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

September 22, 1951 In this] Issue: Heightening Agitation Over Theatre TV, page 1. Telecasting Costs Up, So Is Business, page U. Zenith Ready to Start Fee-TV Scramble, page 2. ■ Deeper Cuts in Metals for TV-Radio, page 8. NPA Priorities for TV-Radio Projects, page S. Healthy TV Trade as Inventories Drop, page 8. Jockeying for Post-Freeze Position, page 4. Action in Military Contract Crisis, page 8. Reports on Color: RCA Washington Showings, Lawrence Tube, CBS Plans, page 7. HEIGHTENING AGITATION OVER THEATRE TV: Will theatre TV’s shaky alliance with the prize ring blow up in the faces of movie exhibitors? There were straws in the wind this week in wake of sensationally successful closed-circuit telecasts of RobinsonTurpin middleweight championship bout to 14 theatres in 11 cities (Vol. 7:37). Resentment of TV set owners went to all-time high. Their letters to FCC, to Congressmen, TV stations and networks — even to set manufacturers — were almost without exception bitter and vitriolic. The gist: "We wuz robbed!" Radio-owning fight fans were indignant, too. They insist blackout of radio in recent fights is unwarranted and unprecedented. Radio wasn't even permitted to broadcast any information on progress of RobinsonTurpin fight until it was over. FCC received 100 or more particularly nasty letters, although it is without jurisdiction over such use of AT&T cable-microwave circuits. Three resolutions before Congress call for investigations or legislation to ban or limit exclusive theatre telecasts of "public events". And Justice Dept, confirms that its anti-trust division is looking into the "exclusive" aspects. Even inside film industry there's open criticism. Film Daily editorialized that TV-equipped theatres drive movie fans into opposition houses or (horrors!) even home to their TV sets on fight nights. Theatres are filled with fight fans, not movie fans, said Film Daily, "with demeanor and conduct in kind." Noisy, raucous crowds generally fled theatres after fight without waiting for film feature. Authoritative Motion Picture Herald admonished theatre-TV promoters to look to greener fields. With a glance at the Sl«80-$2.60 admission theatres had to charge to break even on RobinsonTurpin match. Sept. 22 editorial observed: "Major prize fights are already priced out of the regular theatre-goer's bracket." Public relations, always important to movie industry, are at critical ebb at particularly bad time. Film folk right now are preparing case for theatre-TV channels before FCC hearing set for Nov. 26 (but likely to be postponed). Some think it was poor policy to stir up opposition which may burst forth at hearing. As for Congress, suffice to say there's an election next year — and many more voters own TV sets than movie houses. Theatre folk may be playing with fire, too, in their romance with International Boxing Club. Movie palaces will be out of fight game if they're jilted by IBC. Sept. 19 Variety reports that IBC is "studying the possibility of feeding fight telecasts into the several stadia under its control." Any such move, backed by Arena Managers Assn. , which has already announced it wants exclusive fight telecasts (Vol. 7:36), would take boxing out of the theatre and into — of all places — the boxing arena. ■If. ^ if ^ Seventeen theatres in 13 cities, largest network yet for exclusive theatreTV, will carry Sandy Saddler-Willie Pep featherweight title bout from New York Polo Grounds Sept. 26. Theatres on network for first time will be Detroit's Michigan, Copyright 1951 by Radio News Bureau