Television digest with AM-FM reports (Jan-Dec 1950)

Station Accounts: Domestic Sewmachines sponsoring Adventures in Sewbig on New York’s WJZ-TV, 1:30-2, starting March 10; Sulzman Distributing Corp., New York, and Apollo Distributing Corp., Newark, placing thru Fuller & Smith & Ross, Cleveland . . . CaseS way ne Co., Santa Ana, Cal. (fruit packers) sponsoring The Jonathan Story, film serial by Will Lankergood Productions, Hollywood, on KFI-TV, Mon. thru Fri. 7:15-7:30; same station also to carry Angels baseball sponsored alteinate days by Emerson distributor and Eastside Beer . . . Burry Biscuit Co. sponsoring Friendship Ranch on WNBT, New York, Thu. 6-6:15, thru Clements Co., Philadelphia . . . Kaiser-Frazer used New York TV stations this week, including hour show on WOR-TV, to introduce new models. Among sponsors reported using or preparing to use spot TV; Owens Harass Inc., Rochester (Sark card game), thru Hutchins Adv.; Larson Laboratories, Erie, Pa. (Mintglo adhesive balm), thru Yount Co., Erie; Stokely-Van Camp Co., thru Gardner Adv., St. Louis; Helene Curtis Industries Inc. (Suave hair dressing), thru Gordon Best Agency, Chicago; Durkee Famous Foods (margarine), thru Meldrum & Fewsmith; United Airlines, thru N. W. Ayer; Chrysler Dealers of Chicago, thru Olian Adv. Network Accounts: Easter Sunday one-shot on NBCTV, April 9, 5:30-7 p.m., sponsored by Frigidaire, will feature Bob Hope as m.c. of big-name variety show; he’s reported getting paid .$40,000 . . . General Mills sponsoring Chicago Golden Gloves finals on 25 ABC-TV intei'connected stations. Wed. March 29, 9 : 30-conclusion; via kine Sat., April 1, same time, on 6 non-connected stations . . . Gillette to sponsor 3 basketball championships on 26 ABC-TV stations— NIT finals March 18; NCAA Eastern regional finals, March 25; East-West All-Star game, March 25 — all starting 10 p.m. from Madison Square Garden . . . Blatz Beer renews Roller Derby on ABC-TV for 26 weeks from March 30 . . . New cooperative Jamboree, square dance program, keyed from WGN-TV, Chicago, due to go on DuMont Netwoi’k, Sun. 8-9; Jay’s Potato Chips Co. to sponsor in Chicago. March 1 sets-in-use, reported by stations since NBC Research “census” of Feb. 1 (Vol. 6:8) : Cleveland 176,474, up 22,474 in month; Washington 109,360, up 8360; St. Louis 100,100, up 12,500; Kansas City 28,901, up 2000; Memphis 24,172, up 8272; Miami 20,000, up 3100; Omaha 17,720 as of March 3, up 3720; Greensboro 9557, up 757; Utica 9300, up 2100; Davenport 8325, up 725; Ames (Des Moines) 5611 as of March 8, up 4411; Norfolk 4192, up 2292. Note: Number of families for Charlotte should be 171,000, not 107,000 as listed in our Vol. 6:8. “What will be the result of televising opera? Will it cut down opera performance?” Dr. Franklin Dunham, chief of radio, U. S. Office of Education, asks the questions, answers them himself : “No, it will only multiply its audience a hundred thousand fold. Will it kill efforts to give opera in other cities? No, it will only make the public more avid to see opera in the flesh, just as pictures have made travel more desirable and the great historic places of the world more interesting to millions.” England started TV some 10 years before we did, yet latest Postoffice count of TV receiver licenses shows 285, 500 (end of January) — fewer than we have in either New York, Chicago, Philadelphia or Los Angeles. United Kingdom has some 12,000,000 licensed radios. President’s Communications Policy Board (Vol. 6:7) held first meeting at FCC Friday, devoted most of its time to problems of organization and staff, heard representatives of govt, agencies. Next meeting April 20. Personal Notes: In its “Look Applauds” section Feb. 28, Look Magazine pays tribute to Crosley’s James D. Shouse as “rising new figure in U. S. industry” and “at 46 a man to watch” . . . Roger S. Underhill, ex-WICU, Erie, joins WJIM & WJIM-TV, Lansing, Mich, (now testing) as sales mgr. . . . William R. McAndrew, NBC’s mgr. of WRC and WNBW, Washington, elected president of Radio Correspondents Assn. . . . Thomas D. Connolly new mgr. of CBS-TV program sales . . . Scott Donahue Jr., ex-WPIX, joins New York TV staff of The Katz Agency . . . Daniel F. Greenhouse, film man, named director of TV sales of KTTV, Los Angeles, under Frank G. King, sales mgr. . . . Clyde Rembert, KRLD & KRLDTV, Dallas, is second TV operator (out of 9) elected to CBS Affiliate Advisory Board — other being Richard Borel, WBNS & WBNS-TV, Columbus. . . S. L. Spraggin, wartime plant supt., elected v.p. of Hoffman Radio in charge of plant operations; John A. Rankin, ex-Belmont and RCA License Labs, elected Hoffman engineering v.p. . . . Donald G. Gaines, ex-Hytron, RCA & Zenith, appointed Sentinel chief electrical engineer under W. J. Schnell, engineering director. Draw your own conclusions from this carbon sent us of letter to Senator Johnson, dated Feb. 28, over signature of Gene O’Fallon, KFEL, Denver: “Last month, in Chicago, Frank F. Moch, president of TV Installation & Service Assn, at a TV meeting stated 90% of today’s TV sets are of poorer quality than last year. Thought you might be interested.” Carbon was also sent to Dr. Allen DuMont. In statement sent to Chicago TV Council, Dr. DuMont left little doubt he feels many AM broadcasters are trying to delay TV by confusion, intimated they’ve influenced Sen. Johnson (“It almost seems that his opposition is to television itself.”). Regarding color, said DuMont: “By virtue of its incompatibility, the Columbia system would cause absolute turmoil from a broadcasting, manufacturing, sales and reception standpoint. The RCA and CTI systems, by virtue of their compatibility, have promise for future development. They are not ready now in my opinion.” Motion picture theatre attendance problem got closer attention this week as result of (1) Audience Research (Gallup) report showing January attendance down to 64,600,000, or 4% off 67,100,000 for January 1949 (see also Vol. 6:5); (2) report 20th Century National houses played to 10,000,000 less patrons in 1949 than 1948; (c) Wometco Florida chain’s report its downtown theatres’ business dropped 27% in 1949 under 1948. Canadian RMA reports 9000 TV sets turned out by 12 manufacturers during 1949, having retail value of $3,418,500. Target for first quarter of 1950 is 6000. Canada has relaxed ban on radio imports to permit 50% quota, but Canadian manufacturers believe most imports will be parts, not sets. TV sets owned by families on relief have to be rereturned, Long Island Comr. of Public Welfare Wallace ordered this week. He told 4 families to x-eturn their sets, cut relief payments of woman who refused. Four New York FM grants were made this week — to WINS, WHOM, WEVD and Brooklyn Dodgers after long stymie due to revision of FM standards. Betting is that most won’t build. Spring schedule of CBS color xnedical demonstrations: Mai’ch 26-29, St. Louis; April 17-21, Boston; May 1-3, Ft. Worth; June 26-30, San Francisco. Largest feasible-size tube would be one giving picture 4x5-ft., Dr. Allen B. DuMont told i-eporters at IRE press conference this week.