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

3 accepted the late Henry Bellows’ suggestion (he was a radio commissioner, then a CBS v.p.) that they be given the euphemious label "electrical transcription." Many years passed before networks would deviate from self-imposed rule not to use recordings for anything but sound effects. Now they're all up to their ears in transcriptions, as are stations — using them regularly for time-zone or timeclearance repeats, and even for such big-name network radio shows as Bing Crosby’s. * * * * Everett Crosby, who runs his brother’s Bing Crosby Enterprises, goes along with "Ike" Levy’s fast-building rival Official Films Inc. (Vol. 7:22,27) in conviction that most future TV programming will be via film — at least 75%, he says. Moreover, he told Advertising Age, TV program headquarters will eventually be Hollywood. Crosby said he has spent ^2,000,000 to back up this belief, citing firm’s highly successful "Fireside Theater" series (produced for Procter & Gamble), promising new productions titled "Cry of the City," 30-min. drama; "Inside Football," with coaches as commentators; "Freedom Hour," based on documents on the Freedom Train; "Parade of Champions," greats in sport; "The Chimps," animals with human voices. Argioment that film shows have less spontaneity is dismissed as nonsense by Bing’s elder brother and business partner. "They used the same argument for radio until Bing disproved it. These people are worried because comedians sometimes get good laughs out of fluffs. If a mistake adds to a show, there’s no reason why it can’t be left in the film." Will Bing himself, contracted to non-TV-releasing Paramount for 2 films per year, and a major stockholder in that firm, go on TV anytime soon? Not this fall, said Everett. He’s under CBS contract, but "he’s not in favor of hard work." COAST-TO-COAST TV STARTS SEPT. 30: Next World Series. Rose Bowl and other football games, certainly some top-name network shows, "go transcontinental" after Sept. 30 as result of AT&T decision to begin operating its new TV relays then. Networks have already contracted for time on the new circuits — 2 westward, 2 eastward — and CBS-TV is already talking about piping some or all of Jack Benny’s shows eastward from Hollywood, also Burns & Allen. Extensions westward from Omaha, present limit of network service, will permit hookup of stations in Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego. Seattle, only other far western city with TV outlet as yet, won’t be hooked up for awhile yet, though there’s now a coaxial out of Sacramento for phone service with Seattle and it can be modified for TV. Phone company’s plans for rest of year (see Television Digest map) also envisage more microwave circuits into Southwest for phone service but not yet definite for TV. Due for completion in October is new Memphis-Birmingham-Atlanta coaxial extension via Jackson, Miss. The Omaha-San Francisco links require some 70 towers, for microwave relays, whereas whole $40,000,000 New York-San Francisco project requires 107 in all, spaced about 30 miles apart — by a curious coincidence, same number as there are TV stations now operating, HARADEN PRATT GETS TOP GOVT. POST: Neither FCG nor any govt, agency loses autonomy, ostensibly, because of President Truman’s choice of own Telecommunications Adviser in person of Haraden Pratt, top IT&T engineering executive, v.p. of American Cable & Radio Corp. and director of IT&T’s Federal manufacturing and lab subsidiaries. But fact is Mr. Pratt will act as sort of "one-man FCC" over all the govt, agencies maintaining communications facilities — a sort of "bridge" between Govt, and private industry, so far as uses of wire and wireless are concerned. He’ll advise President how to exercise existing powers to allocate radio frequencies to govt, users, notably the military and safety of life services; also, how best to control communications during emergencies. President Truman elected to have one man perform this function rather than set up a "Telecommunications Advisory Board" of 3 men suggested in recent report of the President’s Communications Policy Board (Vol. 7:13). That 240-page document was the fruit of full year’s work by 5 eminent scientists and administrators who were