Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1956)

9 Telecasting Notes: Eurovision, the 10-nation European TV hook-up, is slated to come into American homes next fall, via NBC-TV’s Wide Wide World. Departing from its all-live policy, network plans to shoot at least one allEuropean show — but using live-camera techniques, and presenting kinescope taken directly from Eurovision TV screen. NBC public affairs v.p. Davidson Taylor and special events director Bariy Wood will confer with heads of European Broadcasting Union on the project May 23 in Italy. First European WWW show, scheduled for October, will be titled “Autumn in Europe” . . . Other upcoming new NBC-TV plans for next season: (1) Production of touring “Aqua Spectacle,” starring Esther Williams, with largest portable pool ever built, to open in London in July, have 90-min. color TV premiere early in fall, followed by U. S.-Canada tour beginning in October. (2) New 60-min. Ray Bolger show, Washington Square, will be presented Tue. 8-9 p.m. 16 times next season, alternating with 20 Chevy Shotv (Dinah Shore) installments . . . 20th Century Fox pres. Spyros P. Skouras denies arrangements have been completed to sell feature film backlog to TV. He told stockholders company won’t “entertain any such offers unless the price offered is more commensurate with the true value of the pictures.” He said “at this time” he could give no indication “as to whether we may in the immediate future sell these assets for cash, or distribute our library to TV stations through our own distribution organization, or spin off these assets” . . . Firm deals for RKO film library have been signed with Matty Fox’s C&C TV by Triangle stations for reported $2,875,000 in cash & time, and by Westinghouse Broadcasting, \vith Storer purchase announcement said to be imminent . . . TV program distributors doing more advertising direct to consumers: Matty Fox’s C&C TV has already announced spreads in national magazines for “Movietime USA” (RKO package). Now NTA is advertising its Selznick package in newspapers, with “questionnaires” listing its big film titles and asking viewers to clip coupon and state whether they would be “more favorably inclined toward the advertising message of the program’s sponsor” if NTA’s list of titles were used on local feature film programs . . . TV to movies: Directors John Frankenheimer & Allen Reisner temporarily leave CBS-TV’s Climax for RKO to direct film versions of dramas which originally appeared on the show live. Fred Coe, who just signed new 3-year contract with NBC, is due to produce movie version of Gore Vidal’s TV play, “Death of Billy the Kid” as well as Broadway play by TV writer Tad Mosel. Prolific TV producers GoodsonTodman Productions expand into movies, to produce theatrical films for distribution by Columbia Pictures . . . Official Films signs contracts totaling $4,400,000 for sale of 4 British-made TV film series to CBS, NBC, CBC and British & Australian TV. Status of Senate-House TV-radio studio chief Robert J. Coar was in doubt this week end after House clerk Ralph Roberts, on instructions of House Patronage Committee, fired Mrs. Helen B. Coar from $6000-a-year job as studio director. “Mrs. Coar and her husband operate a private radio & TV recording project which is in direct conflict with their work for Congress,” he said. Coar — who with his wife built up the facility to make radio, and later TV, recordings for lawmakers — is employe of Senate. Senate Secy. Felton M. Johnston told us he intends to “confer with Senate leadership on the matter early next week.” New 50-kw AM transmitter, ready for delivery by GE this fall, uses germanium rectifiers for high-voltage supply and 13 tubes instead of the 40-45 now required. It has 5 tube types, heaviest weighing 20 lbs. There are 260 parts, as against 800 in earlier units. It comprises 4 cubicles, occupies 70 sq. ft. of floor space — and “is expected to be priced for the competitive market.” Peter S. Cardozo, v.p. & TV-radio creative supervisor. Fuller & Smith & Ross, N. Y., authors new Bantam Book, “A Wondeiful World for Children,” compilation of more than 1000 free gifts & services offered children by industry & govt. For several years he wrote monthly editorial feature, “World of Children,” for Good Housekeeping Magazine, later basis of TV show. Children at Home. Cueing transmitters, used by actors and production people, would be incoi’porated into FCC’s remote pickup rules under proposal initiated this week. Up to now, such transmitters have been authorized on special, temporary basis. Proposal would allow emissions up to 1 watt. Comments on Notice 56-391, Doc. 11696, are due June 4. Ad expenditures in newspapers by national advertisers last year totaled record $695,000,000, more than $100,000,000 higher than in 1954, reports ANPA. Biggest category of advertisers was auto industry, followed by food products and amusements. G. Warren Brown, chairman of Cockfield, Brown & Co. Ltd., Toronto, April 30 received annual Gold Medal Award of Assn, of Canadian Advertisers for his “outstanding contribution to advertising in Canada.” New officers of Assn, of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers, elected at April 28 meeting in Atlantic City: Everett L. Dillard, pres.; Robert L. Kennedy, v.p.; John Creutz, secy.; A. Earl Cullum, treas. George Gautney and George M. Lohnes are new executive committee members, with incumbents Robert M. Silliman and Russell May continuing on committee. AFCCE passed one resolution— endorsing NARTB’s petition seeking expansion of remote control operation to all AM-FM stations regardless of power or directivity. Supreme Court Justice Douglas’ book, Almanac of Liberty, which last year was dramatized in 60-min. live TV show, will be basis of 5 experimental 5-min. TV films, under $15,000 grant by Ford Foundation’s Fund for the Republic. After completion of pilot series. Fund will decide whether to continue project for possible commercial sponsorship. Called Date with Liberty, project will be undertaken by Syd Cassyd and Philip Booth in Hollywood. NBC Opera Company’s first road tour (Vol. 11:49) has been booked solid for its 8-week season next fall, NBC announced. The operas to be presented will be English language versions of “Madame Butterfly” and “Marriage of Figaro.” Tour comprises single-day performances in 49 cities, beginning in Philadelphia Oct. 15, going as far west as Austin, Tex. & Oklahoma City and ending with Newark performance Dec. 8. ABC-TV reopens its Western Regional Network, headed by Hunt Stromberg Jr., with new live co-op beauty show. Glamour Girl, 3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., initially on 7 stations. Strombei’g predicts 5-6 hours weekly regional programming within 90 days. Inter-American Assn, of Broadcasters schedules annual board meeting May 7-9 at Waldorf-Astoria, N.Y. Gilmore N. Nunn, WLAP, Lexington, Ky., will repi'esent United States. Senate passed and sent to House Sen. Magnuson’s bill (S-3674) to plug loophole in present law, permit prosecution of fraudulent stock promoters operating from foreign countries by TV or radio (Vol. 12:15-16). TvB reports 208 members as of May 1 (193 stations, 3 networks, 12 reps).