Variety (Mar 1949)

Wtt AmiiBA$fi March 30, 1949 TBUSTISIOIV 27 NAB, TBA MERGER TALKED UP Conpttion Is Healdiy Minneapolis, M^rch 29. S D. Hubbard, president of KSTP, currently the only Twin City television station, told the Moxming Tribune that the KSTP video operations are resulting in an average $8,500 monthly loss to the station. Paradoxical as it may sound, however, he stated, he's so anxious for a competing station, WTGN, to get its TV launched that he has offered his competitor a "bonus" to speed up its start. WTCN Is moving into the old KSTP studios in Radio City build- ing here and it has bought some equipment which KSTP left there. Hubbard informed WTCN that if it gets on the air with TV by the end of March, it could have a $1,500 discount on the purchase price; But WTCN can't get started so soon and regretfully Will have to pass up the discount. Hubbard says he figures competition will help to put KSTP in the black. His idea is that a second TV station will stimulate in- terest and help to sell more television sets. More sets, he figures; would mean more revenue for KSTP, bringing in more advertisers and permitting a higher scale of rates. And more than two TV stations will be still better, according to his line of reasoning. Canada Gets Green Light on Tek, Parliament to Vote $4 Toronto, March 29. Prompted by protests of public ; and press, plus ' private interests \ prepared to invest millions, the | federal government has authorized i the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Laurie's My' for TV Joe pauriCi;Jrv, is packagirig, hi "liefty and. Agiiie'V ser'iiBS for radio and television. Yarns which ran in the i;anaaian ' Variety several years ago tell of t^g°?A^^l':i*^."lTj?rr' a pair of retired vaUdeviUians TV Billings for Feb. NBC tele vision- continuedto pace the four major TV net- works in gross time sales for February, chalking up $370,- 000 in billings. Following is the breakdown of the nets' estimated-gross sales: NBC-TV $370,000 CBS-TV 91,000 DuMont 83,000 ABC-TV ...... 19,000 television in this country on an Interim program which will pro- vide for establishment of initial television stations in Toronto and Montreal leading to a contemplated national network. Parliament will approve a $4,000,000 grant to the CBG to meet first costs of the in- terim development. In addition to the nationalized ■ television setup, private groups will be allowed to develop then- own stations in Toronto and Montr reaWif their applications arc ap- proved by the CBC. - Toronto applications, earlier de- ferred, have been submitted by Famous Players (Canadian); GKEY, backed by a large and im- portant financial group; CFRB, largest independent station m Canada; and Al Leary. who has the backing of a group ot British financiers. The snag is that there are only three channels available in the Toronto area under interna- tional agreement and that tire CBC ' . (Continued on, page 321 . living in Cool Acres, Cal., who can't keep away from the theatre. Launc has several nibbles for the series; Ad Schulberg is agent- mg. , Swimmers' Suit TV Precedent Hollywood, March 29. In what may be a prccedental T-V:-8uU, three swimmers filed suil against KLAC'TV for .$7,500 dam- ages for "invasion of privac.v." Natatois, with Buster Crabbe's "Aquacade," were picked up bv KLAC-TV la.st September while giving benefit performance at Olympic Stadium. They charge in- vasion of privacy and unfair com- petition, AGVA, of wliieh thev are members, will aid them in the suit. .. Station's general manager Don Fedderson declared "we acted en- tirely in good faith in televising event for charitable purposes. We do not have contract with AGVA. The producer of the show gave us authority by letter that all unions had been cleared for television purposes. We were requested by officials of Mt. Sinai Hospital to televise their charity aqua show to aid in drive for more funds via television," At time of lensing, AOVA whacked down on station wliich was lold it would have to assuage swimmers Joseph Poter.son. .lolin niley and William Lewin, oi- face Wentual blacklisting by union. Asher-Alsop Roll 26Vi(lpixforP&G In H'wood, Italy Hollywood, March 29. Procter & Gamble and one of its ad agencies, Compton, have started negotiations for a series of telepix to be made in Hollywood and Kurope, Deal is currently in prog- ress with Gordon Legoy. of Gen- eral Tplpvisinn Knterpriscs, and_ the partnership ol Irving Asher ; and Cai leton Alsop. Latter would I produce abroad.with Asher doing I actual producing and Alsop han- ; diiog the business end here. Ne- ' gotiations are also .being carried on with other TV production com- i panics. First of a series of 26 pix will be dramatic and adventure sub.iects, with each showing to be two sepa- rate stories to permit a middle coiiimercial without interrupting continuity. Understood each 27- nunute "film Will cost V: & G. around $8,000, With; production; (Continued on page 32) CHI 1[I SEEN TIME TO STIIflT Although nothing-official on the subject has been booked on the agenda. for the annual NAB con- vention in Chicago, starting April 3, many key broadcasters,, includ- ing some top network execs, are hopeful of some last-minute rally- ing in a bid to bring about a merger of the NAB and the Tele- vision Broadcasters Assn. al the Chi meet. It's long been felt that both the cause of radio and television would suffer unless both camps unite and give the broadcasters and other video station operators the type ot | organizational parenting seen needed. Both within the NAB and TBA folds, there has been a con- tinued divided sentiment till now as to the wisdom Of such a merger. With the . continued. TV upbeat, important broadcasters take the position that, unless the NAB ef- fects such a merger and more firmly entrenches itself in video, the industry's official organization will decline in prestige; and im- portance, while the tele organiza-. tion in coming years assumes a more . impoi'tance niche in tlie scheme of things,' From the TBA's standpoint, a merger with the NAB, it's pointed out, would solve the problem of an inadetiuate budget. Broadcasters removed from such key TV markets as New York and Chicago, but who are becoming in- | facilities. creasingly intrigued over video's i xhe film series will "be sbot in i development and how it will fit' Hollywood. One of the more lucra- ' into their future pattern, have com-1 twe of the King-Trendle package . Ffee-for-AH for Texaco Spot to Mark Sunnner Hiatus Program Scrambles $1,000,000 Vidpix 'Ranger Series Skedded by GF Y One of the most ambitious and expensive film ventures in video, I based on an old established radio j format series, is about to be ! launched by General Mills. The i company is underwriting, at a cost j ot $1,000,000. a 52-week series ot I half-hour films for TV showcasing 1 based on the "Lone Ranger," which GM also sponsors.in radio via ABC - Showcasing of new package ideas and talent,, and a concerted pitch, by television broadcasters to snar*. audiences from time slots now sewed up by their competitors, are expected to highlight the upcoming summer layoff period, when some . of the top-budgeted: shows will take an eight-to-i3 week hiatus, Working on the assumption that; TV viewers are still sporadic dial , twisters whose looking habits have' not: yet been tied down, the net-: works are expected to fight for; audiences in the currently-favored time slots by plugging their ':best summer productions. during those ]} periods. . Most embattled -hour is.' expected to be the Tuesday night 8 to 9 period, now held tightly by Milton Berle's "Texaco Star Thea- tre" on NBC-TV, which consistently grabs otf better than 90% of the audience. With the Berle show scheduled for a hiatus after the ' June 14 program, competing broad- [ casters for the first time will have I a chance to fight for that audience, i Upshot is expected, to be the de» I velopment of new and better pro- I gramming throughout the industiwr ! which will undoubtedly redound to the benefit of the public. Few ra- dio shows have ever been, able to .sew up an audience as tightly as some of the TV shows have done, I so that radio webs for the most 1 part have bypassed experimenta- I tion during the summer layoffs. Be- I cause of the unique formulation of (Continued on page 34) plained that they have nowhere to I turn for a proper indoctrination; that the overall broadcasting in,- I dustry lacks a know-how organiza- 1 tion that puts the TV accent where I it belongs. ■ While, it- is recognized , that one 1 trade organization wo'uld be ideal ! tor the ir.dustry,-some of the key ' radio-TV , men lake the position ! that for NAB, as it is presently i set up, to swallow up the TBA, i would be, a backward *tep tor ■ video. They contend that, sp tar as they're concerned, the NAB is i "years behind in its thinking on - television." — ■ I However, they are equally con- ! vinced that an overall NAB par- ent body broken down into three ; hard-hitting organizations for AM, FM and TV could be tlie ultimate; i answer in terms ol the future com- ' munications picture. ' operations, ''Ranger" video rights , would become a General Mills ex- ! clu,sive, TV film program is also | slated lor the ABC web, plus, of course, additional video outlets throughout the country. Ford's 'Crystal Ball' Will HaveSavo as Host; Dance Circus Telecast StiD in Doubt Decision oh whether ' the RingT ling Br6s,-Barnum Clrcusv;; I will be' teieyiseiij durfng.;lts anniVat ' stay, at Madison Sfli,, Garden, N.'Y., I this year hasn't y6t' beien made; : . World Leads Set to Stage '•^^ ^^'^^ ^^^^ Comedian Jimmy Savo was set: this week__as jiermanent host and ' story teller on "Through the Crys- 'Sez You' for TV Hollywood, March 29, James Glefson will play a fight ihanagor i,. t, series, of shorts for television, to be produced by bchpse under the title ot "Derby's Hingside Diner."., Fiist one rolls April 20.' Top Cleve. TV Project To Simulate Invasion Of I Ohio in 2-Hour Telecast Cleveland. March 29, "Operation Pretend," an ambi- tious two-hour teleca.st of a pos- sible invasion of Northern Ohio, will be staged Sunday (31 by WKWS-TV aided by both the Ohio National Guard and the Army Or- gani-/.cd lieservc Corp.s. Taken from "CPX Thunderbolt" the armv defense exercise, the telecast will use filni. remote tclc- 'vision equipment and studio . sctr tings to drama(i-/.e the possibility of an attack and the need for de- ■ tense preparation against it. It is estimated that more than 2,000 Ohioans will participate in the pro.iect. , ; Viewers ^i'- being told they 11 I see Cleve .i. •- inal Tower "collapse in .i • .ibif.^.' attack . . . '■ cnemv taking ovri .-loveland ' Municipal Airport , .-'.-d reserv- I isl.s and National (Uia 'istnen actu- alK- enj'-aged m prolcciing power plrinls, i act ones," etc., the latter on film p' iduccd "in accordance , with sinv, ated delen.se plans work- \ cd out Uy the Army for use in case I ot fljKacii," ■ Network Nearer Acquisition oi .studios by WOR- i TV in the ABC Television Centor I on Manhattim's Wcl 6(3lh Street. 1 announced Friday (25i. brings one i step closer the formation of a ! Mutual TV network. WOR-TV. due ' to boW; in the summer, also op- ; 0'ates WOlC, Wa.shington, and the ' two outlets will form the nucleus Of MBS' eastern video web. The center, situated in a former armory, takes in the width of a city, block, between (ifith and 67lh streets. A wall 45 t'eot high has been constructed across the. middle of the building, separating the WOR and ABC studios, with the ■latter keeping the 66th St. Side. However, some'facilities will be pooled, with ABC and WOR shar- ing rehearsal and audition studios, dressing rooms, lockers, storage facilities and prop and scenic •areas, ■ • WOR-TV will build two 5.000- '.square foot studios, each : with (Continued on page 34) tal Ball," new half-hour series of; television shows sponsored by Ford dealers, which tees off April 18 via CBS-TV. Program's chief emphasis will be on telling stories in dance for-m, with Michael Kidd set to choreograph and play the title role in "Robinson Crusoe" for the preem. ; Show, which will be produced 1 by J. Walter Thompson staffer i Paul Belanger, will carry a $15,000 i vveekly budget. Format will be i maintained as flexible as possible I to permit the inclusion of original o(T next Wednesday (6). Garden Corp. prexy Gen. John Reed Kil- patri'ck told Variet'T- yesterday (Tues.) the decision rests solely with circus' prez , John Ringling North; who is not due in N. Y. until early next. week. Since "no preliminary arrangements will be necessary for the telecasts, Gen. Kilpatrick pointed out, it will be an easy matter to line up the pick- ups if North gives his okay. Circus telecasts were carried for the last several years by CBS-TV. Following- last year's series, how- ever, Nortu nixed any future tele- scripts as well as the classics. Top' vising its entirety, declaring at choreographers and dancers are being lined up, with George Balan- chine already inked to stage "Cin- derella" as the second in the series and Valerie Bettis tentatively .set tor both the choreography and lead role in the third. Show will alsOi.employ top composers, actors and singers. Program is lo be aired every Monday night in the 9 to 9:30 p.m. slot except on May 16 and June 13, when "Ford Television Theatre" will hold down the full 9 to 10- hour on CBS, "Theatre" will then go off for the summer and, if it returns next fall, will occupy a different evening, with "Crystal Ball" going weekly. the time he'd go for nothing more than a half-hour pickup for trail- erizing purposes. Circus gate in 1948 was, the biggest in history but North expected the sharp boost in .set circulation this year to hurt his boxoffice. In addition, he burned last year, at an ad run. by Macy's in N. Y. daily newspapers, extolling the virtues of owning a TV set, .with the appendage: ''Why go to the circus when you can see it in your own home?" 60€ Chi Sox Deal Chicago, March 29. WGN-TV today I Tues. i signed for exclusive telecasting of Chi White Sox ball games. Sox original asking price was ; $100,000, but rights went to WGN- 1 XV for $60,000. Emerson Acct. to FCB Foote, Gone & Beldlng ad agenc^' this week took over the complete linierson Radio account and agency television chief Roger Pryor is now mulling several TV shows to select one for a possible launching within the next month. Emerson recently bowed out as bankroUer on Ed Sullivan's "Toast of the Town," now sponsored by Lincoln and Mercurv dealers Sunday nights on CBS-TV. ' Blaine-Thompson agency former- ly handled Emerson's TV billings, with Grady & Wagner handling the i firm's printed media advertising. Ed Wynn Planning Coast Tele Series, Hollywood, March 29. Ed Wynn may. make his tt'le- vision debut in the near future in a show to originate here, with the William Morris office handling the production, Comedian has had seven ofl'ers for TV ers to date but nixed five of them because they necessitated his airing the pro- grams from New York, which he refused to do. Present plans call for Wynn to ■ do either a live show here for Idnescoping in the east, or a straight film series. He's presently awaiting a final okay from one net- I work and an interested sponsor*