Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

6 Telecasting Notes: “Strong trend toward film” gives Hollywood edge over New York as TV center of U. S.( says Oct. 20 Advertising Age, which notes that 40 sponsored programs this fall will be on film produced in Hollywood, 90 expected by Christmas. While film production costs are said now to equal live production for same program, movie folk contend Hollywood’s advantage lies in its know-how and facilities . . . But Hollywood’s advantage will be short-lived if unions continue to up their wage demands, says KLAC-TV gen. mgr. Don Fedderson, who petitioned AFRA not to hike scales in negotiations for new contract in interest of cutting filmed production costs and increasing employment; union replied petition will be considered at meeting Oct. 27 . . . NBC-TV also sees added revenue from local sales for re-runs of network-owned film shows, announces Dragnet and Victory at Sea will go out on local syndication next year following network run . . . Trend to filmed commercials, with their lower costs, improved quality and “simplicity and sincere salesmanship,” is noted in Ross Reports’ 1952 Survey of TV Film Commercials, published by Television Index Inc., 551 5th Ave., New York ($5) ; valuable 66-page report analyzes representative group of 4917 filmed commercials between Aug. 1, 1951-July 31, 1952 . . . From Tokyo this week 20th Century-Fox president Spyros Skouras is quoted as warning Japanese film industry not to be taken by surprise by TV “as we were in the U. S.” and to start large-screen theatre-TV at same time home TV begins . . . Chese Personal Holes: James T. Aubrey Jr. named mgr. of KNXT, Los Angeles, succeeding Wilbur Edwards, now gen. mgr. of CBS-TV film sales; Edmund C. Bunker promoted to KNXT and CBS-TV Pacific Network sales mgr. . . . Lawrence B. Gumbinner, senior supervisor of CBS network operations, promoted to asst. mgr. of CBS-TV network operations dept, under mgr. H. C. Meier ... Ed Madden, NBC v.p., was in London Oct. 22 to make formal presentation of new Victory at Sea film series (starting on NBCTV Oct. 26, Sun. 3-3:30 p.m.) to BBC and to arrange special screening for Winston Churchill . . . Charles A. Wall, BMI financial v.p. & treas., elected president of BMI’s Associated Music Publishers, succeeding M. E. Tompkins, retiring; Glenn Dolberg promoted to station relations v.p. . . . John Rossiter, gen. mgr. of WTVN, Columbus, has resigned to head new WJTV, Jackson, Miss., planning to go on air before end of year; Frank C. Oswald is acting gen. mgr. of WTVN . . . Robert E. V. Johnson, onetime salesman of KEYL, San Antonio, rejoins his old chief, W. D. (Dub) Rogers as commercial mgr. of new KDUBTV, Lubbock, Tex., due on air in Nov.; he has just been mustered out as captain of Marines after 17 months in Korea . . . Eldon Campbell, N. Y. rep for Westinghouse stations, named gen. sales mgr., succeeding E. R. Bcroff, resigned. In other Westinghouse changes ordered this week by v.p. & gen. mgr. Joseph E. Baudino, L. R. Rawlins moves from KYW, Philadelphia, to manage KDKA, Pittsburgh., succeeding It. G. Duffield, resigned; Franklin A. Tooke from WOWO, Ft. W’ayne, to KYW; Carl A. Vadagrift, WOWO program mgr., promoted to mgr. . . . John D. Scheuer Jr., WFIL & WFIL-TV operations chief, named coordinator of TV & AM program depts., headed respectively by John Steck and Felix Meyer, with Roddy Rogers as director of TV production, in new integration program ordered by gen. mgr. Roger W. Clipp . . . A. H. Saxton, mgr. of radio operations, named head of combined TV-radio engineering depts., NBC Hollywood ... A. A. (Abe) Schechter has resigned as NBC-TV gen. executive . . . Goar Mestre, leading Cuban TV-radio operator, in Europe until end of November . . . Albert V. Cole, program mgr., and Richard Eisiminger, promotion mgr., resign from KNBH, Hollywood . . . Theodore R. Kupferman, brough’s popular radio series, Dr. Chmstian, to be made into TV series under auspices of McCann-Erickson . . . Like Menotti’s Amahl & The Night Visitors, TV performance of opera Billy Budd by NBC Opera Theatre Oct. 19 got enthusiastic accolade of the New York critics, notably Times’ Olin Downes who said it was “much better than the opera itself in its original form” and Herald Tribune’s Jay Harrison who described it as “elegantly conducted and mounted to perfection” . . . Crime programs and beer advertising now restricted by WKZO-TV, Kalamazoo, which won’t take crime shows on Sundays or before 9 p.m. weekdays; beer & wine sponsors are limited to 2 programs between 6-11 p.m. Mon.-Sat., none on Sundays except for special sports events . . . Elaborate “open house” for some 300 agencies and advertisers will be conducted by WNBQ, Chicago, 1-6 p.m. Oct. 29-30, supplying behind-the-scenes picture of routine in all departments, including capsule run-through of all local live programs . . . U of Toledo on air via WSPD-TV with TV credit course in history and homemaking, offered Mon.-thru-Fri. 9:45-10:15 a.m. . . . NARTB “get out the vote” drive’s final phase will consume 118% days of air time for 15-second announcements 10 times a day on 3090 TV & radio stations between Oct. 25-Nov. 4, election day . . . DuMont’s WTTG and network people now quartered in enlarged new studios and offices in Washington’s Raleigh Hotel . . . 1037-ft. tower of WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee, is up more than 400 ft., will be ready for new transmitter in January. of NBC law dept., elected secy., Federal Bar Assn, of N. Y., now headed by Bernhard A. Grossman, theatrical lawyer . . . Donald Kraatz replaces Jack Brand, resigned, as executive TV producer, ABC central div. . . . John Moffet, ex-Russell P. May and Wm. L. Foss, joins Washington consulting engineer Robert M. Silliman . . . Wallace Ross, publisher of Ross Reports on TV, joins TV-radio dept, of Music Corporation of America . . . Chester C. Shore, ex-Cohn & Marks, establishes ora law offices at 1025 Connecticut Ave., Washington; phone, Republic 3309 . . . Hubert J. Sehlafly Jr. has resigned as director of TV research for 20th Century-Fox to become engineering v.p., Teleprompter Corp. a First nationwide sales conference via theatre TV has been arranged by Theatre Network TV Inc. for James Lees & Sons Co., carpet manufacturers, for morning of Dec. 8. Meeting will be conducted via closed-circuit TV in theatres in 15 large cities under direction of Victor M. Ratner, ex-CBS v.p. who heads Theatre Tele-Sessions, subsidiary of TNT, program originating in New York. “TV Coverage Calculator,” slide-rule device for quick determination of Grade A, B and principal-city coverage under FCC’s standards, has been placed on market by J. B. Epperson, chief engineer of Scripps-IIoward TV stations. It’s available for $3.55 from Pioneer Electronic Supply Co., 2115 Prospect Ave., Cleveland. Deadline for comments on 72-76 me band rules was extended to Dec. 22 by FCC after it had received numerous requests for more time to study proposal (Vol. 8:42). Rules would cover various fixed safety & special services located between TV Channels 4 & 5. H Harold A. Lafount, 72, Republican member of Federal Radio CommissioTi 1927-34, died Oct. 21 at Detroit home of his daughter, Mrs. George Romney. A native of England and a civil engineer, he was appointed from Utah by President Coolidge, left Commission after one term to take charge of Bulova radio interests, then including WNEW and WOV. He was a bishop of the Mormon Church, will be buried in Salt Lake City Oct. 25. Surviving are his mother, 3 other daughters and a sister.