Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

4 THEATREMEN & TV SPLIT PERSONALITY': Official optimism, private pessimism. That pretty well summarizes the prevailing sentiment among some 700 delegates to Theatre Owners of America convention this week in Washington with respect to their ability to win any drawn-out economic battle with up-&-coming TV. What you heard at the convention depended on where you were at the time: In the meetings, plenty of pep talks along the line that "TV can’t hurt us, boys" ; in the corridors, long faces and openly-expressed fears about what TV has already done and threatens to do further to dwindling boxoffice (Vol. 8:37). Astute Louis Schine, v.p. of Schine Theatres and a man who specializes in reading handwritings on the wall, expressed what a lot of progressive exhibitors were thinking, but not daring to say, when he told us: "Where a good movie competes with a bad TV show, people would rather go to the movies. But where a good movie competes with a good TV show, the tendency of people, in my area at least, is still to stay home and watch the TV show." In Schine 's statement is implicit warning to TV to improve its programs if it is to improve its financial position and exploit the gains it has made. For TOA is embarking on a large-scale public relations program to sell movies to the American public as "your best entertainment" — in coordination with a drive by the movie producers to make better films. How best to meet the TV competition? Retiring president Mitchell Wolfson, who owns the highly successful WTVJ, Miami, and seeks other TV outlets, called on exhibitors to "share the fruits of my experience" and apply for TV channels. After his speech, he predicted many exhibitors would do just that. So far about 35 theatre entities have applied for some 60-odd stations (Vol. 8:37). From producers' standpoint, MPAA president Eric Johnston told the theatremen motion picture industry "is going to make films especially for TV" — which will benefit theatres by enabling Hollywood to turn out "better pictures for theatrical exhibition." Said Johnston: "TV programs will be predominantly on films, no matter who makes them. If we don't make them somebody else will. It's as simple as that." & * * * Theatre TV was offered as another approach. S.H. Fabian, president of the chain bearing his name, said $75,000 had been collected by his National Exhibitors Theatre-TV Committee, made an impassioned appeal for further financial contributions. He held out the prospect of off-hour revenues for movie houses by use of theatre TV until full-scale programming is an actuality. Incidentally, in connection with theatre TV, TOA brass were lavish in their praise of Eidophor (Vol. 8:26), which Wolfson characterized as a "combination of capital, experience and enthusiasm." His description drew much applause. It was a bitterly divided convention, unable to agree on the two most important topics on its agenda — industry-wide arbitration and the govt . ' s 16mm suit against 12 major producers & distributors to compel them to make their films available to TV (Vol. 8:30-32,34). After much blasting at govt, action, the convention decided only to refer to its regional offices the question of whether to attempt to be named as a co-defendant (TOA was listed only as co-conspirator) in an effort to fight the suit in court. NO TABOOS ON NEWSPAPERS OR THEATRES: Except for Comr. Hennock 1 s preoccupation with educational channels, FCC as now constituted shows no disposition to discriminate for or against any particular class of applicant for new TV stations. Newspaper and movie interests, for example, would seem to have little cause for worry that they'll be excluded just because they happen to be newspaper or film folk. Against competitive applicants, save for local monopoly situations, they are given as good chances as radio broadcasters, for example. Indeed, many of the radio stations best known to the Commission, which are also TV applicants, are identified with newspaper ownership. Foregoing is fair estimate, we believe, of way things shape up now at FCC, though attitudes could change. But it's fact that 15 of the 60 post-freeze grants