Variety (March 1944)

Wvi»eBi*y, Mu-ch 22, 1944 RADIO 31 AT&Fs Reby Test. New Cadbra ^ Tek Progress Post-War Two outstanding developments, both pegged to the post-war eia, marlted stepped-up bally for tele- vision last week. American Tele- phone & Telegraph Co.s plan to Sipend $2,000,000 testing short-wave ~fiaio"Telays"'-w"*S 'orre~ of -iXmnT 'Sn'd vrevved in ■trade as a showdown- on whether this method js practical. "a. T. & T. preVioiusly ha<l lavored its co-axial cable for a television net- ■w-ork system. RCA rs reported favor- ing the radio lelay method. Other development was the reve- lation that National Carbon Co. had perfected a carbon arc capable of supplying seven times more light than any previously developed. It found feasible in supers-onic tele- vision sets, this discovery may pave way to color televisiion since e\.perts realize more intense light is needed Tor this phase. Development is rated signiflcant fcy Arthur Le\cv, .Scophony Corp. prexy, because Scopf'ony television^ -Tr'{lr€~only~oiIe"tir utL~iui o'QtsTde in- dependent light source. Scophony employs an arc as used in theatre proiection booth. Fact that Sco- phony alu'ays was interested in color and in getting its system into picture theatres spots the new dis- covery as important. New bright: are has proved practical in actual uie arid repoi'tedly used, m modified form m two New Vork film houses already. TV>e A. T & T. test of short-w-ave relavs probably will require two years to complete, Unking N. Y. with Boston jmd intermediate points. ■ Main object of experiment, is ,to de- termine by practical commercial i^ration the irelative . advantages «ntl flaws of radio relay in transmis- sion of long-distance messages, as well as television, as compared 'with present transmission by wires, cables and co-axial cables. Directed radio beams at ultra-high frequencies would operate the new system be- ing relayed by stations spaced at 30- ■,:'ni'ile'' intervals.,' ■■ A behind-the-scenes development; T\as the active iniercst being taken in telc\i«ion by Wall Stieet. Various confidential .services, of important financial houses -advised that shares of radio corwpanies and ftlra com- panies having interests in television be held for long-range possibilities. NBC Personnel Shift, CBS Post-War Outlook Video developments at CBS and NBC this week included a prediction by former in, its annual report to stockholders that pc-t-wai would see ■ television in full,and "natural cblUr" and an NBC personnel ^hift to ■■■ strehgthen, its prdgrarnminlf position' wlisen New York tele studio tians- missions are, resumed, presumably within the next week or .so. Clarence L. Menser, NBC veepee in charge of programs, appointed N. Bay Kelly, lormer eastern produc- tion manager, to be tele production manager at the web. 'WTTBT, N. Y, video studio for actual operations and X'cgular, transmissions will be resumed »oon aifljer the return of Menser and tithftr network execs now touring with the NBC War Clinic. Menser Is expected back at his desk early next week. , Coincident ' u-ith, tli'e ■ Keliy; Shift. , was appointment of Wynn Wright, NBC :eastern , program manager , as national production chref. Wright also will assume Kelly's duties as eastern prodtietion manager. CBS told its •Stockholders that rts staff of tele «ni»iiie6rs, as -a group, accepted important government as- signments linked with the war effort neces-Jitating a'bafndonunent of net- work lab aetivitres until hostilities cease or the government releases the web technicians. ~ Macy Sponsorship Of 'Answer Man' Reflects S^nteli in Paper Crisis Evidence that the department stores must henceforth turn, to radio for advertising due to curtailment of newspaper space is the sponsorship by R. H. Macy Co , N. Y. department store, of the WOR (N. Y ) session, 'The Answer Man," Monday, Wednesday, Friday evenings. This marks first sponsorship by the mer- chandising outlet of a regular pro- gram; previous air plugging was limited to spots. Macy is currently: using station break announcements on four local .Stations. Young' &, Rubicam : is the agency on the account. FEMIIIE W) PL£AS£' PREEMS ON APRIL 2 Femme version of "Info Please" bows in as a sustainer on the Blue April 2, 10-10:30 p.m. The combina- tion quiz and: forum program' will be headed by Janet Planner of New Yorker mag and will feature four other women with, her each week. ■,. ' First session,,.presents: Dr. G. Mil-'' dred Thompson, dean of Vassar; Jean Meegan.'of the AP; Marcia Daven- port, author of "Valley of Decision," and Emily Hahn, author recently re- patriated on the G-ripsholm. N. Y. Hospital Service Midls Radio Pn^am In what is believed to be the first buying of air- time to enlist member'- ship in «, hospital service plan; Asso- ciated Hospitals of New York is planning a half-hour Blue Network ;.sfl0\Sr,';,; f^,.''';;,'-^ :-t. ''V;: ''Si!.:- .'-, v ;"~; ' * '■• Preliminary discussions have, been held with ageiiey 'execs,' with indica- tions that it will be a mus ical format SmaHer Nets. Citing Hardships, Ask FCC for (hit on Disdug Programs ' , .;'.; Washinglon, March-21. ! . Proposed FCO rtiJe. requiring that transcriptions be made of all na- tional and -regional web. programs may - be .modified -before: it finally goes-—through-r-—Re-va-mping—t-akes cognizance of the manpower and equipment .shortage, with particwlav reference to the smaller nets, whic^ii might suffer a hardship. Scheduled hearing last Wednesday (15) brought m only one network rep Philip Hennessy, counsel for the Kmg-Trendle chain of seven sta- tions in Michigan, opposed the rule because of the: manpower and equip- ment situation. He urged ; that (1) the rule be shelved for the time be- ing, or (2) it be limited to the larger webs. ■ - . -. , ■ . ■„. FCC chairman a-ames L. Fly hinted special consideration, for the' -small regional nets when ' he :r^sed .. the question—whethe r they origiualittl ' a sufficient percentage of news and informational programs to justify tjie recordings. AFRA has filed a statement asking that the proposed rule be, amended to provide that the recordings he -used-for--refe*enee- piwposes-wly"- and not for rebroadcasting; so -as- to prevent any violations of contracts between AFRA and the webs. Mu- tual, CBS, NBC and Blue filed state- ments, but none was represented at the public hearings. Helen Hayes As Lead In Ben Hecht Air Drama Helen Hayes, currently starring. in : the Broadway legiter, "Harriet," will handle the femitie lead in the radio iidaptation of Ben Hecht's "Miracle in the Rain" on the Silver Theatr* program: April 8. Victor Jory will emcee. More advertisers spend more money to sell more merehandise to more people on WLW than on any other radio station in the world. WLW civisioN cr THE u m mi mmrntrm Th» Hatton'i Mo$§ Afer«haniif/»«ral»/« Station 1-8-M't 'a Slutcri and a SiilorV lompletcd New VAVtKh tmoc,-R.\M. ^tliay Mv.iii„KnT 1^!. KWD CMlSWHI'