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

Record Details:

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PRESS reaction to RCA color (Vol. 7:28) continues in same vein as last week, overwhelmingly favorable. Herald Tribune syndicate columnist John Crosby, who has always been sold on compatibility, wrote: “CBS’s system [is] now the law of the land. Yet it is still an uncomfortable secret which CBS would like to share with the rest of us but doesn’t quite know how to go about it. The RCA system, while not exactly illegal, is terribly unofficial . . . As to the merit of the two systems, it would be pretty hard to determine unless CBS and the improved RCA receiver were set side by side. The differences, I suspect, would be of great interest to the engineers but probably wouldn’t be very noticeable to you and me. “RCA color, I think, is sometimes a little more pallid, not quite so rich in texture as the CBS brand, just the same it’s good color transmission . . . Just now TV needs a lot of things — imagination, taste and money, to name three; it needs almost everything except color. The progress of the art [would] be seriously interrupted by any noncompatible system like CBS’s; it would be left unimpaired and possibly unchanged for years to come by RCA color , . .” Bruce Robertson, of Broadcasting, which has maintained cautious approach throughout, ventured: “A reopening of the color TV question, probably on a petition for dual standards . . . seemed inevitable last week . . . Fine quality of the black-and-white reception of the colorcast images also was noted . . . RCA’s colors seemed to tend toward the pastel shades, pleasing but less vivid and exciting than the hues shown by CBS . . . There was no fringing in RCA colors . . . Most noticeable advantage of the RCA method [was] in the flesh tints. RCA’s were true and lifelike at all times, while the faces of the performers before the CBS color cameras paled and darkened as they turned toward and away from the studio lights . . . No one could ask for better color fidelity or more accurate skin tone reproduction than was demonstrated in the pictures of Nanette Fabray.” Leaning towards CBS in past, Editor & Publisher's Jerry Walker said: “This department, which has had a Personal Notes: Harold L. Morgan Jr., ABC-TV opera tions director, elevated to v.p. in charge of TV program dept., reporting to Alexander Stronach Jr., TV v.p.; Charles M. Underhill, ex-CBS, joins ABC-TV July 30 as national director, program dept.; Henry T. Hede named business mgr., Anthony M. Hennig production mgr., progz’am dept. . . . James C. McNary has withdrawn from consulting engineering partnership of McNary & Wrathall, will continue Washington offices while Grant Wrathall continues to operate from Aptos, Cal. . . . D. L. Provost, business mgr. of WBAL & WBAL-TV, Baltimore, named acting gen. mgr., Hearst Radio Inc. under president Charles B. McCabe; he will work out of Baltimore . . . William A. Williams elected asst, treasurer, NBC, reporting to Joseph V. Heffernan, financial v.p. . . . Ray Stone named asst, mgr., CBS-TV network sales service dept, under Robert F. Jamieson . . . Robert G. Dalchau promoted to film editor, KEYL, San Antonio, succeeding Tom J. Maloney, resigned; Vernon Poerner named stage mgr., following promotion of Bill Michaelis to director . . . Frank A. Daniel appointed mgr. of TV-radio dept., Lennen & Mitchell . . . Clinton F. Wheeler Jr., ex-BBDO, named director of TV-radio, Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson & Mather . . . Michael Foster scheduled to head up TV public relations dept, of newly-reorganized CBS setup (Vol. 7:28), George Crandall to handle radio . . . Henry J. Christal, partner in Petry rep firm, has resigned, indicating no future plans . . . I. E. (Chickl Showerman, Free & Peters, nominated to succeed WMCA’s Norman Boggs (soon joining Don Lee) as president of N. Y. Radio Executives Club. soft spot for CBS on the same ground as the FCC — that the CBS system was the only one really ready, as of last year — finds it difficult now to chase the cruel thought that FCC is riding an obsolete horse. The RCA pictures seen this week could easily stand up to comparison with the CBS presentation . . . The direct large-sized pictures, with 16-in. and 21-in. tri-color tubes, were easier on the eyes than those seen through magnifying glass. Also noted was the absence of flicker and color hangover. The eyes carry over a flashing spectrum as they blink while watching a CBS ‘mechanical’ (rotating disc) picture.” After thumbing through some of RCA’s thousands of viewer responses regarding compatibility. New York Herald Tribune’s Joseph Kaselow wrote: “Many letters said the black-and-white pictures had better definition and clarity than the regular telecasts and, in some instances, that something approaching a 3-dimensional effect was achieved. The pictures also were said to have ‘more blackness’ than usual. A random sampling of the letters and cards showed that, in addition to giving the basic information asked by RCA, many set owners were surprisingly well informed on the issues involved in the color controversy ... As was to be expected, viewers liked the idea of being able to receive the colorcasts without having to buy and install adapters . . . The few letters which included criticism of the pick-ups said that there had been blurriness in the long shots and during rapid action.” Harry MacArthur, of the Washington Star, mulled over what he’d seen, wrote another piece on it: “It is hard to foresee anything but approval of the system when it is submitted to the FCC, which is certain to happen in due course ... You can be sure of one thing. Before it is submitted to the FCC again, this RCA color system will have been tested, retested and tested again until it is definitely proved immune to earthquake, fire, flood, unexpected cataclysm of nature or any possible disaster . . . The two color TV systems are close enough together now that some might find it hard to choose between them.” TV Program Standards Committee (Vol. 7:25,28) will lay groundwork for TV code July 30 at NARTB headquarters in Washington. In addition to chairman Robert D. Swezey, WDSU-TV, New Orleans, members are: From NARTB board — Harry Bannister, WWJ-TV; Harold Hough, WBAP-TV; Clair R. McCollough, WGAL-TV & WDEL-TV; Paul Raibourn, KTLA-TV. Non-board members— Walter J. Damm, WTMJ-TV; James C. Hanrahan, WEWS-TV; J. Leonard Reinsch, WSB-TV & WHIO-TV; Henry W. Slavick, WMCT-TV; Donald W. Thornburgh, WCAU-TV. Network members — Davidson Taylor, NBC; James L. Caddigan, DuMont. Code of ethics for TV films was adopted at July 19 meeting of National Society of TV Producers in Hollywood, with ex-newsman and movie producer Martin Mooney named to administer it. Code covers such subjects as “crimes against the law, race and nationality, vulgarity, obscenity and profanity, religion and sex,” is similar in content to motion picture code. NSTP also announced it is setting up committee under president Louis T. Snader to formulate standard labor relations contract for TV film industry. FM committee of NARTB, named this week by president Harold Fellows: Ben Strouse, WWDC-FM, Washington, chairman; Frank U. Fletcher, WARL-FM, Arlington, Va.; Josh L. Horne, WFMA, Rocky Mount, N. C.; Edward A. Wheeler, WE AW, Evanston, 111.; Raymond S. Green, WFLN, Philadelphia. Alternates: Everett L. Dillard, WASH, V/ashington; Victor C. Diehni, WAZL-FM, Hazleton, Pa.; Herald Harrison, WMAS-FM, Springfield, Mass.