Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1948)

SIGHT AND SOUND Sports world hassled over TV this week; In Chicago, major league baseball executives turned down minors’ request that clubs limit telecasting to “hometown” areas (Vol. 4:50). In New York, Eastern College I Athletic Conference heard NBC’s Noran Kersta and EdI ward England on TV’s contribution to collegiate football, 1 came to no formal conclusion — but sportswriters dei scribed reaction as “general antipathy” toward TV by I athletic directors attending; subject is due for complete airing at January meeting of National Collegiate Athletic Assn in San Francisco. In Philadelphia, champion Joe Louis said he’d ask for $250,000 for radio and TV rights when he defends title in New Vork next June, said he “gave it away” last time for mere $40,000. In Baltimore, Century Athletic Club sued owners of Baltimore Coliseum who refused club TV rights although 1 lease gave Century right to sell broadcasts. Century at, torneys argued “broadcasting” covers telecasting. Coliseum attorneys cited technical differences, argued for separation I since “both are very valuable and readily saleable.” I ! A new excess profits tax, Philco’s chairman John Balj lantyne told Congressional subcommittee Wednesday, i w’ould inevitably tighten up expansion plans of company ' like his, which in TV particularly is taking risks in ; plant expansion (Sandusky, Lansdale) ; is going into elecj trie range business (Vol. 4:48) ; is training 4,000 persons I for TV operation; expects next year to turn out 600,000 I TV sets; last year showed return of 4V2 cents per dollar of sales; won’t achieve 6% net this year despite profits after taxes for first 9 months amounting to $6,600,000, or 3 times 1940 net. Portfolio of radio and related stocks, as of Nov. 19, as disclosed by Television Fund Inc. (Vol. 4:35), invest,ment trust formed last August to specialize in securities Un TV, radio and electronics fields (all common shares); :200 Admiral, 1,000 ABC, 500 Avco, 200 Bell & Howell, 200 Blaw-Knox, 200 CBS “A”, 500 Corning Glass, 1,000 DuMont, 200 Eastman, 500 Emerson, 200 GE, 500 IT&T, 400 Line Material Co., 300 Loew’s, 500 Magnavox, 300 P. R. Mallory, 500 Motorola, 500 Oak Mfg., 200 Para; mount, 300 Philco, 1,000 RCA, 300 Sylvania, 500 Webster Chicago, 200 Westinghouse, 500 Zenith. I^st 4 New York City FM channels are sewed up, barring the unexpected, since last minute pre-hearing I dropout of Methodist group Friday left enough channels ( for all hands — WEVD, WHOM, WINS, Brooklyn Dodgers (Ebbetts-McKeever). Largely a formality, hearing adjourned Tuesday, will resume in Washington later to clean up odds and ends. Notes about personnel: Tom Gallery, former Los 1 Angeles sports promoter, since 1945 promotion manager I of New York Yankees, becomes public relations manager I of DuMont Network Jan. 2 . . . Pete Wasser, ex-manager I of WJAS-KQW, joins DuMont’s new WDTV, Pittsburgh, I as promotion-production manager under manager Donald i Stewart . . . Earle Hammons, president of new Lion Television Picture Corp. (Vol. 4:50), named film consultant I for ABC-TV . . . Ralph Ilackbusch, v.p. and gen. mgr. ' of Stromt)erg-Carlson Ltd., Toronto, elected head of 1 Canadian Radio Technical Planning Board . . . CBS-Los 1 Avgeles Times’ now-readying KTTV reports production I chief Ha) Hudson has mustered staff including Paul Ritts, I from WCAU-TV; Stuart Phelps, from KTSL; Frank I Woodruff, ex-producer of Lux Radio Theater . . . Robert Bigw(K*d, ex-ABC, joins DuMont as network facilities I engineer. An FM freeze, much milder in impact than TV’s, is being considered by FCC. What prompts idea is: (1) Study of 400 and 600 kc separation between metropolitan Class B and suburban Class A station shows they cut into each other’s service areas somewhat more than expected. (2) Ti’opospheric interference in a few cases cuts into Class B 1,000 uv/m contours. Though only 81 applications are pending, thought of some is that FCC ought to stop to bring rules and standards into line with actual conditions, tell applicants what they can look for. If freeze is approved (and staff is split on it), modifications of CPs to enlarge service areas, as well as applications, would be held up. But operating stations and CPs wouldn’t be affected. Negotiations over transit FM are now going on among Transit Radio Inc., FM stations, and huge National City Lines which holds transit franchises in over 40 cities (Vol. 4:29). Latter has been tremendously impres.sed by pilot operation in St. Louis, working with KXOK-FM. Importance of system to Yankee Network is shown in transfer of Robert Manby from managership of WONS, Hartford, to new transit FM division, directly under v.p. Thomas O’Neil. First TV-in-every-room hotel will be New York’s 1,600-room Park Central, sold this week to Sheraton chain, name to be changed to Park Sheraton. Tele-Rent Corp., headed by Herman A. Cooper, with offices in Park Central, said $500,000 installation will use specially-built 10in. sets with 5 channels operating from master antenna. Implications on oilman Ed Pauley’s bid for KLAC-TV, Los Angeles (Vol. 4:46) are seen in FCC action this week denying his latest attempt to get FCC to make Thackrey and Warner Bros, break down package deal into individual units (Vol. 4:44). Since Commission in effect says it won’t make principals separate $1,045,000 consideration into price-per-stations, feeling is it won’t accept Pauley bid for KLAC-TV as meeting Warner Bros, offer under Avco ruling. Hallicrafters reports sales for fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 1948 w'ere $11,233,759; for first 4 months of current fiscal year will be $6,500,000; for fiscal year ending next Aug. 31 should exceed $18,000,000 — big rise attributable largely to TV. TV sponsorship notes: Admiral wants to expand its Sun. 7:30 p.m. Welcome Aboard to full hour on entire NBC-TV network, has secured Fri., 8-9 p.m. commitment starting Jan., size of netw'ork contingent on coaxial cable availability . . . Big advertiser Sterling Drugs Inc., which recently announced it’s diverting $1,000,000 of its budget to TV and additional newspaper-magazine advertising, started sponsorship of Okay Mother, daytime audience participation show, on New York’s W.ABD Mon. thru Fri., 1-1:30 p.m., signing 10-year contract, possibly biggest yet on any single station . . . Emerson Radio's Toast of the Town on CBS-TV, starting Dec. 19, is being filmed for placement on Detroit’s WJBK-TV, Chicago’s WGN-TV, Los Angeles’ KFI-TV (KTTV after Jan. 1) . . . Baltimore’s WAAM reports first daytime show. Movie Matinee, United World Films package, I\Ion. thru Fri., 4:30 p.m., sponsored by Philco dealers . . . Fort Worth’s WBAP-TV signs daily 5-min. movie trailers for Interstate Theatres . . . Louisville’s WAVE-TV, reporting 2,816 sets in area as of Dec. 10, lists 15 sponsors . . . Buffalo’s WBEN-TV has 43 sponsors, 20 of them on its Shoppers’ Guide cooperative show, plus 11 using spots, 12 using programs (including Buffalo Electric Co., Wildroot Co.).