Variety (October 1952)

44 MAWt^-tKlJgyiSMOy PftftmFr Wednesday, October 29, 1952 Radio-TV Political Coverage Continued from page 1 ' tensive, ever assembled, involving thousands and thousands of miles of coaxial cable, plionb lines, tele- graph wires, short waye*relays and other communications channels, With all the networks, AM and TV, ; both, cancelling all regular non- news programs on .the big evening and. skedding . through-the-night coverage, the voters will not only be spectators in the ballot count- ing but also see and/or hear the candidates’ statements on the trends. Exemplifying the scientific wiz- ardry is the setup which CBS-TV # will use as ,a result of the shared cable-relay facilities to the Coast. Starting at 9 p.m., each of the three webs will get’ a 20-minute period on the hookup to the Coast, on a rotating basis, and will have to feed its western stations from out of L. A. during* the other 40 minutes. The CBS-TV plan is for its west- ern affiliates to take the same audio as the rest of the skein. • Even though the sight portion can- not be picked up from N. Y., CBS will attempt to provide an exact duplicate of the N. Y.-originating picture in L. A. To achieve this, a duplicate of its N. Y. election board has been constructed in L. A. and the N. Y. director, Don Hewitt, will have a phone hookup to the L. A. studios to call his shots over the 3,000-mile span. No ‘Hoked Up’ Coverage Sig Mickelson, CBS-TV news chief, said that the skein’s concept is not to “put on a show for the viewer” or “hoke up the coverage,” but to set up. the studio for the. “fastest, most convenient, most natural method of tabulating the returns,” with the audience invited to take a look. CBS Radio and TV are using Univac and NBC is using Monrobot; both are auto- matic electric “brains” which will .spot trends in returns as compared to the 1948 patterns. In their efforts to provide visual means of tabbing the trends, the tele webs are using graphic charts ' and boards. ABC-TV, for instance, ' has a “Robot Reporter” and a “Trend Meter,” with carbon copies in N. Y„ Chi and L. A. Candidates will be picked up on , Election Night. Gov. Stevenson will be at the Leland Hotel, Springfield, 111., where the Ming Room has been set aside for TV- AM-newsreels. Gen. Eisenhower will be at the Commodore Hotel, N. Y., with the cameras and mikes in the main ballroom. Sen. Nixon, while not yet set, is expected at the Ambassador Hotel, L. A. Sen. Sparkman is due in Huntsville, Ala., which would be outside of TV pickup'range although avail- able for a voice pickup. President Truman’s itinerary isn’t certain, although he may return to v D. C. on Election Night after voting in Missouri. The politicos • have credited AM and TV with a highly effective job in upping registration and in cam- paigning to get out the vote. They all are using the broadcast media not only for paid political -adver- tising but as wireless soapboxes for their views in the various forums and newscasts. Election- eering appeals will -be nixed on Nov. 4 and the webs will be care-, ful to avoid any possibility of in- fluencing voting by the early re- turns they air while polls are still open. An important fact of the cover- age is the great attention being paid to the local scene. All the chains are providing five-minute periods for locally-sponsored cut- ins, two per hour. Aside from sat- isfying audience interest in local races, it means considerable coin for the affiliates. WJZ-TV, for in- stance, is originating its cut-ins from the N. Y. World-Telegram. WNBT 'has made a tieup with WNYC, municipal station, and is using editors of local suburban sheets (such as Newark Ledger, Brooklyn Eagle, Amsterdam News, etc.) to cover developments in those communities. 1 Snader ; ■ Continued from page 29 • United TV Programs, which would also get the Snader product if the deal goes through'* That would give UTP and Frye virtually a monopoly on the vidpix utilized mainly for video disk jockey shows around the country. Snader, in denying the sale, said that it’s impossible for any of the firm’s partners to sell without giv- ing the other partners first refusal rights. He claims to own 52% of the company • and said -that he’s been negotiating himself to buy out the interests of Bisno and Sam- uel Markovitch, his other partner, and expects a decision within 10 days. TWA Slams SWG —■ Continued from page 29 - tiations closer toward settlement, as the producers refused to lay down specific terms for repayment to scribblers on additional runs. Consequently SWG is. doing a burn over entire situation, since it feels it has made a real move to- ward a compromise' settlement, while the Alliance steadfastly re- fuses to talk dollars-and-cents. Writers opine there is room for compromise on all phases, but un- til Alliance counters with actual figures situation will remain dor- mant. Meantime, Alliance and Screen Extras Guild agreed motion picture wage scales and working conditions Your Top TV Sales opportunity ’ * ■r ■ i ’<K.i Wilmington, Del.” In th *? market which has hiahest income D‘?r family in the C 0 U n ♦ r v ROBERT MEEKER ASSOCIATES N * A ^ - 1 T’ „ C . - - /— L_ shall apply to vidpix pact, with date retroactive to last Sept. 17. Still being negotiated are repay- ment for re-use of telepix, and upped scales for multiple pix. SWG exec board challenged the bootlegging claim, demanding that Gordon submit proof. In denying any such actions, SWG prexy Mary MpCall, Jr. stated that the dis- ciplinary committee had been asked to investigate 12 such ru- mors and to-date had found no violations. She contended the committee is in a better position to report bn the facts than Gordon and charged this is only a new maneuver on part of TWA to seek to make headlines at the expense of the best interests of. writers every- where. 20% Hike in TV t Continued from page 33 ■ seeking what amounts to a 25% hike. Present scale is $200 for a variety turn, $275 for a duo and $150 additional for each extra per- former in an act. New demand is $250 for a variety single and $150 for each additional performer in the act, with a duo thus costing $400. In the radio field, AFTRA is seeking parity between commercial and sustaining scales. The gap be- tween the two scales has been nar- rowed over the years and now the union hopes to get the same pay for sponsored and unsponsored shows. It’s a proposal expected to meet heavy network' opposition, since the increases would come out of the webs’ own pockets. Another demand which has aroused beefs from the chains is the bid for commercial fees for an- nouncers doing. plug? during sta- tion breaks. Some network sources have indicated that the chains will ask for a five-minute rate in AM. Currently, a five-minute show en- tails the same fees as 15-minute airers, and due to the growth of the capsule shows the skeins desire the new category. In the staff radio web announcer bracket, AFTRA is bargaining for a hike from a $115 weekly mini- mum to $150. In both AM and TV the recently merged union is bidding for a wel- fare fund which would be support- ed entirely by the chains. Radio pact expires Oct. 31 and TV pact runs through Nov. 30. Weaver I i ^ Continued from page 33 ■ f special events, as well as normal coverage, kinescoping this materi- al for re-use, for editing, for stor- ing on microfilm. “It will not be long,” he said, “before it will be impossible for anyone to say any- thing of significance without that statement in words and pictures in its true setting being placed on file for instantaneous re-use on TV when relevant.” Weaver also predicted the TV set of the future as being able to record shows while, the family was out, so that the “future fan need never miss his favorite shows "er events.” TV screen, in addition, he said, will be usable for showing material recorded from transmis- sion during the night, so that news, music, weather, time and features will be available by push-button on arising. Noting that more people probably saw NJIC-TV’s single per- formance of “Billy Budd” Oct. 19 than attended all operas staged in the U. S. during last year, Weaver added; “In years to coined youngsters will have heard every great musi- cal performer, in person, will have witnessed the operas, the ballet, the symphonies, been exposed to the .personalities of the men who influence their times, will have seen the people and the customs of every land, and- of every ethnic and social group. As they grow, they will have a sureness of mind and heart not easily won, for they will feel their indentity with a gloriously pictured march of man- kind toward the good society that has been the objective of western thought from its beginnings.” Louisville—American Public Re- lations Assn, last week awarded the APRA Certificate of Public Re- lations Achievement in the Classi- fication: Communications Organi- zations Award, to WHAS-AM-TV 'station signifying “public relations of the highest quality.” It was the only such citation made to any radio or TV station. From the Production Centres 4 * « ,-j l Continued from pace 32 - hour, that will cut through any program on the air . . . Hazel Markel Mutual’s femme commentator, has sent to Mrs. Francis P. Matthews* widow of the late U. S. Ambassador to Ireland, original recording of interview with the diplomat four days before his sudden death . WTOP-CBS plans to feed election returns by direct wire to town’s two midtown Warner theatres, with company’s 17 nabes running trail- ers to plug the station and the tie-in . . . Carl C. Berger, who conducts WWDC’s “Government News/’ celebrates his 15th year of capital broadcasting this week. //V PHILADELPHIA ... BUd Brees, WPEN, disk jockey, opens a two-week nitery engage- ment at Henny’s (27) iri Southwest Philly . . . Robert L. Klahs, former assistant publicity director of the WCAU stations, has joined Phil Ed- wards &• Associates, TV packaging arid producing agency, in charge of publicity and promotion ... TV maestro Fred Waring has been named “Mr. Pennsylvania” by service clubs in a contest sponsored by the State Dept, of Commerce as part of the Pennsylvania Week ceremonies . . . Donald Curtis, TV actor (“Studio One,” “Big Story,” “Circle Theatre,” etc.) is giving a Thursday evening series of lectures at the John Bartram Hotel here under general title “The Science of Mind” . . . WIP’s wakeup disk jockey Mac McGuire is going to show Philly housewives he can cook as well as sing. McGuire has been in- vited by N. Horowitz & Sons to. display his kitchen skills at a special demonstration in the Philadelphia Gas Works Auditorium (30). IN PITTSBURGH . . . Teevee actress Mitzie Steiner set for a role in the new Playhouse musical, “Dance for Joy” . . . Mead Mulvihill, Jr., KQV announcer, is studying law on the side ... Cal T. Mara, publicity directress for WJAS, named editor of the University of Pittsburgh Evening News this year . . . George Marlier, former head artist for the Harris Aum.se- ment Co. has joined WDTV in a newly-created post, merchandising supervisor . . . Kitty Muldoon* who used to study at the Playhouse school and moved to the west coast with her family last spring, is now singing the commercials on Billie Burke's TV show out there . . , Harry Brooks, chief auditor of'WWSW, and his wife celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary . . . Rainbow Jackson of KDKA out of the Allegheny General Hospital after being laid up with a leg injury . . . Steve Rooney, who quit Post-Gazette advertising department to join Ziv Company, hasn’t reported yet. An old war injury flared up on the eve of his departure and he’s been confined to the St. Francis Hospital for more than a month now. It’ll be at least the middle of November before Rooney will be discharged . . . Jerry Fielding, who was Jerry Feldman when he lived here, not only batons the Groucho Marx quizzer but also has his own weekly T'V" show now on KNXT in Los Angeles . . . Peggy Bnlce, KQV record libararian, celebrating her 10th year'with the station . . . Jessup Steel Co. has loaned Sports- caster Bob Prince its private plane so he can fly to Philadelphia this weekend with his wife and spotter to call the Penn State-Penn game over KQV. IN CLEVELAND . . . Fred Bohn has joined the sales staff of WTAM . . . Jim Chapman, former NBC farm editor, is the new*program director of WItFD . . . Ken Coleman's WTAM play-by-play account of the Cleveland Browns is now being taken by 45 stations in 12 states . . . Brooke Taylor has opened a 15-minute TV disk spiel on WXEL and a 15-minute “Man About Town,” Mon., Wed. & Fri. on WTAM . . . Mrs. Barbara Phyllis Reinker is the new “Jane Stevens” at WJW replacing former Women's Editor Nancy Lee Ferry who has gone to. San Francisco . . . WNBK has inaugurated a series of religious programs with the Rey. James J= McQuade, S.J., giving the first 13 weeks on “Catholics Believe,” with the Jewish and Protestant faiths to follow with 13 stanzas each . . , Betty Burnett, formerly from New York, is the new “Nancy Dixon” over WNBK while Phoebe Wecht, Lakewood Little Theatre, is Nancy, Jr. . . . McCann-Erickson is set to TV new dramatic show for Sohio featuring Prof. Warren Guthrie with Frank Siedel writing the pro- posed Ohio network feed . . . Charlie Plots has joined WDOK . . . H. K. Hackathom, WHK general manager, and Pinky Hunter, program chief, recuperating from illnesses . . . TV sets in northeastern Ohio now up to 660,547 . . . Gray Drug has opened a 15-minute across-the- board TV news show at 7 p.m. over WEWS . . . Sfcwart-Wamer, through Gregory-House, has bought three 15-minute sports shows. One is “Grandstand Coaches Show” from thd lobby of Loew’s State The- atre wtih Paul Bedford doing a warmup pitch before the Browns pro- fessional game. Second purchase is Jimmy Dudley’s football score- board broadcast following the Ohio State game. The third contract is a 15-minute Tuesday 6:30 p.m. stanza with Ken Coleman, Cleveland Brown play-by-play sportscaster, doing interviews and gabbing. Vidpix Distribs i , Continued from page 29 1 ■ ■ pix in each territory. As the in- dustry expanded, however, the ma- jors began setting up their own distrib centres, headed chiefly by men who lived in each city so that they could form a better entente with the exhibitors in their area. Vidfilm distribs, by the same token, feel now they can do a better job of.. selling ...their... .product., on the_ grassroots level by hiring men who~ live in each area to handle their markets. Question of economy, of course, is also a potent factor in the new shift to localized selling—a system, incidentally, which the Frederic W. Ziv outfit has followed since its inception. Under the old system, it’s pointed out, if a salesman head- quartered in N. Y. took a swing aimmdjthe country and failed to come up with much new business, the expenses he incurred on such a trip would prove a serious loss to the distrib. If, however, the salesman operated out of his own home territory, his expenses would be far less. Most such distribs setting up the home-localled system have their' salesmen working on a straight commission basis, under which they pay their own expenses. If the distrib has enough quality prod- uct for him to handle, though, he can make up to $20,000 annually. • Pioneers* ‘Political Forum’ New York Chapter of the Radio Pioneers will hold its first dinner- meeting of the season with a “poli- tical rally” at Toots Shor’s, N. Y., tonight (Wed.) at 6 p.m. William S. Hedges and Patt Barnes will speak for Gen. Eisen- hower, while II. V. Kaltenborn and Carl Kaverlin will take up the cudgels for Gov. Stevenson, Doro- thy Gordon, president of the local Pioneers, will moderate. Now starring on NRC's ALL STAR REVUI Saturdays, 8-9 p.m., EST Mgt.j William Morris Agtncy HflRPO MARX NBC-TV RCA-VICTOR Mgt.: GUMMO MARX