, 2; Two in Love Gerltol, 5; I’ve Got a Secret, R. J. Reynolds, 9; What’s My Line? Remington-Rand, 13; Sports Spot, General Cigar, 16; “Chrysler Show, 17; The Morning Show, various, 21; Sunday News Special Norwich Pharmacal, 27. March — Best of Broadway, Westinghouse, 2; The Brighter Day, Procter & Gamble, 4; Portia Faces Life, General Poods, 9; The Secret Storm, American Home Products, 11; Chronoscope, Longines-Wlttnauer, 16; * Chrysler Show, 17; Our Miss Brooks (film), General Foods, 18; Name That Tune, Carter or Whitehall, 24. April — Godfrey & His Friends, Toni & Plllsbury, 6. Hallmark Co. will sponsor 2-hour color production of Macbeth with Maurice Evans on NBC-TV, Sun. Nov. 28, 4-6 p.m. ; it’s third of famed actor’s Shakespearean specials on the network but first in color. A major gripe was against Sec. 15.6, which would provide: “No incidental or restricted radiation device, irrespective of whether it othei-wise operates in accordance with the provisions hereof, shall be operated in a manner which causes harmful interference to any licensed radio service. Where harmful interference is in fact caused by the operation of any such device its operation must cease immediately until the condition responsible for interference has been eliminated.” Dept, of Interior said it operates 10,000 mi. of carrier systems, has never had single case of interference. AT&T said it has 21,000,000 mi., has eliminated the few cases of interference simply and quickly. GE, Motorola and several others suggested that the “harmful interference” provision be applied “only where dangerous interference is encountered to a navigational aid or to one of the public safety services.” RETMA was satisfied with portion of proposal affecting TV & FM sets, which was based on RETMA’s recommendations— but it wanted more time to study effects on other devices. NARTB was principal exception among those who commented. It endorsed proposal completely, except portion requiring that devices be available for inspection. NARTB questioned constitutionality of this “because of the implication that private homes may be inspected (searched) without a search warrant.” A