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

8 up in well-publicized demonstrations and in continued output of publicity releases. Latest quote foreign radio dignitaries: Jan Philip Boon, managing director general of National Belgian Broadcasting Institute, stated: "We have the advantage of being able to start TV broadcasting in color and should do so." President of Broadcasting Corp. of Japan, Tetsuro Furukaki. said: "After having seen the CBS system, which is so simplified and which brings such good results, I hope our country can inaugurate color telecasts very soon." ^ ^ 4= 4; How CBS sets will sell remains puzzler. Most manufacturers still place little stock in CBS system, either as a system or as potential market item. But RTMA (to which CBS now belongs by reason of Hytron merger) has taken new stand of impartiality, as expressed in speech by president Glen McDaniel at Chicago Music Show July 18. He said: "The controversial language and the emotionalism should be forgotten. Some unduly sensitive souls [believe] that TV manufacturers would refuse to make and sell equipment to receive [CBS color] because their advice had been rejected by the Commission. This is nonsense. Our industry was recently described by the chairman of the FCC himself as perhaps *the most competitive of all industries.* He is right... "Whenever a public demand arises for adapters, converters, or color sets at prices that make production feasible, I'm sure that manufacturing industry will meet that demand. .. They would be particularly interested in a market for a new product at this time when they're suffering severely from heavy inventories and lack of sales." As for compatible system, McDaniel said that "the industry is taking the Commission and Senator Johnson at their word" — that any better system can again be brought to FCC when sufficient experience has been gained through field testing. * * * * CBS color was big attraction at Music Show, but few dealers appear to be going overboard. Writes Retailing Daily's correspondent: "Buyers who seem to be well versed in the color controversy showed little or no interest in color at the show, while those attending who have never seen the phenomenon mobbed the booths of CBS and CBS-Columbia Inc. "One New York store representative reported that his CBS color demonstration caused only passive interest in his customers until RCA went on the air with its field tests last week. At that moment, he reported, there suddenly was considerable activity in color and people assumed that color was here." Lack of consumer interest, according to this buyer, was because CBS programs were "very, very bad" and "because of all the detrimental stories being circulated about the drawbacks of CBS-type equipment." GE's TV sales director Donald Davis, in speech before Music Show group, put the merchandisers' case thus, vis-a-vis expected small output of color receivers by few set makers promising them: "Remember that your store is an emporium and not a museum. If you put on your floor a color set today without actually being able to take orders on it and without knowing the price or being able to give an accurate delivery date, you're going to find your customers saying, 'I'll wait for that. ' and refusing to consider the merchandise you have to sell — black-and-white sets." Some manufacturers are gearing themselves, meanwhile, for any eventuality. Stromberg-Carlson & Stewart-Warner are latest reported with sample slave converters — a la Crosley, Bendix, Tele-tone . Meek — ready to meet whatever demand arises. Rights to CBS color for use with Eidophor theatre TV (Vol. 7:7,18) have been acquired by 20th Century-Fox. President Spyros Skouras says 20th Century will use the color TV in its own theatres and make it available to others. Film company plans demonstration of combined systems in September, may eventually produce some of its own shows for theatre network. A 20th Century official said company may some day make Eidophor projection TV sets for home use. Quality of pictui'e produced by the Swiss system, he said, is “nearest thing to home movies.” Reproduction of CBS color pictures in July 23 Li/e isn’t quite accurate. Actually, CBS closeups are somewhat sharper than most of the pictures. Life commented cautiously: “The [CBS] premiere went off on schedule and, although some critics found the entertainment a bit ragged . . . most agreed that color TV was fascinating.”