Variety (May 1946)

Wednesday, May 8, 194* Petrillo Worries Television Too By Live Music Ban; DuMont Unique But IATSE Tiein May Stymie WABD TELEVISION 35 James C. Petrillo might have put* himself out on a shaky limb through ' jiis recently-announced plans to tor- bid members of the American Fed- erations of Musicians from working jn television until some future date when the effects of video on pres- ent-day-'radio can be determined: That's the opinion of some lop tele- vision execs. Through his refusal to even dis- cuss the use of live musicians in video for the present. Petrillo is stymieing both the television indus- try and the musicians themselves, one video broadcaster said. Such a stand might leave the AFM chief open to charges of restraint of trade, according V° lnis excc - Another broadcaster pointed out that, under the Petrillo ban, tele- vision would have to get along with- out live musicians, and video pro- grammers might eventually discover that they'd be better off, both finan- cially and program-wise, through use of recorded music. This broad- caster admitted, however, that it might be a simple matter for Pc- tj-iilo to forbid also the use of rec- ords, although its uncertain whether sny provisions in the recently passed Lca-Vandenbcrg bill would take that.eventuality" into account. Consensus among the television broadcasters is probably best summed up in Ihe words of John F. Royal. NBC exec vcepce over video. Jn a speech before the National Assn. of Manufacturers at Philadel- phia last week, Royal referred lo Petrillo as "that jolly, whole-hearted rooperalor." Pointing out that the AFM chief had previously oolilicd motion picture execs thai no film in which his musicians were employed could be made for television use. Royal declared: "Perhaps the close succession ot these two events was coincidence. Such incidents are irksome, but tele- vision is too important in our lives to be retarded for very long. And there have already been loo many delays. We have had other growing pains, and the usual period of ado- lescence, but television is now com- ing of age and will soon appear in its first set of long trousers." Interesting angle of the most re- rcnt Petrillo ban is that it leaves DiiMonl television in a unique po- sition. Olher video broadcasters, such as NBC and CBS. have their radio inlcrests lo worry a'bout and >o must be wary of doing anything that would adversely affect radio. Justin Miller, prexy of the National , Assn. of Broadcasters, only lasl week warned NAB members lo be- ware of doing anything that mighl 1 (live Petrillo an opportunity to fight the Lea bill in the U. S. Su- preme Court. With no radio interests, however; DuMont has no contract with the AFM, which leaves the ficid wide open for it lo use non-union musi- cians. Since all video broadaslers operate at a loss today, anyway, it's unlikely that a picket line thrown around the DuMont studios would have much effect financially. Du- Mont studio technicians are all mem- bers of IATSE, which is affiliated with the AFL along with the AFM, rendering it possible that the tech- nicians might strike if the station tried lo use non-union musicians. Hal Bock From Coast To Get N.Y. Tele Look Hal Bock, who is now supervisor of west coast television operations for NBC, is due in New York next month for a period of video indoc- trination. He plans, to spend the month of June at homcoffice. In addition to his tele activities, Bock continues lo supervise the Coast press setup for the web. GAUNT BACK TO NBC Hollywood, May 7. Cmdr. John E. Gaunt has his honorable discharge after acting as exec, officer of the Naval unit, Armed Forces Radio Service, here, for the pas^ year and a half. He will return lo the NBC staff at the network's New York h.q. for a re- fresher on latest television tech- nique. Following indoctrination, Gaunt moves to Washington to develop the NBC tele section there. FEDERAL TO MAKE CBS TELETINT EQUIPMENT CBS, moving ahead on its plans lo provide color television trans- mitter equipment to any station de- siring it, has licensed Ihe Federal Telecommunications Labs, affiliate of International Telephone & Tele- graph, to manufacture color equip- ment based on the web's ultra-high frequency color inventions. Arrangements are on the same basis as those signed between West- inghouse and CBS two months ago. Both are on a patent royalty basis for a five-year period, with options for extension. Federal Labs, which designed, manufactured and installed the color transmission equipment now being used by CBS for its demon- strations, plans to manufacture and deliver as soon as possible both color and black-and-white trans- milting stations as a complete unit. Under the color deal, Federal is to pay CBS 1% on all polychrome equipment it manufactures. NBC Milwaukee Station Surprises With Tele Bow-Out; Color Backers Plugging for Higher Channels Now Pittsburgh—Billy Leech, who quit featured singing spot with Guy Lombardo's band recently to come back to Pittsburgh, his home town, has left his week to join staff of WBBM in Chicago; Leech, onetime producer and writer on KDKA here, went on the payroll of CBS outlet in Chi as . combination singer and scripter. Washington, May 7. . Withdrawal of black and white tele applicants lo wait for color hit a new note lhis \vcek as Station WTMJ, NBC outlet in Milwaukee,, dropped its-construction permit for a black and white station. WTMJ, owned by the Milwaukee Times-Journal, offered no reasons for its action. Move is considered significant, however, in that it's the first station affiliated with the NBC- RCA interests, leaders in the tight for black and white tele, to pull out Latest strategy of the color video crusaders, according lo reports here, is a push at FCC to move commer- cial black-and-white tele upstairs to the ultra-high channels, now pegged only for video experimentation. Proponents of this move argue that, by shifting monochrome tele now into the attic frequencies, sta- tions can later convert to color with- out difficulty or exorbitant costs. Another .withdrawal came in pe- tition filed Friday by the Consoli- dated Broadcasting Co.—a shoe com- pany—tor L. A. Merwyn Dobbins, president of Consolidated, told the FCC he would file, now for an ex- perimental color outlet and would apply for a commercial operation when FCC gives rainbow video a grce» light. Todatc over 40 of the original 150 bidders have already backed out of the television picture. Other applicants who withdrew this week include Frank Katzcntine,- Miami: St. Louis Globe-Democrat, and Thomas Fitzpatriek, Inc., of St. Louis. New bid entered for the Ra- dio Television Co. of Baltimore, which is tied up with Johns Hop- kins University. Meanwhile, FCC hypoed black-: and-while. last Thursday (2) by awarding station permits to NBC and the Zenith Radio Corp. in Chi- cago. The Balaban & Katz station, WBKB, is already oh the air. and American Broadcasting . Co., Ray- theon Manufacturing Co. and WGN. Inc. arc still in the market for Chi stations:. WIND, Chicago, withdrew its bid. several weeks ago. At the same lime, in view of withdrawals in both Pittsburgh and Baltimore, FCC has postponed indefinitely hearings scheduled for both cities. GERL'S GOAD OF CBS DRAWS BLAND ANSWER CBS television, subject of a severe tongue-lashing last week by Joseph Gerl, prexy of the Sonoro Radio and Television Corp.. because of what Gerl termed its "campaign of irrelc- vancies" regarding color video, will probably let the storm blown up by ignoring Gerl's accusations. It's been rumored that CBS was considering filing a suit for slander against the Sonora prexy. But the fact that web has taken lio action for more than a week is considered evi- dence that it might let the whole thing go. . Gerl pulled out all the slops, charging CBS with trying to "obfuscate" television until it "has time to catch up with its more as- tute competitor, NBC." . "CBS has no record of Gerl 'hav- ing .seen any of our color demonstra tions,'' Joseph Ream, vcepee. de elarcd. He was probably misin- formed. We'd be glad lo invite him . up «ny day to sec what CBS color THE ONLY BALTIMORE STATION BILLBOARD and VARIETY ...WFBR VARIETY 19 V \v* OO e 3*~ \0 ■1«V WFBR gets Billboard Award for "Hobby Club of tho Air" and special mention by Variety for work on Children'* Programs. Two more examples that WFBR—Balti- more—is a living, breathing radio station that accepts full responsibility of a radio station's duty to the community. This duty has always taken the form of civic, charitable and church support and in the cases noted by Variety and Billboard of initiative in programs that have .to do with the welfare and education of Baltimore children. This is typical of WFBR—Baltimore's only Radio Station that attracts large studio audiences- and crowds of daily visitors—the only. Baltimore Radio Station that gives all the glamour of Radio City in smaller replica. Not just » spot on a dial, WFBR delivers the real Baltimore listener—the one who listens and buys. MEMBER—AMERICAN BROADCASTS CO. • NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE—■ JOIN BLAIR 4 CI. WFBR