Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

tion — 1,564,171, also a record. Console AM-FM-phonograph models numbered 45,075, console AM-FM 1,239, table model AM-FM 5,004. Add these to 1946's total FM set pi’oduction of 181,485 (Vol. 3, No. 4) and to the 395,000 pre-war FMs (Vol. 3, No. 1) — and you can pretty well gauge "FM set population" for the country. January TV production was 5,457 (compared to .3,561 in December). January TVs included 4,790 table models, 548 direct-view consoles, 99 projection consoles (32 of these with phonographs). January total yStill isn't very large, quantitatively, but it compares very well with over-all 1946 production of 6,476 (Vol. 3, No. 4) and pre-war total ,of perhaps 10,000. It's apparent that all-out production isn't under way yet. iWe've already reported on more than score of brand-name set makers who say they'll have TV sets out this year (Vol. 3, No. 7). This week, Scott announced TV plug-in unit to its plush all-wave set, costing over $1,000. Made for Scott by DuMont, it has 12-inch tube, will sell for around $850, deliveries in June. THE NEW 'PHILADELPHIA STORY': There may be more than meets the eye in latest turn taken by heretofore moribund TV application of tabloid Phidadelphia News, city's not-So-well-known third newspaper. Its plans, for TV get a fiscal shot in the arm with change in corporate setup that ties it up with Seaboard Radio's 10 kw WIBG and WIBG-FM (CP). Newly filed application is only one on tap for Quaker City's fourth and last channel (Supplement 18-B) . DuMont is handling engineering and Supplying equipment. So it's reasonably sure to be granted unless unexpected opposition arises. Plan now is )to install $231,000 plant on property owned by Seaboard at Lime Kiln Turnpike and Cheltenham Ave., 2 miles due north of Philadelphia, with studios at WIT3G and in Wanamaker Store. Instead of Daily News alone, new applicant is Daily News Television Co . Inc. , capitalized at $500,000, and owned 81% by Seaboard (John Harron and John Kelly, local contractors) ; 10% by Daily News Inc. ; 4.6% by Lemuel Schofield, attorney; 4.4% by Jack E. Lit, realtor (not connected with dept, store of that name). Newspaper’s ownership interest in TV station thus will actually be pretty small, also quite diffused (whereas Bulletin and Inquirer each will control own TV outlet). Daily News Inc. is dominantly owned by Philadelphia Publications Inc., which holds 83,000 out of 163,000 shares of its stock, with Mr. Schofield owning 6,900 Shares, Editor Lee Ellmaker 6,000, the Vare Estate most of remainder. In turn, Philadelphia Publications Inc. has these stockholders: Mr. Ellmaker, 45%; Mr. Schofield, 33.1%; Louis Leventhal, attorney, 11%; Perkins, Goodwin & Co., New York (pulp and paper), 10%. There's unconfirmed suspicion influx of new capital into News' TV may presage plans to build up ,newsPaPer itself, alongside radio, taking advantage of Philadelphia's recent newspaper-radio shakeup (Vol. 3, No. 5, 6). So far, Bulletin has announced no buyer for strike-bound, then suspended, Record (and sale is unlikely due to newsprint situation) ; nor for Camden Courier and Post (which may be leased) ; nor for WPEN, which it must sell before it can acquire 50 kw VVCAU. Meanwhile, Newspaper Guild dropped strike threat demands against Inquirer, itself began publishing new Camden Free Press as 6-day afternoon paper in plant of Wilmington Star. BIG ADVERTISERS ON TV TIME: TV entrepreneurs, with approval of the Federal authorities, are proceeding on assumption advertisers v/ill foot the bill. So are quite a few name advertisers who are using or have used TV (Standard Oil of N.J., Standard Brands, U.S. Rubber, Gillette, Borden, et al). In fact,, this week Ford and General Foods announced joint sponsorship, on an alternating basis, with both film and live commercials planned, of telecasts of all 77 home games of Brooklyn Dodgers over V/CBS-TV. Sponsors are also expected for Yankee home games, which NBC's WNBT has signed up, and Giant games signed by DuMont's WABD. ' Significant were remarks of principals as they signed CBS contracts — J. Walter Thompson handling for Ford, trio of agencies (Young & Rubicam, Benton & Bowles, Foote, Cone & Belding) for various General Foods products. Said Ford~'s advertising and sales v.p., John Davis: "In our opinion, television has demonstrated itself as a practical advertising medium. ... for the presentation of automobile