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

16 TcloCdSling Notes: Senate crime investigating commit tee (Kefauver) to “play” return TV engagement in New York shortly after Aug. 1 under new chairman, Sen. O’Conor (D-Md.), who will permit telecasts of new probes. Meanwhile, ABC-TV has optioned rights to Sen. Kefauver’s syndicated feature and book. Crime in America, will use factual stories as basis for dramatic series . . . ABC has purchased Eagles Bldg., 4-story structure in downtown San Francisco, for studio-oflSce space, will spend $1,000,000 on alterations including 70xl00-ft. studio 30 ft. high accommodating audience of 750 and 3 more TV studios each 30x40-ft. . . . NBC-TV officials Lyman Munson, Fred Wile, Sam Fuller, Pete Bamum were in Hollywood this week seeking studio space for expected insurge of network programs vdth completion of coast-to-coast cable-microwave facilities; they were said to be eyeing big Walt Disney sound stage, reportedly available for lease . . . Uncertainty about delivery of steel for TV-FM tower in Toronto may delay completion schedule for Canada’s first TV outlet, but CBC engineers are still aiming for completion in March 1952 (Vol. 7:22) ... In theatre-TV experiment celebrating opening of Cyrano de Bergerac film, Washington’s RKO Keith’s Theatre July 18 picked up 5 minutes of WTOPTV’s local Mark Evans-Elinor Lee program discussing the film and Douglas Edwards’ 15-minute newscast which followed— commercials and all. Theatre official said “the audience loved it,” applauded after news show . . . Young America Films Inc. has acquired TV film rights to “My Most Unforgettable Character,” regular feature in Reader’s Digest, plans series of half-hour shows . . . Television Authority and the 4 TV networks July 16 announced statement of policy pledging expansion of opportunities for Negro artists on TV . . . Still under TV A picketing after 16 weeks of strike, KFI-TV, Los Angeles, has dropped more than dozen employes; it looks like impasse with union until FCC approves proposed $2,500,000 sale (Vol. 7:23) to Don Lee Enterprises (Tom O’Neil) . . . Screen Actors Guild July 17 announced signing of collective bargaining contracts with 37 companies, “most of which make TV films” . . . McCall’s Magazine setting up awards for achievements by women in TV-radio — 3 to go to broadcasters, 3 to executives — for service to community, to women, to children . . . WBZ-TV, Boston, raises base hour rate Aug. 1 from $1000 to $1250, one-min. from $200 to $250, changes Class A time to 7-11 p.m. daily except Sun. (6-11 p.m.) . . . KSTP-TV, St. Paul, Aug. 1 raises base hour rate from $650 to $800, one-min. from $130 to $160 . . . WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, revises July 1 rate card to fix 6-11 p.m. Mon.-Fri. as Class A time and 7-11 p.m. daily Class A announcement time; also to raise one-min. rate from $110 to $150, 20-sec. rate from $92.60 to $135. Republic Pictures’ first sale of its old films to TV (Vol. 7:23, 26-27) was deal reported this week with KNBH (NBC), Los Angeles, involving package of 26 mystery features and 48 serial episodes for $77,700. Films were made between 1938 and 1945, sold on basis of one TV run for each feature, 2 for each serial. KNBH was said to have turned down Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Red Ryder westerns on ground one-run price of $30,000 each would be too steep for a sponsor. Also on films-for-TV front, Snader Telescriptions this week changed name to Snader Productions, announced plans to distribute full-length films to theatres as well as TV. Snader has exclusive American rights to 13 British Alexander Korda films, of which 9 will be released both to theatres and TV, 4 to TV only. Negotiations with ASCAP for TV station performance rights have broken off, and petition was filed July 18 by Judge Simon Rifkind and Stuart Sprague on behalf of 66 stations asking Federal district court in New York to fix reasonable terms and conditions for local station and network licenses. Telecasting industry employs some 12,500 persons as staff members of TV stations and networks, according to fourth annual TV Employment & Wages Report compiled by NARTB employe-employer relations dept, under Richard P. Doherty. Report shows average TV station employed 85 persons (61 full-time, 24 part-time) during late spring 1951 vs. 57 in 1950 and 66 in 1949. Average weekly station payroll is $6267. Median salary for non-supervisory technical personnel ranges from $63-$84 weekly, according to job classifications; average for supervisory technicians is from $153 for chief engineers to $98 for assistant technical supervisors; average for film personnel is $70-$Sl. Supervisory program personnel average is $51-$135, nonsupervisory $56-$83. Much-needed uhf signals at top of 470-890 me band will be broadcast by RCA-NBC’s experimental KC2XAK, Bridgeport, beginning approximately Aug. 1. FCC has been asked for permission to operate station on 850-856 me, with directional antenna fed by 300-watt transmitter, radiating 110 kw visual power, 22.4 aural, towards New York. Station has seiwed as industry “guinea pig” for over IV2 years, operating on 529-535 me. North Dakota’s first TV application was filed this week — by WDAY, Fargo, seeking Channel 6. Only other state with no TVs as yet on file, among the 421 thus far is Montana. Also applying this week was WIMA, Lima, 0., asking for uhf Channel 35. [For further details, see TV Addenda 13-B herewith; for complete list of all pending TV applications, see TV Faetbook No. 13 with Addenda to date.] “Trial” community antenna installations (Vol. 7:28), numbering 18-20, are operating in New York State with Technical Appliance Corp. equipment, according to sales engineer S. K. McNeil. They’re called “trial,” he says, because Bell Telephone has yet to write code governing use of its poles. Therefore, he adds, “Until this has been written, most of the installations will be only in the stage of running to the first group of homes or down the hill to the edge of the community.” Network TV-Radio Billings June 1951 and January-June 1351 (For May figures, see Television Digest, Vol. 7:25) Network tv time bniings for first half of this year rose to $52,037,560, excluding non-reporting DuMont, auguring far better than $100,000,000 year inasmuch as best months are ahead. Total compares with only $14,032,166 for same 1950 months. June billings slipped to $8,432,462 from May’s $9,398,488 (Vol. 7:25) and April’s $9,089,454 (Vol. 7:21), but this is seasonal drop — and July billings will probably fall still lower. June billings, however, compare with only $2,820,711 in June 1950. Network radio billings in June went down to $14,872,111 from $15,145,753 in June 1950 and $16,518,337 in May of this year — also seasonal drop. All 4 AM networks showed declines. Total radio time sales for first half 1951 was $95,489,672, down from $96,939,120 for same 6 months of 1950. The figures by Publishers Information Bureau: NETWORK TELEVISION NBC CBS ABC — June 1951 $ 4,244,240 . 2,900,782 1,287,440 June 1950 $ 1,574,771 840,374 405,566 Jan. -June 1951 $26,739,532 17,069,328 8,228,700 Jan.-June 1950 $ 7,501,236 4.604,396 1,926,534 Total $ 8,432,462 $ 2,820,711 $52,037,560 $14,032,166 NETWORK RADIO CBS $ 6,220,959 $ 5,837,873 $39,285,216 $36,061,897 NBC .. .. 4,739,193 5,200,901 30,000,036 32,910,043 ABC 2.720.268 2,902,341 17,344,512 19,473,536 MBS 1,191,691 1,204,638 8,859,908 8,493,644 Total $14,872,111 $15,145,753 $95,489,672 $96,939,120