Variety (December 1950)

Record Details:

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Wednc«Jay» Decemlter 20, 1!>50. RADIO-TELEVISION 33 insde Stuff—Television r E Hooper reportedly asking $2,000 eAch per month for sub- /*rii)tion to his projected Hooperecosder, new automatic audience {measurement device for video. Subscribers must also pay six months ^Devhie^ comprises an Instrument attached to video receivers, which wftuld transmit signals automatically to a central office via leased tele- phone wires. In that way, subscribers will be able to get a running J ount of their ratings during the time a show is being aired. Hooper plans to launch the system initially in N. Y., Chicago and Los Angeles. ' Net spokesmen, while favoring the idea of getting an on-the-spot rating noted that the system will lack the advantage inherent in wnnner’s present coincidental telephone measuring of learning the com- ^Uon (5 their audience. . Possible insight into the sympathetic attitude held by most sports fans for ex-heavyweight champ Joe Louis is contained in American Research Bureau ratings for November. NBC’s “Greatest Fights of the Century’’ on the Friday night rated featured films of the bout in which Louis wort his title from Jim Braddock. Fifteen-miniite program out- drew by three percentage points NBC’s “Gillette Cavalcade of Sports,’* with its standard pickups of fights from Madison Sq. Garden, N. Y. "Greatest Fights,” bankrolled by Chesebrough through the Cayton agency, follows Immediately after the Garden bouts on the NBC video w'eb Program grabbed a 24.5 rating, as Compared with the 24.2 drawn the same night by the Gillette bouts. Govt. Figrures to Vie In Amateur Hour Jan. 25 Washington, Dec. 19. For the second consecutive year, a Ted Mack “Original Amateur Hour,” featuring top figures in Government, Congress and the armed services, will be held here. Affair has been slated for Consti- tution Hall, Jan. 25, with the Women’s National Press Club sponsoring. Proceeds of the ticket sale will go to the armed forces’ associated services, to provide recreation for servicemen in the U.S. and abroad. Last year’s show was sponsored by the American Heart Assif. ’ Educational TV Posers Continued from page 25 NBC-TV Preems S-H Continued from page 25 separate control room, located on the old ninth-floor level of the studio. There are also separate control rooms for the video and audio technicians, separated by a glass curtain. This can be raised or lowered, to make it one or two rooms. ' , ■ . Studio is designed for use with six cameras, including one which is to be mounted oh a special Island suspended from the celling. This Is for high camera angles, as well as for “follow” spotlights. With the six cameras, the producer or director will have eight monitor screens before him—one for each of the cameras, one for the “preview” shot and one for the on-the-air picture. In addition, a ninth mon- itor can be used for remote camera pickups or for film transmission. Studio is also equipped with a 15x20-foot rear-projection screen, Jbelieved to be the largest ever used, as well as the standard 0x12- foot screen. There’s a small bal- cony for an audience with a capa- city of about 300, as well as 15 dressing-rooms and a plush-and- chromium makeup room. In addi- tion to the Montgomery show, the studio W^U also be used initially for “Kraft TV Theatre” and the “Musical Comedy Time” series. The American Chenteuse from Peril MILT SHAW * HORACE BIAZ •nd hli Orchfitro End hk Special New Year's Fva Party SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31ST CBS-Coy Continued from page 24 Don Lee Continued from page 23 know they’re on the spot so they’re improving the system.’* But, Johnson added, “we’ve never heard anyone tell us how much the system will cost . . * No one says anything about cost . . . Maybe that’s why they don’t come in.” . Bailey^ In reply to a question, said about RCA’s color: “I will say that even today RCA could not meet the requirements laid down by the Commission, bdt I must say they’ve come a long way since their original demon- stration.” Fisher pointed out that RCA has taken no legal steps that ^ would even suggest reopening the record. “No one can say,” he added, “ihat we saw an acceptable picture on the RCA system.” On one point, the were agreed: that the controversy has advanced the development of color tele- vision by many years. CBS and General Tire together would pay a total rental over a 10-year period of $5,200,000 for a building in L. A. which cost only $2,100,000 to construct after World War II and, in addition, assume taxes and maintenance costs. “Un- til the Commission obtains full in- formation regarding this deal,” it asserted, “one can rightfully specu- late how much trafficking in con- struction permits and applications is involved in this leasehold de- vice.” Other aspects of the deal were suggested for scrutiny. The peti- tion noted that General Tire, as o^\^ler of the Yankee Network, al- ready holds a 19% interest in the Mutual Broadcasting" System. With Don Lee’s 19% interest in Mutual, General Tire would have 38% of Mutual stock which, says the peti- tioni would be contrapr to the Mu- tual charter, which limits holding to not more than 25% except by consent of the other stockholders. In its opposition to the Pauley petition, General Tire offered three principal objections: (1) Tele California has no “standing” in the proceeding to transfer the Don Lee stations, (.2) the question as to the disposition of the Frisco TV appli- cation is “irrelevant” to the case and is “premature” at this time, and (3) the petition is “wholly frivolous and interposed solely for the purpose of delay.” General Tire pointed out that no proposal has been made for the assignment of the Frisco applica- tion and that there is no “immedi- ate question,” before the Commis- sion with respect to it. “It is obvious,” It asserted, “that no action taken by the Commission on the transfer applications in any way limits or prejudices the action that the Commission might later decide to take in connection with the San Francisco television appli- cation.” However, General said it would have no objection to the Commis- sion approving the sale without limiting or in any way, prejudic- ing whatever action it may later take bn the disposition of the channel. the minds of the teachers acquaint- ed with budgetary practicalities. Much-discussed alternative to actual ownership of teevee stations by schools was the increase of edu- cational programming by the com- mercial stations. Many of the radio educational projects ex- plained at the confab were com ducted in cooperation with regular AM stations which have devoted their public service air time to specific school programs. It’s en- visioned a similar pattern will de- velop in video. Along this line, delegiites heard with considerable interest NBC tele veepee Sylvester (Pat) Weav- er’s blueprinting of web’s “Opera- tion Frontal Lobes.” NBC exec outlined the ambitious public serv- ice project at the Wednesday (13) luncheon. He also took the oppor- tunity to answer some of the criti- cism that has been coming from educational circles about the pro- gram quality of teevee and its al- legedly harmful effect upon chil- dren. He emphatically denied , that NBC’s broadly patterned shows which are aimed at the “all-family, all-set” circulation, means the web is seeking the lowest common de- nominator in national tastes. But, rather, the network is seeking to develop shows that “all of the peo- ple like some of the time, rather than shows some of the people like all of the time,” he said. Weaver told thb educators that the appeal of popular shows is not necessarily infantile. He declared that the people who don’t care for Milton Berle are “statistically in- significant.” No official business was handled at the Conference, which was de- voted chiefly to workshop and panel sessions dealing with all phases of educational broadcasting. Natl Emergency Continued from page 24 coiild be builti it’s likely that the FCC will go ahead with processing Of applications, once the alloca- tions have been decided oh. In many cities there will be more ap- plications than channels avai^ble, and hearings will be necessary. It usually takes a year for permits to be granted on hearing cases. Even where no hearings are required, several months are required for processing an application. Under the emergency powers granted to the President, radio or television stations could be seized or shut down by the GovemmenU However, such authority was not exercised during World War II and it’s unlikely it would be used now. Presumably, the purpose of pro- viding such powers is to enable the Government to operate any stations, upon compensation to the owners, if such action is deemed necessary in the national interest. THAT REGISTER IN DETROIT We^re proud of tho successful company we keep on WJBK ■. C. MEMEDY CROSIEY MErMIGWATORS iLONDiX OAMRETT , lOMDEN'S INSTANT ednii IRANA TOOTHPAS I CAMEL CIOAMETTES lAPRANCi CHASE I SANBORN COPPER QAKlTl COLO ATI VEL PHILIP MORRII Follow these leaders and boost your wM WJBK TV. a CBS 3 m[J Du'^cnl atliiiale. WJBK-AM‘TV-DETROIT national sales HEADQUARTERS: 488 MADISON AVENUE NEW YORK 22, ELDORADO 5-24 55 Represented Nationally by THE KATZ AGENCY. INC. AM-TV Role Continued from page 23 importance of morale among the. armed forces as well as on the home front. He said the broad- casters could perform an invalu- able service to the nation ana to the troops overseas* Secretary Sawyer and National Production Authority Administra- tor William H. Harrison asked the Council for facilities by which any problems requiring the aid of broadcasters could be handled quickly. Council members attending the conferences included reps of all major radio and TV networks, com- mercial and educational / stations, the Television Broadcasters Assn, and the "Radio-Television Manu- facturers Assn. Cordic’s Philco TV Deal Pittsburgh, Dec. 19. Rege Cordic, WWSW’s early morning . waker-upper and just about the hottest thing in radio around here these days, has signed for a TV, show, too. Philco’s tagged the comedy plat-. ter-spinner foi* a half-hour show; every Wednesday afternoon on WDTV, beginning Jan. 4, with vir-, tually the same format he uses on i am every morning over indie sta^ tion between 6 and 9. Memphis—KWEM, West Mem- phis indie, booked up with Pro- gressive Broadcasting System, last w eek. takes more giant a. strides upward in Detroit .. Ground has been broken for WWJ-TV’s beautiful new television studio building, adjoining present WWJ studios. Scheduled for completion in the spring, the com- bined buildings will give Detroit a great Radio Center. The facilities housed in this new building will be in keeping with the importance of television as a selling medium in the Detroit market and WWJ-TV’s position as the Num- ber One television station. Because WWJ-TV Is 2 years ahead, and always 2 steps ahead, Detroiters tune to WWJ-TV first just as adverlisers turn to W WJ-TV first for results. PI3ST IN MICHIGAN UIWJ Owntd crnl Op^rottd hy THE DETROIT NEWS ^'BC Telet>ision Netueork JVafioiiallIrpre4ienfat*r^3iTMEGKOR(»KI*. IIOLLINf.BtRV CO.MPA. V ASSOCIATE AM-FM STATION WWJ s A I a s .& A K a a: .A .3 a a a a . « • « t < « I • • • • « I « a « • C / ' I : * f ( t f '} i ) ' ?