Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1948)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

SIGHT AND SOUND Maybe daytime TV schedules are the answer — at any rate, DuMont’s director Larry Phillips and WABD's manager Leonard Hole say they’re delighted after first week of WABD’s all-day (7 a.m. to 11 p.m.) operation (Vol. 4:39), say they have evidence of “plenty of looking,’’ expect surveys to prove it. More than that, it’s more than paying its way, they declare, and even looks like it may turn a profit. Next week Sterling Products starts 6 half hours weekly. This week about a dozen sponsors (mainly TV set distributors and local advertisers) bought time ranging from $25 for 20-sec. live display demonstration to three 15-min. programs at $376 per day. TV’ rights to 52 major British feature films have been bought by CBS from agents Eddie Sherman and Harry Fox. Rights cover 2 years, include permission to syndicate. Films star such names as James Mason, Grade Fields, Anna May Wong, Ann Todd. Syndication to TV stations will be handled by new CBS-TV film syndicate manager H. Grant Theis, ex-WTOP, Washington. New CBS film procurement manager is Stanton M. Osgood, exRKO-Pathe. Balaban & Katz’s WBKB, Chicago (Paramount), represents $3,700,000 investment to date, now has 75% of its air time sponsored, is currently losing $6,000 per week but expects to break even within 6 months, has rejected offer of “a network” (doubtless CBS) to purchase 49% interest, is now spending $100,000 in physical improvements— so said new manager John Balaban to trade press reporters last week. Milton Berle’s back, so October Hooper Report gives top TV rating in New York to Texaco Star Theatre WNBT, 63.2. After that: Toast of the Town, WCBS-TV, 53; We The People, WCBS-TV, 43.8; Amateur Hour, WABD, 35.6; Bigelow Show, WNBT, 32.7; Small Fry, WABD, 26.6; Kraft Playhouse, WNBT, 23.7 ; Chevrolet on Broadway, WNBT, 22.4; Gulf Show, W’NBT, 19.2; Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One, WNBT, 18.8. TV’ code of practices is going to be motion picture code (Johnston office) and NAB’s standards of practice, for time being at least. That’s recommendation of TBA code committee (CBS’s Larry Lowman, chairman). Committee felt it was too early in TV’s life to set up code of own, felt that telecasters should look for guidance to Hollywood and NAB. Decline in demand for records, high cost of TV, account for lower gross and net shown by CBS for 9 months ending Oct. 2. Gross income from all sources (including Columbia Records) amounted to $70,904,806, net income $3,010,446 ($1.75 per share). This compares with $74,556,873 and $3,660,860 ($2.13 per share) for corresponding 1947 period. Personal notes: Yankee’s Linus Travers is staying in Boston, won’t join MBS as v.p., as recently announced . . . WOR’s Ted Streibert, ex-Harvard business school asst, dean, spreading his wings, this week became director of Ward Baking Co., a trustee of Brooklyn Institute of Arts & Sciences . . . Richard W. Jencks, newly out of Stanford Law, joins NAB’s legal staff . . . A. H. Brolly leaves Chicago’s WBKB to become chief engineer of Television Associates Inc., run by Bill Eddy and Keith Kiggins. Status report on microwave TV’ relay installations, by Samuel Freedman, of microwave components maker DeMornay Budd Inc., is carried in November Radio & Television News. Motion Picture Association meeting, at which TV will be subject of first serious top-level discussion (Vol. 4:44), is set for Nov. 17-19 in New York City. Lens and magnifier makers continue to make hay while the TV sun shines, are looking to Xmas shopping for big boost in sales, foresee attachments for TV becoming as popular as automotive accessories for car owners. Take Electro-Steel Products Inc., 112 N. Seventh St., Philadelphia, which started lens making only last July at initial rate of 200 per week, now is equipped to turn out 16 different types at rate of 2,000 per week. Lenses fit any size screen from 6 to 12-in., include new $11.95 enlarger for Pilot’s 3-in. $99.60 set (Vol. 4:24,31). Other new makers recently reported include Radio Merchandise Sales Inc., 550 Westchester Ave., New York City; Deena Manufacturing Co., 20 Belmont Ave., Newark; Thall Plastics Engineering Co., 166 Chambers St., New York City. Even RCA recently came out with $24.95 magnifier for 7-in., enlarging to equivalent of 12-in. IRE president for 1949 is Stuart L. Bailey of the VV’ashington consulting engineering firm Jansky & Bailey. Elected directors-at-large were Electronics Magazine's Donald G. Fink, vice chairman of JTAC, and Dr. William L. Everitt, U of Illinois electrical engineering dean. Regional directors elected: John V. L. Hogan, Radio Inventions, North Central Atlantic Region; George R. Town, manager of engineering and research, StrombergCarlson, East Central; Ben Akerman, chief engineer, WGST, Atlanta, Southern; Frank R. Pounsett, chief engineer, Stromberg-Carlson Co. Ltd., Toronto, Canadian. Fifth FM station to call it quits, after actually operating, is WFMO, FM-only Class A in Jersey City. Although backed by substantial new'sreel and laundry interests, station signed off after struggling manfully for over a year. Other operating stations dropping by w'ayside were: Yankee Network’s WMNE, Mt. Washington, N. H.; KONG, Alameda, Cal.; KPNI-FM, Palo Alto, Cal.; WPIK-FM, Alexandria, Va. RMA Television Systems Committee has worked out stringent measurement standards for TV transmitter performance, plans to ask FCC to incorporate them into TV engineering standards. Information w'as revealed by Philco engineering v.p. David B. Smith at rate hearing. New York’s WPIX has gone directly to public to solve cases of poor Channel 11 reception. Neatly-done 6-page booklet. Did You Know? describes need for properly cut and oriented high-band antenna, tells viewer what he’s missing if he doesn’t get WPIX. More TV’ network sponsors signed this week: Lipton’s Tea, simulcasts of Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, starting on CBS-TV Dec. 6, Mon., 8:30-9 p.m. Vick’s VapoRub, Wendie Barrie with guest cartoonists in Picture This, starting Nov. 10 on NBC-East Coast, Wed., 8:20-8:30 p.m. Though CBS and KTTV have tied up Pasadena Rose Bowl game Jan. 1 (Vol. 4:44), Los Angeles TV stations have all got sponsors for Rose Parade: KTSL, W. & J. Sloane Co.; KFI-TV, Hoffman Radio Co.; KLAC-TV, Los Angeles Federal Savings & Loan. Other new TV station sponsorships reported: WCAU-TV, Philadelphia: Scott & Grauer (Ballantine Ale), 15-min, preceding any CBS sports event sponsored by Ballantine; Doan-Calhoun ( Chevrolet! , 6 "Football Warm-Up”; ann. by Erlanger Brewing Co., Yankee Maid Meat Products, Harry Krause (Studebaker). WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee: Marine National Exchange Bank, "Salute to Industry,” Wed., 9-9:30 p.m., saluting different industry each week. WBZ-TV, Boston: First National Bank. Dr. James Austin, MIT meteorologist, weather reports 3 times weekly. KSD-TV', St. Louis: Anheuser-Busch Inc. (beer), "Snapshots from Hollj-wood,” 13 weeks. WENR-TV, Chicago: Marshall Field & Co., "Uncle Mistletoe,” 4 times weekly, 52 weeks. KFI-TV, Los Angeles: Eastern-Columbia, So. Calif, dept, store chain, 8 ann. weekly. WPTZ, Philadelphia; Esterbrook Pen. Co., "Write Your 'Way,” weekly handwriting show. .