Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

8 Telecasting Notes: Looks like a battle of giants for supremacy in TV film syndication field, with definite disclosure that MCA-TV Ltd., subsidiary of big Music Corp. of America talent agency, is taking over staff and distribution of Gross-Krasne’s United Television Programs as of Dec. 20. Jack Gross & Phil Krasne receive “more than $1,000,000” for their properties, will retain their Hollywood studio, product and all negatives, continuing as producers solely . . . MCA-TV’s sales force, already totaling 35 and adding 22 from UTP, with David Sutton continuing as chief, will work out of MCA’s present 17 offices, with several more to be added. Prime suppliers will be MCA’s own subsidiary Revue Productions, Gross-Krasne and the several firms hitherto tied up with latter, namely, Roland Reed & Crosby . . . Prime competitors apparently will now be Ziv, Guild-Vitapix and the network film divisions . . . MCA-TV Ltd. acquires these UTP shows: Lone Wolf, Mayor of the Totvn, Heart of the City, Big Town; plus these shows hitherto distributed by UTP: Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, Where Were You?, Royal Playhouse, Counterpoint, Hollywood Off Beat, The Ruggles. It also will distribute these upcoming Gross-Krasne shows: 0. Henry Playhouse, Author’s Playhouse, Alias Jimmy Valentine . . . MCA-TV’s present list comprises Abbott & Costello, Guy Lombardo, Famous Playhouse, Man Behind the Badge, Telesports Digest, Biff Baker, U. S. A., Follow That Man, Playhouse 15, Pm the Law, City Detective, Touchdown, Regal Theatre . . . Republic Pictures, which has stated it makes more money from TV than from theatrical films, plans to release to TV another block of 27 movie features made in 1940-48, on regional basis, through its subsidiary Hollywood TV Service. Included in package are Brazil, Earl Carroll’s Sketch Book, In Old Sacramento. Early last year. Republic released block of more than 150 features (Vol. 8:51-52, 9:1-2), and is now completing plans to merchandise to TV 81 Roy Rogers & 57 Gene Autry films after winning court fight over TV rights (Vol. 10:43) . . . “No Holiday Lull in Hollywood Jobs,” headlines Dec. 3 Hollywood Variety, pointing out that “TV will offset the usual year-end slump in theatrical film production.” Quoting film union sources, it finds 92% of film editors now employed, 85% of propmen, 83% of makeup men ... TV Hooperatings coming? Advertising Age reports C. E. Hooper Inc. investigating possibility of getting into national TV rating picture. It’s free to do so by next March, according to terms of agreement made 5 years ago when Hooper sold its national services to Nielsen, although Mr. Hooper himself is bound by pact to refrain from personal participation in national ratings for another 5 years . . . WMVT, Montpelier, Vt. (Ch. 3), with offices in Burlington and transmitter atop Mt. Mansfield, got terrific break on Ed Murrow’s See It Now Dec. 7 when he used station as vehicle for 20-min. documentary on what happens in small towns getting TV for first time and what folks think about it . . . WHAS-TV, Louisville, got plenty of publicity too this week — Wide World Photo distributing widely used picture of its tower showing starlings by thousands perching on it and flying around it; caption recounts how they created problem for cars parked underneath, how engineers captured one of the birds, recorded and amplified its distress call, dii-ected sound back at roosting birds, forcing them to flee. Shades of the New Deal! FCC is frowning on “overcommercialization” on part of several radio stations. Sparked by Comr. Lee, who has been outspokenly critical of “chi-onic offenders” (Vol. 10:39), Commission told staff to look into matter. Action is reminiscent of days when Democratic-controlled Commission issued famous “Blue Book” and held up renewals of licenses because of what it considered to be too many commercials. Endorsement of subscription TV and theatre TV as sources of employment for actors, given by Ralph Bellamy, pres, of Actors’ Equity Assn., in Theatre Arts Magazine article, is being splashed in trade press in form of double-page ads reprinting the article. Ads carry line “reprinted ... by the National Theatre Arts Council in the interest of the welfare of the American Theater.” Much of it is devoted to fee-TV proponent Zenith, its techniques and arguments. Bellamy’s thesis: “Pay-as-yousee TV can do a lot for theatre. Theatre can also do a lot for TV — and without commercials.” Ad appeared this week in Film Daily, Variety & Billboard. Additional support from theatrical interests came during luncheon meeting of legitimate stage producers at Sardi’s this week, arranged by Theatre Arts Magazine. Herman Levin, pres, of League of N. Y. Theatres, said: “We must get busier than we have. We must be very active, very diligent.” Byron Bentley, pres, of National Theater Arts Council, asserted : “The great merit of Phonevision, from the point of the view of the theatre, is that it is a medium which can be made immediately available to the theatre and through which the theatre can participate directly in the benefits which accrue from syndication. In the past and at present, the theatre does not share directly in the benefits of the syndication of its creative efforts on radio & TV.” Among Zenith representatives participating in discussion were Dr. Millard C. Faught, Pieter van Beek, Ted Leitzell. “No need to be afraid of TV — get out and fight it.” Motion Picture Assn.’s pres. Eric Johnston so advised moviemen in Sydney, Australia recently as they discussed impending introduction of TV. U. S. experience, he noted, is that when TV saturation is reached (meaning 60% of homes in an area) boxoffice slumps about 20%, but within 12-15 months it comes back high as ever, sometimes higher. He predicted that within 5 years, 75% of all TV programs in U. S. will be on film. State regulation of community TV systems has been requested in California by 18 residents of Walnut Creek. They petitioned State Public Utilities Commission with complaint that they subscribed to local service but quality of signal is so poor that they’ve suffered eyestrain and headaches. They asked that system be classified as public utility and demanded investigation of operator’s alleged failure to fulfill contractual assurances of good signals. Wiring of community antenna system in Dubuque, la., has been started by Jerrold. Service is due to start third week in Jan., and cable-stringing job — 129 mi. — is scheduled for completion by next Labor Day. Jerrold also has obtained franchise for Pocatello, Ida., begun construction under name of Bannock TV Co. NBC-TV’s new staging services center at 18th St. & Avenue of the Americas, N. Y., providing sets and props for live shows originating from N. Y. & Brooklyn studios, is now in operation. It’s in remodeled building formerly occupied by Siegal-Cooper dept, store. New community antenna systems reportedly in construction or planning stages: Ketchum, Ida., by Charles Atkinson; Sidney, Neb., by Collier Electric Co., Denver, operators of systems in Laramie, Wyo. and Sterling, Colo. National Community TV Assn, board met in New York Dec. 7, voted to hold next convention in New York’s Park-Sheraton June 6-8, increase budget, expand Washington staff, fight 8% excise tax in courts. Closed-circuit TV gave dealer's, distributors and the press first peek at new Kaiser-Willys models Dec. 8 on 21-city hookup presented by Box Office TV and originating at ABC-TV New York studios. Choice of 29 stations at antenna site — probably a record— is reported by community antenna operator Theodore Gibson, Pine Grove, Pa.