Variety (November 1954)

80 RADIO-TELEVISION Wednesday, November 24, 1954 Television Chatter New York Alien-Carpet Stores, one of the Ernie Kovacs! '■ sponsors, pulled a switch on the comic by. sending three store managers to the WABD show last week to deliver this com- mercial—which kidded. Kovacs a la his ribbing his sponsors.; .Robin- son Stone, currently playing the title role in the Broadway Chapel Players’ version of “Noah,” into Kraft Theatre tonight (Wed.) on NBC ... “Claire Mann’s Glamour Secrets,” the WABD beauty ex- pert’s book on grooming, into its t hi r d printing . John Pupton planed in from the Coast for his Monday night (22) role on. “Robert Montgomery Presents” NBC pro- duction of “Homecoming:” John K. M. McCaffery, WRCA- TV’s “11th Hour" newscaster:, to deliver lecture on Ernest Heming- way at Gunnery Prep, Washington, Conn.,. Dec: 1 . . Stan Lee, asst, producer of CBS-TV' “Danger,.’, has written “Silent Witness,” about a subway murder, for the Nov. 30 stanza . ; NBC telecasting Macy’s Turkey Day parade, but among CBS’ers participating, will canine Lassie and comics -Abbott & Costello . . . WRCA-TV program mgr. Steve Krantz out of Univer- sity hosp and back at desk soon. . . . Joe Abdullah into DuMont’s “The Stranger” Friday (26) Femihes invading Sid Caesar’s .show like mad. Nanette Fabray already made, permanent and Eleanor Parker has six-week pact to play Howard Morris' wife—both booked, after doing guesters . . . Jay Barney, on last week’s “The Stranger,” on Sunday’s (21) “You Are There” and tomorrow’s (Thurs.) “Mail Story,” making unin- terrupted parlay . .•••; George Skin- ner launched contest to name the “Electronic Man” on the WCBS- TV ayemer, but what a lot of tradesters want to know is whether “EM,” who is being pitched as “out of this, world,” comes under the industry's AFTRA-inspired E ension plan—in other words, does e qualify for pieces of silver? ... Betty Sue Albert pacted for series of Necchi commercials . . Dana Hardwick on “Justice” agalp last week . ... . NBC telecomic Pinky Lee entertaining handicapped kids at Brooklyn’s Jewish Chronic Disease Hospital today (Wed,) . . , Reginald Rose’s script for ‘’Studio One” on Nov. 8 was not an adapta- tion of Justice William O. Douglas’ book, “An Almanac of Liberty,” but an original teleplay Inspired by title and basic theme of “Alma- nac” and fictionalized for the CBS- TV stanza. French singer Marcel Le Bon, who made , his tv dramatic debut via “Armstrong Circle Theatre” four weeks ago, signed for Kraft’s production of “Camille” Dec. 1 ; . Johnny & Penny . Olson and their accompanist, A1 Greiner, planing to Milwaukee Saturday (27), to do a 16-hour United Celebral Palsy telethon . . Lindsay MacHarrie, onetime “We the People” produ r cer for Young & Rubicam and lat- terly radio-tv production manager at Calkins & Holden, joined CARE as an assistant in its public rela- tions setup. Bert Parks received a citation for his tele emceeing last night (Tues.) from Philadelphia’s Poor Richard Club . . “Masquerade Party” moderator Peter Donald back froi Houston, where he off iciated at-the opening of KTRK- TV, new ABC affiliate there . /. Frank Baxter (the actor; not the Dr.) set for the cast of today's (■Wed.) “World of Mr. Sweeney” on NBC . . Also set for “Mr. Swee- ney” today ‘ Michael Dreyfuss, who also goes into “Portia' Faces Life”- next. Tuesday (30) . . . Jamie Smith into “Kraft Theatre” on ABC tomorrow (Thurs.) . Max Wilk completed a scripting chore for the Imogene Coca show , . . Charles Winninger planed in from the Coast for rehearsals in “Best of Broadway” production of “The Philadelphia Story” Dec. 8 . . . Brenda Lewis set for two of Du- Mont’s “Opera Cameos,” on Dec. 5 and 12 ... Martin Balsam into cast Of "The Stranger” on Du- Mont, Friday (26). Ditto Lamont Johnson . . . Constance Clausen making her first tele appearance since the birth of her twin sons recently via the femme lead on Friday’s (26) “Big Story” . , . Bob Anthony, former Harry James vo- calist now recording for MGM Rec- ords, booked for the Ted Steele WOR-TV show- for two tveeks-with' options^ Chicago Redd Gardner new assistant exec producer at WBBM-TV . DUarie Weise, who handled the technical' launching, of the U Of Missouri’s KOMU-TV, has signed on as chief engineer for WTTW, Chi!s educa- tional station . . Joe Petrillo and George Oliver added to the WNBQ production staff . . . Olds- mobile taking a seven-week ride on Frank Reynolds’. Sunday night WBBM-TY newscasts. . . , Howard Miller, assisted by Hollis Burke, hosting % a new afternoon aud-par- ticipationer on WNBQ aimed at the middleaged set . . . National Homes bankrolling the “Mr. & Mrs. North” , vidpix Friday nights on WGN-TV . . WBBM-TV program director Bill Ryaii vacationing , in Florida . . ABC veep Sterling (Red) Quinlan awarded a dis- tinguished service certificate by Amvet.’s Police Post 18 . .. Ken Nydell calling the turns on WGN- TV’s four Sunday afternoon Roller Derby telecasts for the Libman CO; ^ »' : ' • Paul White Continued from page 25 the “hard facts” yarns. Pointing out that an idea or a concept can’t be photographed, he argued that the sound-only medium may have an edge over tv in this area. As. for tv news, White said it’s steadily improving and assuming ari increasingly important role in local programming. The most re- markable improvement has been in video’s coverage of the “set events’’ such as sports. Part of the improve- ment has been due to technical ex- perience and “the astonishing dis- covery that a good picture tells its own story and that frequently the best: thing an announcer can do is to keep his mouth shut.” Not all tv gabbers have learned that “the news announcer., serves best as a parttime interpreted rather than a fulltime yaketeer. Diaphragmic diarrhoea is a diffi- cult disease'to eliminate entirely; But it’s no longer epidemic.’’' 'sees, from co-conspirators and from its own research. The effect of RCA practices, the Complaint charged, is to make com- petitors depend uf>on RCA for pat- ent rights and technical know-how, to prevent other manufacturers from originating new developments and thus keeping them from the public, and to “unreasonably” re- strain manufacture, sale and disr tribution of radio and tv products; The complaint asked for an in- junction to stop RCA from con- tinuing its alleged practices and for a. hearing looking toward restoration of competitive condi- tions in the radio-tv patent licens- in g bu siness and the manufactur- ing field, Kobak RTNDA Continued from page 25 NALLE Piano • Organ • at the Celeste Sincere THANKS and a HAPPY THANKSGIVING to each of you who has helped to make my 6th YEAR In TV my greatest to date . O Radio Registry Billy Grady Continued from page 24 weaknesses in tv because the me- dium absorbs material so rapidly, added Grady. “There is no room in this busi- ness for thieves. You have a dead- line to meet every week, and that’s it,” he declared. Grady said: “When I Was at Metro I pressed a button and 40 people went to work for me. Here I press a button and do it myself.” Very optimistic about the future of video, Grady foresees need for much manpower for the mushroom- ing Industry, with a resultant bonanza to Hollywood. Antitrust Continued from page 22 been looking into the patent situ- ation in the electronics field. The previous Administration had Insti- tuted a grand jury Investigation which was dropped by former Atty. Gen. James P. McGranery Just be- fore President Eisenhower was in- augurated. The case had been kept open, however, for possible civil action. Government’s complaint, filed with the U.S. District Court of New York; not only charged RCA with monopolizing patents in the radio- tv field blit also using: its power to control new developments Includ- ing color tv: and services. The complaint named as co-con- spirators General Electric, West- lnghouse, A. T. & T. Co., Western Electric and Bell Telephone Labs. These companies, the Department alleged, “have harassed actual and potential. radio-tv manufacturers by instituting more than 250 patent suits against; them and in .many cases their customers, without ever bringing a single one. of these suits to trial, and apparently without ad- judicating the validity of a single one of the patents which they pres- ently control.” The Government charged that RCA has achieved its power in the radio-tv field,by acquiring owner- ship or licensing rights in 10,000 U.S. patents. It further alleged that RCA acquired its patents and patent' rights from the principal foreign radlo-tv manufacturers, from many of its important licen- se! the theme in his opening key- note address. He warned “we’ve arrived at that hour of crisis when, if- our organization is to. survive; it needs strong and crusading lead- ership” in combating the preju- dices Which interfere with j video's news coverage, “And I hope, that every member will leave this meeting, with’’the. deteri ination that. on local, state and national levels-—-let this be our - slogan-— ‘from here on out we want to be included in.’.” Most specific proposal came from Harold E. Fellows, prexy of the National Assn, of Radio-Tele- vision Broadcasters who invited the news chiefs to join forces im- mediately with the NARTB’s own Freedom of Information commit- tee.-. He revealed that the indus- try group is setting Up FOI com- mittees in the state, broadcaster as- sociations and asked that the news- men participate. “Through- such cooperative ef- fort, I would assume every hews director in the nation, and those under his supervision, would be- come volunteers in Spotting the early symptoms of the creeping paralysis of censorship. These symptoms might appear in a bill introduced in a state legislature; In a proposal at a city council meeting; in a public utterance of an office-holder, by one who as- pires to office or by a representa- tive of any one of .the professional societies in the United States. Once discovered, they can be re- ported immediately to a central point, for consideration by tlie joint committee for. pursuant action.” At the final business session Sat- urday (20) the convention voted that the RTNDA ally itself with other groups for >a concerted at- tack on the tv news boycotts. The delegates also gave a spe- cialjnod to the CBS high brass for its campaign in behalf of tv’s right to cover public events. CBS chair- man William S. Paley and prexSr Frank Stanton were singled out for their “top management” con- cern with the problem of news in Hie. electronic era. • Next year’s RTNDA convention will be held in Denver ini Noveftiber. CSSS' Continued : fr6ln page 25 roadblock' to any overall. tion.” New Program Concepts 6; Develop new.- program eonr cepts to , meet . jty,, competition. ( “Some progress” js Jjeirig made, but as lpng as the same people are also responsible for tv, the prob- lem can’t be licked. 7. Stations and networks should work toward a high dollar volume from sign-on to sign-off, with an eye toward a smaller profit mar- gin for each hour. Larger, volume can be achieved with a realistic rate card. 8. Deals should be be killed by all networks and stations. A deal is a “dishonest way of doing busi-n ness,” and any sound rate card should never have to be broken. The buyer in a deal is “as guilty as the seller.” 9. Networks, stations and reps should work as a “united team” to build a solid foundation for radio; 10. Continuity "made radi strong,” and the trend away from it is hurting radio and.tv as. well. 11. “The trend toward control of programs by networks is dangerous in the long, run.” Selling partici- pations without the interests of the buyer in the improvement of the program will weaken the program structure. No one organization can look after improving all programs. “You folks shouldn’t let ’em get way with it.” 12. Complete separation of radi arid tv management and operations on station and network level Is necessary for the success of each medium. Kobak called on the agencies and all other branches of the medium to sit down tog^her and study the overall problem “before radio suf- fers,” and before the job of bring- ing it back gets, much tougher. “Radio.,can’t be killed,” he said, “but. it can be throttled uninten- tionally.” Adrian Murphy’s ‘Sell’ Network radio reaches more dif- ferent homes per dollar today than it. did before television, Adrian Murphy,.CBS Radio president, said yesterday (Tues.). Addressing the media meeting of the easter nual conference of the American Assn, of Advertising Agencies afc the Hotel Roosevelt in N. Y., Mur- fphy said that while this statement might , come as- a surprise, new program and selling patterns along with a new pricing of nighttime facilities have brought this condi- tion about. In pre-television radio, in 19,48, Murphy said, an evening advertis- er with a weekly half-hour show could reach 4,800,'000 homes for $19,000. Today, with a CBS strip, the same advertiser reaches 5,000- 000 different homes for $15,000 on the basis of five broadcasts. Total impressions, are greater, because the gross weekly audience, com- prising ’homes which listen more than once, is 9,000,000 homes. For top performance. Actors know 9 Put TelePrompTer On the show. GET HlePrompier