But in 1943, DuMont’s W2XWV expanded its live programming in 1943 from one day a week, to two days and, finally, to three days. By the end of the year NBC felt it was time for a bit of expansion, too, so it worked out a deal to broadcast sports from Madison Square Garden.
WNBT also sent a half-hour newsreel via relay transmitters to WRGB Schenectady and WPTZ Philadelphia. NBC didn’t have a network yet, but special broadcasts like this were the germ of it.
In the meantime, the CBS station, WCBW, continued to air two hours of films on Thursday and Friday nights, though that would change in 1944.
DuMont’s live programming consisted mainly of variety shows and plays.
There was also a missing young person’s report every other week from the NYPD.
Here’s what the three NYC stations were broadcasting in the final two months of 1943. “Billboard” reviewed some of the shows. For some reason, the writer didn’t note the date of the shows. The Herald Tribune and the Times published radio listings, but they are not complete. Rarely did the papers mention W2XWV’s Wednesday night offering. The station was on Sundays and Tuesdays as well. There was no TV on Saturdays but that would change in the new year. There are a few squibs showing how small-time the programming was on the Schenectady station, though it and Philadelphia’s WPTZ picked up one quickly-scheduled WNBT newsreel show.
Big name stars? You’re more likely to recognise the sponsors more than the people on the tube. “Billboard” finally figured out how to spell Jack Creamer’s name. He had a lengthy career after the war on TV in Philadelphia (photo is to the right).
NOVEMBER
Monday, November 1
WNBT—55.75mc
4 and 7:30 p.m. Air-raid Warden’s course.
8:30 Film subject.
Tuesday, November 2
W2XWV—78.84mc
DuMont Television
Reviewed Tuesday, 8:30-9:45 p.m. Style—Variety. Sustaining on W2XWV (New York).
WOR's television group, under direction of Ray Nelson, is still experimenting with varied talents for the public's ear and eye. The hinge from which to swing the door remains elusive.
Program planners took advantage of election day to pose Carl Mark and Doug Stapleton, agency execs, as candidates for office. The two read actual returns and presented the performers as examples of the kind of entertainment they would give the public if elected. Each act was introduced by one of the candidates thruout the program. It was timely but nothing more.
The Little Four, Negro male quartet who have appeared on these programs before, offered Paper Doll, Your Time Is My Time, Ain't She Pretty and Cha-Chi-Man acceptably. Cameras kept the swaying group in frame and focus.
Helen Joyce did pops in thin voice, straining upward toward the mike. She's a pleasant camera subject, but will have to learn to look her audience right in the eye.
Singer Don Carroll lent his rich vocal chords to earthy numbers, but can never be a contender as a tele Sinatra till he sheds that lip spinach.
Georgie Bernes came on with impressions of Ted Husing, Fred Allen, W. C. Fields, Edward G. Robinson, Peter Lorre, H. V. Kaltenborn and others. His little dramas of planes in action, a football game and a London short-wave broadcast, in which he simulated voices and sounds, were exceedingly well done.
Marjorie Coate sang You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith in Kate Smith manner. There was too much exuberance and action for tele, flaying arms and too much body movement throwing the screen off focus.
The unannounced intermission lasted too long before they launched Jack Arons. Candidates' patter had by this time grown thin and unfunny. Unlike most saw-playing performers, Arons sawed straight. Interesting camera shots from various angles helped put him over.
A group of attractive girls pranced rapidly across the screen as a parting shot. Neither their identity nor reason for appearance was made known.
Improvement in lighting and focus, to be sure, but the program as a whole remained in the so-so class. Ideas which start out strong must have continuous sparkling dialog to keep up the pace, and the candidates didn't have that kind of material. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard, Oct. 20)
Wednesday, November 3
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 Hobby Hall of Fame
8:45 Book Review
9:00 Face of the War—Samuel H. Cuff9:15-9:30 Fashion Show: Glorianne Lehr
Lever Bros. enters the commercial television field tonight (Wed.) with the first in a new series of weekly 15-minute programs on an experimental basis over Dumont’s W2XWV. Tom Hutchinson, of Ruthrauff & Ryan, will direct, with Patricia Murray featured.
Soap company has picked ‘Face of the War,’ four-year-old studio news show, for its television teeoff. Various’ sponsors products will be plugged and account was landed on an institutional basis rather than for ballyhoo of one particular brand. Schedule calls for the Lever show to be spotted at 9 o’clock during the Wednesday night Dumont teleperiod, 8:30-10.
Dumont’s application to the FCC for right to operate on a commercial basis is still pending. When granted, new call letters will be WABD. (Variety, Nov. 3)
Face... was a regular feature on W2XWV Sundays, but will be lifted after tomorrow night’s airing. (Billboard, Nov. 6).
Wednesday (3) night's W2XWV program was highlighted by Lever Bros.' initial video advertising. Pat Murray, attractive, blond announcer, introduced Sam Cuff, whose Face of the War furnished the entertainment portion of the Lever program.
The company's products, Rinso, Lifebuoy Soap and Spry, were individually shown and described by Miss Murray. During her patter the boxed items revolved on a turntable. Good lighting, proper speed of revolving disk, which permitted an excellent view of the packaged products, a shot of a line of snowy wash (Rinso), cake and cookies (Spry) and finally a beautiful girl fresh from her Lifebuoy bath, added up to the best mercantile exploitation DuMont has yet presented. Credit Tom Hutchinson, tele director of Ruthrauff & Ryan Agency, for intelligent use of the medium. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard, Oct. 20)
Thursday, November 4; Friday, November 5
WCBW—65.75mc
8 to 10 p.m. Films.
Sunday, November 7
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 p.m. Forum: Hull-Molotov-Eden Conference; Gen. Julius Deutsch, Louis Afamic
9:00 Leathe Kellinger. Songs
9:15 Film cartoon: Noah Knew His Ark (Van Beuren, 1930)
9:30 Quiz, with Charlie Taylor.
Monday, November 8
WNBT—55.75mc
4 and 7:30 p.m. Air-raid Warden’s course.
8:30 Film subject.
Tuesday, November 9
W2XWV—78.84mc
Wednesday, November 10
W2XWV—78.84mc
Thursday, November 11; Friday, November 12
WCBW—65.75mc
8 to 10 p.m. Films.
Sunday, November 14
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 “Help Wanted.”
8:40 “Frivolous ‘90’s.”
9:00 Film: “Glamour Girl of 1943” (OWI).
9:15 Bureau of Missing Persons.
9:30 Behind the Lines.
Monday, November 15
WNBT—55.75mc
4 and 7:30 p.m. Air-raid Warden’s course.
8:30 Film subject.
Tuesday, November 16
W2XWV—78.84mc
Wednesday, November 17
W2XWV—78.84mc
DuMont Television
Reviewed Wednesday, 8:30-10:15 p.m. Style—Variety and films. Sustaining on W2XWV (New York).
DuMont fans had an opportunity to learn much about the audio-video medium if they caught both this program and Tuesday's. Former was a jumpy variety show in which one man tried to be jack-of-all-trades and succeeded in mastering none. This was an organized production in which each portion of the program was delegated to a different group and the over-all sound-picture was perhaps the best W2XWV offering to date.
Press-on mending tape, which has used the station's facilities for its exploitation experiments week after week, is making progress. Past shows used little dramas to demonstrate the tape's uses, but they proved too heavy-handed and obvious. Now they use Irwin A. Shane's Hobby Hall of Fame and describe mending by their process as a hobby.
The Shane show is lively and varied. This week there was Pfc. Aiden, cartoonist of the U. S. Signal Corps, who drew comics on a blackboard—and laughs with his patter; and Madya Norskaya, Ruban Bleu, singer (collector of Balalaikas), who demonstrated her instruments and sang Russian songs.
Application of the tape was shown, while Announcer Dick Bradley's off-screen voice plugged the product. Shots of the press-on package at beginning and end of program were brief and nicely backgrounded with music.
Sam Taub's appearance for Adam Hats was heralded by a movie-type visual announcement. He and his guest, sports trainer Ray Areel, overdid "Ray" and "Sam," prefacing practically every line of script with the names.
Three little Canada Dry cartoon shorts were inserted at various times. Three unimaginative Australian travelog films could have been omitted. A decided improvement is station-break announcements, with Dotty Wooten at the mike.
Lever Bros. offering, featuring Sam Cuff's Face of the War, showed signs of careful planning. Cuff has a new set of maps, with white water and shaded land (until now it was just the opposite), with terrain indicated, which adds considerable interest and aids his audience in understanding the news analysis. [Note: photo of Cuff to the right is with old maps at WNBT in 1942, not new maps at DuMont].Announcer Pat Murray talked about Lifebuoy Soap; the camera revealed a girl in her Lifebuoy bath after one application of the suds. The phone started to buzz, bringing invitations galore, because she'd discovered the B. O. bouncer.
A fashion show of sweaters created by Alice Maynard, and gags from Georg Jensen, under direction Of Glorianne Lehr, was weakest link in the program. Miss Lehr should restrain her enthusiasm and gush.
William Saroyan's Hello, Out There, adapted for tele by Irwin A. Shane, was highly successful. Christine Soulias and Niles Dickson, of the dramatic workshop of the New School For Social Research, turned in fine performances tinder direction of Nathan M. Rudich.
Simple set consisted of jail scene, with boy behind and girl in front of iron bars. The conversation piece had little movement; cameras changing focus from close-ups to long-shots and from one two characters projected the desired impression of animation. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard, Nov. 27)
Thursday, November 18; Friday, November 19
WCBW—65.75mc
8 to 10 p.m. Films.
This will be a regular informal meeting of the club of some thirty members usually meeting on a Monday afternoon. Mrs. Dudley Diggs is chairman arranging a program of papers and musical illustrations on Schumann and Liszt, by members of the club. (Schenectady Gazette, Nov. 11)
Salt Lake City—Application for an experimental television station in Salt Lake City has been filed with the FCC by KDYL, Salt Lake City.
S. S. Fox, president and general manager, declared the station has been experimenting for several years with RCA television demonstration equipment and is now prepared toexpand into actual telecasting. Plans call for several receiving sets to be placed in prominent downtown locations for daily one-hour broadcasts. (Radio Daily, Nov. 19)
Sunday, November 21
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 p.m. Doug Allan’s “Thrills and Chills.”
9:00 “Day Dreaming,” musical sketch.
9:15 Film cartoon: “Stone-Age Stunts” (Van Beuren, 1930).8:40 “Frivolous ‘90’s.”
9:00 Film: “Glamour Girls of 1943” (OWI)
9:15 Bureau of Missing Persons
9:30 Behind the Lines.
Monday, November 22
WNBT—55.75mc
4 and 7:30 p.m. Air-raid Warden’s course.
8:30 Film subject.
Tuesday, November 23
W2XWV—78.84mc
Du Mont Television
Reviewed Tuesday, 8:30-9:30 p.m. Style—Variety and films. Sustaining on W2XWV (New York).
Again the WOR tele group used a holiday as a program bridge—this time Thanksgiving. Entertainers sang for their supper—literally. Three vocalists and a singing sextet appeared on the carte du jour, with a lone act to relieve the musical monotony.
Emsee Jack Creamer (WOR's Handy Man) in an enormous chef's hat was surrounded by Conover cuties Marvia Sabre, Lloyd Jones and Ira Airanne, all anxious for a peek at the Thanksgiving turkey. Before Creamer let them look, he insisted they watch each act.
Attractive blonde Dotty Sims, just returned from six months overseas, sang some of the numbers the servicemen liked best in Panama, Newfoundland and the Caribbean. There were the sentimental I Surrender, Dear, and How Sweet You Are, the Spanish Besame Mucho and an earthy rendition of Amen. Dotty went to town on Amen. She put rhythmic lilt and gayety into the folk-swing-spiritual that had been the boys' favorite.
Phil Barton, who has appeared with the Dick Himber and Ina Ray Hutton orks, make his tele debut crooning I Heard You Cried Last Night and Embraceable You. Camera had difficulty following his weaving back and forth. Maybe he was with Sammy Kaye, too.
Soprano Adele Ardsley did a nice job on People Will Say. Her restrained gestures indicated operatic experience and helped sell her song.
The Debutones, fem sextet composed of Phila Tharpe, Peggy Howard, Garien Roberts, Anne Vincent, Ruth Sims and Jane Shelby, had three spots and came thru with Put Your Arms Around Me, Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer, and Sunday, Monday, Always. Sam Medoff (WOR) does special arrangements for the group and coaches them in their numbers. Under his tutelage the girls make a production of a song. They're good.
The Bike Parade, a Ted Husing film, was served as an intermission side dish.
A Magician billed as Colon and his aid, Semi-Colon, came on with some pretty tame sleight-of-hand. The camera eye seems to pick up more than the human eye—at least in this instance the Magic wasn't particularly mystifying.
Creamer turned In a first-class emseeing job with sprightly turkey talk that didn’t wear thin. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard, Dec. 4)
Wednesday, November 24
W2XWV—78.84mc
The Campfire Girls of the Toh-Noh-Koom group will present a council fire ceremony over station WSNY, today at 4:30 o'clock and at the General Electric television station on Nov. 24 at 8 p.m.
Sally Ann Windsor, Barbara Simmons, Arlene Getz, Beverly Farr and Dorothy Dyer will receive their first rank, that of trail seeker. Elaine Kaufman and Priscilia Untledt will also participate in the ceremony. (Schenectady Gazette, Nov. 18)
Thursday, November 25; Friday, November 26
WCBW—65.75mc
8 to 10 p.m. Films.
Sunday, November 28
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 p.m. Forum: “Whither Germany?”
9:00 Paquita and Youl, Wandering Troubadours.
9:10 Bureau of Missing Persons.
9:20 O. W. I. Film: “Black Marketing” (1943).
9:30 “Let’s See” quiz
Monday, November 29
WNBT—55.75mc
4 and 7:30 p.m. Air-raid Warden’s course.
8:30 Film: “Cowboy Cabaret” (Van Beuren, 1931)
8:45 Film: “Seabiscuit.”
9:00 Film.
9:20 Film: “Sky Rocket.”
10:00 “For America We Save” (Jam Handy for U.S. Rubber, 1942).
Tuesday, November 30
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 to 10 p.m. Pick-up of “Ice Follies of 1944” from Madison Square Garden.
DECEMBER
Wednesday, December 1
W2XWV—78.84mc
Thursday, December 2; Friday, December 3
WCBW—65.75mc
8 to 10 p.m. Films.
Allen Hurlburt, 162, Westmoreland, decisioned Jesse Williams, 157, Utica, in the five-round feature on the television amateur boxing program last right [3] at General Electric's station WRGB. (Schenectady Gazette, Dec. 4)
NEW YORK, Nov. 27.—Tele Station WRGB, Schenectady, N. Y., recently unveiled its light opera company in Julius Eichberg's The Doctor of Alcantara. Group, composed of local talent, was organized by the station to produce operettas for which the Schenectady audience has shown a decided yen thru WRGB polls.
The Gilbert & Sullivan Cox and Box and Trial by Jury are being readied for early video-audio presentation. (Billboard, Dec. 4)
Sunday, December 5
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 p.m. Roy Smeck, “Wizard of the Strings.”
8:45 Christmas Seal Program
9:00 “Arrested Development,” two-part comedy.
Monday, December 6WNBT—55.75mc
4 and 7:30 p.m. Fire Department Defense Lecture.
8:30 Film: “Champion.”
8:45 Films: “Heart of a Nation,” Igor Gorin, barytone.
9:00 Film: “It’s Your Pigeon” (UK).
9:15 Film: “Cowboy Cabaret”
9:30 Film: “Western Gold,” with Heather Angel (20th-Fox, 1937).
10:00 “For America We Save.”
Tuesday, December 7
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 to 9:30 p.m. U. S. Government Films on “Why We Fight.”
Wednesday, December 8
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 to 10 p.m. Films.
NEW YORK, Dec. 11.—W2XWV, the DuMont television station, went on the air Wednesday (8) night with competitors' technicians manning the controls. Three members of the DuMont engineering staff were knocked out with colds, and men from Mutual; CBS and NBC volunteered to substitute on the 90-minute program. Despite unfamiliar surroundings and lack of rehearsal, the visitors on sound, projector and camera turned in a bang-up job. (Billboard, Dec. 18)
DuMont Television
Reviewed Wednesday, 8:30-10 p.m. Style—Variety and films. Sustaining on W2XWV (New York).
Tonight's program can claim two innovations—an entire hour and a half was sponsored and a ticket admission policy was introduced.
Press-On Mending Tape brought on Irwin Shane's Hobby Hall of Fame, which introduced Klaus Kollmar and Scott Selmer in a dramatic, moment from R. C. Sherrill's Journey's End. Backgrounded by realistic battlefield sound effects, the boys' presentation was a well done video bit.
A puppet whose antics held the eye while the announcer bent the ear about mending tape appeared at intervals. Program is an attempt to sell the public on the idea that mending with Press-On is a hobby, not a task. Demonstration showed the tape as a decorative medium, light tape on a dark garment. Color contrast was decidedly effective in explaining the product's function.
Cherry and Madlyn Balaban, daughters of the Chicago tele station exec, sang Swiss and French folk songs. Their poise and obvious acquaintance with cameras and lights indicated they've appeared on papa's programs. Press-On signed off with view of the package on one side of screen and a changing montage of scissors, iron and mended garment in turn being faded in and out on the opposite side.
The Walt Disney educational film, Defense Against Invasion, and a British documentary, Winter On the Farm, came as 10-minute breaks in the live show.
Pat Murray emseed a Lever Bros.' show which opened with Lifebuoy soap revolving on a disk. Alice Hatton sang novelty songs and accompanied them with excellent piano arrangements. The deep- voiced girl is equally entertaining on vocals and patter. Camera was extremely alert with smooth jumps from close-ups to long-shots to keyboard.
A domestic drama involving Helen Lewis and Tony Barrett did the selling job for Lifebuoy shaving cream. Husband stood shaving before bathroom mirror while the little woman stood by amazed that he was enjoying the job. He explained that the cream had changed his shaving outlook.
Sam Cuff's The Face of the War, sponsored by Adams Hats, was enhanced by new maps that permitted a more comprehensive picture of the state of the nations.
Glorianne Lehr presented the I. J. Fox fur fashion show featuring gift suggestions. Her annotation showed restraint and good taste. A luxurious store entrance was created by ingeniously draped material, flanked by two Christmas trees. Models were well trained, without the simpering and slithering so often shown on the tele screen by non-professional clothes-horses.
Lighting and camera work contributed to the show, which was an outstanding tele commercial, despite the familiar radio warning "It's going to be cooooold this winter" and the "She'll be beautiful" transcription at beginning and end.
Mr. Fox, who was in the studio, expressed satisfaction with the show and indicated that he will continue as sponsor. The evening proved that you can stand an hour and a half of continuous commercial tele entertainment. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard, Dec. 18)
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 (AP)—Niles Trammell, president of the National Broadcasting Company urged Congress today to guarantee radio freedom from “straitjacket bureaucratic control” so that the industry can plunge into a complete face-lifting made possible by the development of television....
Mr. Trammell said F. C. C. regulations “already imposed a straitjacket” on the creation of television networks by prohibiting a company from owning more than three stations.
N. B. C. will need six or seven network-owned key stations, he declared. and the enterprise “cannot be self-sustaining until millions of television receivers have been sold.
Developments in television will mean eventual junking of the broadcasting industry’s entire plan and the building of a new one with hundreds of new stations, he said, adding: “The broadcast station or network which is not permitted to transform itself into a sight-and-sound service will go the way of the silent film or the horse and buggy.”
Thursday, December 9; Friday, December 10
WCBW—65.75mc
8 to 10 p.m. Films.
Chicago—The Radio Council of the Chicago Public Schoolsis planninga weekly schedule of experimental programs for class room use over W9XBK, the Balaban & Katz television station, according to George Jennings, acting director of the council. The programs will begin probably sometime in February and willbe televised at first to about 10 selected schools. (Radio Daily, Dec. 9)
Schenectady, N. Y.—An original television melodrama by Henry V. Larom, "Death on Flight 40," will be presented by WRGB, the General Electric station in Schenectady, N. Y., tonight at 9:30.
Written specially for television pre-sentation, the action takes place inside an airliner. Added suspense and thrills are contributed by inserting motion picture scenes into the action.
Glendora Donaldson, professional actress, will be the guest star on the program. Others in the cast are Edward Flynn, Dave Kroman, Horace French, Marianna Nelson and William J. Young, with Roberta Stone, WRGB's program manager, directing.(Radio Daily, Dec. 10)
Sunday, December 12
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 p.m. Sports Parade, Sam Taub.
8:45 June Winters, songs.
9:00 Missing Persons.
9:10 Film cartoon: “Toy Town Tale,” (Van Beuren, 1931)
9:20 “Thrills and Chills.”
Monday, December 13
WNBT—55.75mc
4 and 7:30 p.m. Fire Defense Lecture.
8:30 Film: “Irish Isle” (1939)(Did not air).
8:40 Film: “Demons of the Deep” (Columbia, 1939) (Did not air).
8:50 Film: “Vronsky and Babin, duo-pianists” (Did not air).
9:00 Film: “Safety’s Champion”
9:10 Film: “Old Swimming Hole.”
According to C. L. Menser, vice-president in charge of programs, the telecast marked a new "first" for NBC. Menser, who made the arrangements to televise the films, said that similar up-to-the-minute reels will be shown on WNBT's Monday night programs in future weeks. Program ran for a half-hour.
Menser further stated: "We will continue to show newsreels on our weekly Monday night programs whenever an event of outstanding importance takes place. When television hits its stride after the war, NBC will have its personal newsreel camera alongside those of the film companies and these pictures will berushed on the air." (Radio Daily, Dec. 14)
Tuesday, December 14
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 to 9:30 p.m. U. S. Government Films on “Why We Fight.”
Wednesday, December 15
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 to 10 p.m. Films.
DuMont Television
Reviewed Wednesday. 8:30 -10 p.m. Style—Variety and films. Sustaining on W2XWV (New York).
Apparently both Press-On Mending Tape Company and Lever Bros. have capable and hardworking video staffs on the job because their shows are improving steadily each week. Commercials are shaping up into slick, pointed sales-getters. Scripters are learning to cut product plugs below the radio minimum and realize that tele audiences must be sold primarily by sight.
Press-On's Hobby Hall of Fame opened with Audrey Kargere, doll collector, showing and telling the history of a group of her exquisitely dressed figures. Hollis Shaw, Vivian of the Hour of Charm, gathers holly as her hobby, and exhibited a collection of objects decorated with the leaves and berries. She stole the show when she sang Jerome Kern's All the Things You Are and Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. Her perfectly modulated voice and her poise added up to a charming performance.
The Press-On puppet introduced last week should have his appearances cut 50 per cent unless his manipulator can work out more varied gestures. He's on while the announcer gets in his product plugs, off-screen, but to be a really effective attention holder he'll have to do more than point and jig. New pitch offered free copies of the Press-On booklet, Fabric Decorating and Mending With a Flat Iron, to listeners writing the DuMont station. The premium offer followed a mending demonstration.
Walt Disney's excellent educational film The Winged Scourge and a sorry British documentary Land of Invention were introduced by Dotty Wootin who was very professional-like with a "We now take you to our film studio."
The Lever Bros. show, with emcee Pat Murray and Sam Cuff's Face of the War, had a new set. Miss Murray was in her living room when a guest, Marjorie Clark, entered bearing a cake. The two girls gushed over the pastry, giving Spry full credit. Miss Clark demonstrated the product in Miss Murray's kitchen. Economy of words and female chatter made it a good commercial.
Piano-monologist Alice Hatton entertained with a couple of novelty numbers and sang You Are Too Beautiful. The Spry theme song and the product rotating on a table faded out the Lever Bros.' half hour.
Two attractive girls held Alfred Dunhill gift suggestions up for inspection while Glorianne Lehr described the evening bags, gloves, perfumes and other items. Clever opening showed Miss Lehr removing fancy wrappings from an enormous Dunhill package.
Entire 90- minute program had good continuity and tempo. Technical work was up to snuff at all times with exception of transition from film to live show. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard, Dec. 25)
Dumont television broadcasting activities will transfer from their Madison avenue, N. Y., penthouse studio to a larger layout on a lower floor of the building sometime next month. Moving operations already have started, but actual date of transfer is dependent on material priorities, labor supply problems, etc.
New studios will occupy more than 1,000 square feet of floor space, giving the Dumont station, W2XWV, about three times the area of the present broadcasting quarters. Immediate program improvements will follow occupancy of the new studio, according to Dumont's Sam Cuff, who explained several sets can be prepared in advance of broadcast time enabling instant camera switches and elimination of blank screens which occasionally have interfered with smooth continuity on Dumont live tele shows in the past. (Variety, Dec. 15)
Thursday, December 16; Friday, December 17
WCBW—65.75mc
8 to 10 p.m. Films.
Sunday, December 19
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 p.m. Premiere: Charlie Taylor’s Television Audition.
8:50 Film: “A Present for the Future,” with Bette Davis.
9:00 Forum: “Should Congress Be Given Power to Ratify Treaties by Majority Vote?”—Dr. Henry A. Atkinson; Lauren Carroll.
9:20 Film cartoon: “The Night Club,” (Van Beuren, 1929).
9:30 Play: “A Christmas Silhouette.”
Three talented county residents, who appeared in the Mirth and Melody Show, staged here last week by George Keller, local recreation director, will be seen tonight by television set owners during a telecast from the Du Mont station, W2XWV, in New York City.
The performers, Jean Kissell of Woodbridge, a blues singer; Pete Miliano of Woodbridge, guitarist, and Richard Janaco of Perth Amboy, accordionist, will take part in “Charlie Taylor’s Television Auditions,” a tele-amateur hour. The program will be telecast beginning at 8:30 o’clock.
Other features on the hour-and-a-half telecast will a motion picture cartoon, “The Night Club”; a musical play “Christmas Silhouette” by Cpl. John Coughman of the U.S. Marines; a forum discussion on the question “Should Congress Be Given Power to Ratify Treaties by Majority Vote” and another movie, “A Present With a Future,” featuring Bette Davis. Will Baltin is program manager of the station. (Home News, Dec. 19)
Monday, December 20
WNBT—55.75mc
3:30 p.m. Test Pattern
4 and 7:30 p.m. Fire Defense Course Lesson.
8:30 Cairo and Teheran Conference Films.
8:40 Films: Irish Isle; Demons of the Deep; Vronsky and Babin, Piano-Duo; Safety’s Champion.
9:20 Film Feature: Old Swimming Hole, with Marcia Mae Jones and Jackie Maran (to 10:40).
Samuel H. Cuff, radio commentator known for his broadcasts The Face of the War and active recently in producing television programs for the Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, has been appointed General Sales Promotion Manager for Television at DuMont. (Broadcasting, Dec. 20)
Applications for new television stations in New York and Washington were filed with the FCC last Friday by Philco Corp., Philadelphia. Television Channel 9 is sought in New York and Channel 4 in Washington. Power is not specified. Philco now is licensee of a commercial television station WPTZ in Philadelphia as well as an experimental transmitter in that city. (Broadcasting, Dec. 20)
Tuesday, December 21
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 to 9:30 p.m. U. S. Government Films on “Why We Fight.”
Wednesday, December 22
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 p.m. Christmas Music.
8:40 p.m. Disney Film.
8:50 “The Face of the War.”
9:15 Film: “Peril of the Jungle.”
9:35 p.m. Dickens’ “Christmas Carol.”
DuMont Television
Reviewed Wednesday, 8:30-10:30 p.m. Style—Variety and films. Sustaining on W2XWV (New York).
A group of Christmas caroling young men opened the two-hour program from which the regular Press-On Mending Tape commercial and Glorianne Lehr's fashion were omitted. Cuts were made to leave room for a presentation of Dickens' Christmas Carol, probably the station's most ambitious undertaking in the dramatic field to date.
Lever Bros.' show featured Rinso with Lynn Murray doing the commercials and introducing Sam Cuff for his Face of the War map talk. In attempting to achieve an intimate atmosphere the director had Cuff and Murray comfortably chatting in a home with a large globe on the coffee table. From a casual discussion of the progress of the war, Cuff moved without interruption into his usual map talk via clever camera manipulation.
Alice Haddon at the piano sang sophisticated and sentimental songs. Her sparkling presentations fit exceedingly well into the Lever show, providing just the right entertainment after a quarter-hour of news analysis.
Commercial skit with mamma and papa preparing gifts for the children fell flat on its face when the little woman opened her package—a large box of Rinso. Scene faded with the two in a clinch, their faces coyly obscured by the Rinso package.
Pic, Glimpses Into Belgium History, was introduced by Dottie Wootin as a scene and mood setter for Christmas Carol, but the British film was so bad it served more as a reason for gratitude toward anything that might follow.
George Lowther directed a group of players known as the Montebanks in Christmas Carol, adapted for tele by William Podmore. Podmore, who also played Scrooge, headed a cast which included Don Randolf, Consuela Lembke, Ralph Locke, Noah Julian [radio actor Julian Noa], Roger DeKoven and Lon Clark.
Title and credits were handled in movie fashion, and play opened with a view of the book. Camera panned up to reveal Noah Julian reading from the classic; faded him out and Scrooge into view. Reading was resumed as bridge when scope of present tele technique and studio space limitations made actual tele presentation impossible.
Authentic scenery, props and costumes of the period contributed to realistic story-telling. The various ghosts were properly eerie and earth-detached, thanks to lighting that created a faintly fluorescent effect and camera work that drained them of any hint of solidity.
Podmore carried the entire production. Supporting players, however, all turned in good performances. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard, Jan. 1, 1944)
Thursday, December 23WCBW—65.75mc
8 p.m. Films: “The Flaming Signal” with Noah Beery and Flash the Dog (Invincible, 1934) and “Saddle Aces” (First Division, 1935).
9:15-10 Documentary Film: War Department Report.
First television showing "War Department Report," official documentary film of the U. S. Government, will be given today [23] over CBS tele-outlet WCBW, New York. Picture runs about 45 minutes and will be transmitted from approximately 9:15-10p.m., EWT. "War Department Report," is a frank film made by Army and Navy camera crews and previous showings have been restricted to members of Congress, industry lead-ers, labor and the press.
CBS employees witnessed the film last Saturday night at CBS Playhouse No. 3 in a special showing arranged by the network. (Radio Daily, Dec. 23)
Friday, December 24
WCBW—65.75mc
8 p.m. Films: “Peg of Old Drury” (British, 1935); “Lac Falls to Australians”; “Adeste Fidelis.”
A film version of Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” will be televised over the CBS television station WCBW tomorrow night at 8 o’clock. (Home News, Dec. 23).
Sunday, December 26
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 p.m. Sports Parade, Sam Taub.
8:45 Pauline Alpert, Piano
9:00 Film cartoon: Romeo Robin (Van Beuren, 1930)
9:15 Missing Persons Alarms
9:30 Kings of Harmony
Monday, December 27
WNBT—55.75mc
3:30 p.m. Test Pattern
4:30 and 7:30 Fire Defense Course Lesson.
8:30 Film: “Flying Leather.”
8:40 Film: “Flying Freighters.”
9:00 Film: “Country Fair.”
9:10 Film: “Swim and Live.”
9:30 Film: “Wild Brian Kent,” with Ralph Bellamy and Mae Clark.
GROWING INTEREST in television is evidenced by leading commercial firms starting regular video programs within the last six weeks. Two of radio's oldest advertisers, Lever Bros., makers of Lux soap, and Firestone have started television programs in New York. Other sponsors already using the medium are Bulova, Kirkman's soap, Adam Hats, Spry, and Botany Worsteds.
Many of the advertising agencies have had television staffs in readiness for some time and the whole broadcast industry is stepping up post-war television plans. The G-E symposium in November, attended by radio and newsmen, televised an edition of a newspaper on its WRGB video station. Niles Trammell, NBC president, at a Senate Interstate Commerce committee hearing last week asked for freedom from government restrictions in television broadcasts. (Broadcasting, Dec. 27)
Tuesday, December 28
W2XWV—78.84mc
7:30 p.m. “Television Canteen.”
8:00 Film short.
8:15 WOR Variety Show.
W2WXV [sic], Du Mont television station operating on Channel 4, 78-84 mc, starts a new feature Television Canteen at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 28, for entertainment of hospital patients, with talent donating services. (Broadcasting, Dec. 27)
Wednesday, December 29
WNBT—Channel 1
Wednesday, December 29
W2XWV—78.84mc
8:30 p.m. Television Brevities
8:45 Film short.
9:00 “The Face of the War.”
9:30 Studio Variety Show.
DuMont Television
Reviewed Wednesday, 8:30-10 p.m. Style—Variety and films. Sustaining on W2XWV (New York).
Lever Bros. and Tintex Company shared this 90-minute program. Their ad agencies handled shows. Ray Nelson, formerly in charge of WOR's DuMont Tuesday night presentations, produced and directed a variety show for Tintex for the Charles M. Storm Company, of which he is director of radio and television. Lever Bros.' half-hour offering was on for the ninth consecutive week, with Tom Hutchinson, of Ruthrauff & Ryan, handling scripting and direction. The Lever Bros.' show has shown steady improvement since its inception.
After station announcements and introductions by Dottie Wootin, a placard showing a Tintex box was held up by an attractive girl. Show entitled Off With the Old—On With the New attempted to serve a triple purpose—timeliness, Tintex theme and bringing entertainers before the camera. A couple sat in their home; she with a book, he with a newspaper. At each break in the presentation the man's paper bore important headlines that have appeared thru the year. The event was touched on briefly in script, running something like: Husband: "Roosevelt will speak tonight, we mustn't miss him." Wife: "Please turn the radio on now." Husband: "There's plenty of time." Wife: "No, I want to catch Virginia Christianson, who comes on just before the speech." Then the audience saw and heard the singer perform.
Quite an array of talent marched before the cameras. There was Bill Sherwin, cowboy singer; the Statler Twins, blond fem vocal duo; John Phillips, Josephine Kelly, Virginia Christenson and Dorothy Starr, singers; and Bob Parker, magician. The youthful Miss Kelly sang Is It True? and a yodeling number self-accompanied on a steel guitar. The magic, which was not professional, wasn't helped by the mike that revealed the click of a lever in the milk-disappearing act, giving the trick away.
Direct Tintex commercial showed sobbing girl, heartbroken because her last year's party dress just wouldn't do again. A wiser fem advises her to Tintex it. Result: new looking garment and smiles. A little rehearsal would have made the couple in their living room more convincing, and the show could have been improved if as much time had been given to the selection of talent as to script. British pic, Now You're Talking, and animated cartoon, Bugville Romance, were shown between live portions of the show.
Lever Bros. have added little musical rhymes, beginning with Wednesdays at Nine—Lever Bros.' Time, sung by Pat Murray. Sam Cuff, with his map talk, The Face of the War, was on schedule.
Two new personalities debbed for Lever, Ruth Wallace, a thoroly entertaining and good looking blonde who accompanies her songs on the piano, and Evelyn Appelgate, young ventriloquist. Jerry, the Appelgate dummy, got in some nice clean plugs for Lifebuoy, product featured thruout show. Wanda Marvin. (Billboard, Jan. 8, 1944)
Interesting to the housewife will be the telecast of "Home Hints" selected from "Popular Science," monthly magazine, over WRGB, General Electrics television station, tonight at 9:30 o'clock.
Describing and dramatizing short-cuts and ingenious devices to save time and labor in his home will be Miss Irma Lemke as the housewife. The character of Mr. Popular Science will be portayed by a puppet, created and operated by Joe Owens.
At 9 o'clock over WRGB, Gene O'Haire, news analyst and commentator, will explain the action on the Italian front with the aid of a scale model showing the terrain about Ortona and vicinity. With large wall maps he will present an over-all picture of allied strategy in the Italian war area.
Also there will be select the harp by Miss Madeline Herzog, poetic readings by Douglas McMullan and a brief discussion on "Composition in Art" by Charles McGarrahan. (Schenectady Gazette, Dec. 29)
Television on a seven-days-a-week schedule in the New York area beginning Sunday (2) was assured metropolitan set owners with a change in tele broadcasting times at NBC. The network also skedded its first tele boxing program from Madison Square Garden, N. Y. tonight (Wed.) when Bob Stanton is slated to describe the full program of Mike Jacobs' fistic presentation for the hear-see camera.
Effective Mon. (3) NBC's metropolitan television station, WNBT, will split its regular weekly four-hour sked, heretofore broadcast only on Monday, and will transmit tele news films and film feature programs Mondays and Saturdays, 8 to 10 p.m. Only deviation from this schedule, the network explained, will be when Madison Square Garden sports events fall on either of those nights.
When boxing, hockey, basketball or other Garden affairs take place on other nights NBC will increase its tele time to allow for the regular Monday and Saturday spots as well as the live sports shows programmed for the benefit of ailing servicemen hospitalized in and about New York.
New NBC setup plugs the Saturday night hole in New York tele coverage. Starting Jan. 2 Dumont programs will be broadcast Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays with CBS on Thursdays and Fridays and WNBT active the other two days.
Tonight's boxing tele show was set up through an arrangement with Gillette and WOR-Mutual, which hold radio broadcasting rights to the Jacobs-promoted fights and it's understood future bouts also will be televized although no arrangement has yet been concluded for the entire lineup of fights. Only those bouts chosen by the promoter will be made available to WNBT.
Because the entire Gillette-Mutual sports staff is tied up this week preparing for four New Years Day Bowl football games being sponsored by the razor company, Don Dunphy and Bill Corum, regular fight announcers, will not be on the air tonight from the Garden, giving WNBT the sole ether rights to the program. In the future, however, when Garden bouts are televized the regular WOR-Mutual crew also will be on hand for the sponsored 'sound only' broadcasts. (Variety, Dec. 29)
Thursday, December 30
WCBW—65.75mc
8:00 p.m. “Winter on the Farm.”
8:17 “What the Puppy Said” (UK-Butcher, 1936).
8:50 “Bismarck Convoy Smashed.”
9:00 “I Met a Murderer” starring James Mason.
Friday, December 31
WCBW—65.75mc
8:00 p.m. “Sea Fort.”
8:10 “A Star is Born” (1937).
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