Variety (Mar 1949)

Wedneddiiy. March 2, I<>49 Roach Sees Bars, Lounges, Homes As Non-Tele Ontlets for lliis Vidpix TELBVISIOJW SI With Hollywood television film| oroducers stymied by tlie limited budgets which TV advertisers can now afford, Hal Roach. Sr., plans to release all his vidpix for non- tele use in l6m form in order to boost his gross. Roach hopes to Sell the 16ni versions both to bars and cocktail lounges and to homes, as a means of expanding his out- lets and thus obtain enough money to permit the quality he hopes to inject into his product.- In N. Y. to showcase samples of Parent station, WOR, N. ;Y., has — , .1 ■ * t'ls^ir 27 years, and does his first six series to ad^agencies , g $5,000,000 annual business, but WOr$ SRO Sign Washington. March 1. WOIC, Bamberger TV station in , Washmgton, has hung out tlie SRO ' sign for advertisers. The video outfit, which has, been on the air only since January 16, says It can't even squeeze in another 30- second spot. WTMJ-m 45-Hr. Spread Milwaukee, March 1. WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee Journal station, extended its daytime pro- gramming to include Monday and Tuesday afternoons, starting" Mon- day (28)., Added hours increases the station's present average of 35 hours of weekly operation to 45. Daily shows start at 2:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and at 3:30 on Saturdays and Sundays. DuMontUps Rates For 2 Stations FCC Sets Probe of AT&T Moves; Co-ax to Unite 27 Cities Tiiis Year Washington. March 1. An investtgatibn. into the law- fulriess of prpjjosed practices of , „ , , , , American Telephone fit Telegi-aph A rv four-bagger was scored by , co. and certain Bell System com Hodges' Four-Bagger can t say it's "lull up." on the air 35 liours weekly ■ I DuMont television, following the WUIC IS ; pattern already established bv Russ Hodges la.st week when he appeared on all four video nets, itt five days. In addition to his daily DuMont "Russ Hodges Scoreboard" stint, Hodges reported the Tournament of Gliampions , fights Wednesday (23) over CBS-TV, substituted for panics in furnishing coaxial cable and microwave channels for tele- vision transmission was ordered .yesterday (28) by the FCC. Tlie Commission acted on a complaint filed recently by Television Broad- casters Assn., DuMont and Philco, charging that modified regulatioiiii TV and emceed "Bowling Head- LV31e Group Set To Go Ahead Washington, March: 1. The Louisville Courier-Journal told the Federal Communications Commission today it plans to have its television station on the air by tlie spring of 1930 and that it will go ahead with; the project regard- less of- whether transfer of WHAS to the Cro.sley Corp. is approved. Victor A. Sholis, director of WHAS, said the company has been oc and networks, Roach, who is the fli-st bigtime Hollywood producer to abandon theatrical film produc- tion entirely in favor of pix for video; declared that bars should offer a natural market for the product. They do their best busi- ness, he pointed out, between 5 and 7 p.m. or late at night. In the Jjrte afternoon hours, he said, all the bars can get on TV are kid shows and late at night there is no tele. Consequently, he said, they should Jump at the chance to buy half-hour films for 16m projection. If the plan works out, Roach 'would set up a clearance system lindeif which the pix would not be available on 16m form until a cer- tain time after they had played on tele. Market for home sets, he said, would lie in tho.se market areas which will not have TV facilities for some timeMn addi-, j^^^^y. .^^ ^.^^^ a ume iromjpi.uuu up to $1,250,; to be the first to br. lion, he pomted out. people with j^^^^ ,^ ^^^^ building and that con- » hike of 25%, Number of, sets in athy of the studios against letting 16m home projectors might want i ^^^^^^5^^^ difficulties have delayed circulation in the N= Y. metropoli-, their stars appear on tele. the pix, to screen at times of the ^u. .. . day or night when they would not television station be available on tele; FartlcipatinK Sponsors . Roach, also is mulling the idea • of selling each series of films to threr or more' participating spon- sors, instead of to a single national advertiser. Gross could also be (Continued on page 38) Martin Block on the "Chesterfield adopted by the telephone eom- Supper Club" Friday over NBC- j panies are hindering video develoi>- eral other stations, announced this l'"^^" Sunday over ABC-TV week a .boost in; rate charges for WABD ;n. Y.) and WDTV (Pitts- burgh ) , both owned-and-operated stations. Increases are based on the hike: in set circulation, which has far surpassed in percentage terms the actual boost in rates in the two cities. At the same time, DuMont net- work chief Mortimer E. Loewi tapped Trevor Adams, former ra- dio-TV contact for the N. Y. Yan- kees, as assistant to web sales chief Tom Gallery. Gallery also came over to DuMont from the Yariks, where Adams had been one of his top aides. WB to Use Stars In Video Debut Hollywood, March 1. Series of big name television shows utilizing studio contract players is being mapped by Warn- ei-s for the company's bow into video. Plans are being made despite Federal Communications ment. AT&T was charged with refusing to inter-conneet its facilities with; non-owned microwave relay links. Hearings last December resulted in modlfiication of practices which' video companies said still dis- criminated against them. The Com- mission ordered these modifica- I tions, wliich were to have taken I effect March 1, suspended until June 1. ' i.r.'.^v., CJommission delay of green light to WABD s rate increase, effective , Warners for buy of the Thackrey yesterday (Tues,), brings the sta-1 television and radio interests, tion's base hourly cliarge for Class ■ Move by the company is expected „ . , A time from $1,000 up to $1,250,; to be the first to break down antip- ot channels now. available. - '"■—'>' — ■ .1 New cities to be added to th« cable; or radio jrelay -channels Iri- 13 More Cities Linked Thirteen more .cities are to be linked to the east and midwest television networks by an extension of the Bell System's coaxial 'cable routes this year, bringing.the num- ber of interconnected cities to 27. Expansion of networking facilities will double the. number of miles He estimated the outlet will take a loss of $150,000 to :$200,000 the first year of operation: ."If the loss doesn't run that high, then l am a pj"^ rates business genius," he said., | ^^^^^.^.^ ^^^^^.^ j_ ^^^^^^ tan area, since the last rate card went into effect Oct. 1, is up 35%, All advertisers currently on WABD are to be protected on their pres- ent contracts until Sept. 1 at the WHAS officials testified at bear- its nighttime rate from $250 to lAmiBEWTeam On TV Control In a moVe to split control over television technicians between their organizations, two of three major unions struggling for hege- mony in the new medium have , ., ..^..TT^VV i reached a working agreement on ! ham family, owners ol WHAS, to jurisdictional problems. Informal mgs which began yesterady (28) on | $300 per hour, an increase of 20% the delay in building the video sta- ■^jji.j,, according to DuMont, is !T ""wu^A^c'^^iifiSfo i.?f"^ consistent with the rapid increase i^J. Jl^^^- WJ?AS-i M a n d i„ set ownership in Pittsburgh. Ad- WHAS-TV properties to Crosley. I ^ertisers currently using WDTV's facilities will continue under the old rates until Oct. 1 agreement between the Interna tional Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and the International Brotherhood' of Electrical Workers is the result of , more than six [ Recently, Bob Hope and the Fort i Industry Co. withdrew from the contest for the $1,925,000 package deal. Earlier Lisle, Baker Sr., WHAS v.p. and' treasurer, testified that the company has invested over $1,000,000 in radio and video facil- ities and equipment within the last three years. He said the decision to sell wa.s due to the reluctance of the Bing-1 , . , w , . . . ' The newly^organized Television accept outside financing for expan-1 Writers Guild is being more com-: sion of their newspaper and radio , pietely integrated info the Authors Video Guild's Position In Authors League Made Stronger Despite SWG Kinescope recording unit will be installed at KLAC-TV,, local tele outlet that Warners will purchase, in mid-March. Unit is being set up at the studio. Present plans are to ^ put the equipment into use at the tele station during the first week in April. Col. Nathan Levifison, Warners! veepee in charge of engineeringi is working on a mobile kinescope unit. He said mobile idea hasn't been popular to date because of the recording ..equipment's sensir tiveness. However, some type of shock-absorber device can be rigged up to make the mobile unit readily practical, he said. Mobile kinescope will carry its own film developer to insure . immediate availability for film. This would enable the station to record day^ time events on the spot, present- ing them as delayed telecasts dur- ing the station's .evening operat- ing hours. Unit will also allow elude Providence and Wilmington by summer; Lancaster, Pa., and Erie, Rochester, N.Y., and Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati by fall, and Albany, Syracu.se, Schenectady, Utica and-Rome, N.Y., before the end of the year. In addition, more work has been scheduled on the new radio relay link between N.Y. and Chicago this year, which will opei) up new TV channels between the . east and midwest. And, the phone company announced, besides (Continued on page 38) • EddieSmaU-UA Talidng Vidpix operations. He added that personal 1 t ^-^ rpv,-.u.fi with ihp an-1 ^'^^ record local happenings ownership and control has been ^^^^"^' ^/f'''^'"'"'' which could be developed and almost "almost a fetish" with both ! nouncement that 1 \\C, reps will be ; shown at the station almost imme Edward Small and United Artists' video department have been in station "to'set up .quickly on "flash"' i huddles for the past several weeks events and record local happenings <"> a deal by which the producer the late Judge Barry Bingham and months' huddling between execs 1 his' son, Barry Ji-. of both unions. WHAS was represented by Ne- The National Assn. of Broadcast ville Miller and Wilson Wyatt Engineers and Technicians, the] counsel, both former mayors oi third union which has not been Louisville. invited into the inter-unlon pact. ' • . — v. . - . , opened an attack against the ' I sit on the committees along with t,,, ■. , lATSE last week with charges that 1 fHI STATIONS TO reps from the Authors Guild, ■ WM A R-TV CBS television the latter union has made "peace,'' »>lrtIlUlli3 lU 1 Dramatists Guild and Radio Writ-1 !f ^ h^^'c, Instituted a 20% hike in in the television field impossible in j CARRY CUBS* GAMES named shortly to the league's diately standing committees, such as cen- sorship and copyright. Executive committee of the TWG is submit- I ting names of candidates to Oscar, I Hammerstein II. league prexy, to I sit on the committees along with reps from the Authors . Guild, BAITO'S WMAR-TV 20^ RATE CARD HIKE the foreseeable future." NABET ac-1 Guses lATSE of trying to take over! jobs, such as dolly pushing, kine-1 scope recording, sound technicians and others, which, it's claimed, is normally in NABET's orbit of tech- nical operations. NABET and lATSE are currently involved in hearings before the National Labor Relations Board to determine the Chicago, March 1. Three Chi tele stations will can y all of the Cubs' home games this year. Rogers Honisbywill be at the microphone lor WF.NR-TV, .Joe Wilson for WBKH. and Jack Brick- house for WGN-TV. In making the announcement. ers Guild [ its rate card, effective today TWG organizing committee met iJ"'^^''«?°5"'*'"S the charge from Friday (251 and at)p.-oved plans of I f 50 to $300 for a nighttime hour the executive comnntloe lor th. ' 'kTv N Y o^tllf of regular film staff for ped setting up ot lour commiltees to P^^^l^wMiJ-hZ^T^? ^ling video-product. In.stoad would turn out a series of shorts and. featurettes for TV. Small is anxious to get into the new field, but won't go ahead until UA can prove it will be profitable, which it .is now endeavoring to demon- . strate to him. ' . Company has no performance statistics to show yet, but expects to very shortly. It plans to Start selling to TV. stations within the next few weeks. John Mitchell, head of the department, has lined up a considerable number of single pix and series which can be oft'ered. Company has decided against handle membership, drafting of a ■ idiiujc „-„h.j,„„ i,niir ratp frnm *i nnft tn iWill hire two salesmen, who will constitution, craft meetings and " S'lti'ne houi late tiom $1,000 to ^jj^^y ^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^.^^ '""^l^tnfU^lll'l^}^:.^^^^^^^^^^ Despite the increase, circulation I N^^.y^'"'';, Latter will be handled \ Z rZ '^rZfrj^V^^^^^^^^^ rates for WMAR-TV have actuallv "y Mitchell. It is expected that the eral policies: leasing ot mateiial, ^..-n-.^ 7,0/ .07 o-, („«d4i size of the road men's territories with no outright sale; maintenance 'l^^^Pf^^J^l^' Thrirbased On the 'gradually shrink as new sta- ul/m-:;eri1viu;'acl^i\io?rt I'^c^ hrwhlie^'tt';atKve^^^^^^^ opened. UA exchanges me'nt'-trl,^ ';e-te'oTl uPPed 20% over the last card, in-'-' "e used tor physical handling centage arrangement foi contin- sUtuted in .April 1948. set owner- „ing use via film or kincscoDc re- f'P ^hen has jumped from cording; contracts to be made for ^'OO to more than 40.000. CBS barsainine aaencv lor NBC-TV and \ C"hs g.m. Jim Gallagher said, ABC -iTtechn cia^ { ""^^ rcali/.e that television is in its Tlueatenh^^^ «11 n.,t fi^-ht i^^^^wy. But we believe video may aga'^^sulTsI, NABET^xy J^o'hn i P^^f - ^3''to'.WeMi;'Si^ ^Donnell said his u'nion "will i -e'rv'^ppm U.nu/ to dov^lop^Td ?i lT«w'^'\'' vigor" Its .lunsdiction- j ^^^^-^ve televis on techniques. ' al rghts over broadcasting Person- "' '""\f^^ ^ charge for video nel in both AM and TV. NABET's ■ " " ' t u a 1 lui !of the product, billing, colleijtions and other details. exec board met last week to di,scuss rights. their next step against the lA but no decision has been d JJ^^jg* jy g^,^. NABET received its first jolt 1 o 1 L i n^^„:«„ DI^Uo from the lATSE iBEw tacit united bchuoert Kegams Kignts front a couple of months ago when „ , i r Jt was edged out of WPIX, N. Y ' «ernaia 1. Schubert of Radio iuiisdicIhTnVl picture."iA?SE-and \ .^^jBtd Ze''anf^.m fl-o^t^e existing number ol stations, uith aclverti.sers using the station as o! additional stations reqiuring addi-■ March 1 are to be protected at tlij tional payment: copyright to be in old rate on all periods u.sed with- name of author; when- writer has out interrapti on unti l Sept. 1. provided the idea or format, .his . , interest in the p:ickai;t> should be Ditto in Toledo consistent with his contribution Toledo, March T. and should be in addition to his WSPD-TV. CBS tele outlet in compensation as script writer, ™edo ups its basic nighltiine Action ot the league in building rale effective toda,\ (Pues.) from the TWG has riled the Screen SloO to $200 per hour. Increase Guild which feels it 's ba.sed on a boost in TV set TELESPORTS FORMED TO OK CROSLEY STOCKPILE Cincinnati. March 1. To insure a stockpile for; sports telecasts on its stations here and in Dayton and Columbn.s. 0.,, Cros- ley Broadcasting Corp. has formed TeieSports, Inc., a $100,00(1 IBEW as7Ve%uU of NrR¥eTp«"'t<> "Bl'n^ '^"'•^ ana wiiiinumu.ee ^^.j^^,., (juild. which feels it oa.M-u u„ a ooohl 1" sc| , JjO'^POjat^on- ^^^^^ tions ^t WP^r walked off wuV » °" T^;?!!'fJiM a^aiTs^^^^^ .iurisdiction over the ^ll^^'^'^^^^^^' ^« t""«« 'he last; j^Xr^ e! Dunvfue a'nTDw^^^^ full control of tlie various crafl 1 Francis wUl agam stai as, ^j^^^ ^^.^iptgj.j, some RWG mem- nine months wiir again divisions into'w-hich the" si^alien's ! "^^''^''^^^ ceremonies, personnel ^ad been divided. , bers also feel milled, believing that As an AM network aircr during the RWG should have been given the war, "Blind Date" featured ti,e greenliglit to organize TV servicemen competing for Stork ^vnters. They point to the fact that Club dates with models. In the 4|,e nwG's original charter gave It video reprise, college students and jm-isdietion over video too. of the Tigers in Training , Detroit, March 1. ,.„„., .-,- . - „ , , , WXYZ-TV will televise spring alumni will be used. Schubei; tramiiig activities of the Detroit, was producer of the show when it Tigers, starting March 9. The pro- debuted for Maxwell House Coflee Cleveland— JoseiMi A »ams are scheduled for two days I in 1943. It has had sucessiiil stage formerly ot WBEN-T^ . s the neu » week, Wednesday and Friday. | engagements in New \o^-k, Boston pi-oduction mWM at ' enltr'*'«'» ''^ » P''^^- ^IS^' ' " °'•'•^^Snc«'«1\o"rSm■^ Martin, vice presidents, parent company. . Under terms of its state charter, Telesports may promote profes- Jenkins, NBC's rt V J, Erie WICU Bow ' Erie, Pa., March ' T, WICU. television station owned 1 .sional sports events and also;bring and operated by the Erie Dispatch.' in road shows. Dunville said it Wffs, scheduled to take the air -with: expects to get into operation vvith- tc.st patterns today 1 Tues. 1 and to: in 60 days. launch its regular programming' One of the sites under consider--,' IVlarch 1!5. , atioh is the 4.500-seat north wing Station is the first in northwest- of Music Hall, where Ci osley'.s ern Pennsylvania. Layman W. WLWT originates weekly wrestling I Cameron is general manager. 1 telecasts.