Television digest with AM-FM reports (Jan-Dec 1951)

16 Telecasting Notes: DuMont’s 1950 annual report (see Financial & Trade Notes) does not reveal network profitand-loss figures, as did 1949 report — but it does state that “network continued to operate at a loss, although to a considerable less extent than during 1949.” Gross billings of DuMont Network and its 3 TV stations (WABD, WTTG, WDTV) were reported 207% of 1949 billings, which had been reported as $2,435,966 (Vol. 6:14). It can therefore be adduced that 1950 income was around $5,000,000. DuMont network-station operating loss ran $2,564,491 in 1949 and $1,424,530 in 1948 (Vol. 6:14) . . . Billings of many if not most TV station operations are now running ahead of their AM counterparts, where jointly owned, but first ad agency to reveal TV billings exceeding AM is Young & Rubicam; Variety reports that 1951-52 season, starting Sept., will find that agency spending $30,000,000 on TVradio (out of total billings of $93,000,000), with $17-18,000,000 going for TV time and production, $12,000,000 for radio . . . Either Chicago or Philadelphia, due to convention halls and availability of TV pickups, seen certain to get 1952 Republican and Democratic national conventions; Radio Correspondents Assn, has designated Bill Henry, MBS commentator, to arrange for pooled telecasts as well as network and station broadcasts . . . Manual titled The ABC’s of Television Film Production, setting forth time and cost factors in production of commercial spots for TV, has been issued by Henri, Hurst & McDonald, Chicago agency . . . Catholic U and NBC’s WNBW, Washington, have arranged tieup for Television Workshop, dramatic productions, educational broadcasts . . . TV applicant KENT, Des Moines (Cowles) plans to share new 709-ft. TV-FM tower, now under construction, with other stations, a la Empire State Bldg. (Vol. 7:11) . . . KPHO-TV, Phoenix, April 15 raised base hour rate from $250 to $300, one-min. from $40 to $60. Following increased rates May 1: WAAM, Baltimore, $550 to $650 & $95 to $113.75; WHIO-TV, Dayton, $400 to $525 & $50 to $90; WTVR, Richmond, $400 to $500 & $90 to $100; KLAC-TV, Los Angeles, $750 to $1000 & $125 to $175 . . . KOB & KOB-TV, Albuquerque, N. M., appoints Branham Co. as national rep. Five applications for TA^ stations this week bring total pending to 404. Applying were: WLVA and WWOD, Lynchburg, Va., both for Channel No. 13; WNEX, Macon, Ga., No. 13; AVTOC, Savannah, Ga., No. 11; Texarkana (Tex.) Gazette & A^ews (KCMC), No. 6. [For further details about applicants, principals, etc., see TV Addenda 12-Q herewith; for listings of all applications to date, see TV Faetbook No. 12, with Addenda to date.] Application for proposed sale of facilities of WSB-TV. Atlanta, to group of local business men but with investment firm of Clement Evans & Co. holding 66% (Vol. 7:16) was returned to applicant by FCC this week on grounds it could not tell who ultimate stockholders would be. Investment firm proposed to sell shares locally, and is expected to re-file with complete list of prospective stockholders. FCC liberalized rule prohibiting separate operation of visual and aural TA^ transmitters this week. New regulation, effective June 13, permits use of test pattern, still pictures, slides for not more than one hour daily to accompany aural announcements of station’s program schedule, newscasts, commentaries. Previous rule limited this to 15 minutes a day. New rule also permits sign-on test pattern to be accompanied by music for 15-minute “warmup” period, previously prohibited. May 1 sets-in-use repoi’ted since NBC Research’s “census” of April 1 (Vol. 7:17): Washington 261,300, up 7500; Dallas-Fort Woi th 117,068, up 4068; Memphis 86,221, up 3221; Grcen.sboro 66,972, up 3072; Miami 65,000, up 5000; Utica 42,000, up 1300; Norfolk 67,309, up 3109. Talk of coast-to-coast TA’ in time for AA'orld Series has just enough substance to make it possible. AT&T just doesn’t know whether Omaha-San Francisco microwave will be in service by October, but reiterates that system “may be equipped for TA^ service before the end of the year.” It announced that telephone service would be instituted via microwave from Omaha to Denver in July; from Chicago to Omaha in August; from Denver to San Francisco in late August. It also reported that on April 1 an additional coaxial circuit was put into operation from Toledo to Dayton, making total of 4 southbound, one northbound. On May 14 additional microwave circuits will be opened from Columbus to Dayton (making total of one westbound, 3 eastbound) and from Dayton to Cincinnati (making 3 southbound, one reversible on notice). Advertisers are using new money for TA’, not taking it from other media. That’s conclusion of Magazine Advertising Bureau in recent study titled Where Are TV Budgets Coming From? Bureau took 126 TV advertisers, found that although they increased TV expenditures 286.5% last 6 months of 1950 compared to same period 1949, they also increased magazine buying 11.8%, Sunday newspaper supplements 20.1%, network radio 0.6Vi. NonTV advertisers, on other hand, increased magazine advertising by 10.3%’, but reduced Sunday newspaper supplements 9.1 %f, network radio 3.3%-. A’alue of movies in vaults of 5 major producers is figured at $281,520,000 in the TA^ market by New York stockbroker Reynolds & Co. in April 19 report titled Hidden Values in Motion Picture Production Companies. In much same vein. Paramount’s Paul Raibourn touched on subject recently (Vol. 7:13). Reynolds report estimated that TV can pay $20,000 per half-hour film, that Hollywood movies run for 2 hours, therefore each film is worth $80,000. Here’s what Wall St. firm figured each of the 5 majors has in way of films made between 1933 and 1949: MGM, 670, value for TV estimated at $53,600,000; Paramount, 732, $58,560,000; RKO, 694, $55,520,000; 20th Century-Fox, 758, $60,640,000; Warner Bros., 665, $53,200,000. Two SMPTE committees are working on standards for TV films. Joint SMPTE & RMTA committee on film equipment is working on 3 standards: (a) dimensions of TV slides and opaques; (b) development of 16 mm motion picture projector for use with TA'^ cameras opei'ating on fullstorage basis; (c) location and size of picture area in TV recordings of 16mm and 35mm motion picture film. Committee on TV films is working on getting industry to accept additional markings on film “leaders” (that portion of film pi-eceding actual pictures), including 16mm sound start, pattern for TV adjustment, switch-on mark. Eastman-Kodak’s new 16mm film projector for TA’ stations was described for first time at SMPTE convention in New York this week. Principal feature is method by which pull-down time of film is coordinated with blanking period of TA^ camera. Especially built for TA^, $6500 appai'atus is said to furnish greater definition, more light, higher sound quality than can present equipment. Also described was new 35mm TA’ i-ecording camera developed by Producers Seiwice Co., Burbank, Cal. Telecasters Film Syndicate Inc. is new corporate name of cooperative TA” film syndicate recently formed as Consolidated Television Broadcasters Inc. (A’ol. 7:17), with Richard E. Jones (AVJBK-TA^ Detroit) president and Hai'rison Dunham (ex-KTTV, Los Angeles) executive v.p. All FM stations operating functional music fall within purview of FCC “order” declaring such operations illegal. Commission announced this week. Last month, FCC wrote 4 such stations advising them of such ruling, told them to state why they shouldn’t be forced to cease such broadcasting (A^ol. 7:15).