Variety (Jan 1949)

WedttCBday, Jannary I?, 1949 TELEVISION 3S FCC Hindering Continued from page it; and retard normal and healthy de- velopment, of television. FCC's 'Quiet Treatment' Patrick also brought up the Com- mission's proposed decision deny- ing par's various applications for television on'the ground the firm controls DuMont, which has three stations, in addition to Par's two. He said Par applications have re- ceived "quiet treatment" by the Commission since 1947, when it questioned control, over DuMont , Pointing out that Par and Du- Mont have gone ahead in good faith with their applications for stations at substantial expense; that the film company acquired its 29% Interest in DuMont, now worth $10,000,000( before the multiple ownership rules were proposed, and that both companies have pio- neered in television, Patrick argued that Par and DuMont should be al- lowed to pursue their applications. Joseph' H. Ream, executive vee- pee of CBS, told the Commission the question is not one of "pulling something out of the hat but of the development of television. He said he didn't know what limita- tion^ should be placed on video. "We don't know enough about the ultimate pattern of television," he addedi Beam objected to the Commis- sion's proposed rule to limit an owner to seven AM stations. He said CBS finances video from the profits of its own AM stations and hopes "to preserve the vitality of the aural, broadcasting system." He said he did not think that film ex- changes can provide raiich of the programming for video stajiions. ; Gustave B. Margraf, counsel for NBC, opposed imposition of "arbi- trary limits." He contended that .. broadcasters "should have an op- .portunity to show in any given -case that ownership of an addition- al ■ station would ifot. be contrary to the public interest." He said he was not advocating that there ; be no limit, but that the way be left open for consideration of each case as i I, is presented. Paul A. O'Brien, of Dow, Lohnes & Albertson, counsel for the Fort Industry Co., opposed the six-sta- tion FM limitation as well as the ceiling on video outlets as "illogi^ cal and impractical." He thought j the limits should be the same for all three types of stations. O'Brien said his company would be compelled to discontinue its AM station in Pairmount, W. Va., if it can't provide FM service in the area, Fort Industry, he said, now has its limit of seven AM stations and therefore can't apply for FM in Fairmount. "This is hardly a reward for years of providing pub- lic service," he said. Heflmann $ 2-Way Stint for Detroit ' Detroit, Jan. 18. WWJ-TV, will televise at least half of the Detroit Tigers' home baseball games in 1949. Edwin J. Anderson, president of the Goebel | Brewing Co., which sponsors the I telecasts,' also - announced that { Harry Heilmann would handle both radio and ^television microphones this season. This season will mark Heil- mann's debut on television; He has done the regular broadcast of Tiger games for Goebel for six seasons. In 1949 he will speak, the, same text into, two microphones during games which are televised. Announcer Van Patrick will par- ticipate with Heilmann in the play- by-play and vocal interpretation; Patrick has broadcast Cleveland games for the past two seasons. WKRC Bags Cincy Gardens For Sports Despite Arena Mgt Tie With Crosley Cincinnati. Jan. 18. Exclusive video: rights for Cin- cinnati Gardens^ Inc. sports arena, scheduled to open Feb. 22, were bagged last week by the Times- Star WKRC, whos^ yideo station is slated to start commercial op- eration April 1 after an experi- mental tuning up of several weeks, Deal aroused surprise in local ra- dio circles, the .Gardens acting general manager, Charles Sawyer, Jr., being longtime exec in the Crosley fold, the only broadcasting firm now operating locally in tele- vision. Crosley's video engineers were consultants in planning of the new Gardens' 13,000-seat lay- out. Hulbert Taft, Jr., managing di- rector of WKRC and its TV unit, said the contract is for 18 months and covers ice shows and other big road attractions along ,with boxing, wrestling, hockey, basketball and other sports. Cincy's only video station, with nearly a year, of .operation under, its belt, Crosley's WLWT has done a commendable coverage of gen- eral indoor and outdoor sports, in- cluding some of the Cincy Reds' baseball games last season and for which the station has the WKRC and WCPO newcomers as bidding competitors on the 1949 season. Kelvinator Bankrolling Coast Hoop Games Hollywood, Jan; 18. KLAC-TV has sold 12 Univer- sity of Southern California-Univer- sity of California in Los Angeles basketball games to Kelvinator for a reported $14,750. WDTV Makes Pitt Video-Hep Despite Fact That it's Town's Single Outlet Pittsburgh, Jan. 18. Launcliing of city's first tele- vision station, DuMont-owned WDTV same night (11) that the coaxial cable linking^ east and mid- west opened, gave Pittsburgh its biggest show biz sliot in the arm in years. Prior to event, in the neigh- borhood of 2,000 TV sets were re- ported sold in the district and since then that number has been doubled, with orders piling up so fast deal- ers can't supply the demand. And this despite the fact that WDTV is likely to be Pittsburgh's sole TV outlet until at least mid- 1950. Although three channels re- main to be allotted locally, FCC freeze on hearings of applicants probably won't be lifted until late summer and before arguments can be heard and acted on, another few months will elapse. Which means that by the time transmitters are built by the three outlets which, are okayed, better than a -year will have passed. In the meantime, AM radio may , be in. for some curtailment of ad-■ vertising revenue from long-time sponsors, many of whom have al- ready, .climbed. aboard the video wagon^ WDTV began first day of operation with such top-flight bankroUers as Kaufmann's and Joseph Home department stores, Pittsburgh Brewing Co., Fulton theatre, Chevrolet Dealers and' a flock of others. All local shows on WDTV for the time being will have to be on film since station hasn't the equipment yet; to televise live shows and must do everything from the trans- mitter. As a result, Kaufmann's and Home's are using newsreel clips, with Beckley Smith and J. English Smith, respectively,; doing the spoken narration, and Pitts-, burgh Brewing hJjs taken the Russ Hodges sports short from DuMont It's introduced by Bill WPIX'Latin Quarter, N.Y., Tie-In on Talent Quest A new variety show is slated to emanate from the Latin Quarter, N. Y., starting Feb. 1. WPIX. N. Y., has slated a talent quest for acts- seeking a Broadway showcase with winner to get a week's contract at-, the cafe. Bohack chain of markets will sponsor and LQ operator, Lou Walters, will produce and direct. Display will go on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. for a half-hour. Program labeled "Stairway to Fame" will have a similar format to the Arthur Godfrey show inas- much as professional acts will be used. If necessary, Walters will furnish performers with material and wardrobe. CBS Hub Bid Kept Alive Washington, Jan. 18. Because of the "freeze" on proc- essing of applications, Federal Communications Commission ruled i network. „, last week that CBS may keep pertd-1 Sutherland"'sp6rts broadcaster fbr -..-i ' the local outfit, but he's shown do- inig his ppe'riihg spiel' oh film. Biill Beal, radio produce? and packa has a strictly local newsreelamderi co-op sponsorship. With WDTV assured of a virtual monopoly: vyell into 1950, it's cer- tain of grabbing plenty of attehW tiol^t that .i sliould cpntiniie tO: p.aj| off even :after co^^ aniij Silso getting: a toe-hol'd- oh the flrst-rline spohsots. That's already been well: indicated by the. vided pay brigade. For the time being, WDtV hours of operation are 6hly^ from 6: to 10 ii.in,, although during fo^ weeky it's been channeling through, number of DuMont network shows from New York to establish test I patterns. Thes^ aren't regularly programmed, however, but man- agement says they will be withiii a week, arid that daytime .Schedule : will run from 10 k.jn. to 3:3<)* ing its bid for a television station in Boston while the Commission | decides whether it will approve the network's, bid to purchase a con- struction permit in the area. No ' sooner had the FCC an- nounced its : decision, when The Meredith Publishing Co. filed a competitive bid.matching the $242,- 000 price which CBS agreed to give the Raytheon Electric Go. for its unfinished station in Waltham, just outside Boston. Meredith, which has a television outlet in Syracuse, N. Y., and is seeking ad- ditional stations in Rochester and' 1 Albany, got in its application lust I under the 60-day deadline period provided for matching bids under I the AVCO procedure. It is ex- I peeted the CBS and Meredith ap- plications will be given a hearing to decide which is the better quali- fied to; operate the Raytheon sta- tion in the public interest. WHERE WERE YOU AAA ON THE NIGHT OF f / / JANUARY 11, 1949 ■ ■ ■ On Tuesday evening, January 11, 1949, thousands of families—in fourteen metro- politan centers and surrounding towns— sat before their television sets and watched the FIRST program ever to be telecast over the newlyTjoined Eastern and Midwestern networks of the Bell System, Part of this program comprised the tele- vising of a motion picture entitled "Step- ping Along with Television." It was pro- _duc_edJ)_yXBrayd _forJJie BelJ_Systeijijjand it was the first film ever to be transmitted over these newly-combined T-V networks. We don't attach too great significance to the fact that this Caravel film was a "first" —though it's something pleasant to remem- ber. We do believe Caravel would never have been chosen to produce it if we had not first proved our ability to do a top-flight job. If you missed the program on the night of January 11, 1949, we shall be happy to show our part of it—either at your offices or ours. We can't make all, the films for [ television, but isye dqt^ When thousands, even millions of people, are the final judge, is it prudent I to compromise with quality? After all, the TRUE yardstick is RESULTS. I CARAVEL FILMS, INC. DETROIT • 3010 Book Tower • Tel. CAdillac 6617 • NEW YORK • 730 Fifth Avenue •Jel. Circle 7-6111