Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1949)

JUNE 18, 1949 SIGHT AND SOUND Immediate lifting of TV freeze in 11 market areas, releasing 22 channels, is asked of FCC in letter sent June 17 by TEA president Jack Poppele with endorsement of board. These areas are unaffected by tropospheric problems, being adequately spaced under any prospective reallocation, so TEA thinks it’s FCC’s duty to the national economy to enable transmitter and receiver manufacturers as well as distributors, to plan production and markets. Areas mentioned and their market rankings (see allocation table, p. 22, TV Directory No. 7) : San Francisco 7th, Seattle 19, Denver 26, San Diego 49, Sacramento 54, Salt Lake City 58, Tacoma 74, El Paso 105, Stockton, Cal. 108, Corpus Christ! 121, Amarillo 136. Hot Senate committee session on McFarland bill (Vol. 5:23,24) Friday brought torrid exchange between Sen. McFarland and Dept, of Justice lawyers who objected to bill on grounds it would weaken FCC power to curb monopoly. Justice people reported they have begun study of monopoly in radio. Eitterly debated subject also was clear channel stations, with Senators Johnson and McFarland siding with anti-clear Ed Craney, Capehart siding with clear channel group’s Ward Quaal. FCC’s Comr. Hyde had number of objections, many of them minor, most of them worries that FCC would lose flexibility in procedure. In view of number of probable amendments, it seems dubious bill will pass before adjournment. Fight managers accepted Madison Square Garden offer of $1,000 for each main-event fighter last week end as fighters’ share of TV rights. Feature pugilists at St. Nicholas Arena (Garden-owned) get $350 each, $1,000 if fight is on Friday night. Agreement also promises proportionate increase in sum if Garden “take” is more than this year’s $400,000 from TV rights. Managers had been holding out for 50% of TV fees (Vol. 5:24). TV Authority, comprising all video talent unions (except Petrillo’s musicians) should ease operators’ labor problems considerably — since negotiations, working conditions, pay scales will be worked out with single group rather than 4 now in picture (AFRA, AGVA, SAG, Actors’ Equity). To performers, establishment of TV Authority means they can perform on TV no matter which card they’re carrying. Calling it quits this week was long-established (10 years) station WMOE, Mobile, Ala. High losses stemming from spiraling production costs and union demands were reasons given. Mobile Press-Register’s WAEE bought physical assets from the Nunns (J. Lindsay and Gilmore) who own 4 other stations. Long-distance TV reception (Vol. 5:24), unreliable though it may be, is deemed adequate by Phoenix and Tucson dealers for demonstration purposes. In fact, one Phoenix dealer advertises “avoid the rush” to buy sets, in anticipation of KTLX’s start there this winter, meanwhile shows pictures from St. Louis, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Ft. Worth, Houston, Los Angeles. Industrial TV gets more and more attention, particuarly from equipment manufacturers whose production lines have been balked by TV freeze. RCA’s W. W. Watts, v.p. in charge of engineering products, in June 15 speech before Engineers’ Society of Milwaukee ventured opinion that industrial uses of TV may eventually take more equipment than telecasting. More accretions to June 1 TV set census (Vol. 5:24): Los Angeles increased 14,151 during May to June 1 total of 140,400, according to So. Calif. Radio & Electrical Appliance Assn. Baltimore, up 5,496 to 63,131 total, according to stations committee. Erie, Pa., up 1,300 to 4,500, according to WICU. Muntz TV is subject of 2-col. feature in June 20 Newsweek, which finds set “can work without an antenna, brings in the picture with a twist of the channel selector, is relatively cheap.” Story says fabulous California used car dealer, 35-year-old Earl (Madman) Muntz, got TV circuit from young TV engineer named Rex Wilson, teamed again with 31-year-old Michael Shore to sell Muntz TV. Shore is merchandising brains behind all the hoopla imported from Hollywood to Chicago and New York — skywriting, spot radio, splashy ads, etc., including such catchy slogans as “Your living room is our show room.” “When you buy television insist on a free home demonstration.” “TV in your home tonight.” Big Davega Stores Corp., major distributor of TVs among other goods, reports sales of $24,751,388 for fiscal year ended March 31, highest in its history, comparing with $23,312,798 for 1948 and $21,103,988 for 1947. Attributed to falling prices, lower profits and higher expenses, net income fell to $762,247 ($2.90 per common share) vs. $1,101,084 ($4.48) for 1948 and $1,327,032 ($5.47) for 1947. Sonora has filed amended schedules with reorganization plan (Vol. 5:4,23), showing liabilities of $906,479 ($361,189 being taxes, $91,574 secured, $453,716 unsecured) and assets of $754,225 (inventory $432,596, accounts receivable $129,781, equipment $89,577, securities $83,833, bank deposits $12,610, insurance $4,988, cash $840). Circular TV receiving antenna, claimed to achieve high gain without cumbersome high and low band sections, guy wires, etc., was introduced this week by Continental Copper & Steel Industries’ Welin Division, 345 Madison Ave., New York (Ernest Jarvis, pres.; William Hickson, Welin v.p.). It has 84-in. diameter, costs $25. Indoor type, YlVz in., is planned, will sell for $15-$20. “Video Analyzer,” to reduce annoying changes in picture quality caused by camera switching, is latest TV-optical development by Dr. Frank G. Back. Working with ABC, the inventor of Zoomar and Balowstar lenses came up with device to check cameras, insure uniformity of response. It will be made by Frank G. Back Corp., 292 Madison Ave., New York; Jack Pegler, president. Gadgets growing out of TV : Child’s movie projector shaped like TV set, costing $9.95 with 5-min. film, produced by Hollywood Toy Television Corp., 1225 S. Talman Ave., Chicago. Lamp with picture tube as base, offered by New York shop — good use for burned-out tubes. “Milton Berle TV Makeup Kit” advertised by Gimbels — New York this week, proclaiming: “You can be the Milton Berle of your pai'ty . . . It’s easy to make funny faces like ‘Ml’. Television.’ ” One cause of TV eyestrain can be eliminated by set manufacturers, maintains W. S. Stewart in May Radio & Television News. He says areas surrounding screen should be free of “shining gingerbread of brass, chrome and glittering plastic,” asserts manufacturers have ignored what movie people have learned about such matters over period of 50 years. He also believes reflections from kinescope face and safety glass can be cut down with coating or light etching. CBS’s color TV equipment goes from Atlantic City (Vol. 5:8,22-24) to Wright Aeronautical Corp., WoodRidge, N. J., for June 22 demonstration of how to observe, at a distance, tests of jet engines. Company has experimented previously with monochrome for same job. Article on theater TV by FCC’s John McCoy and radio lawyer Harry Warner is scheduled for next issue of Hollywood Quarterly, UCLA publication.