They also beamed a pile of commercials into whatever homes had sets. The problem was the FCC didn’t permit commercial broadcasting, and wouldn’t until July 1, 1941.
The company’s W2XBS also resumed studio plays at the end of August and expanded its programming. It was starting to develop the rudiments of a regular afternoon schedule. The “Chevrolet News,” a newsreel put together by industrial studio Jam Handy, aired Tuesdays. An installment of Clyde Beatty’s old “The Lost Jungle” serial (made by Mascot), a Columbia shorts series called “Walter Futter’s Curiosities” and an interview by Broadway columnist George Ross were broadcast Wednesdays and a fashion show was seen on Thursdays.
RCA was spreading the gospel of television. The company was taking cameras to various places and hooking up demonstrations. Atlanta and Toronto were among the cities that temporarily got “television” in August 1939. These were much like closed-circuit shows. Bloomingdale’s in New York was doing the same thing. In fact, there were similar broadcasts at the World’s Fair. Interviews and other live shows would be take place at the RCA Exhibit and be shown on a screen to an audience there. They would not appear on W2XBS. We’ve included a description of one below. KSTP in Minneapolis, which did not have a TV license, broadcast the Legion Parade on August 5. It also broadcast from the local fair that month, in some cases with a portable transmitter. Among the celebrities who happened to be in town was Jack Benny, who ended up on television himself.
Also during the month, W6XAO in Los Angeles made some modifications for improved transmissions. There’s a short squib about Zenith in Chicago. And both WOR in New York and Macy’s Department Store in Los Angeles applied for TV licenses. Macy’s dropped out of the running; as Hamburger’s, the company had one of the earliest radio licenses in Los Angeles in 1921-22. WOR began TV broadcasts of its own in 1949; for a while during the war, it bought time on DuMont. As a side-note, WOR was among several radio stations broadcasting fax signals overnight. It was exactly the same as a fax machine, except the pulses that printed stories and pictures were over the air, not down a phone line. There was still lots of fascimile talk during and after the war, but the idea petered out with the rise of television.
And there was a new invention this month—TV channels. Television stations would no longer be like radio, which were known by their frequency. The FCC would continue to fuss with channel assignments of frequencies in the 1940s but, for now, television could use Channel 1. This is where W2XBS, W6XAO and W9XZV in Chicago resided.
Schedules below came from the New York Sun, Daily News, Herald Tribune and Brooklyn Eagle.
Tuesday, August 1
12.00 Noon—Melville Clark, Irish harp.
12:14-Films, "Travelaugh,” “Rhythm in Light," "Learn to Live."
12:45—Gloria Grant, songs.
12:55-1:00 P. M.—Newscast.
8:30-9:30—Film, "Generals Without Buttons," with Jean Murat, Claude May, Saturnin Fabre and Serge Grave.
Zenith Radio Corp., first Chicago firm to be authorized to erect a television station, has been authorized by the FCC to operate a 50-watt portable station on 45.25 mc. from Aug. 1 to 30 in order to make a site survey for its station, to be known as W9XZV. (Broadcasting, Aug. 1)
Wednesday, August 2
12:00 Noon—The Story tone, new musical instrument.12:15—Films, "Chevrolet News Reel," "Curiosities," "Idyllic Swabia" (German railroads, 1939).
12:45—George Ross, columnist.
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
4:00-5:00—Life saving demonstration by American Red Cross at Astoria Pool.
The Magic Carpet soars again today [2] in a way that would make the characters of the Arabian Nights gape in awe.
Into the RCA exhibit on the Maremma of Manana there strode two white-robed figures in Arab headdress who looked as if they might have been wafted on a magic carpet from the Bagdad of Haroun-al-Rachid’s day.
Abbas Amarah and Amarah Zahroon were they, two Subean silversmiths from the Iraq Pavilion, ready to ride the magic carpet of television between 3 and 4 p.m. Today’s broadcast is the first time that a Subean has ever been televised or, for that matter, seen television.
The Subeans, members of an Iraq sect older than Christianity and Moslemism were to show some of their world-famous silver art and demonstrate how they fashion their wares with tools which have changed little in 20 centuries. They were also to give their impressions of America. (Charles Grutzner Jr., Brooklyn Eagle, Aug. 2) [Note: this was one of RCA's regular in-house "television" shows seen only by an audience seated at its pavilion at the Fair. It did not air over W2XBS].
Thursday, August 3
12:00 Noon—Arnold Constable Fashion show.
12:15—Films, "Sky Fleets of the Navy," "Rambling in Vienna," "Water Fun."
12:45—"Correct Coiffures," Mr. Louis demonstrating coiffures with Alice Maslin.
12:55-1:00-Newscast.
8:30-9:30—Film, "Edge of the World," with John Laurie, Bell Chrystall, Eric Barry, Kitty Kerwin, Nial MacGinnis.
Four for coats were featured in the television broadcast run by Arnold Constable & Co., yesterday [3] noon, from the R. C. A. Building. Mrs. Dorothy Anderson, of the store’s fashion department, who delivered the script, emphasized the point that “fashion-right” furs could be purchased on modest budgets. The models shown included a mink blended muskrat, $119; a pan dyed pony, belted princess coat, $39.95; a moire caracul “3-way” coat, $229; and a sheared beaver dyed lamb jacket, $49.95. (Women’s Wear Daily, Aug. 4)
‘THE EDGE OF THE WORLD’
Film (English)
75 Minutes
Thursday, Aug. 3
NBC-RCA, New York
Comparison between a theatre screening of a picture and its transmission via the cathode ray tube is not flattering to televised. ‘The Edge of the World’ (Pax release) was telecast in full by NBC-RCA as part of its August ‘filler.’ Only about halt was palatable to the eye, this being the aggregation of close-ups. In the midway and far-oft focuses, the net result was merely a blur with sound effects.
‘Edge of the World’ is the tragic story of a group of farmers who battle the elements an4 their own lack of manpower in attempting to make a go of it on a wild island off the coast of Scotland. It’s an arty picture, but all the grandeur of a wild sea and even wilder terrain was lost via television. When seen in a theatre (by this reviewer) the high lights of the film were its exterior and scenic shots.
This broadcast might point the way for future use of films for visio purposes. Suggested, for one thing, that television would best duck those pictures containing too much outdoors—for the time being, anyhow. However, its take what you can get with NBC. Scho. (Variety, Aug. 9)
FIFTH application for a television station in the New York area has been filed by Bamberger Broadcasting Service, operator of WOR, Newark. If the license is granted, the television transmitter will be located in the upper stories of 1450 Broadway, New York, where WOR’s facsimile and high frequency transmitters are already situated and adjoining the building containing the studios of WOR. While not as high as the Empire State Tower in which NBC’s television transmitter is located, nor the Chrysler Tower in which CBS is now installing its television equipment, the quarters at 1450 Broadway are 511 feet above sea level, high enough to serve the entire metropolitan area, WOR believes. Application, filed Aug. 3, calls for a 1000-watt transmitter to operate in the 84-to-90-megacycle band, for experimentation in both engineering and program techniques. Present plans call for the use of RCA equipment. (Broadcasting, Aug. 15) [Under "Actions of the FCC", Broadcasting says application was filed on the 15th].
TELEVISION channels will be identified by number rather than by actual frequency to simplify procedure under an amendment to FCC rules governing experimental television stations made public Aug. 3. Section 43.13 (a) of the television rules was amended to set up the television bands in three separate groups for experimental operation. Group A will cover the seven channels in the band 44,000 to 108,000 cycles. Group B will cover the 12 channels in the band 156,000 to 294,000 kilocycles. These channels, each 6,000 kc. wide, will be numbered chronologically from “Channel No. 1” through “Channel No. 19”. A third group, Group C, will cover any 6,000 kc. band above 300,000 kc., excluding the band 400,000-401,000 kc.
The channel designations are as follows:
Group A: Channel No. 1—44,000-50,000 kc.; Channel No. 2—50,000-56,000 kc.; Channel No. 3—66,000-72,000 kc.; Channel No. 4—78,000-84,000 kc.; Channel No. 5—84,000-90,000 kc.; Channel No. 6—96,000-102,000 kc.; Channel No. 7—102,000—108,000 kc.
Group B: Channel No. 8—156,000-162,000 kc.; Channel No. 9—162,000-168,000 kc.; Channel No. 10—180,000-186,000 kc: Channel No. 11—186,000—192,000 kc.; Channel No. 12—204,000-210,000 kc.; Channel No. 13—210,000—216,000 kc.; Channel No. 14—234,000—240,000 kc.; Channel No. 15—240-000-246.000 kc.; Channel No. 16—268,000-264,000 kc.; Channel No. 17—264,000-270,000 kc.: Channel No. 18—282,000-288,000 kc.; Channel No. 19—288,000-294,000 kc.
Group C: Any 6,000 kc. band above 300,000 kc., excluding the band 400,000-401,000 kc. (Broadcasting, Aug. 15)
At the same time, the FCC notified Thomas S. Lee, president, that it has assigned W6XAO to a new band of 44 to 50 megacycles. Assignment had been requested by Lee after extensive experimental transmission over two bands, 42 to 56 megacycles, and 60 to 86 megacycles. Conclusion of Don Lee technicians was that transmission in the vicinity of 45 megacycles was advantageous, and in view of the company’s long and intensive experimental television activity, the FCC granted the allocation.
Lee indicated that construction of the new transmitter and studios, planned for an expenditure ultimately of $1,000,000 will go forward on the 23-acre site on the crest of the Holly wood range. Plans have been approved and bids for the Class A construction are under consideration. (Hollywood Reporter, Aug. 3)
Friday, August 4
12:00 Noon—Bernice Allstock, songs.
12:15—Films, "Precisely So," “Modern Zeus," "The North Sea.”
12.45—Ross M. Bourdillon, "Cigaretiquette."
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
8:30-9:30—Film, "Pearls of the Crown," with Sasha Guitry.
Saturday, August 5
4:00-5:00—Water Ballet at Manhattan Beach.
Sunday, August 6
NBC’s television station W2XBS will increase its schedule from ten to a minimum of eleven and a half hours each week, beginning Aug. 30. A feature film will be telecast every Wednesday night and studio shows will be shown Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings. Noonday telecasts will continue to be seen four days a week, and outside programs will be relayed by the mobile units three afternoons a week. (Daily News, Aug. 6)
Tuesday, August 8
12 noon—Chaminade Birthday Program with James Francis Cooke, editor of The Etude, and Henrietta Schumann, pianist.
12:20—Film, “First Century of Baseball.”
12:45—Jean Sablon, songs.
12:55—Newscast.
8:30-9:30—French film, “Mlle. Mozart,” with Dannielle Darrieux.
An application for permission to construct a television station here has been submitted to the Federal Communications Commission by Station WOR of the Bamberger Broadcasting Service, Inc., It was announced yesterday [8] by Alfred J. McCosker, president of WOR. He said the transmitter would be used in experiments to develop television program technique and engineering advancement.
The proposed station, according to the application, will operate in the 84 to 90 megacycle hand, powered by 1,000 watts. It is planned to have the transmitter atop a skyscraper in the midtown area to facilitate coverage of the entire metropolitan area. (Times, Aug. 9)
Hollywood, Aug. 8—W6XAO, the Don Lee experimental television station here, will see what can be done this fall with football. Games of some minor teams, not presently identified, will be telecast. Efforts to get okay from the Pacific conference to try telecasting big events got the brush from the officials as not important enough at present to bother with. Los Angeles television has largely been one of those ‘on paper’ publicity whoop-de-dos that nobody, not an engineer or an employe, seems to know much about. Television is certainly not one of the major enthusiasms of a curious public out here. Although experimenting with television since 1931 this is the first time the Don Lee bunch has gone outdoors. After the same eight years the most bullish estimates do not claim over 600 receiving sets in the area.
W6XAO has contracted for portable unit to be delivered by Sept. 1 which will permit it to try the outdoor experiment. Set is now under construction by RCA, Camden.
Mobile unit, to be packed in five cases weighing 50 pounds each, will have sending range of approximately 12 miles, ample distance to cover any games placed in Los Angeles or vicinity. Telecasting from the gridiron will be picked up by station’s transmitter at Seventh and Bixel streets and sent out to listeners’ homes.
W6XAO has received go-ahead signal from the FCC on erection of it new studio on Mount Lee in Hollywoodland. There is talk of spending ‘close to $1,000,000’ on television.
Some live-talent telecast are promised in two weeks. Programs will go out five nights weekly for one hour, Mondays through Fridays, with a Wednesday a.m. show. (Variety, Aug. 9)
Wednesday, August 9
12 noon—“Do You Want to Be a Model?” with Walter Thornton and June Hynd.
12:15—Films, “The North Sea,” “Curiosities.”
12:45—George Ross, Broadway columnist.
4:00-5:00—Eastern Grass Court Tennis Championship, a television relay from the Westchester Country Club. First day preliminary matches.
12 noon—Arnold Constable fashion show.
12:15—Films, “Colorful Cairo,” “Stop Silicosis,” (US Labor Dept., 1938).
12:45—“Rhythmic Exercises,” with Steffi Nossen and Alice Maslin.
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
8:30-9:30—Film, Part I of “Hell’s Angels,” with Jean Harlow (United Artists, 1930).
Friday, August 11
12 noon—“Etching,” with Victor D’Amico of the Museum of Modern Art.
12:15—Edison Day program.
12:45—“The Art of Doughnut Dunking,” with Evelyn Orr.
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
2:30-5:00—Elimination matches of the Eastern Grass Court Tennis Championships.
8:30-9:30—Film, Part II of “Hell’s Angels,” with Jean Harlow.
EASTERN TENNIS TOURNAMENT
Parker vs. Van Horn
Westchester Club, Rye
Friday, Aug. 11, 1939
NBC-RCA, New York
Tennis is within the probable range of television’s future programming. While the game was not always observable from a clear point of vantage, the form of the two players could be noted and with the aid of an off-screen voice to score the unseen points an approach to genuine engrossment was achieved.
This remote pick-up by NBC-RCA was date-ringing for the further reason that the mobile units went 21-odd miles to the Westchester Country Club at Rye, N. Y., to cover the matches, the longest haul thus far attempted by visio in America.
Tennis having the quality of grueling competition and strain combined with time-filling unpredictability as to duration, game by game or set by set, it is distinctly an all-afternoon affair for television and was so treated. The play started, around 2:30 and went on until 5 (this reviewer dedicated an hour).
The Parker-Van Horn tussle had dramatic value in that Parker, number two on the Davis Cup brigade, was getting a hard pressing from the 18-year old outsider from Los Angeles. The telecast lens focused alternately on the one and then the other, but occasionally a long shot made it possible to watch both in action. The images and the setting, while not altogether clear, nevertheless permitted an appreciation of the skill and stamina of both men, and the ebb and flow of battle. In the bright sunlight the NBC-RCA set could not be perfectly cleared up. There was some tendency to cause cathode eye-strain to the viewer. The white ball was intermittently visible and invisible. Land. (Variety, Aug. 16)
Saturday, August 12
2:30-5:00—Eastern Grass Court Tennis Championships, finals of the women’s singles, semi-finals of the men’s and women’s doubles.
First telecast of a news event using film made particularly for its transmitter was broadcast by Don Lee’s W6XAO in covering the Catalina aquaplane race this week. Coverage was registered on 16mm by J. Glen Turner, Don Lee cinematographer, during the radio broadcast of the event. Rushed through the labs the film broke on television coincident with its newsreel release to theatres. Feature drew a quarter-hour over W6XAO. (Hollywood Reporter, Aug. 12)
Sunday, August 13
2:30-5:00—Finals of the Eastern Grass Court Tennis Championships, relayed from Westchester Country Club, Rye, N. Y.
Tuesday, August 15
12:15—Film, “Borneo Travelaugh,” with John P. Medbury (Columbia, 1932).
12:25—“Chevrolet News” (Jam Handy).
12:35—“Yellowstone National Park.”
12:45—Alice Cornett, songs.
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
4:00-5:00—Parade and Pageant of volunteer fire departments, a television relay from the World’s Fair.
8:30-9:30—Feature film, “Death Goes North,” starring Edgar Edwards and Rin Tin Tin, Jr. (Central, 1937).
Wednesday, August 16
12 noon—June Hynd “Let’s Talk It Over.”
12:15—Film, “Feminine Flashes.”
12:25—Film, “Curiosities.”
12:35—Film, “African Jamboree.”
12:45—George Ross, Broadway columnist.
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
Andrew Geller will begin a weekly series of shoe fashion telecasts over NBC next week.
The program will feature George Ross, Broadway columnist, in a series to be known as “So—This Is New York” in which he will interview personalities of the hour and describe new shoe fashions which will be modeled before the television cameras. Broadcasts are scheduled for l2:45 each Wednesday noon. (Women’s Wear Daily, Aug. 11)
Thursday, August 17
12:15—Film, “Symphony of the Season.”
12:25—Film, “World Leaders for Peace and Democracy.”
12:45—Alice Maslin, “Facts and Fancies.”
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
8:30-9:30—Feature film, “Three of a Kind,” featuring Evalyn Knapp, Chick Chandler (Invincible, 1936).
Friday, August 18
12 noon—Lecture, Museum of Modern Art, stage sets.
12:15—Film, “I’ll Tell the World.”
12:45—“Total Eclipse,” comedian.
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
4:00-5:00—“The Water Ballet,” a television relay from Manhattan Beach.
8:30-9:30—Feature film, “La Grande Illusion” with Pierre Fresnay, Jean Gabin, Erich Von Stroheim (1937).
[A] youngster who tap dances with his feet, pays the ukelele [sic] with his toes and does strange tricks with a cigarette, will telecast over W2XBS on Friday at 12:45 p.m. He is “Total Eclipse” a Negro boy who has kept night club audiences in stitches for months. Also on NBC’s television program this week is Victor D’Amico, head of the Museum of Modern Art’s education department. He will appear on Friday at noon in a discussion on the designing of stage seta. For demonstration purposes he plans to use Cleon Throckmorton’s famous models for Eugene O’Neill’s “Emperor Jones.” (Brooklyn Eagle, Aug. 16)
Saturday, August 19
4:00-5:00—Open television relay.
Monday, August 21
Acording to Joseph D’Agostino, manager of the exhibit, the broadcasts are designed to televise Fair visitors about the grounds “singing and dancing.” The programs will be informal and ail available talent will be televised. Mr. D’Agostino said the experiments would also help determine which “form of entertainment meets with the greatest public acclaim.” The regular “vox pop” interviews with exposition visitors will continue to form a part of the broadcasts. (Brooklyn Eagle, Aug. 23)
Tuesday, August 22
12:00—“Young People’s Round Table.”
12:15—Film: “Dancing Nation.”
12:25—Film, “Chevrolet News.”
12:35—“Glacier National Park.”
12:45—Georgina Dieter, songs.
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
8:30-9:00—Film feature, “The Marines Are Coming” with William Haines and Conrad Nagel (1934).
Television performers are being paid from $25 to $100 an appearance by RCA. Latter rate of pay, however, is rare. (Sid Shalit, Daily News, Aug. 22)
Wednesday, August 23
12:15—Film, “The Lost Jungle,” with Clyde Beatty.
12:45—George Ross, Broadway columnist.
12:55—Newscast.
Thursday, August 24
12:00—Franklin Simon Fashion Show.
12:15—Film, “Baltimore.”
12:25—Film, “Curiosities.”
12:35—Film, “Stop Silicosis.”
12:45—Alice Maslin, “Facts and Fancies.”
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
8:30-9:30—Film feature, “Abraham Lincoln,” with Walter Huston.
12:00—Madge Tucker’s Radio Children.
12:15—Film, “Fish and Hell.”
12:45—Frances Hidden, “Oddities in Hatwear.”
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
8:30-9:30—Feature film, “A Man and His Wife” with Harry Baur, Pierre Larquey (Films RF, 1934).
MITCHEL FIELD, L. I., Aug. 25.—A scheduled television broadcast of what officers of the Army Air Corps stationed here would do in the event of an enemy bombing raid was rained out today after eighteen Army planes had been lined up outside their hangars for participation in the show. The broadcast will be held at 3 p. m. next Friday, Col. James E. Cheney, commanding officer of Mitchel Field, decided. (Herald Tribune)
The May Co. department stores filed application in Washington yesterday [25] to construct and operate a television transmitter In Los Angeles. Application placed with the Federal Communications Commission is for a station to operate on frequencies from 78 to 84 megacycles with visual power of one kilocycle. The application is the third now on file in Washington for the Los Angeles area. Others awaiting disposition by the FCC are filed by Earle C. Anthony, operator of KFI-KECA, and by Paramount-DuMont. Don Lee, only licensee here, which has been operating telecaster W6XAO here for the past eight years, was recently granted a new frequency by the FCC and is now preparing to make an equipment changeover to 441-line transmission.
Records disclose that the May Co. application is unique as predicting that television will be commercialized after the manner of radio. For the application is the first filed by a retail firm of this type. Other applications and licensees stem from education institutions primarily interested in television experimental work, from firms connected directly with radio broadcasting, from newspapers, and from manufacturers of wireless equipment and receivers. (Hollywood Reporter, Aug. 26) [Note: "Actions of the FCC" in Broadcaster magazine says application filed on the 19th].
Saturday, August 26
A complete major league baseball game was televised for the first time yesterday, the Radio Corporation of America transmitting both games of the double-header divided by the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers In Brooklyn.
Fans who “saw” the games through use of television sets in homes and offices In the metropolitan area seemed rather enthusiastic about their new experience. Their general impression was that the images of the action on the playing field as flashed upon the mirrors of television sets gave almost a clear a view of the game as one usually has in watching motion-picture news reels of baseball. Commentators gave running descriptions of every play. The crack of bat against ball sounded clearly over the air waves, as did the cheering of the spectators in the stands. They, too, played minor roles in the telecast, long-range lenses sweeping the rows of seats and their shirt-sleeved occupants during occasional pauses between plays.
Pitched Balls Are Seen
Those watching and listening to the game by television were able to follow the ball as thrown by the pitcher, but rarely saw it once a bat had hit it beyond the infield.
Two cameras were used. One, placed in a box near the visitors dugout took the close-up shots at the plate, giving a near view of batter, catcher and umpire, with the path to first base clear enough in the background to permit a spectator to follow the batter on his way, and see whatever plays were made at first base.
By shifting to a second camera placed in one of the upper boxes back of the plate, almost the whole diamond and the larger part of the outfield were made visible. The two cameras were used alternately, according to the play. Outfielders could be seen running, making their catches of flies, and pegging the ball back to one base or another, even when the ball itself could not be distinguished. Although the day was cloudy the television of the field and players was fairly clear. Occasionally the images were blurred by flickering.
Alfred P. Morton, vice-president of N. B. C., who supervised the television, said he and his associates were more than satisfied with the experiment.
The commercial announcements on behalf of the concerns which sponsor the daily broadcasts of the games the Dodgers play also were televised, this being done while the teams changed sides at bat.
Commercials Televised
When the announcer came to his “plug” for Procter & Gamble two cakes of Ivory soap were plainly visible on the table before him. In advertising the “Wheaties” product of General Mills, the announcer could be seen pouring some of that breakfast cereal into a bowl, followed by sugar and a suggestion that a banana would also taste good with the breakfast food. A toy automobile was put before the camera along with the cap of a service station attendant while the commentator lauded the virtues of Socony Vacuum’s Mobiloil.
Billboard advertisers got something for nothing out of the ball game’s televising. In the background of every action recorded by the camera behind the visitors’ dugout stood out the billboard in right field advertising the Gem razor. As the other camera swept across the outfield, more signs familiar to Dodger rooters came into occasional view—Botany ties, Philip Morris cigarettes, Coca-Cola and the rest.
During the intermission between games Leo Durocher, manager of the Dodgers, and William McKechnie, manager of the Reds, were brought into close-up focus for short chats, after which several pitchers demonsrated how they gripped the ball and the leading hitters of either team showed how they held a bat.
For Leland Stanford MacPhail, the up-and-coming president of the Brooklyn club, television was just another innovation to the baseball of 1939. His team was the first to introduce night baseball in major league fans in the metropolis, the first to give trial to a yellow rather than the usual white ball and the first of the metropolitan teams to have its games broadcast. (Herald Tribune, Aug. 27)
Sunday, August 27
WHILE full-length current motion pictures are withheld from television by the producers to protect the box-office, televiewers may at least catch occasional glimpses of Hollywood stars as trailers are telecast. Recognizing the publicity value of trailer-telecasts, Columbia Pictures has granted permission to show samples of pictures, according to the National Broadcasting Company. Scenes from “Golden Boy,” scheduled for release in September, have been selected to test the possibilities in such telecasting on Saturday night at 9:15 o’clock. (New York Times, Aug. 27)
Tuesday, August 29
12:00—Phillippe de Flores, Mexican singer (with guitar accompaniment).
12:15—Films, “Mandalay” and “Golden Boy” preview.
12:25—Film, “Chevrolet News.”
12:35—Film, “Ocean—Thy Mighty Monster.”
12:45—Variety program.
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
8:30-9:30—“Dulcy,” by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connolly, with Helen Claire and Tom Powers.
The famous George S. Kaufman-Marc Connolly comedy “Dulcy,” will be revived tomorrow night [29] via W2XB[S] at 8:30 as the first in the Fall series of dramatic presentations from the NBC studios in Radio City.The cast will be headed by Helen Claire, who recently completed a Broadway run in “Kiss the Boys Goodbye,” and Tom Powers, Theater Guild star. In the original stage version, “Dulcy” was played by Lynn Fontanne.
Edward Padula of the NBC television staff is directing the audio-visual presentation.
“The presentation of ‘Dulcy’ is in line with NBC’s television policy of reviving worthwhile plays which otherwise might be forgotten,” said Padula. “The script will be cut somewhat because television, like motion pictures, is a medium which permits and often requires considerable condensation of stage plays.
“This is by no means a ‘tabloid’ version of the story,” he continued. “It is being produced with the greatest of care and no effort will be made to keep it within the one-hour period which previously has been assigned to dramatic telecasts.” (N.Y. Sun, Aug. 28)
Wednesday, August 30
12:00—Variety program.
12:15—Film, “The Lost Jungle,” with Clyde Beatty.
12:35—Film, “Curiosities.”
12:45—George Ross, Broadway columnist.
12:55-1:00—Newscast.
8:30-9:30—The Harvest Moon Ball at Madison Square Garden, a television relay.
Actions of the Federal Communications Commission (Aug. 30)
NEW, WDRC, Inc., Meriden, Conn.—CP television 1 kw.
A location at West Peak, Meriden, will be chosen for the construction of a television transmitter if the application of Station WDRC for a television station license is accepted in Washington, Franklin M. Doolittle, president and general manager of the station said Thursday. The station already operates an experiment broadcasting station there using the “new frequency modulated” transmission devised by Major Edward Armstrong.
WDRC will receive its television program from the Columbia Broadcasting System headquarter in New York, where regular television schedules are shortly to start. Preliminary tests have indicated that not only Hartford but the major part of Central Connecticut, would receive a strong television signal from West Peak. (Hartford Courant, Sep. 1)
Thursday, August 31
12:00—Franklin Simon fashion show.
12:15—Film, “Heritage.”
12:25—Film, “March of Time.”
12:45—Alice Maslin, “Facts and Fancies.”
8:30-9:30—“The Streets of New York,” by Dion Boucicault, with George Coulouris, Joyce Arling, Norman Lloyd and Whitford Kane.
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