Variety (May 1946)

Wednesday, May 15, 1946 TELEVISION-nAaUO 35 TELE PICTURE ALL BUT ROSY New Tele Sponsors Prefer Radio Groove, Incline to Old Net Ties Disclosure ..recently-' of Standard Brands' big-time plunge Into tele- vision pom ted up the probability that the top coin, advertisers gojng into video will do business with the same networks that carry their.radio advertising. Indie television com- panies with no radio tieups. conse- quently, will probably be compelled to make a special concerted pitch to lure any of. the big money their way. once network video becomes a reality. S-B announced it was sinking an average of $4,000 weekly into talent alone on a variety-format show that teed off last week (9) WNBT (NBC. N. Y.i. Show, first to.be sponsored by a top radio spender, and un- doubtedly, the most expensive to date on television, is being handled by J. Walter Thompson agency. Despite the fact that DuMont's' new Wanamaker studios probably offer better facilities than other N. Y. stations. S-B. through the Thompson agency, took its snow to NBC. Lalter web carries both the Edgar Bergen and Fred Allen shows. S-B's two top radio programs. Thompson agency handles shows for other clients over each ot the four major webs. It's considered likely, therefore, that these-advertisers will - go to those networks when they're ready lo begin video advertising, although neither ABC nor Mutual has its own tele station to dale. Gillette Wanted ABC Probability that tele sponsors will follow the same nets as in radio is also seen in the assignment or video rights to the forthcoming Conn- Louis fii:ht, sponsored by Gillette. With ABC broadcasting (he radio end of the fight. Gillette reportedly tried first to have thai web's video department also carry the light.- Sponsor, together with promoter Mike Jacobs, refused to sell the tele rights, however, unless the . web j Would also tie in for a year's deal to handle all fights carried via radio. ABC. with no station and no re- mote equipment ot its own. would have been forced to buy lime on WABD (DuMont. N. Y. > and borrow the equipment from WPTZ. the Philco-station in Philadelphia, since DuMont also has no remote equip- ment: Since that would have meant tieing up Philco's equipment about four days weekly to cany the* fights each Monday and.Friday night. Paul Mowrey. chief of ABC's tele depart- ment, decided the deal wouldn't be worth while. Gillette, consequently, went over to NBC. It's considered significant, however, that NBC is re- portedly dickering with Gillette for future radio coverage .'of the fights, in order to protect its television in- terests once ABC's video department gets its own stations and equipment. Outfits such as DuMont. however, with plans for a nationwide tele network, can be expected to make that concerted pitch for the top ad- vertising money.. With WABD now- operating in N. Y. and a Washington channel already assigned it. Du- Mont also has applications pending - with the FCC for stations in Pitts- burgh. Cleveland and Cincinnati. Ad agencies and outside producers today look-with special favor'on Du- Mont. since. WABD is the only sta- tioiKimw in operation that will per- mit a non-station producer to handle "] the controls while a show is on the ■ir. That's the only kind of system I agencies maintain, that will give i Uiem an opjxirtunity to gel the ne- | eessary know-how of television pro- i duclion. K.C. AFRA Strike Still A Threat, Talks Go Oi Kansas City, May 14. Negotiations between American Federation of Radio Artists local and trio of radio stations centered on KMBC here this week. A May 19 strike of announcers and staff mem- bers is pending unless deal is settled with KMBC, WHB and KCKN. Tentative agreements have been reached with WHB and KCKN. ac^ cording to AFRA reps. Negotiations are prolonged at KMBC. CBS outlet, because of larger staff and artist bu- reau problems. Karl Koerper. KMBC veepee, said that matters were "progressing sat- isfactorily on overall contract ne- gotiations concerning staff announc- ers; .special announcers; ■ actors', and singers" A meeting of all parties is ex- pected today or tomorrow to iron out final forms of the contracts. For WHB it's a renewal, but KMBC and KCKN are negotiating an' AFRA contract for the first time. Briggs to WCPO Cincinnati. May 14. Scripps-Howard Radio. Inc.. has assigned W. Taylor Briggs to fill the ■vacancy of program director of i wepo here. He was program direc- ' U«: and production manager or "MPS. Memphis, prior to serving in . the Navy. ! •Since returning to civvies rocenl- 1> he has been doing special work for the S-H stations. Glenn Clark ; Wilier resigned the local ikisi last j mpnili, tt» bocoine assistant manager w CincyV.Music Hall. Retailers Show Sets As OPA Ups Ceilings; Prices in Wide Range Last week's 8"t increase granted by the OPA to radio pans manu- facturers should result in the major- ity-.of television set manufacturers getting their sets to the markets on schedule. Under the OPA ruling, any radio.sets retaiing for less than $30Will have Hie increase absorbed by the manufacturers for any radio or video sets sellinj; at more than $30. the increase will be passed on to the distributors and retailers. First tele sets to hit the market iii the N. Y. area arc Viewlone .table and console models. Demonstration sets were preemcd by several of N. Y.'s department .stores yesterday. • Tuesday 1. the public viewing them as samples (or future delivery. Execs of (he Viewlone Television & Radio Corp. hope to turn out 2.000 sets within , the next two and a half months. Company's table model, equipped lor television alone with a 7-inch screen, will retail (or $129.75. prob- ably the lowest-priced set yet ear- marked by any or (he major manu- facturers for early distribution. Other model, a console 'selling for $279. has AM radio, a record changer and a record compartment, as well as the 7-inch video- screen. Another console, with AM and Video recep- tion, will be manufactured later to sell for $179. Extra for Service Company has set up a subsidiary organization, known as the Viewlone Television Service Corp.. to handle installation on the sets. Installation or the antenna, plus four service visits during the first six months of operation, will cost $35. Emerson radio also announced last week that it hoped to have video sets on the market by late summer; Company will manufacture six mod- els, two ot which will be available this vcai. One is a table model with a 7-inch screen, to retail at $150. Other is a console, with a 10-inch screen and AM radio reception, selling lor $200. Emerson is also setting up a pro- gram to train its service men for installation via » special school at the N. Y. plant. Emerson- execs, figuring (hat antenna installations will vary according to the location Of buildings, has set its installation charges lo range from $5 lo $30. JUT OF 1 TOTAL Washington. May 14. Earlier prediction by acting FCC chief Charles Denny that 100 tele stations would. be broadcasting in 1947 fell by the wayside today , with disclosure that 60 of an original 160 applications have already been pulled out. with imore withdrawals expected on several fronts. Infor- mal guesses now take view that feuv er than 50 stations will be program- ming next year. Meanwhile FCC spokesmen indi- cated, that if there are more with- drawals for television in . Los An- geles within the week, hearing now skedded for May 20 on L.A. bids may be called off. Warner Bros.; pulled out of the Hollywood picture last week, leaving only eight contenders still after- the city's seven tele chan- nels. Still in the running are two pix companies: Hughes Productions. Inc., and Television Productions. Inc.. Paramount affiliate; Don Lee. Earle C. Anthony, Inc.: NBC: ABO The Times-Mirror Co.. and Dorothy Thackrey, N. Y. publisher. Hearings are still on tap for New : York Cily, Philly. and San Francis- co, unless withdrawals ease the present congestion. Although bulk ot the backsliders point to confusion in the tele field and nearness of color as reason for their cold shouldering black-and- white picture operation. CPA build- ing ban and prospect of few sets on the niarkel for next few years- are also factors. Argument is made that it will take a couple or years to gel into operation, another two or three years to get out or the rod. and by that time color video may wipe out entire investment in low- frequency video.. Latest dropouts include: War- ners, for Hollywood: .1. E. Rodman (KFREi, Fresno. Calif.: WTIC, Hartford, Conn.; St. Louis Star- Times iKXOXi: WDEL, Wilming- ton. Only hew bid entered during the week was from Carter Publica- tion's (WBAP). Fort Worth. Texas. ABC Pulls Up in Tele Parade Via Detroit Outlet and Added Sponsor NBC Central Affiliates To Hold 2-Day Session. Chicago. May 14. Program managers of NBC cen- tral division affiliates.. 56 in number, will convene in Chi June 6-7 for dis- cussions on . policy and techniques. Meet will be guided by Clarence L. Menser, web veepee. over programs, and Jules Herbuveaux, central divi- ison program manager, with talks by Chick Showerman. central division veepee; and Thomas McCray, east- ern division program manager. * Already considered a dark horse entry in television's current race for broadcasting leadership. ABC televi- sion further lowered, the pari-mu- tuel odds on it this week by inking new. sponsor for forthcoming, shows. This, coupled with the fact that the web acquired its first owned and operated tele station last week through the purchase ot WXYZ. De- troit, puts ABC right up among the favorites. Acquisition of the Detroit station, .though brought about via a devious route, gives ABC the first of its pro- posed IIverstation network. WXYZ had already been granted a tele li- cense by the FCC. with tin- iweb en- tering the Detroit video picture through- purchase of the station, which is still subject, to FCC ap- proval. ABC currently has appli- cations pending for video stations in N. Y., Chicago. Los Angeles and San Francisco, with another tele out- let.already assured through WMAL, ABC affiliate in Washington. New sponsor Is the U. S. Rubber Co.. signed to fool the bills on the web's filming of the Automo- tive Golden Jubilee, skecklcyl for Detroit from May 29 through June ». With a Chevrolet-sponsored show 1 , already scheduled to bow over WABD on June 6 and with Esmond Blankets'paying the tab on several of the web's filmed special events, the ABC video department currently has more sponsored shows than any other active broadcaster, despite the fact it doesn't yet 'lave its own stu- ' ' dio. In addition-. Paul B. Mowrey, | ABC video chief, has concluded a | deal for Lockheed Aircraft to spon- I sor a series or shows and is clicker- picture industry and television was !. I"*^^l--P^* ?,*^ rC,S J^S?" inevitable, according to De Forest,■■ S? lr >? * h * T , * BC : ,,r °- -.i i. •. ,-, , f i- . i auceel show currently telecast on w,th the- bulk, of lelev.s.on enter- ; njghu over ^ D «" Stick to Monochrome, Color Comes Later, DeForest Sez in Chi Chicago, May 14. Favoring general introduction of black and white, television pending the development - of full color images. Dr. Lee De ■ Forest. gsfVe his views in Chicago last week as to the future of radionics and electronics. Returning here from Lbs Angeles as director of the veterans' training program at the American Television Laboratory, De Forest said that too much light is lost in present color television systems. ■ He predicted that television would develop into a great industry within two years, with several hundred thousand sets being marketed, and many jobs provided through -the in- j stallation and service of television j sets alone. A close link between the motion- tainment coming from films especi- ally produced in lo or 20 segments for: the visual radio, audience. Limitations, in the form of high cost of program production and re- ceivers, will keep the television au- dience to about half the size attained by ■ standard radio broadcasting, he said. 'High School' Treatment of Chi Video Production Sizzles Pros Chicago. May 14. Radio Ihespers who have been do- ing video shows gratis for WBKB here are slowly toasting over what they term "haphazard" production, and increasing refusals to return for another shot are being heard on all sides. Strangely enough, kick doesn't come from the no-pay angle, but because the performers don't feel enough time or effort is put in With them on rehearsals and other stage business. . One ex-lead said. "There arc too many people, especially women, run- ning around trying to be big shots unci treating the rest of us like they're..doing us a big favor.. We're up here (o learn television technique but it*.-a cinch thai we aren't learn l good job. but lack or organization at the station makes this impossible. ' All of the actors concerned have j : had slage-and. in some cases, picture I ' experience. Some have television j -background. All of them express the ' opinion that the basic fundamentals of staging are absent in 90% of the . WBKB programs. Averred that they don't know from rehearsal lo.show- ' lime wTiat their stage positions will be. where the camera is ; going, or ,eveu if the sets will remain the same. ■ Management could be much simpli- : fied. say thespers. if more time were laken with them, instead of having, at the moslrtwo camera re- hearsals. I "Ladies Be Seated." a new ABC "i show, is slated to bow 'tomorrow •iThurs.)" night over WABD. Show will realure 150 people in Ihe stu- dio audience, supposedly the most ever brought before video cameras at one lime, as well as a live cow. Johnny Olsen. emcee of Ihe ABC radio show of the same name, will < also handle the chores on the video version. Golden Jubilee Show, which-will be filmed by the Emerson. Yo'rke Studios. N. Y.. will be broadcast by ABC over WABD,'and.relayed to the . Philco station in Philadelphia and , the DuMont station In' Washington. I In addition, the fllms will also be j telecast over WRGB (GE, Schenec- tady i. B&K Video Costs Over $1,000,000 Chicago. May 14. .. With architects, already drawing up final plans for wide expansion of studio facilities at. WBKB here, it was revealed last week, thai the ... .. ... . . . . . . „ , Balaban * Katu chain has poured Wed like to learn, but were not." m0 re than a $1,000,000 into Ihe de- squawk the actors, "and we're cer- j ing anything and I don't feel that I tailll >' willing to work, in spite of the Twin City FM Minneapolis.-May-14. KSTP is first Twin Cities v»clio station to begin FM broadcasting. FM broadcasts, on an. intermittent schedule, are sent from a test tower by a SI. Paul studio, on low power for the time being. Only.shows du- plicated from station's regular broadcasts are'newscasts. want to donate any more or my lime under those circumstances." Another said she was "appalled at the lack of management", and prepa- ration for shows. According to the actors, people at the video station , treat production there ". ■.-. . like a ! bunch, of kids in summer Iheatre." Repealed time and again was the ! complaint that there are not enough | rehearsals, that appearance and per- I formanee don't matter as lone as ! there is a clear camera image and ! that, all in all. it's ". . . like doing i something Tor-a high school." Thespers say that in many cases tht-y are working in the face.of dis- approval froni their brethren, since they accept no pay. Other AFRAiles feel this weakens their position in. Ihe future television picture, long as they are operating under these conditions, radi fact that everyone gets paid but the actors, but no one works with , us. Something could be made of tele- vision in Chicago, but there's too much incompetence from a bunch of girls, most, of whom have had: no I stage background and don't even ' know the rudiments of direction." WCBWrS. CLOSED SHOP' WCBW. CBS" tele outlet in N. Y.. shut down last Saturday (11) and Sunday, reportedly in compliance with a request issued lo all radio and video stations to close shop, if possible, during the current coal crisis. Other two stations—WNBT (NBC) and WABD (DuMonti— continued operations according to schedules, velopmenl of television in Chicago, with large expenses yet lo come. Established in 1940 as an experi- mental station. WBKB! and it sister- outlet. W9XBK, were licensed for commercial operation two years later. Plans call for the lop floor of Ihe B&K owned State-Lake Building, once partially occupied by U. S. Navy Rudio School, lo be remodeled extensively, providing .lor a . small theatre and an adjoining clients' audition room; One large classroom will be made into a huge studio with several stages and settings. Other available space will be made into station offices, at present squeezed into one corner of the building. If feasible, one wall will be knocked oul to further enlarge Ihe new studio space; Mezzanine and penthouse rooms As WCBW resumes broadcasting tonior- | row (Thursday i, following its usual ; will be made .into workshops .fer pei-Toi niers closedown during the early part 61 | both scenery and equipment, and say they feel that.they want to do a Ihe week. dressing rooms for performer*