Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

AUSimAH SEES THEATRE TV Sm: a true be liever and an unwavering one is Ralph B. Austrian, president of RKO Television Corp. , subsidiary of the big film company, formed as a "program manufacturing agency" — for TV. Said Mr. Austrian to the RKO Radio Pictures sales meeting the other day; "We have seen very fev/ (TV) programs produced by live talent which could be classed as passable entertainment and we are therefore more than ever certain that 70% to 80% of manufactured entertainment, to be acceptable to the public, will have to be done on film in the form of 15 and 30 minute shorts." RKO Pathe's Studios on upper Park Avenue is ready to do that job. But Mr. Austrian went even further, spoke up about Theatre Television in such positive terms as to leave his hard-headed movie colleagues with something to mull over. He described instantaneous TV in the theatre "capable of projecting large brilliant pictures approximating the size of a motion picture normally shown." Then he described the "delayed method." He said, "This consists of a high quality TV receiver that could be located in any part of the theatre where space is availi able. Coupled with this receiver and part of it is a motion picture camera which photographs the image upon standard motion picture film as it appears on the TV tube. This film is capable of being developed as a positive print in about 2 minutes. ... it will be possible to run a newsreel in a theatre or a number of theatres within 3 or 4 minutes after the event takes place.... "I still believe that practical theatre television is between a year and two years away." As if to lend emphasis to Austrian's conviction, the big DuPont company this week announced perfection of a new film specially adapted to TV which, it Stated, carries a special emulsion to obtain more detail in both highlights and Shadows of outdoor scenes where lighting cannot be controlled. NBC cameramen are : to use it for first time in Washington Monday, shooting President Truman's review j of famed 442nd Infantry Regiment of Nisei soldiers; film v/ill be flown to New York j for telecast over WNBT in negative form. 1 PROCEDURE CMAilCjSS: Since FCC has, in practice, been carrying out most provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Public Law No. 404) affecting hearing exami iners, etc., law won't radically change procedures; such is opinion of attorneys 'I studying lav/. Principal change seems to be extension of quasi-judicial function of ' examiners in some types of cases. Most provisions of act go into effect Sept. 11, i others Dec. 11, full act by June 11, 1947. I hUZ TELLS FLAHS FOB TV-FM: Fifteen years — that's the length of time ABC Presi! dent Mark Woods reckons it may take for complete replacement of all Ali by FM I in the Detroit area. A 60% replacement is likely within 7% years, he calculates. But, he emphasized, that's for Detroit — elsewhere, he believes, hard-hit1 ting, promotion-smart FM operators might well build up sufficient audiences to operate in the black within 18 months. ^ Mr. Wood was testifying before full FCC Tuesday on ABC network's proposed purchase of King-Trendle ' S WXYZ, Detroit, WOOD, Grand Rapids, and the Michigan State Network for |3, 650, 000 (Vol. 2, No. 18) — of which $850,000 is to be regained by resale of WOOD. He v/as pressed, notably by Conmir. Durr, why ABC was willing to pay so much for its ov/n Detroit outlet when it could build an FM station ril for a fraction of that cost. His reply was need for "immediate earning power." I Also, he was queried at length about ABC ' s FM and TV plans , which include a CP for ■r TV which it would Inherit in acquiring the King-Trendlc interests plus the conditional for an FM in Detroit. Jj. Reaffirming his oft-iterated faith in FM as a better way of broadcasting. 1' Woods said he regarded FM as the only way ABC could possibly match NBC and CBS |. power-wise and frequency-wise. He urged AM-FM duplication wherever possible in