Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

6 Telecasting Notes: “ School for politicians” who plan to use TV in this year’s campaigns has been set up by CBS public affairs div., with invitations sent (and some acceptances already received) to all presidential candidates and to the 31 Senators standing for election in November. Course will be given in studios of WTOP-TV, Washington, with lectures and demonstrations on bow to sit, stand, walk, talk and read script. Films and TV recordings of the candidates in action will be reviewed and criticized . . . Los Angeles Times’ KTTV, following the example of Pittsburgh’s WDTV, which recently started all-night filmcasts (Vol. 8:11, 14), this week inaugurated Swing shift Hour of movies starting at 1 a.m. Mon. thru Fri., running until 2 or 2:30. Station asked viewers whether they wanted it, got affirmative response, after Merchants & Manufacturers Assn, survey showed that about 400,000 persons in area quit work between midnight and 1 a.m. . . . Both Billboard and Variety, which are usually first to report network rate trends and changes, give big play in this week’s editions to stories that CBS-Radio is gunning for fall business by cutting about 25% off current evening rates of some sponsors. Variety reports it’s forerunner to scheduled slashing of night rates by 50% in the fall . . . NBC-Radio will say nothing about rate-cut plans, if any — “for the time being” ... U of California’s newest educational series on KRON-TV, San Francisco, is California Notebook, Tue. & Wed. at 10 a.m., non-credit historical programs; it replaces cx-edit telecourse in child psychology, just completed . . . Miami’s WTVJ bought spots on 5 local x-adio stations to promote joint appearance of Senators Kefauver and Russell, Democi'atic pi’esidential aspix-ants, in May 5 pre-primary telecast . . . Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) signs 10-year contract with NBC-TV film syndication dept., will make 52 new half-hour films over next 2 years, first to start next Oct. . . . 20th Century-Fox making 80-second trailers, to be furnished gratis to its exhibitors, for placement on local stations to plug features deemed suitable for TV promotion . . . Bob Sinnett, chief engineer of WHBF & WHBF-TV, Rock Island, 111., headed Red Cross disaster communications during recent flood, as news and special events staff handled regular and special newscasts and telecasts; station itself, on high ground, escaped flood’s ravages . . . Autonomous operation of WABD, New York, contemplated by DuMont gen. mgr. Chris Witting in ti'ansferring its local sales staff of 6 to Richai’d E. Jones, newly appointed mgr. of DuMont owned&-managed stations . . . Summer TV advertising study by NBC-TV (76 p.) off the presses, and available from offices of v.p. Geoi’ge Frey, along with separate booklet listing summer program availabilities, costs, etc. . . . CBS-TV Film Sales (Fred J. Mahlstedt) has issued clever cutout booklet You Ought to Be in Pictures, describing film availabilities. ■ Annual awards by McCall’s Magazine to women in TV-radio went this week to: Elizabeth E. Marshall, Chicago Board of Education, for outstanding public service; Helen Faith Evans, WABD, New York, and Sister Mary St. Clai’a, WKBB, Dubuque, la., sei’vice primarily for women; Kit Fox, WLW, Cincinnati, and Bee Baxter, KSOO, Sioux Falls, service to community in general; Edythe J. Mesei-and, WOR, New York, and Dorothy Gordon, WQXR, New York, service primarily for children. Ford Foundation has granted another $145,000 to Joint Committee on Educational TV. Last year’s grant was $90,000. New expanded program, says JCET, will include a “field consultation service” to educators, making available “consultants with experience and know-how in the legal, engineering and progiamming areas of broadcasting . . . at local and regional meetings.” Fort Industry Co. (Geoige B. Storei') has changed named to Storer Broadcasting Co. OLD SCOPHONY-Paramount Pictures tieup of 1940s (Vol. 8:18) was probed more deeply this week, as Arthur Levey, formerly head of Scophony, now president of Skiati-on Corp., took stand in FCC’s Paramount hearing. FCC counsel feel Scophony case is heart of question whether Paramount is fit licensee of TV stations — since matter involves communications, not movies, and Communications Act specifically directs FCC to revoke licenses of those adjudged guilty of “unlawful restraints and monopoly” in communications field. Presenting almost day-by-day account from his diaries, Levey testified that part-owner Paramount continually obstructed Scophony’s efforts to promote its patents, build equipment — notably large-scx-een gear. Among other things, he said, Pax-amount failed to set up developmental laboratories, discouraged other companies from investing in system. Paramount v.p. Paul Raibourn will take stand to answer chax-ges in next week or two, with his counsel Paul A. Porter understood to be prepax-ed to assail Levey’s credibility and the industrial and technical record of his British and American ventures. Also on stand this week was DuMont’s film coordinator Donald Stewart, who reiterated company’s contention that if ABC and United Paramount Theatx-es are permitted to merge, combination will be in position to exex-t enormous “leverage” in film buying for TV because UPT is a $30,000,000-a-year film purchaser and networks buy only about $1,000,000 a year each (Vol. 8:18). But Dr. Allen DuMont had px-eviously testified he wouldn’t oppose nxex-ger — if he can acquire 2 more TV stations in addition to 3 now owned. At insistence of UPT, he’ll be x-ecalled to restate his position. Levey is to resume next week. Others scheduled : A. H. Blank, UPT director; Dr. A. H. Rosenthal, ex-Scophony research chief; and 6 independent theatre operators to be presented as FCC witnesses. NBC-TV’s 7-9 a.m. Today, with Dave Garroway, enters fifth month May 14 with 13 current network sponsors, uxxcounted local ti-ein sponsors on the 31 stations carrying it, and network billings on books estimated at around $1,250,000, according to sales v.p. Geox-ge H. Fx-ey. For next 6 weeks, it’s about 30% sold out, may hit 40% soon on basis of prospective sponsorships axxd expansions of curx-ent ones. Whether profitable as yet is hard to say, said Frey, but it certainly look like it’s meeting out-of-pocket costs — and it’s on network to stay . . . Current sponsors on Today: Kaizer-Frazer, two 5-nxin. segments daily except one on Tues., thru Wm. H. Weintraub Inc.; Florida Citrus Commission, five 5-min. weekly, thx-u J. Walter Thompson; Mystic Foam Corp. (rug & household cleansex-s), Wed. 8:15-8:20, thru Carpenter Adv., Cleveland; Knox Gelatine Co., Mon. 8:45-8:55, thru Weintx-aub; Time Inc., Thu. 8:208:25, thx-u Young & Rubicam; Doeskin Products Inc. (tissues), Fri. 8:15-8:20, thru Federal Adv.; Pur-Pak Div., Ex-Cell-0 Corp. (containers), Mon. 8:20-8:25, thru Fred M. Randall Co., Detroit; Kenwill Corp. (Magikoter Paintxoller), Wed. 8:20-8:25, thru W. Earl Botbwell; Kiplinger Washington Agency, Mon. 8:15-8:20, thru Albert FrankGuenther Law; Riggio Tobacco Co. (Regents), Tue.-Wed.Thu. 7:45-7:50, thru Hilton & Riggio; Beacon Co. (floor wax), vaxious times, thru Allied Adv.; Bauer & Black (surgical products), Tue. 7:15-7:20 & Thu. 7:20-7:25, thru Leo Burnett Co.; Armour & Co., 4 weather repox-ts daily, thxu Foote, Cone & Belding; Florists Telegraph Assn., Mother’s Day and other one-shots. Best bibliography of current litex-ature in TV and x-adio fields — books, reports and brochures is the one published twice monthly for NBC staff by its librarian Frances Sprague; it’s also made available to other bona fide users.