Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

12 Telecasting Notes: Film producers for TV, impressed by showing of color in Hollywood last week (Vol. 9:45), especially the reproduction of color film, are now thinking in terms of color for subjects that won’t “date.” It costs “only a few thousand dollars extra” to shoot in color, as one producer put it to us, and even if colorcasting of films is several years away, the investment is sound when you contemplate re-runs. It’s on second and third runs that the producers realize their main profit . . . Up-&-coming Gross-Krasne, Hollywood, is going to color, as are several others; top-ranking Dragnet reported being shot in color . . . “CBS on ‘Color Cadre’ Binge” headlines Nov. 11 Variety article describing 3-platoon system in operation in feverish preparation for color program test premiere Nov. 15 on WCBS-TV 5:30-6 p.m. Richard Lewine, supervisor of daytime programming, heads “color cadre” charged with developing formats for series of daytime program tests, assisted by production mgr. Carlton Winckler and new color design chief George Jenkins; trio will then fan out to teach other staff personnel color techniques. Present plans call for Fi'i.-only tests for 3 weeks, then thrice-weekly colorcast tests, times unspecified . . . Wm. Esty agency, with CBS, has acquired 112 Terrytoon shorts from producer Paul Ten-y, will use them in Barker Bill’s Cartoons for General Mills . . . Three John Steinbeck telefilms, after being shown on Omnibus on CBSTV, will be tied together as a 90-min. feature and released for theatrical showings by Solar Productions, Hollywood (Bewster Morgan) . . . “TV’s Most Surprising Hit” titles article in Nov. 14 Saturday Evening Post, all about “the most widely telecast program in the world” — Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s This Is the Life, weekly filmed half-hour being carried by 125 U. S. stations plus Canadian stations and BBC as public service feature . . . WATV becomes sixth station with antenna on Empire State Bldg., Nov. 14, inaugural telecast being all-night telethon for Lighthouse for the Blind; construction of WOR-TV’s antenna there is still in progress . . . KGNCTV, Amarillo, and KFYO-TV (CP), Lubbock, Tex., along with newspaper owners, switch rep to Katz as of Dec. 1. “Unsponsored” commercial TV for Britain was proposed by Govt, this week in long-awaited White Paper outlining official policy toward hot issue which has been raging in England for 2 years. To assuage critics who pointed to American TV as “horrible example of what might happen here,” White Paper takes extremely cautious approach: Govt, would establish public corporation similiar to BBC, its governors appointed by Govt., to own and operate new transmitters, have veto power over scripts and advertising copy. Only spot announcements would be permitted on commercial outlets, and they would be separated from entertainment part of program, with probably no more than 4-5 minutes of commercials an hour. Since British TV sets have no channel selectors — being capable of picking up only the BBC — adapters costing $16-$40 would be necessary. Govt, will put its proposals in form of bill to be presented to Parliament early next year, with final action expected next June or later and first commercial programs in 1955. There’s still big battle pending, since Labor Party has indicated it will fight any type of commercialization and strong opposition to commercial TV has also been expressed by some important Conservative Party spokesmen. CBS pres. Frank Stanton, 1930 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan, told reporters for the Wesleyan Transcript, according to Nov. 11 UP dispatch, that he has resigned from his national fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, because of its constitutional provision barring membership to persons “not of pure Aryan blood.” He said he has unsuccessfully tried for years to get the provision changed. Sale of KLAC-TV, Los Angeles (Ch. 13) was in final negotiation stages this week, with Copley Press Inc. the probable purchaser for $1,375,000 from Mrs. Dorothy SchifT Sonneborn, publisher of Neiv York Post, whose son Mortimer W. Hall is mgr. Copley Press, with headquarters in Aurora, 111., publishes 4 newspapers in Illinois as well as Scm Diego Union and Tribune and 9 Los Angeles County dailies: Alhambra Post-Advocate, Burbank Review, Glendale News-Press, Culver City StarNeivs, Monrovia Neivs-Post, Redondo Breeze, Venice Vanguard, San Pedro News-Pilot. It’s newspaper chain’s first venture into TV. Deal involves only KLAC-TV, reported to be heavy loser ever since it was established in Sept. 1948, does not include profitable AM counterpart KLAC. Major ownership transfers approved by FCC this week: (1) WWNC, Asheville, N. C., with Asheville Citizen and Times, applicant for Ch. 13 acquired by company headed by Roger Peace, publisher of Greenville (S. C.) News-Piedmont, operator of WFBC and holder of Ch. 4 CP in Greenville; total consideration, with newspapers, $2,300,000 (Vol. 9:40). (2) KCMO-TV & KCMO, Kansas City, from Tom Evans and Lester Cox to Meredith Engineering Co.; consideration, $2,000,000 (Vol. 9:41-42). (3) One-third interest in KFSD-TV & KFSD, San Diego, transferred from Thomas E. Sharp to T.B.C. group headed by Harrison G. Sloan; consideration, about $351,984. New TV ownership survey by A. C. Nielsen Co. (Vol. 9:44) is disclosed as being underwritten by CBS-TV, will be released after Jan. 1. Dated Nov. 15, it will be first such count since networks released their May 15 sets-in-use tabulations (TV Factbook No. 17) and first to include both vhf & uhf owners. Figures will be by counties and county clusters. Said Oscar Katz, CBS research chief, who is directing the job: “Conflicting estimates of ownership, the vapid rise in set sales, the opening of many new stations, and the development of uhf have all pointed to the urgent need for this survey. CBS-TV is sponsoring the study as a service to advertising and broadcasting.” Two TV applications filed with FCC this week were for San Antonio, Tex., Ch. 41, by radio KCOR, and for Montgomery, W. Va., Ch. 2, by licensees of WTIP, Charleston, and WMON, Montgomery. Ten applications were dismissed, leaving 421 pending FCC action, of which 100 are for uhf stations. [For further details about these applications, see TV Addenda 17-S herewith; for complete listings of all grants, new stations, applications, dismissals, hearings, etc., see TV Factbook No. 17 with Addenda to date.] Network TV service was extended Nov. 12 to new WNOW-TV, York, Pa., making total of 218 stations in 139 cities equipped to receive network programs by AT&T and private interconnections. Other stations tentatively scheduled to be interconnected this week end: WIBW-TV, Topeka, Kan.; KLPR-TV, Oklahoma City; WCIA, Champaign, 111.; WKJG-TV, Ft. Wayne, Ind.; WSIX-TV, Nashville; KGTV, Des Moines; WTAC-TV, Flint, Mich. KFDA-TV & KFDA, Amarillo, Tex., already owned 25% by Gene Cagle and 25% by Charles Jordan, both executives of Texas State Network, will be transferred to TSN control for reported consideration of $550,000, if FCC approves. Chief stockholder in TSN is oilman S. W. Richardson, Cagle owning about one-third. Jordan would retain his 25% in new setup. NARTB code review board issues first report “to the people of the United States,” detailing precautions station subscribers are taking to screen programs and commercials for possible violations. Available from NARTB, report reprints code, lists 188 subscriber by call letters, cites Congressional and public comments on compliance.