Showing posts with label WPIX. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WPIX. Show all posts

Saturday, 18 July 2026

The TV Station With No Studio

Two TV stations began their lives on the same day. One marked it with an array of stars live from Broadway. The other one just flicked a switch.

WPIX in New York City and WNHC-TV in New Haven both started commercial programming on June 15, 1948. While WPIX generated a full schedule of its own, the Connecticut station had no studios and no remote van. It had equipment to pick up relayed programming from DuMont in New York and re-transmit it. And it had two cameras either pointed at a test pattern card or to play commercials. That was about it.

Unlike WPIX, WNHC didn’t have an application that sat in a file for the duration of the war. Television Digest of July 26, 1947 reported:

Fourth TV application since color TV decision (Vol. 3, No. 29) went into FCC hopper this week — from Elm City Broadcasting Corp., operating 250-watt independent WNHC, New Haven, Conn. It asks for city's sole channel (No. 6) for a 1.82 kw community class outlet, estimates coverage of 500,000 population. It proposes to get "off-the-air" service from DuMont ' s WABD, New York, stipulates DuMont equipment, plans to build and equip studios and transmitter plant for §100,000 in conjunction with its FM plant on Gaylord Mt. Local program tieups with Yale University are planned. Stockholders are Patrick J. Goode, New Haven postmaster, 40%; Aldo D. Dominicis, macaroni manufacturer, 40%; Garo Ray, consulting engineer, 10%; employes, 10%.

Five weeks later, it had a construction permit. The FCC granted it on August 30, 1947.

At the end of February, the FCC was asked to allow the station (not on the air yet) to increase its power. The Hartford Courant of Apr. 18, 1948 had this situational story:

Television Broadcasts Due In May
New Haven Station to Begin Operations With Relays From New York
Regular television broadcasts from New York will be within the range of television sets in Hartford within a month.
Station WNHC-TV in New Haven is scheduled to begin operating by the first week in May. The station's television signal will be received easily in Hartford.
During the first months of operation. WNHC-TV will act solely as a relay station for New York television programs and will not produce any "live" shows until September when adequate studio facilities are expected to be completed.
Dumont Network Affiliate.
WNHC-TV is affiliated with the Dumont television network and will relay all Dumont programs from New York. In addition, the station has agreements with other television networks and will be permitted to relay their programs besides the Dumont shows.
A regular afternoon feature will be the relaying of television broadcasts of New York Yankees baseball games from Yankee Stadium. Hartford fans will be able to see most of the games played in the stadium on television sets, including the World Series if the New York team wins the pennant.
WNHC-TV will be the first regular television station in New England and will start operating a full month ahead of a proposed station in Boston, according to James T. Milne, general manager.
Transmitter in Hamden.
The New Haven station will operate on channel six of the television band with a power of 500 watts. The effective range of a 500-watt television signal is up to 35 miles from the transmitter [sic]. Downtown Hartford is 28 miles from the WNHC-TV transmitter now being constructed on Mount Carmel in Hamden.
The station has applied to the Federal Communications Commission for permission to operate with 5000 watts. The effective range of a 5000-watt signal is about 73 miles and would be received as far north as Springfield, Mass.
Mr. Milne said that there are now approximately 2500 television sets in Connecticut, most of them in Fairfield County where New York programs ran he received without the need of a relay station. He estimates that within three months following the opening of WNHC-TV, the number of sets will have tripled in the state.
'Air Line' Type Station.
WNHC-TV will be a micro-wave, or "air line," type of relay station, as opposed to the direct wire relay stations which receive a television signal through a co-axial cable and then rebroadcast the signal through the relay transmitter. In the "air line" system, the signal from New York will he received through the atmosphere, amplified, and then rebroadcast to the outlying areas.
The New Haven station will be operated by the Elm City Broadcasting Company which now operates the independent WNHC and WNHC-FM stations.
In Hartford, WDRC, WTIC and WTHT all have applications pending with the FCC in Washington for television station permits. Bearings on these applications are scheduled within the next five weeks.


The Bridgeport Post reported on May 23, 1948:

New Haven Station Hopes to Star State's First Television June 1
By ROCKY CLARK
Whether television will live up to the expectations of its enthusiastic press-agents and make present-day radio as obsolete as the horse-and-buggy remains to be seen. But wherever it leads, Connecticut will be among its pioneers.
Barring unforeseen delays, Connecticut's first television station will begin operations June 1. Representing an investment of almost half a million dollars, it is located on a mountain top in Hamden.
The station, WNHC-TV, is the only television station for which the Federal Communications has granted a construction permit in this state, although applications are on file from Bridgeport, Hartford and Waterbury concerns.
A Three-Year Project
It was three years ago, according to Aldo De Dominicis, secretary-treasurer of WNHC, that the New Haven radio station began planning a television affiliate. Though wartime shortages prevented the purchase of equipment at that time, WNHC engineers were instructed to study the surrounding countryside for an ideal transmitter site.
A year later, in 1946, the summit of Gaylord Mountain in Hamden had been agreed upon as a promising spot. WNHC lost no time in purchasing the mountain-top plus a right-of-way up the mountain. Next came the task of building a road up the mountain—a task that was completed late the same year.
Architect's plans for a modernistic transmitter building to house both a television and frequency modulation broadcasting station were drown up during the winter and spring of 1947. Work on the building began in August. Before the end of December, the building had not only been completed but the equipment had been installed.
WNHC-FM, utilizing a General Electric 20,000-watt transmitter on 99.1 megacycles, is already on the air—relaying WNHC programs to the FM audience in most parts of Connecticut.
150-Foot Tower Goes Up
Just over three weeks ago, strong steel beams for the 130-foot antenna tower were delivered to the mountain top. Workmen lost no time in erecting the high tower, on the top of which they added an RCA super-style triplex antenna which rose another 52 feet toward the heavens.
Meanwhile, a five-kilowatt Dumont television transmitter has been installed in the mountain-top building. Electric lines, bearing enough power to illuminate a small community, have been strung up the mountain to operate the costly equipment.
While engineers are putting finishing touches on the television transmitter, WNHC-TV officials are preparing for the day when program service begins. Already they have the distinction of being the first to sign an affiliation contract with the Dumont Television Network.
During its first few months of operation. WNHC-TV will confine its activities to relaying Dumont programs to its audience. Until a sizeable audience develops, costs of local programs would be prohibitive. Local spot announcement, however, will be broadcast direct from the mountain-top station.
By fall, however, the station hopes to broadcast television programs originating in WNHC's modernistic studio building on Chapel street in the center of New Haven. An unique RCA relay system will be used. A small television transmitter atop the Chapel street building will "beam" the programs to Gaylord Mountain where they will be picked up and relayed over WNHC-TV.
A similar but more complicated relay system will be used for relaying Dumont programs from New York to New Haven. Instead of linking WNHC-TV to Dumont's WABD by wire, a relay station has been erected at Huntington, Long Island, to pick up the WABD programs and "beam" them to a second relay station being built at Wolcott, near Oxford. From there they will be beamed to WNHC-TV.
Costly Cables Eliminated
As the Dumont network extends into northern New England, WNHC-TV will relay the Dumont programs by air to Hartford. Other relays will carry the programs to Springfield, Worcester, Boston and Providence, eliminating the expense of costly co-axial cables.
Postmaster Patrick Goode of New Haven is president of WNHC, which becomes Connecticut's most complete radio enterprise, with AM, FM and television transmitters. Garo W. Ray, Stratford radio engineer, is the vice president who, with Vincent de Laurentis, chief engineer, has supervised construction of the huge plant atop Gaylord Mountain. Mr. de Laurentis is the chief engineer of WNAB, Bridgeport.
James T. Milne, former Bridgeport radio announcer, is WNHC’s progressive station manager who assumes the added duties of supervising FM and television operations.
Owners of television receivers will find WNHC-TV at Channel No. 6 the dial. Pictures will be broadcast at 83.25 megacycles; sound at 87.75 mcs.
The mountain-top transmitter building includes living quarters or an engineer whose control panel will be located in front of a huge view window, affording him one of the most beautiful views of Connecticut. His mountain-top larder, however, will have to be well-locked in winter when he will he faced with the prospect of being isolated there for days after heavy snows block the mountain road.


Things weren’t ready. The FCC, on May 28, extended the completion date to Oct. 28. But the station started sending out DuMont shows in June.

WNHC-TV TESTS BEGIN
NEW HAVEN, June 3—(AP)—WNHC's television station put its first test pattern on the air over Channel No. 6 last night [2] and general manager James T. Milne reported today it was "highly successful." He said WNHC-TV will begin operating formally on or about June 14. It will be Connecticut's first television station.
Said Milne: "The engineering staff of WNHC along with consult ing engineers from the Dumont network last night put a test pattern on the air over WNHC-TV's channel No. 6. Test patterns are also being put on the air at different intervals throughout today. The pattern last night was highly successful."


WNHC-TV Today Starts Television Broadcasting
NEW HAVEN, June 14—(AP)—General Manager James T. Milne of radio station WHNC and television station WNHC-TV announced tonight that the television station will start broadcasting tomorrow on a test basis at 6 p. m. The station will relay programs from the Dumont Network of New York City. Mile said if the tests prove satisfactory, the station will relay programs on a regular basis in about two weeks.
The station has been making test patterns for the past two weeks, Milne said. The station range, he said, will take in all of Connecticut.


Back issues of the New Haven newspapers don’t seem to be on-line. However, there was this brief review in the Bridgeport Post on June 16:

NEW TV STATIONS
Television owners report "snowy" reception here of the two new stations that went on the air yesterday [15]—New Haven's WNHC-TV (Channel 6) and New York's WPIX (Channel 11 )—but experts point out that it takes time to iron out the kinks in television transmission and that improved reception should he forthcoming shortly. In the ease of WNHC-TV, the station is operating on 500 watts at present but will boost its power to 5,000 as soon as it receives the go-ahead signal from the FCC. For the time being, the New Haven station is confining its broadcasts to relaying Dumont programs from WABD, New York.


Being the only station in town, WNHC-TV was free to sign a contract with anyone to air their programming. Rocky Clark’s radio/TV column in the Post on Oct. 9 said an agreement had been inked to broadcast CBS shows, though there was no start date at that point. As another example, on Oct. 22, 1948, the station aired the Yale-Vanderbilt football game originating from WNBT.

There was some locally generated programming before the end of the year. Clark’s column mentioned on Dec. 8:

New Haven’s WNHC-TV will interrupt its Dumont relays to broadcast Christmas programs by the Telephone Company Glee Club tomorrow at 6:45, the New Haven Railroad Glee Club next Tuesday at 6:45 and a studio party for children Dec. 24 at 4:30 p. m. (The last one actually aired Christmas Day from 4 to 6:30).

The Sept. 20, 1948 issue of Television magazine included a feature story on the station.

Despite the modesty of its initial operations, WNHC-TV has hit New Haven the way Pudge Hefflefinger used to hit opposing linemen. Although the station has no regular measurements of video viewing in its area, it asserts—with good reason—that its influence is widespread.
At the start of the operations last June WNHC-TV attempted without success to carry the New York Yankee baseball games. According to the station, the Yankees asked $500 more per game from the Ballentine Co. (ale and beer), which was sponsoring the telecasts on DuMont's New York outlet to permit the pickups by New Haven. Ballentine felt the price was high, and consequently WNHC-TV was without the Yankees.
The New Haven television station broadcast four announcements, explaining to its audience that it could not broadcast the games and suggesting hopefully that if enough listeners wrote to request them, the Yankee management might let the station do the telecasts unsponsored—as a public service. Although it was not enough to move the Yankees to such magnanimity, the response was in sufficient volume to prove New Haven was a hotbed of Yankee and television fans.
The four announcements, broadcast only over the television station, pulled more than 3500 pieces of correspondence, some of them petitions bearing hundreds of names. Several of the petitions came from saloons where irate customers were up in arms at the deprivation.


As you can see, the station had no control over its programming. It was dependent on DuMont. Clark’s column of Jan. 27, 1949 explained the peril in this, and what station management had to do:

Athough the Fairfield county television audience enjoys a wide variety of programs because New York stations can he received with reasonable clarity in most parts of the county, the rest of Connecticut is forced to rely on New Haven's WNHC-TV, the only station providing reliable reception upstate.
And, from what we can determine, the audience is not too pleased with the general program fare offered by the Dumont network, of which WNHC-TV is a basic affiliate. Sudden cancellation of all boxing and wrestling shows, plus the failure of Dumont to substitute ether sporting features, has brought numerous complaints from upstate video viewers.
The WNHC-TV management, desirous of keeping its audience content, has entered into a working agreement with both NBC and CBS to supplement the Dumont program fare. Thus, last night WNHC-TV's audience was able to view CBS' Tournament of Champions bouts, and these will now be a regular feature of the station.
Arthur Godfrey's Wednesday night video show has also been added to the WNHC-TV schedule. So has NBC's Philco Television Theater on Sunday nights.
In addition, the New Haven station is completing studio arrangements whereby it will begin producing local shows next month.


Walter Archer in the Hartford Courant of April 17, 1949 said the station had signed a deal with ABC to rebroadcast shows and only had to figure out how to get them there to do it.

A year after the station signed on, its programming that day was a mix of ABC, NBC, CBS and DuMont. Only one show doesn’t appear to have come from the four networks.

Here’s the first week of the station’s schedule, all from WABD.

TUESDAY, JUNE 15
6:00—Small Fry Club with Bob Emery. 6:30—Russ Hodges Scoreboard. 6:45—Film Shorts. 7:00—Alan Dale show with Janie Ford. 7:15—Mary Kaye and Johnny. 7:30—Camera Headlines; Tele-News. 8:00—Court of Current Issues. 9:00—Boxing from Jerome Arena.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16
6:00—Small Fry Club with Bob Emery. 6:30—Russ Hodges Scoreboard. 6:45—Film Shorts. 7:00—Photographic Horizons. 7:30—Camera Headlines, Film Shorts. 9:00—News, Harness Racing. 11:00—Sign Off with newsreel.

THURSDAY, JUNE 17
6:00—Small Fry Club with Bob Emery. 6:30—Russ Hodges Scoreboard. 6:45—Film Shorts. 7:00—Birthday Party. 7:30—Camera Headlines. 7:45—Jack Eigen. 8:00—Charade Quiz. 8:30—Adrienne, “Champagne and Orchids.” 8:45—Film Shorts. 9:00—Wrestling from Jerome Arena.

FRIDAY, JUNE 18
6:00—Small Fry Club with Bob Emery. 6:30—Russ Hodges Scoreboard. 6:45—Film Shorts. 7:30—Camera Headlines. 7:45—Film Shorts. 8:00—Fashions on Parade. 8:30—To be announced. 9:00—Wrestling from Jamaica Arena with Dennis James.

SATURDAY, JUNE 19
No programming scheduled.

SUNDAY, JUNE 20
6:00—“Key to Missing Persons.” 6:30—“Thanks, America”; film shorts. 7:00—Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour. 8:00—G.O.P. Convention Program.

MONDAY, JUNE 21
10:50 a.m.—G.O.P. Convention. 5:50—Teletunes. 6:00—Small Fry Club with Bob Emery. 6:30—Russ Hodges Scoreboard. 6:45—News with Walter Compton, from Washington. 7:00—Doorway to Fame. 7:30—Camera Headlines. 7:45—Sylvie St. Claire. 8:00—Television Televised. 8:05—G.O.P. Convention. 8:30—Swing into Sports. 8:55—Drew Pearson. 9:00—Sports Names to Remember. 9:05—Boxing from Jamaica Arena.

Monday, 15 June 2026

New York Has Something on Channel 11

A smile of nostalgia will come over New Yorkers (and ex-New Yorkers) of a certain age when you mention WPIX.

The station was a kids delight. Fondly remembered are Officer Joe Bolton and hosts Allen Swift and Chuck McCann. That meant cartoons, cartoons, cartoons (good and otherwise). For others, WPIX was the home of marathon showings of one the greatest comedy series of the 1950s, The Honeymooners.

WPIX was one of several dozen TV stations that signed on in 1948, three of them serving New York City (joining WNBT, WCBS and WABD).

The station dates its origin from an application to the FCC filed by News Syndication, Inc. (the New York Daily News) on February 28, 1944 for a construction permit for a commercial station. Competition was fierce for any TV frequencies the commission deemed habitable. As of Oct. 8, 1945, besides NBC, CBS and Du Mont, the FCC had a file of applications for New York from the American Broadcasting Co. (WJZ), Bamberger Broadcasting (WOR), the Debs Memorial Radio Fund (WEVD), Palmer K. and Lois C. Leberman, Marcus Loew Booking Agency (MGM), Metropolitan Television (W75NY), Philco, Raytheon Manufacturing, Twentieth Century-Fox and WLIB, in addition to the Daily News request.

On Feb. 1, 1946, the FCC designated the Daily News application for a hearing. Four channels were available. The competition now included Bremer Broadcasting of Newark, N.J. (WAAT), Sherron Metallic Corp. of Huntingdon and Westchester Broadcasting of White Plains (WFAS). The hearing began June 3. Several companies pulled their applications before it, Raytheon at the last minute. That left six—ABC, Bamberger, Bremer, Debs Memorial, WLIB and the Daily News.

Broadcasting magazine of June 10, 1946 describes the pitch to the Commission:

Another well-financed applicant, News Syndicate Inc. (New York Daily and Sunday News), a subsidiary of Chicago Tribune Inc., expressed confidence that television would be profitable. However, the company testified that it was prepared to carry a station for three to five years until substantial revenues were received . . .
F. M. Flynn, assistant secretary of News Syndicate Inc. (New York Daily and Sunday News), reviewed the extensive scope of the News parent corporation, Chicago Tribune Inc., which in radio owns WGN Chicago and its subsidiary Midwest FM Network Inc., which is seeking FM stations in Peoria, Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids and Milwaukee. He said the News, formerly headed by the late Joseph M. Patterson and now by Roy C. Holliss as acting president and general manager, has had no regular radio experience except in preparation of hourly newscasts on WNEW New York. He said the company has, however, studied television for several years and has experimented in video production.
Mr. Flynn estimated construction costs at $575,000 and operating expenses at $46,849 a month. He predicted talent costs would be $100,000 a year and upward and that film costs would range from $25,000 to $50,000. Studios and offices, he said, would be on four floors for which space is available above the 36th floor of the News building.
but that a wholly separate television organization might be set up later and housed in a new building which may be constructed adjacent to the News building.
He said the company hasn't “counted on” any immediate returns but expected there would be some. First objective, he explained, would be to get television circulation and then work out rates and commercial programming plans to pay for it. He said network affiliation had been discussed but there was no intention of making the station’s success dependent upon network association.
Mr. Flynn said the News has a tentative agreement with General Electric to train some of the company’s television employes.
He was confident the News would operate the station, if granted, for three to five years regardless of profits.
He was cross-examined in detail by Leo Rosen, attorney for Mrs. Thackrey, publisher of the New York Post, about the News’ circulation, which he said is the greatest in the U.S.—more than 2,300,000 daily and 4,500,000 Sunday.


It took almost a year, but the Daily News announced the FCC's final decision in its May 14, 1947 issue.

FCC Approves News' Bid for Video Station
Washington, D. C., May 14.—The Federal Communications Commission today formally granted licenses to operate television stations to the News Syndicate Co., Inc., publisher of The News, and three other applicants in the New York area.
A notice of intention to approve the applications was announced April 9 and FCC said the final orders were issued when no protests were filed.
FCC assigned the News Syndicate Co., Inc., television channel No. 11. The American Broadcasting Co. was given channel No. 7; the Bamberger Broadcasting Service channel No. 9, and the Bremer Broadcasting Corp., channel No. 13.
Debs Fund Turned Down.
The application of the Debs Memorial Radio Fund was denied, with Commissioner Clifford J. Durr dissenting. Durr recommended that the Debs Fund be given a license instead of the News Syndicate Co. because of evidence against the latter presented by the American Jewish Congress.
However, the Commission re-affirmed its ruling that the testimony offered by the American Jewish Congress, which attempted to show racial bias by The News, be stricken from the record. The Commission denied a petition to incorporate the evidence in the proceedings.
Operating Schedule.
In the final finding of fact, the Commission said the television station to be built by the News Syndicate Co. would cost $575,000 and would operate on a 28-hour weekly basis for the first year.
The initial schedule, the report said, would be divided as follows: 50.5% entertainment; 15.4% educational; 12.7% news 9.8%; sports; 5% religious; 3.9% civic, and 2.7% governmental.
It was estimated that the station has a potential audience of 11,000,000 persons.


There were comparatively few major developments the rest of the year. The paper reported on Dec. 3:

News Orders Equipment for Video Station
Plans for construction of The News television station moved forward yesterday [2] as an order was placed with General Electric Co. for more than $150,000 worth of major video equipment.
F. M. Flynn, president and general manager of The News, announced the purchase of three image orthicon-equipped studio cameras, monitoring and control consoles, camera dollies, microphone booms, and other components. At the same time Flynn disclosed the signing of a contract with the Radio Corporation of America for a five-kilowatt transmitter, with associated pickup and relay equipment.
Studio to Top Building.
Together, the orders represent a total outlay of more than $350,000.
The News television station, to which the FCC has assigned the call letters WLTV, will operate on channel No. 11 in the 198-204 megacycle band. Present plans call for studios in a three-story addition on the top of The News Building at 220 E. 42d St. The station is expected to take the air with test patterns next Spring.
The new General Electric cameras utilize the latest type picture tubes. Used in conjunction with flexible studio control equipment, the cameras represent the finest available medium of telecasting. Complete motion picture projection equipment also will be provided to The News by General Electric. Both 35 and 16 mm. film will be televised. This will enable the station to use all sources of motion pictures in setting a high standard of educational and entertainment programing.
Look to Expert Aid.
Explaining that the master control room also will be GE-equipped, Flynn said: "The news is looking to the engineering accomplishments of the experts at WRGB, General Electric's station in Schenectady. During their six years of non-commercial operation they have gained immeasurable experience. We hope to be able to borrow a little of their know-how."
The RCA order, in addition to transmitter and antenna, calls for two complete field pickup units, including four RCA image orthicon cameras, and two microwave relay transmitters and receivers. These and other units to be added later, will be used in spot news coverage.


WLTV wasn't going to do. The Daily News requested a change of call-letters. It reported on Dec. 23:

New call letters—WPIX—have been assigned to The News television station, F. M. Flynn, president and general manager, announced yesterday. The station, scheduled to go on the air over Channel 11 next Spring, temporarily had been called WLTV. The change was authorized by the Federal Communications Commission. Flynn pointed out that "pix" is a newspaper term for pictures and added that the new call letters are particularly appropriate for The News, New York's Picture Newspaper. "Newspix" for many years has been The News cable address and the name of its house organ.

WPIX started hiring managers and staff, and getting a station physically put together. The Hollywood Reporter of Feb. 17, 1948 gave an anticipated air date, which the station actually met.

N.Y. News Video To Be Ready By June 15
New York.—Construction work on WPIX, The News television station, has started, according to Robert L. Coe, station manager. Engineers started making surveys for the installation of steel for the transmitter house and the 307-foot tower on top of The News building a few days ago. Similar work is underway on the roof of the adjoining nine-story plant where the studios will be located.
The Turner Construction Co. plans to have the station ready to go on the air about June 15. The first shipment of steel for the prefabricated tower will be made about February 21 and the tower is expected to be up in record time.
The tower atop The News building will rise to a point 777 feet above street level, making it one of the highest television transmitter points in the city.


The Daily News’ Ben Gross announced on Feb. 27 the station had closed a deal for television rights to the rights and wrestling matches at Queensboro Arena, the first remote contract signed by the station. The station’s biggest signing was unveiled in its March 10 edition. Gloria Swanson had agreed to host a 55-minute-long afternoon show. This, of course, was before her screen comeback in Sunset Boulevard. The July 1947 issue of Television magazine described the show.

"THE SWANSON HOUR"
Most glamorous of all the cooperative formats is WPIX's "The Gloria Swanson Hour," presented in the 4:05 to 5 o'clock slot every Wednesday. The famous star, who still retains her movie screen charm, plays hostess on a four part format under such titles as "High Fashion Trends," "Glamour on a Budget," "Chef's Holiday" and "Beauty Salon."
The "High Fashion Trend" segment is exactly what the name implies-with leading fashion designers showing their advance styles.
Clothes are modeled, with the stylist and Miss Swanson discussing the trends.
"Glamour on a Budget," sponsored by Beck Shoes, is handled by Beck's fashion editor, Pat Murray. Sequence is built around a particular theme, such as assembling an inexpensive vacation wardrobe. Models are used to display the clothes.
The "Chef's Holiday" segment veers away from the everyday cooking lesson and features a chef from some well known restaurant who reveals some of his professional cooking secrets and prepares the "specialty of the house."
On the "Beauty Salon," first program featured Victor Vito, hair stylist, who demonstrated today's mode in coiffures along with suggestions on the right hair arrangement for various face types. Another show presented Helena Rubinstein with a make-up lesson for home viewers.
An average of four sets are used on each show, together with some 16 models, who have been specially trained for television by producer Dick Rose.
Commercial Techniques
Charge for sponsoring each segment is set at $538, including talent, sets, models, etc. In the "Glamour on a Budget" portion, the Beck commercial is smoothly integrated. Style points of the dresses and accessories are given, with emphasis placed on the shoes as the camera picks up an ankle shot. Prices are also given. While program is still too new to have garnered many "success stories," Victor Vito reported that he had received 100 phone calls for appointments from the viewers, in addition to mail received at WPIX.

The station also signed deals to broadcast the trotting races from Roosevelt Park and hockey games (New York Rangers and New York Rovers) from Madison Square Garden, as well as WHN’s Guy Lebow as the news announcer, and some extensive news coverage, including the Democratic and Republican conventions.

Columnists at the Daily News, rather helpfully, seemed to have a one-liner about a station development every day. On April 27, it was a contract to air 24 films by Alexander Korda. On April 29, the first test pattern would air about May 15. On May 3, the Schaefer Brewing CO. became the first advertiser; it would bankroll Rangers games. On May 6, the final staff announcers were hired. They included Jack McCarthy, John Tillman, Rex Marshall and a chap named Joe Bolton.

The station's antenna went up March 17, delayed a bit because of rain and wind. Tests began on May 29. But there were a few problems as the Daily News reported June 1:

Thousands of television fans in the metropolitan area picked up the WPIX (pronounce it Pix) test pattern yester-day as The News video station began equipment testing on a daily schedule in preparation for the start of regular broadcasting June 15.
The fans deluged the WPIX studios with phone calls throughout the day, from 8:30 A. M. until the station signed off at 6 P. M., to report reception ranging in quality from "lousy" to "clear as a bell." Wired Too Low.
A few said they couldn't get WPIX at all—but in these cases it turned out almost invariably that their sets were wired only for the old low channels and that the coils had not been installed for the postwar high frequency stations like WPIX.
Officials of the RCA Service Co., speaking from personal experience in other cities, explained that reception on the high channels is no more difficult than on the low channels. But the quality of reception is affected by the direction the receiving antenna points, and since the first stations were in the low group, receiving aerials were set up to point at them. . . .
Joseph A. Hatchwell, manager of the agency's branch shop in Jackson Heights, Queens, said that the problem of direction of receiving antennae will be most acute within a mile or two of the four New York stations. Those farther away within the 50-mile radius which comprises the metropolitan listening area should be able to receive WPIX satisfactorily with little or no adjustment.
All three of the older New York video stations operate on the low channels. WCBS, which has its tower on the Chrysler Building, is on Channel 2; WNBT, on the Empire State Building, is on Channel 4, and WARD, at 53d St. and Madison Ave., is on Channel 5.
WPIX, atop The News Building at 220 E. 42d St., is on Channel 11.


The pattern aired Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

We’ve glossed over some things, including Rube Goldberg’s Drawing Game being picked up by the station, the Shuberts granting WPIX exclusive TV rights to opening night pre-performance hoopla, the pick-up of Teen Age Canteen with the voice of Egghead, Danny Webb, and a hyped contest for a station slogan. The papers published previews on June 14, the day before the big event. The Times’ read, in part:

The inauguration of the service will be accompanied by messages from representatives of the city, state and church. Also scheduled are previews of WPIX features which are to be exhibited at regular intervals. Among the previews will be "The Gloria Swanson Hour," during which the actress will have as her guests Neil Hamilton, actor, and Fira Benenson, designer. Rube Goldberg will show how his cartoon-charade quiz, "The Drawing Game," works. Ben Gross, radio columnist of The News, will preview "Stars in Your Eyes," with Fred Allen his guest.
Remote pick-ups will include Ed Sullivan as guide of proceedings during a WPIX visit at the Latin Quarter and Danton Walker offering a sample of what to expect during his weekly "Cabarabian Nights," which he will conduct at the Club Versailles.
The News Syndicate Company, Inc., also has announced the formation of a new corporation to operate WPIX. The FCC, it was said, has approved the transfer of three television construction permits from the syndicate WPIX Inc. The corporation will be a wholly owned subsidiary.


Now a couple of stories and analysis after WPIX signed on.

`Daily News' Opens Television Station
O'Dwyer, Hanley, Baruch Guests at WPIX Show
WPIX, the television station operated by the "Daily News" of New York, made its debut at 7:30 o'clock last night with a four-hour show which included stars of the stage and screen and political figures and gave the News Building at 220 East Forty-second Street the appearance of a Broadway theater on opening night.
The front of the building was ablaze with lights, and huge searchlights converged on the antenna tower which is 796 feet above sea level. Formal dedication ceremonies started at 8 o'clock with the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Virginia Haskins. An invocation followed, offered by the Right Rev. Charles Kendall Gilbert, Bishop of the Protestants Episcopal Diocese of New York. The official welcome to the audience was made by F. M. Flynn, president and general manager of the News Syndicate Company, Inc.
Among the guests were Mayor William O’Dwyer, Lieutenant Governor Joe R. Henley and Bernard M. Baruch. Entertainers included Beatrice Lillie, Basil Rathbone, Maurice Evans, Irving Berlin and Georgia Gibbs. WPIX operating on Channel 11, is the fifth television station in the New York area. (Herald Tribune, June 16)


WPIX OPENS
Salutes Presented by Six Operating Stations
SIX television stations, including all three in New York City, joined civic, business and religious leaders last week in welcoming WPIX, television station of the New York News, to the air. Each of the six provided a special ten-minute salute program to WPIX for broadcasting during station's four-hour inaugural broadcast the evening of June 15.
WMAL-TV Washington brought Wayne Coy, FCC chairman, to its studios to broadcast greetings to the new video station, and also gave the WPIX audience a cartoon-and-music review of the news highlights since the New York Newsstarted its own career in June 1919. WFIL-TV Philadelphia put on a special studio program for WPIX, and WMAR-TV Baltimore gave New York viewers a look at wrestling matches.
In New York, WNBT fed its regular television Screen Magazine show to WPIX for simultaneous broadcast; WCBS-TV produced a special musical salute in its studios and piped it to WPIX for broadcast by the latter alone. WABD utilized its Tele-transcription system of kinescopic recording to send WPIX a salute show which opened and closed with a live duplicate of the cameraman symbol of the News.
WPIX's achievement of getting on the air on date it had boldly announced the end of January when the construction contracts were signed was hailed by most of the welcoming speakers, who paid tribute to General Manager Robert L. Coe and Chief Engineer Thomas Howard for the accomplishment. Colby M. Chester, chairman of the board, General Foods Corp., representing the National Assn. of Manufacturers, also praised owners of WPIX for proving that "In a world beset by wars and rumors of wars, the pioneering spirit of America has not lost its faith. The investment of $1,500,000 which you have made in putting this station on the air," he declared, "is compelling evidence of your confidence in the country's future and in your belief that television will become a great national industry. We share that belief."
The four-hour inaugural program, including the first originations from the new WPIX studios as well as all of the special film and remote pick-ups, went off virtually without a hitch, entitling the engineering and programming staffs to an extra round of applause. To make this possible, Harvery Marlowe, program director, passed up the reception line to stay backstage and personally supervise the production of the full evening's schedule. Individual stir of the evening, judging by audience comments received by WPIX, was John Tillman, former CBS announcer and m. c. who announced the complete WPIX opening evening's programs.
Of special interest to the thousands who had suggested slogans for WPIX was the telecast of Mr. Coe's presentation of a $5,000 check, first issued by WPIX Inc., to Benjamin Dollinger of Brooklyn, winner of the station's $10,000 slogan contest. The winning slogan: "The first word in news—The last word in entertainment." (Broadcasting, June 21)


Television Station WPIX Has Premiere
By JACK GOULD
WITH East Forty-second Street bathed in kleig lights for the occasion, television station WPIX made an impressive debut last Tuesday evening. Owned by The Daily News, the outlet lifted the curtain on a schedule of programs which promises to give local video a decided fillip. In fact, it just could be that the newspaper boys are going to give the radio folk a good race for their money.
Even in a business where the aim for the moment seems to be finding new ways of spending money more quickly, WPIX is working with a lavish hand. It has garnered the rights to a generous supply of some of the best English-made films and is not sparing its pocketbook for studio shows. Even if only part of its present agenda proves successful, NBC, CBS and DuMont should be acutely aware of the Fourth Estate's invasion of their preserve.
If nothing else, WPIX's opening marked a return to the fundamentals of big-time showmanship which for some strange reason too long have been lacking in radio and video circles. All the accoutrements of a Hollywood premiere were employed—the presentation of celebrities in the city's political, religious and entertainment life, the flashing lights of camera men, endless lines of police to hold back the crowds, etc.
And the first few days of WPIX's regular programs suggest that the same alertness also will be found on the station's screen itself. Already it is the first video outlet to offer news regularly on the hour and the balance of the schedule reflects uncommonly well-rounded fare for a new television station.
Night Clubs
On its opening night WPIX laid particular stress on Broadway matters, its cameras visiting two of the better-known night clubs under the auspices of The Daily News columnists, Ed Sullivan and Danton Walker. For the viewer at home it provided the first real taste of the after-dark world of New York, and as such pointed up how television can break out of the studio chains which so long have confined radio programming.
However, WPIX already has raised one question of a rather delicate order. Put bluntly, it is this: do newspaper men make good performers? Is a by-line sufficient qualification for membership in the Associated Actors and Artistes of America, as it were? Reluctant though this corner is even to hint at such an ominous possibility, the answer, at least for the moment, must be in the negative.
Jimmy Jemail, the inquiring photographer of The Daily News, seemed in away over his head as master of ceremonies on opening night, his brief interviews with visiting celebrities often having comic overtones that bordered on the embarrassing. The amiable Messrs. Sullivan and Walker similarly lacked both the stage presence and personality which are the essential tools of the trade of the professional master of ceremonies. Ben Gross, serving as straight man for Fred Allen, fared much better, though his inexperience on stage was no less obvious. No doubt the boys will catch on in ensuing weeks but life in front of the footlights patently is different from the anonymous existence behind the typewriter. (New York Times, June 20)


And here’s the week’s schedule.

TUESDAY, JUNE 15
7:30—Opening of WPIX. Jimmy Jemail interviews celebrities. 8:00—Formal Dedication Ceremonies. F.M. Flynn, Robert L. Coe, Bishop Charles K. Gilbert, Lt. Gov. Joe Hanley, Mayor O’Dwyer, Cardinal Spellman (tentative), Award Presentation to Slogan Contest Winner. 8:30-Midnight—Preview of Studio Programs, Rabbi de Sola Pool, Virginia Haskins and Boys’ Chorus, Ben Gross, Fred Allen, “Pixie Playtime,” Gloria Swanson, Rube Goldberg, the Ritz Brothers, Willie Howard, Jan Murray, Special Show from Versailles with Danton Walker, Special Show from Lou Walters’ Latin Quarter with Ed Sullivan.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16
4:00—News. 4:05—The Gloria Swanson Hour, discussing fashion, cooking and household hints. 7:00—News. 7:05—Music and Slides. 7:30—WPIX Newsreel. 7:40—Film Shorts. 8:00—Herald Tribune Fresh Air Fund Cartoon Show. 8:30—Film Shorts. 9:00—News 9:05—Harness Racing from Roosevelt Raceway, Westbury, L.I. 11:00 to 11:10—WPIX Newsreel.
Five of America's top-flight cartoonists will appear on a half-hour WPIX public service program at 8 o'clock tonight to aid the campaign for the Herald Tribune Fresh Air Fund. The Fund's 1948 goal is $325,000.
The cartoonists will draw two of the characters for which they are known and one new personality representing the children who benefit from the Fresh Air Fund.
“The New York Daily News" station then will offer the autographed drawings to the highest bidders in the home audience. Bids will be made by mail. Proceeds will be donated to the Fresh Air Fund.
One of the evening's fifteen drawings, however, will go to the program's guest, a youth who has been to one of the Fresh Air Fund's camps or Friendly Towns. He will be permitted to choose the drawing he likes best as a souvenir of the night.
The artists on the program will be Henry Boltinhoff, George Wolf and Henry Mack, of the American Society of Magazine Cartoonists; Gus Edson, who draws "The Gumps," and George Wunder, who draws "Terry and the Pirates" for the News Syndicate.
WPIX is one of several television stations in the city that have scheduled Fresh Air programs in which members of the American Society of Magazine Cartoonists, who are currently appealing in a benefit show at Macy's, are featured. (Herald Tribune)


THURSDAY, JUNE 17
4:00—News. 4:05-5:00—Music and Slides. 7:00—News. 7:05—Music and Slides. 7:30—WPIX Newsreel and Teen Tunes. 7:40—Your Weekend Weather. 8:00—Reel and Rifle. 8:30—Film Shorts. 9:00—News 9:05—Wrestling, Queensboro Arena. 11:00 to 11:10—WPIX Newsreel.
Television Row was talking...about the dramatic news beat of PIX, The News video station. Thursday night [17], it showed special films made at the site of the fatal airplane crash at Mount Carmel, Pa., the first of such pictures telecast here. A special plane was flown there and within a few hours New Yorkers beheld the tragic spectacle. . . .
Guy Lebow and Jack McCarthy, who cover those Queensboro wrestling matches for our tele station, are wise enough to give the grunt-and-groan boys the old kidding treatment. They are far funnier than the wrestlers. While the big muscle man strain and strive, Guy and Jack put on an act that is a combination of Abbott and Costello and the late Robert Benchley. (Ben Gross, Daily News, June 19)


FRIDAY, JUNE 18
4:00—News. 4:05-5:00—Music and Slides. 7:00—News. 7:05—Music and Slides. 7:30—WPIX Newsreel. 7:40—Stan Shaw Show, teen tunes. 8:00—Information Bureau. 9:00—News. 9:05—Harness Racing from Roosevelt Raceway, Westbury, L.I. 11:00 to 11:10—WPIX Newsreel.

SATURDAY, JUNE 19
4:00—News. 4:05-5:00—Pixie Playtime, puppets, cartoons and sketching. 7:00—News. 7:05—Music and Slides. 7:30—WPIX Newsreel. 7:40—Tune Detective, with Sigmund Spaeth. 8:00—One Strike—You’re Out. 8:30--Film Shorts. 9:00—News 9:05—Film, “Of Mice and Men” with Burgess Meredith and Betty Field. 10:30 to 10:40—WPIX Newsreel.
"Pixie Playtime" is new WPIX program for children, featuring that new television puppet personality, Peter W. Pixie, that starts June 19 on three times weekly schedule. Program will feature a wide assortment of puppet characters, animated cartoons, live sketching by The News cartoonists, pets, and children chosen from the video audience. Frank Paris, formerly associated with "Howdy Doody" program at NBC, is the man behind the strings. (Televiser, June 1948)
New York.—Exclusive television rights to 32 features, originally distributed by United Artists, and some 50 shorts, have been acquired for one year in this video area by WPIX, Daily News station. Showings will be on a spot booking basis. Deal with made with Regal Television, headed by Moe Kernan.
Feature product includes 12 Laurel and Hardy comedies, “Captain Caution,” “Captain Fury” and “Of Mice and Men.” The latter, the first picture to be shown, will be telecast Saturday. Shorts consist of 20-odd Zasu Pitts-Thelma Todd comedies, a Harry Langdon and an Irvin S. Cobb series, as well as a half-dozen musicals. (Hollywood Reporter, June 17)


SUNDAY, JUNE 20
4:00—News. 4:05—Comics on Parade, with Danny Webb. 4:30—Film, “My Name is Han.” 5:00—Television Chapel 7:00—News. 7:05—WPIX Previews. 7:30—Weekly Newsreel Roundup. 7:40—Film, “Pagliacci,” with Henry Hull. 8:00—Republican Pre-Convention Program from Philadelphia. 8:30—Film Shorts. 9:00—News 9:05—Film, “Jimmy Steps Out” with Jimmy Stewart and Paulette Goddard. 10:30 to 10:40—WPIX Newsreel.
In the first attempt of any N. Y. television outlet to air a weekly religious program, WPIX, the N. Y. Daily News' forthcoming station, will launch such a series June 20, five days after it takes the air. Half-hour show titled "Television Chapel," it will be broadcast each Sunday from 5 to 5:30 p.m. In line with announcement of the show, it's recalled that Daily News' prez., F. M. Flynn, charged the industry several months ago with failing to perform an adequate public service by neglecting religious programs. In a speech before the American Television Society, Flynn promised at the time that WPIX would come up with such a series as soon as it took to the air. First three programs are to present Protestant, Catholic and Jewish clergymen, giving brief visual explanations of various rites. Series, intended as a continuing public service, is to be produced in cooperation with the Federal Council of Churches of Christ In America, the National Council of Catholic Men, and the American Jewish Committee. (Variety, June 9)

MONDAY, JUNE 21
11:00—Program from Convention Hall. 2:30—Convention Program. 7:00—News. 7:05—WPIX Previews. 7:30—WPIX Newsreel. 7:40—Record Rendezvous with Stan Shaw. Guest, Art Mooney. 8:00—Film short. 8:15—Convention program. 8:45—Pickup outside Convention Hall. 9:00—Program from Convention Hall.
WPIX, The News television station on Channel 11, will carry the full sessions from Convention Hall. Under the direction of Carl Warren, manager of news and special events, and of Allan Lawrence, his deputy, it will telecast three exclusive programs daily from its studios in the Bellevue-Stratford. On the first one, at 2:30 P. M., Ruth Montgomery, of The News Washington bureau, will interview feminine headliners of politics, including the wives of the candidates, and Lowell Limpus, co-chief of The News UN bureau, will give a five-minute news summary. Then, at 8:15 nightly, Ben Gross, using the convention meter, will lead off with a political commentary and summary. Jimmy Jemail, The Inquiring Photographer, will follow with his interviews of convention celebrities and Rex Marshall, chief announcer, will serve as emcee during a series of human interest and entertainment features. Immediately after the close of each evening's convention session, the station will present Limpus, Gross and veteran political experts of The News staff in a ten-minute round-up of the day's events. And, of course, during every session in the Convention Hall, WPIX cameramen will be on hand filming the highlights. These pictures will be rushed immediately to New York for incorporation in the station's ten-minute newsreel. (Ben Gross, Daily News, June 20)

WPIX was not the only station to formally begin broadcasts on June 15, 1948. A little further north, WNHC-TV signed on to serve New Haven, Connecticut.

Saturday, 14 September 2024

Week of December 21, 1947

As 1947 was about to close, one of the most famous television shows of its day appeared for the first time.

You wouldn’t recognise it. The programme on WNBT appears in newspaper TV schedules on December 27 as “Puppet Television Theater.” It was later called “Puppet Playhouse” but the station finally decided in mid-March 1948 to name it after its marionette character—Howdy Doody.

The week around Christmas featured another multi-network broadcast. Again, it was from Washington, D.C., and starred President Harry S. Truman and the White House Christmas tree. All stations in the East were on the air over Christmas and were joined by test broadcasts from WBAL-TV in Baltimore, which aired an NBC broadcast from a hospital for war veterans. The station wouldn’t officially sign on until March.

Several versions of “A Christmas Carol” were televised, including a film version that some newspaper listings claimed starred Sir Cedric Hardwicke, when it was actually Sir Seymour Hicks (this is why TV listings can be suspect). Another starred John Carradine. Making an appearance was a pre-teen boy named David Carradine. And we get the first appearance of what later became the NBC Comics—on CBS.

New York did not get a white Christmas, but a blizzard dropped almost 26 inches of snow the next day. DuMont supplied special traffic reports. This wouldn’t be out of the ordinary today but it was unheard of on television back then. The aftermath prevented people from getting to the radio and TV jobs, including a young man named Bob Keeshan who was supposed to be helping on “Puppet Television Theater”'s debut. (By contrast, it was 82 degrees in Los Angeles on Christmas Day).

The Daily News’ station wouldn’t be officially on the air until June 1948, but it was given call letters this week that are still familiar to New Yorkers—WPIX.

Here are stories and schedules for the week. We are missing Detroit, Cleveland and, with the exception of one day, Milwaukee.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1947
WCBS-TV (CBS), Channel 2, New York City
6:30—“Scrapbook, Junior Edition,” children’s program with Gil Fates.
7:15—“Fighting with Kit Carson,” film serial.
7:25—Selected film shorts.
7:50—“The Week in Review” with Don Hollenbeck.”
8:00—“Personalities in the News,” from Washington.
8:30—Hockey at Madison Square Garden: N.Y. Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens.
WNBT (NBC), Channel 4, New York City
4:30—Embassy Children’s Party, from Washington.
7:50—United Press news.
8:00—A.N.T.A. presentation: “The End of the Beginning,” one-act comedy with Frank Thomas, Vaughn Taylor, others.
9:00—Newsreel.
9:05—Television Screen Magazine.
9:35—Travel film.
9:55—Film: “Time Out,” a film of the National Tuberculosis Association.
WABD (DuMont), Channel 5, New York City
Off the air.
WRGB (NBC) Channel 4, Schenectady
8:00—Xmas Land.
8:30—Santa Play.
9:00—NBC Newsreel (from WNBT).
9:10—America’s Song.
9:30—United Press News.
WPTZ (NBC) Channel 3, Philadelphia
10:45—“Musical Prelude.”
11:00—High Mass direct from the Cathedral SS. Peter and Paul.
4:15—INS Television News.
4:30—NBC children’s party (from WNBW).
7:15—INS News.
7:30—Going Places With Uncle George, sight-seeing trips to zoos and circuses, with Dick Elliott as Uncle George (NBC/Jerry Fairbanks film). 8:00—play, newsreel, magazine, films of the nations (from NBC).
WFIL-TV Channel 6, Philadelphia
1:30—Test Pattern.
2:00 to 4:00—Sunday Inquirer Comics and Children’s Matinee.
7:30—Test Pattern.
8:00—Inquirer News Review.
8:30—Let’s Pop the Question.
9:00—Film.
9:20—Religious program.
9:45—Sign off.
WMAR (CBS/DuMont) Channel 2, Baltimore
6:30—kids show and serial (from CBS).
7:45—Associated Press Television News.
8:00—Personalities of the Week (from WMAL).
8:30—WMAR’s Baltimore Television News.
9:00—Film show.
9:50—Hockey (from CBS).
10:45—WMAR Previews.
WNBW (NBC) Channel 4, Washington
4:05—Coming Attractions.
4:30—International Children’s Christmas Broadcast, Christmas greetings from young diplomats from 52 nations, direct from the Statler Hotel, announcer John Batchelder.
5:00—Religious Film.
6:00—Musical Interlude.
8:00—Christmas Land; 8:30—American Academy Play; 9:00—NBC Newsreel; 9:10—America’s Song (from NBC).
9:30—News.
9:35—Hymn.
WTTG (DuMont) Channel 5, Washington
Off the air.
WMAL-TV (CBS) Channel 7, Washington
6:00—Test Pattern.
6:30— kids show and serial (from CBS).
7:45—Associated Press Newsreel (from WMAR).
8:00—Personalities Who Make the News with Bryson Rash (to WMAR).
8:30—The News Today with Earl Godwin.
8:45—Film.
9:00—Christmas Carols.
9:15—Film.
10:00—Hockey (from CBS).
W8XCT Channel 4, Cincinnati
2:30—Police Safety Swing Band.
3:30—Television News.
3:45—Story of the Nutcracker Prince.
WTMJ-TV Channel 3, Milwaukee
8:00—Choral Concert: Special Christmas musical feature.
8:15—Gimbels View the News: Newsreel.
8:30—Film shorts.
8:45—Life at the Boston Store.
9:00—Film Program.
WBKB Channel 5, Chicago
2:00—Basketball at the Chicago Stadium: Chicago Stags vs. Baltimore Bullets.
7:55—News Pictures.
8:00—Telenews, sponsored by Chevrolet.
8:25—Hockey at Chicago Stadium: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, sponsored by Emergency Radio and Appliance and Philco.
KSD-TV (NBC) Channel 5, St. Louis
3:00—“A Family Worships at Christmas,” Christmas Service from Second Presbyterian Church. Sermon by the Rev. James W. Clarke, with the church choir. 8:00—News Comment by Dr Roland G. Usher, “The Eastern Boundary of Germany.”
8:15—Film cartoon: “Night Before Christmas.”
8:30—Russ Severin’s Music Room.
8:45—Films.
9:00—Associated Press News and View.
9:15—Film: Sach Sascha Gorodnitzke, pianist.
9:30—The Christmas Story in Art; Ruth Mose.
9:45—Film: “News Review of 1947.”
10:00—Christmas Carols Association Show.
W6XAO Channel 2, Los Angeles
Off the air.
KTLA Channel 5, Hollywood
8:00—World-Wide News and Recorded Music.
8:30—Cartoon comedy.
8:40—“Shopping at Home” with Keith Hetherington and Harrise Brin, sponsored by the Pep Boys, Sears Roebuck and Frey Schwabacher.
8:55—Cartoonews.
9:00—“Who’s News?”
9:15—Film: “Beyond Tomorrow” (1940, RKO) with Harry Carey, C. Aubrey Smith and Jean Parker.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 21. (AP)—The mechanical eye of television was focused today for the first time on the principal form of worship of the Roman Catholic Church, a solemn high mass telecast from the cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul.
The broadcast was by station WPTZ and officials of the station and the archdiocese of Philadelphia, which arranged the broadcast with the approval of Dennis Cardinal Dougherty, said they could find no previous record of such a television program. WPTZ, which said the program was one phase of a pre-Christmas religious series, previously has televised Protestant services.
A spokesman for the chancellory said Cardinal Dougherty would not comment on the broadcast. The Rt. Rev. Msgr Hubert J. Cartwright, who delivered the sermon, told a reporter that witnessing such a broadcast would not meet a Catholic's obligation to attend mass each Sunday.
Must Attend Sunday
Church rulings have stipulated that hearing a radio broadcast of the mass does not comply with the requirement that Catholics be "physically present" at mass. Msgr. Cartwright said this would apply to television.
A WPTZ official said the telecast, picked up from a mobile unit outside the century-old cathedral in downtown Philadelphia, was available for some 14,000 home receivers in the Philadelphia area. He added no accurate estimate could be made of the number of persons who witnessed it.
One high church official, declining to be identified by name, expressed the opinion that such television programs "might give non-Catholics a better understanding of the Church's principal form of worship."
Two cameras, in the choir loft followed the celebrant, the Rev. Francis R. Mc Veigh and his assistants during the mass with occasional views of the church interior, the choir and congregation.
The Rev. Edwin L. Gallagher, speaking through a microphone adjacent to the camera, read in English principal parts of the ceremony as Father McVeigh sang them in Latin. Pickup microphones at the altar and in other parts of the church also carried the words and music of the mass. (Charles A. Welsh, Jr., Associated Press)


Step ‘n’ Fetch It Reviewed Monday (22), 9-9:30 p.m. Style—Interview. Sustaining, Originates in WTTG (DuMont) Studio, Washington, for WTTC and WMAR (Baltimore). Producer, Jules Huber. Director, Roger Coelos.
This show tried to extract fun from a scavenger hunt performed by half a dozen contestants vying for a weekly grand prize. The contestants, who are assigned to hunt various scavenger pieces two hours before the performance, parade their trophies one by one before the video camera as emsee Mike Honeycutt offers comments.
On the technical side, Step ‘n’ Fetch It is expertly handled. Director Roger Coelos and producer Jules Huber make the most of WTTG’s camera and studio facilities. The camera direction is particularly deft. The idea for the scavenger hunt on video originated with WTTG’s Walter Compton.
The show may well have good entertainment possibilities. It can be extremely dull, however, when the emsee is short on wit, grace and ingenuity, as was the case the night the show was reviewed. Honeycutt, a one-time vaude actor and now a morning disk jockey on a Washington AM station, has been doing the emsee stint on Step ‘n’ Fetch It since the show’s start six months ago. His video performance is characterized by an anything-for-a-laugh clownishness which probably might better be confined to the drowsy morning hours of his unseen standard broadcast show. Honeycutt tried for laughs by uttering incoherent noises at pretty contestants and giggling at his own gags. Borrowing some of the moldiest gimmicks used in audience participation shows, he consumed a tedious amount of time asking contestants where they resided and then harriedly recalling name of other folks he happened to know in the contestant’s neighborhood. At times the dialog got so thin that one wished Honeycutt might have disposed of all the scavenger pieces with one final thrust at a gag, bowed goodnight and thereby brought relief to himself and his audience.
WTTG has developed an effective arrangement for attracting contestants and studio audiences to this show thru co-operation with a local agency called the Federal Recreation Committee of the Federal Personnel Council. The latter agency posts weekly notices about the show on approximately 3,000 bulletin boards In the various government buildings in the nation’s capital. Ben Atlas. (Billboard, Jan. 3)


MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1947
WCBS-TV (CBS), Channel 2, New York City
11:00 a.m. to 5:00—Test pattern.
WNBT (NBC), Channel 4, New York City
7:50—United Press news.
8:00—NBC Television Newsreel.
8:10—“Americana Quiz,” with John Mason Brown and guests.
8:41—Universal trailer for “The Senator Was Indiscreet,” starring William Powell.
8:45—Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena. Feature bout: Dennis Pat Brady vs. Johnny Dell.
WABD (DuMont), Channel 5, New York City
6:35—Film shorts.
6:45—Walter Compton, news (from WTTG), sponsored by General Electric.
7:00—Small Fry Club, with Bob Emery.
7:30—Doorway to Fame, hosted by Johnny Olson.
8:00—Film shorts.
8:15—“Magic Carpet,” sponsored by Alexander Smith Carpets.
8:30—Film short.
8:35—“Swing Into Sports,” with Don Pallini and Maxine Barratt, sponsored by Transmirra Products Corp.
9:00—“Sports Names to Remember,” sponsored by Moquin Wines.
9:07—Boxing from Jamaica Arena with Dennis James, sponsored by Winston Radio and Television Co.
WRGB (NBC) Channel 4, Schenectady
6:55—Program Announcements.
7:00—News Page.
7:15—Santa Claus Show.
7:30—Moonstory.
7:55—Behind the News.
8:00—News, Americana and boxing (from NBC).
10:30—Spot News.
WPTZ (NBC) Channel 3, Philadelphia
9:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. and 3:00 to 5:30 p.m.—Test Chart.
1:45—INS Television News, sponsored by Wilf Bros.
2:00—“Television Matinee,” sponsored by Philadelphia Electric Co.
7:30—INS Television News, sponsored by Superfine Appliances Co.
7:45—Eavesdropping on Santa, direct from Gimbels, sponsored by Gimbels.
8:00—Newsreel.
8:10—Motion Picture Short.
8:30—Christmas Carols in the Grand Court of Wanamakers.
9:00—Boxing (from NBC).
WFIL-TV Channel 6, Philadelphia
9:30 a.m. to noon, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. and 7:30—Test Pattern.
8:00—Inquirer Television News, with Wally Sheldon.
8:10—Magic Made Easy, with Tom Osborne.
8:30—Film.
8:45—Film: Inquirer Hero Award.
9:00—Temple University Forum: “Is Europe Playing Us for Santa Claus?”
9:30—Boxing from New York (from DuMont).
WMAR (CBS/DuMont) Channel 2, Baltimore
2:00—Test Pattern.
7:00—DuMont programs from WABD.
8:00—DuMont program from WTTG.
8:45—Christmas Greetings.
9:00—Boxing from DuMont.
WBNW (NBC) Channel 4, Washington
Off the air.
WTTG (DuMont) Channel 5, Washington
10:30 a.m. to noon—Morning Melodies.
6:15—Dinner music.
6:30—Preview Time.
6:35—DuMont programming.
6:45—Walter Compton, news, sponsored by General Electric (to DuMont).
7:00—DuMont programming.
8:00—Music Album, Joby Reynolds (to DuMont).
8:15—Film shorts (to DuMont).
8:30—Way Down Home (to DuMont).
8:45—Film shorts.
9:00—Step ‘n’ Fetch It, Mike Hunnicutt.
9:30—DuMont boxing program.
11:00—News.
WMAL-TV (CBS) Channel 7, Washington
10:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 5:00—Test Pattern.
W8XCT Channel 4, Cincinnati
1:30—Newsreel.
1:45—Film: "Hello Mama".
2:00—Countryside Melodies.
10:00—Film: "The Drunkard."
WBKB Channel 5, Chicago
3:00—Chicago Television Showcase
4:00—Junior Jamboree with Kukla, Fran and Ollie, sponsored by RCA.
KSD-TV (NBC) Channel 5, St. Louis
3:00—Associated Press News and Views.
3:15—Films: “Sadie Hawkins Day” and “Mary Lee.”
3:30—Fred Lowery, the whistler, and Dorothy Rae, with Russ Severin.
3:45—Film: “Yesterday Lives Again.”
4:00—“Christmas in the Kindergarten,” Board of Education program.
4:15—Film Cartoon: “Old Mother Hubbard” (Iwerks via Castle Films, 1935).
8:00—Tele-Quiz-Calls, with Harry Gibbs and Dottye Bennett, sponsored by Union Electric.
8:30—Film: “Touchdown Thrills of 1947.”
8:45—Puppet Show: “The Night Before Christmas.”
9:00—Films: “What a Difference a Day Makes” and “His Rocking Horse Ran Away.”
9:15—Associated Press News and Views.
9:30—Film: “The Night Before Christmas.”
9:45—KSD Television Theater: “Carol of the Wind” with Mathilde Leimkuehler, Sam Sacks, Wallace Ross and Otha Barnett, produced by Betty Goodwin.
W6XAO Channel 2, Los Angeles
8 p.m.—Test Slides, Music.
8:25—Wrestling Card and announcements.
8:30 to 11:00—Wrestling Matches, Hollywood Legion. Enrique Torres vs. Manuel Garea, Martino Angelos vs. Antone Leone, Angelo Savoldi vs. Bill Varga.
KTLA Channel 5, Hollywood
3:00 to 5:00—World Wide News and music.
7:00—“Uncle Phil,” with Shirley Dinsdale and Judy Splinters, sponsored by Philco.
7:10—Adventure Serial, sponsored by Philco.
7:30—Bar None Ranch, with Pat Buttram.
8:00—Featurette: “Taro.”
8:30—Amateur Boxing.

New call letters—WPIX—have been assigned to The News television station, F.M. Flynn, president and general manager, announced yesterday [22]. The station, scheduled to go on the air over Channel 11 next Spring, temporarily had been called WLTV. The change was authorized by the Federal Communications Commission. Flynn pointed out that “pix” is a newspaper term for pictures and added that the new call letters are particularly appropriate for The News, New York’s Picture Newspaper. “Newspix” for many years has been The News cable address and the name of its house organ. (Daily News, Dec. 23)

Scripps-Howard Radio, Inc., has requested the FCC for a television construction permit for the Cincinnati area, M. C. Watters, vice president, announced Monday. Mr. Watters is general manager of WCPO and in charge of all Scripps-Howard Radio activities in Cincinnati.
Construction of the television station is to begin as soon as the permit is granted. The company plans to spend a quarter of million dollars on television which will include new suburban studios and an FM-Television transmitter to be located in Mt. Healthy.
Mr. Watters said the station probably would be in operation sometime in 1948.
This will be the second Scripps-Howard television-station in Ohio. WEWS, the state's first commercial station, opened in Cleveland last week.
Lee Wailes, general manager of Fort Industries, Inc., blasted the rumor that his company was applying for a television grant in Cincinnati. “Fort Industries has two television grants—one in Detroit and one in Toledo," Mr. Wailes told The Post. “Cincinnati has never been considered by us as a site for a television station. (Cincinnati Post, Dec. 22)


SANTA MARIA, Calif., Dec. 22. (U.P.)—A coaxial cable to carry television will be laid between Los Angeles and Santa Maria in 1948, Bell Telephone Co. announced today.
The company announced it obtained rights of way for the cable.


New Orleans will have its first demonstration of live television next week as the result of a schedule set yesterday [22] by ABC in co-operation with RCA and the network’s affiliate, WDSU. Highlight of the demonstrations, which get underway Monday, Dec. 29, will be a live telecast of the Sugar Bowl game New Years Day.
All of the telecasts will be remotes made via an RCA “jeep” unit equipped with two camera chains, and fed to 12 RCA receivers in the Hotel Monteleone. Pickup of the Bowl game itself, between the University of Texas and Alabama, will be made via a two-jump radio relay. Highlights of game will also be filmed and made available to one station in each city flow operating in a 15-minute “package,” with network sportscaster Harry Wismer handling the narration.
Arrangements for the telecasts, which also include pickups of collegiate boxing and basketball contests between the Bowl participants, were made by Paul Mowrey, ABC’s director of television. (Radio Daily, Dec. 23)


TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1947
WCBS-TV (CBS), Channel 2, New York City
Off the air.
WNBT (NBC), Channel 4, New York City
Off the air.
WABD (DuMont), Channel 5, New York City
6:35—Film shorts.
6:45—Walter Compton, news (from WTTG), sponsored by General Electric.
7:00—Small Fry Club, with Bob Emery.
7:30—“Photographic Horizons,” with Joe Costa.
7:45—“Mary Kay and Johnny.”
8:00—Western Feature Film.
9:00—“Know Your New York,” with Don Roper.
9:15—“Sports Names to Remember,” sponsored by Moquin Wine.
9:22—Boxing from Park Arena with Dennis James.
WRGB (NBC) Channel 4, Schenectady
7:10—Program Announcements.
7:15—News Page.
7:30—Drawing Room.
7:55—Behind the News.
8:00—Otie Carp’s Country Store.
8:20—Film short.
8:40—Strollin’ With Yole.
8:55—Spot News.
WPTZ (NBC) Channel 3, Philadelphia
9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.—Test Chart.
7:45—INS Television News.
8:00—Film: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Footbal game.
8:15—Motion Picture feature.
9:30—Hansel and Gretel, dance interpretation.
WFIL-TV Channel 6, Philadelphia
9:30 a.m. to noon, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.—Test Pattern.
7:30—Visit With Santa Claus.
8:00—Inquirer Television News, with Wally Sheldon.
8:10—Film.
8:30—Play from Lisner's Auditorium (from WMAL).
WMAR (CBS/DuMont) Channel 2, Baltimore.
2:00 to 4:00 and 8:00—Test Pattern.
8:30—Film show.
9:00—WMAR’s Baltimore News.
9:15—Wrestling from the Colesium. Primo Carnera vs. Frank Hewitt, Nanjo Singh vs. Ace Freeman, Harry Armus and Francois Miquet vs. Fred Caroni and Sheik Abed.
10:45—WMAR Previews.
WNBW (NBC) Channel 4, Washington
2:00—Test Pattern.
3:30—Coming Attractions.
4:00—The Local Crowd.
5:00—Film Feature or Music.
8:45—Basketball at the D.C. Armory: Georgetown Hoyas vs. Santa Clara.
WTTG (DuMont) Channel 5, Washington
10:30 to 12 noon—Morning Melodies.
1:30—Afternoon Musicale.
6:15—Dinner Music.
6:30—Preview Time.
6:35—DuMont programming.
8:00—Bob Wolff Sports Clinic.
8:15—The Visionaires.
8:30—Hockey from Uline Arena: Washington Lions vs. St. Louis Flyers.
11:00—News.
WMAL-TV (CBS) Channel 7, Washington
1:00 to 5:00 and 7:30—Test Pattern.
8:00—Film.
8:30—Play from Lisner’s Auditorium: Princeton Triangle Club performs “All Rights Reserved.” (to WFIL-TV)
9:00—Film.
W8XCT Channel 4, Cincinnati
1:30—Alter Predicts.
2:00—Films: “College Grapplers” (1932, Van Beuren) and “Outboard Stunting” (1931, Van Beuren)
2:30 to 2:45—Pinup a Star.
7:30—On Wings of Song.
8:00—Puppet Show: “The Night Before Christmas in Santa Land,” with Sally Sellers.
8:15—Film: “Outboard Stunting” (1931, Van Beuren).
8:30—Evening at Galords.
9:00—Newsreel.
9:15—Film: “College Grapplers” (1932, Van Beuren) with Grantland Rice.
9:30—Television Party.
WBKB Channel 5, Chicago.
3:00—“Jane Foster Comes to Call,” cooking and home management show, sponsored by Commonwealth Edison.
3:30—Chicago Television Showcase.
4:00—Junior Jamboree, with Kukla, Fran and Ollie, sponsored by RCA.
7:30—Animal Crackers.
7:45—Film shorts.
8:00—Civil Air Patrol.
8:15—Behind the Headlines.
8:20—Today’s World Picture.
8:30—Hockey from the Stadium: Chicago Blackhawks vs. New York Rangers, sponsored by Emergency Radio and Appliance and Philco.
KSD-TV (NBC) Channel 5, St. Louis
Off the air.
W6XAO Channel 2, Los Angeles
10:30 a.m.—Test Pattern and Incidental Music.
11:00—Queen For a Day.
11:30—Test Pattern.
KTLA Channel 5, Hollywood
12:30 to 1:30—On the Town, tour of the George Pal animation studio, including talks with artists and technicians, a story conference, a visit to the puppet shop and the showing of some of Pal's stop-motion films for Paramount.
3:00 to 5:00—World Wide News and music.
7:00—“Uncle Phil” with ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale and Judy Splinters, sponsored by Philco.
7:10—Adventure Serial, sponsored by Philco.
7:30—Home Economics with Monica Whalen and guest.
7:45—“Star Views” with Lois Andrews; Frankie Albertson, guest, sponsored by Philco.
8:00—“Tele-Newsreel,” sponsored by Buchanan Co.
8:10—“Your Town—Los Angeles Presents.”
8:30—Western Feature film: “Rebellion” (1936), starring Rita Hayworth and Duncan Renaldo.

TELEVISION does not always show its subjects with particular detail and clarity. And more’s the pity because WMAL-TV has a musical comedy presentation planned [23] for Tuesday night which should be shown in all its beauty.
The chorus line is unmatched—for muscles, blue chins, hairy limbs and double sets of left feet.
Getting this hefty, hirsute chorus line for the television cameras was wangled by a former chorine now working for WMAL-TV. Harry Hoskinson, who tripped the light fantastic for Princeton’s Triangle Club show as an undergraduate, has signed this year’s production lock, stock and barrel chest.
“All Rights Reserved,” the Triangle Club’s fifty-sixth production, is the first one to be televised, and will be Washington television’s first attempt to shoot a theatrical production at the same time it is being presented to a regular audience.
Burke Crotty, WMAL-TV’s chief, and Van De Vries will handle most of the actual production work.
De Vries has already caught the show on the Northern leg of its scholarship-fund-raising tour, and sadly censored the lines which seemed unfit for television’s shell like ears.
Telecasting will begin at 8:30 p. m. when the curtain goes up at Lisner Auditorium, and continue through to the end of the show, an estimated two to two and a half hours. The intermission will be filled in somehow, probably with interviews in the lobby.
Among the local (or nearly so) Princetonians cavorting through the satire on “the high pressure turmoil which makes up the daily routine of the American publishing business” are Co-Author and Lyricist Edward Tuck of Upper Marlboro, Md., John and Roberto Cuniberti of California, Md. and Trombonist Jack Manger of Washington.
They are striding in big footsteps; past Triangle performers in clude Jose Ferrer James Stewart, Bretaigne Windust, Booth Tarkington, who founded the club, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote the 1914 show. (Washington Post, Dec. 21)


College Grapplers
(RKO Pathe Action, Interest
One of the Grantland Rice Sportlight series, with plenty of pep and action, depicting the embryonic wrestling champions at a typical college. The boys are shown in training on the mats, and the short is climaxed by a series of bouts, in the college gymnasium, between boys of various weights, against a background of an enthusiastic, cheering mob of classmates. Sport fans will like it; any one will enjoy the enthusiasm of the young wrestlers and the spectators. Running time, 10 minutes. (Motion Picture Herald, Feb. 20, 1932)


“Outboard Stunting”
RKO Pathe Time, 9 mins. Fine Novelty
A snappy Sportlight, showing all the new wrinkles in outboard sports. A flock of outboards engage in a dizzy race, making some hair-raising turns at the signal flag. Another group of young daredevils hitch on outboards with surf-boards, and go shooting over obstacles at dizzy speed/ Two girls on surf-boards go tearing through the water side by side, and engage in a jousting contest with long poles, till one takes a header. Another unique stunt was a polo match between two outboards, which traveled as fast as any polo pony. A novelty reel that packs a wallop. (Film Daily, May 17, 1931)


As has been said before, WLW'S television station has been going around televising all sorts of programs in an experimental manner. By now, however, this has paid off to the extent that several types of programs have been found of such good quality and interest to be continued as regular programs.
At 1:30 p. m. today a new and very different type of program will have its first airing. It too, is slated to become a regular show and its interest is guaranteed by the subject. J. Cecil Alter, Chief Meteorologist of the local weather bureau, is to be interviewed on the program which is to be known as "Using the Weather."
Since his predictions already receive ample space in both newspapers and radio, Alter on this program will go into detail in explaining how different businessmen use the weather forecast in their lines of work. To show how the bureau arrives at its conclusions, he is planning to take different instruments to the studio and explain the working operations. An enlarged weather map will hang on the wall to better enable Alter to show weather conditions across the country and the effect of such varied conditions on the Cincinnati smog. (John Caldwell, Cincinnati Enquirer, Dec. 23)


Chicago.—RCA Victor’s Chicago television show, “Junior Jamboree,” a full-hour variety program for children from six to 16 telecast over WBKB five days a week, has established itself as the top video production in Chicago in the two months since Oct. 13, 1947, when it went on the air, according to survey reports.
With a flexible format, “Junior Jamboree” combines use of puppets with animal films and cartoon films to keep the youngsters interested in television from the hours of four to five, Monday through Friday.
Home viewing audience for “Junior Jamboree” was estimated at more than 12,000 in early December. This is based on an extensive telephone survey made by J, Walter Thompson, which revealed that over 58 percent of the 5376 television sets then in Chicago area homes were turned on during the RCA Victor program; and that there was an average of 4.0 viewers to each set. (Hollywood Reporter, Dec. 23)


Dallas, Tex.—Application has been filed with the FCC by the A. H. Belo Corporation for a television station permit for the Dallas News and WFAA lo operate on channel No. 12 with 30,000 watts power, it was announced here by Martin B. Campbell, managing director of WFAA.
If the permit is granted, the new television station would serve the Dallas-Fort Worth area with an approximate range of 45 miles. The Dallas News-WFAA contract with the Mercantile Bank for use of the building’s tower for FM transmitter and antenna, now in operation, also includes provisions for television.
Application for a television permit also has been filed with the FCC by L. F. Corrigan, local contractor and real estate operator, to operate on channel No. 10. His application designates the Tower-Petroleum building as the proposed site of the transmitter and studios.
Of the six existing television channels in this territory, permits have been granted to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Tom Potter and the late Rogers Lacy, and the Dallas Times-Herald. Application of the Interstate Theaters, the Dallas News and WFAA and of Corrigan are still pending before the FCC. (Radio Daily, Dec. 23)


Television coverage of the 13 home games of the University of Pennsylvania basketball team in the Palestra Stadium in Philadelphia vil1 be sponsored over WPTZ by The Atlantic Refining Company, it was announced this week by Joseph R. Rollins, advertising manager, through N. W. Ayer & Son, Inc. Byram Saam and Claude Haring, veterans of Atlantic’s sports broadcasting staff, will be the announcers.
Series begins on January 10 with the contest between the Penn and Yale squads, and will conclude with the Penn-Princeton game on March 13. Other teams appearing on the schedule are Gettysburg, North Carolina, Lafayette, Cornell, Harvard, La Salle, Navy, Dartmouth, Notre Dame, St. Joseph’s and Columbia. (Radio Daily, Dec. 23)


Philadelphia—With the sale of tele casts of the remaining home games of the professional ice hockey Rockets this week, video schedule of major sporting events on WFIL-TV is “completely sold out,” according to John E. Surrick, sales director. Rockets telecasts were bought by Thornton Fuller, Dodge and Plymouth dealers and distributors, and contract will cover the period from January 21 to March 20. During that time a total of 17 matches will be telecast from the Philadelphia Arena.
Previous sale of telecasts of the home games of the Philadelphia Warriors, this city’s entry in the professional Basketball Association of America, to Norge, and of wrestling matches to Scott and Grauer, beer distributors, left only the ice hockey games unsold. (Radio Daily, Dec. 23)


WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1947
WCBS-TV (CBS), Channel 2, New York City
1:00—Film short.
1:30 to 2:00—“Missus Goes a-Shopping” with John Reed King, from the Big Ben Supermarket, Lynbrook, Long Island.
4:45—President Truman, Christmas tree ceremony lighting on the White House lawn.
5:30—“Santa and the Little Angel,” Telecomics Christmas film, with Ireene Wicker, written by Oskar Lebeck.
7:30—Riverside Church choir and carillon.
7:50—Christmas Story, with Jini Boyd O’Connor.
8:00—Feature film: “Beyond Tomorrow” (1940, RKO) with Charles Winninger, Maria Ouspenskaya, C. Aubrey Smith and others.
WNBT (NBC), Channel 4, New York City
4:30—President Truman, Christmas three ceremony lighting on the White House lawn.
5:30—Christmas music and Christmas slides.
6:00—“Playtime,” children’s program (from WNBW).
7:00—“Views and News” or Christmas slide and music.
7:15—Music or United Press news.
7:24—“Tonight’s Television Press Releases.”
7:30—“Kraft Television Theatre”: "Reverie" and “Desert Shall Rejoice.”
8:30—Film: “A Christmas Carol” (1935) with Sir Seymour Hicks, sponsored by Kelvinator.
9:45—NBC Christmas Card.
WABD (DuMont), Channel 5, New York City
4:45—President Truman, Christmas three ceremony lighting on the White House lawn.
6:35—Film shorts.
6:45—Walter Compton, news (from WTTG), sponsored by General Electric.
7:00—Small Fry Club, with Bob Emery.
7:30—“Small Fry Christmas Card,” hosted and produced by Bob Emery. The show features five Christmas cards each leading into a story about Christmas.
8:00—Candlelight Service from Grace Church, Riverside. The Clergy and 50 boys will carry candles in a long procession. Service by Rev. Louis W. Pitt, rector; organ music by Ernest Mitchell, sponsored by U.S. Rubber.
9:00—Film shorts. Herald Tribune listing.
9:10—Sylvie St. Clair, songs.
9:30—Film shorts.
9:45—Film: “Frolics on Ice.”
10:45—Story of “Silent Night” (from Philadelphia).
11:30—Boys Choir from Christ the King Church (from Philadelphia).
Midnight Mass from Christ the King Church (from Philadelphia).
WRGB (NBC) Channel 4, Schenectady
4:30—Children’s program, Truman Christmas tree. (from WNBT)
7:10—Program Announcements.
7:15—News Page.
7:30—Television Theatre, In the Kitchen (from NBC).
8:45—Behind the News.
8:50—Music is Where You Find It.
9:15—Spot News.
WPTZ (NBC) Channel 3, Philadelphia
9:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. and 3:00 to 4:15 p.m.—Test Chart.
1:45—INS Television News.
2:00—Television Matinee, sponsored by the Philadelphia Electric Co.
4:30—Truman, Christmas tree (from NBC).
5:30—NBC children’s show (from WNBW).
6:30—Christmas Music and Slides.
7:15—United Press news.
7:20—Musical Prelude.
7:30—Candlelight Serve from Leverington Presbyterian Church.
8:30—NBC programs.
WFIL-TV Channel 6, Philadelphia
9:30 a.m. to noon, 1:00 to 4:45 p.m.—Test Pattern.
4:45—White House Christmas tree (from DuMont).
7:30—Test Pattern.
7:45—Santa Claus Departure from North Pole.
8:00—Inquirer Television News.
8:15—Christmas film: “Harmony Lane.”
8:30—Yuletide Greetings from Temple University.
9:00—Film Featurette (from DuMont).
9:45—Frolics on Ice, with Irene Ware (from DuMont).
10:45—The Story of “Silent Night” (from DuMont).
11:15—News.
11:30—Boys Choir from Christ the King Church (to DuMont).
11:45—Midnight Mass from Christ the King Church, Haddonfield (to DuMont).
WMAR Channel 2, Baltimore
No programs today.
WNBW (NBC) Channel 4, Washington
2:00—Test Pattern.
3:30—Coming Attractions.
4:45—White House Christmas Tree ceremonies with Pres. Harry Truman (to NBC).
5:30—Playtime (to NBC).
6:30—Musical Interlude.
7:30—plays (from NBC).
8:30—Dickens’ “Christmas Carol.”
WTTG (DuMont) Channel 5, Washington
10:30 a.m. to noon—Morning Melodies.
1:30—Afternoon musicale.
4:45—Pres. Truman and the Christmas tree lighting on the White House lawn (to DuMont).
6:15—Dinner Music.
6:30—Preview Time.
6:35—Television Film Shorts (from DuMont).
6:45—Walter Compton news, sponsored by General Electric (to DuMont).
7:00—Small Fry Club (from DuMont).
7:30—Elder Michaux and the “Happy Am I” Choir Christmas Carols (to DuMont).
8:00—Feature film (from CBS).
9:45—Dickens’ “Christmas Carol.”
10:45—Story of Silent Night.
11:15—News.
WMAL-TV (CBS) Channel 7, Washington
10 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:30—Test Pattern.
4:30—Christmas Carols.
4:45—President Truman and the Lighting of the White House Christmas tree (to CBS).
5:30—Christmas Film. 7:30—Test Pattern.
8:00—Christmas Carols.
8:10—Dick Mansfield.
8:25—Charles Dana Beaschler Singers.
8:45—Night Before Christmas.
9:00—Christmas Carols.
W8XCT Channel 4, Cincinnati
1:30—Film: “Arcade Varities.”
1:45—Film: “Mexican Idol.”
2:00—Tea For Two.
WBKB Channel 5, Chicago
3:00—Chicago Television Showcase.
4:00—Junior Jamboree, with Kukla, Fran and Ollie, sponsored by RCA.
KSD-TV (NBC) Channel 5, St. Louis
Off the air.
W6XAO Channel 2, Los Angeles
10:30 a.m.—Test Pattern and Incidental Music.
11:00—Queen For a Day.
11:30—Test Pattern and Transcribed Show.
KTLA Channel 5, Hollywood
12:30—“On the Town.”
3:00 to 5:00—News and music.
7:00—Uncle Phil, with Ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale and Judy Splinters, sponsored by Philco.
7:10—Adventure Serial, sponsored by Philco.
7:30—“Sunset Room” with Joan Barton. Guests: William Farnum, Jimmy Lydon and the Caroliers.
8:00—“Night Before Christmas.”
8:30—Wrestling at the Olympic Auditorium.

President Truman will deliver his annual Yuletide message to the Nation during tree-lighting ceremonies Christmas Eve on the south lawn of the White House.
Between 15,000 and 20,000 persons are expected to attend the ceremonies in the twenty-fifth lighting of the National Community Christmas tree.
The program, including the President’s message, will be broadcast from 5 to 5:30 p. m. It will be televised from 4:30 to 5:30 p. m.
The southeast and southwest gates of the White House will be opened to the public at 3:30 p. m. Wednesday. Persons carrying cameras or packages, however, will not be admitted, the Secret Service said.
Band Concert First
Ceremonies begin at 4:30 with a 15-Minute concert by the United States Marine Band. At 4:45, 50 members of the Central High School Glee Club, dressed in white surplices, will march onto the scene, singing carols as they come. The President, Mrs. Truman and Miss Margaret Truman will arrive at 5 p. m. escorted by an honour guard composed of cadets of the District’s high school cadet corps.
Greetings to the President on behalf of residents of Greater Washington will be extended by Mary Frances Hurley, representing the Girl Scouts, and Kenneth McDonald an Eagle Boy Scout.
Miss Hurley, Troop 289, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Hurley, 5210 1st st. nw.; McDonald, Troop 144, is the son of Mr. and. Mrs. Cecil P. McDonald, 119 W. Mason ave., Alexandria.
Mr. Truman will light the tree at 5:16. His message will follow immediately. Ceremonies end at 5:30 with the piping of the National Anthem. (Washington Post, Dec. 21)


Twelve year old David Frank of 53 Morrell street, who played on Broadway in “Life With Father,” will appear in a Christmas play tonight [24] at 7:30 on television station WNBT. Two plays will be given on the one-hour program, “Reverie” and “Desert Shall Rejoice.”
Joseph Frank, David’s father, said his son has had only two days rehearsal for the role. He a replacing a youngster who was in an accident recently and now is in the hospital.
David played in a road company of “Lite With rather” last year with his two older brothers, Donald and Richard. and then in June played in the 3,183rd performance of the comedy on Broadway, which established a new long-run record. Dorothy Stickney and Howard Lindsay returned for this performance to play again the roles of the mother and father.
David is a student at Roosevelt Junior High School and at present is on Christmas vacation. (Home News, New Brunswick, N.J.)


The Candlelight Service of Carols of the Grace Protestant Episcopal Church will be televised over the DuMont station, WABD, from 8 to 9 P. M. on Christmas Eve. The telecast will be sponsored by the United States Rubber Company as a public service under arrangements made with the Rev. Dr. Louis W. Pitt, rector of the church. The procession of fifty choir boys carrying candles is expected to be the highlight of the television presentation. (Jack Gould, New York Times, Dec. 19)

For the first time in history, the solemn high Mass at midnight in the Church of Christ the King, Haddonfield, will be televised.
Station WFIL-TV has arranged the telecast to be carried over the eastern network, which extends from New York to Washington.
The telecast will start at 11.45 p.m., with the procession of the Holy Child to the Crib. At midnight, the Mass will begin with the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph B. McIntyre, celebrant.
The sermon will be delivered by the Very Rev. Bonaventure McIntyre, vice provincial of the Franciscan Fathers. He will serve as narrator during the telecast. He is a brother of Msgr. McIntyre. (Camden Evening Courier, Dec. 24)


Make Believe Time
Reviewed Monday (24) 8 to 8:15 p.m. Video musical impersonation show presented sustaining on WBKB, Chicago.
A novel attempt to bring to television the successful technique of impersonators of famed musical personalities, this show, featuring Marvin Himmel, originator of the Three Make Believes nitery and vaude act, could have been top video entertainment if it had not been marred by video production mistakes which detracted plenty from over-all impact.
Cast as a record shop salesman, Himmel, in order to get into his impersonations, went into a daydream trance a la Danny Kaye's Walter Mitty performance, and then was shown costumed in the roles he duplicated. With recorded music in the background supplying work of talent imitated, Himmel gave impressions of Phil Harris, John Charles Thomas and Dorothy Shay. As in make-believe act, Himmel provided action, while music was supplied by recordings. Production mistake was superimposition of shot of Himmel on moving clouds to accentuate dream impression. Result was that cloud shapes distracted attention from Himmel and took away attention from his actions, the real entertainment value of the act. Clouds could have been used briefly for transition, but Himmel should have worked in front of plainer background.
Unique idea was using revolving pix of Himmel as introductory shot preceding dream sequences. But after it had been used once it had been milked dry and use second and third time was monotonous. This show, a one-timer packaged by the Phil Gordon Agency, proved that Himmel has top video potentialities with his comical routine. But if his work is used as basis for series, greater production perfection will have to be attendant to capture maximum entertainment value. Cy Wagner. (Billboard, Dec. 27)


Washington—The FCC this week has received a batch of new television applications, including a number of technical matters from NBC, DuMont and WGN, and application for new stations in Birmingham, Ala., Akron, O., and Erie, Pa. In addition, the Yankee Network, in Boston, has asked to shift the frequency of WNAC-TV, now under construction, to Channel No. 13.
Seeking channel No. 4 in Birmingham is the Birmingham Broadcasting Co., licensee of AM station WBRC; the Akron applicant is Allen T. Simmons, licensee of WADC, and the Erie applicant is Dispatch, Inc. (Radio Daily, Dec. 24)


The schedule of 54 major sports events comprising the 1918 Madison Square Garden indoor program on WCBS-TV were allocated this week at a conference of representatives of the three sponsors who recently signed for coverage of the events, Ford Motor Co., General Foods, and Knox the Hatter.
Original package covered 79 events dating from the beginning of the indoor season last September. Ford bought 35, GF 32 and Knox 12. First 25 events will have been consummated by the end of the year, leaving 54 to be aired during 1948. Many of the shows aired since beginning of the schedule have been picked up in Baltimore via WMAR and in Washington via WMAL-TV.
Philadelphia will be added to this hook-up when WCAU goes on the air with its video signal, expected to be shortly after the first of the year. All three outlets have working agreements with CBS for the exchange of programs.
The ‘48 Garden schedule will run through part of April, when the indoor season ends. Events included are: collegiate and professional basketball, skating, amateur boxing, ice hockey, track meets, the Circus and the Westminster Kennel Club Show. (Radio Daily, Dec. 24)


THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1947
WCBS-TV (CBS), Channel 2, New York City
7:30—Christmas carols.
7:40—“Santa and the Little Angel,” Telecomics Christmas film, opening narration by Ireene Wicker.
8:00—CBS Television News with Douglas Edwards, sponsored by Gulf Oil.
8:15—Merry Christmasland Exposition from Grand Central Palace.
8:45—Basketball from Madison Square Garden: New York Knicks vs. Providence Steamrollers.
WNBT (NBC), Channel 4, New York City
3:00—Christmas program, St. Alban’s Hospital, with Ilona Massey, Harvey Stone, others, sponsored by Hamilton Watches. RCA Victor television sets will be presented to veterans hospitals in five cities in time for the broadcast.
7:50—United Press news.
8:00—Christmas play, "Strange Christmas Dinner."
8:30—NBC Television Newsreel.
8:40—Musical Merry-Go-Round, with Jack Kilty.
9:00—“You Are an Artist,” with John Gnagy, sponsored by Gulf.
9:10—Universal trailer for “The Senator Was Indiscreet,” starring William Powell.
9:15—Choir.
9:25—Feature film: “The Second Chorus” with Fred Astaire and Paulette Goddard.
WABD (DuMont), Channel 5, New York City
11:00—Christmas Services from National Episcopal Cathedral, Washington (from WTTG).
4:00—Christmas Show from the Walter Reed Hospital, Washington (from WTTG).
5:00—Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” starring John Carradine.
6:45—Walter Compton, news (from WTTG), sponsored by General Electric.
7:00—Small Fry Club, with Bob Emery.
7:30—“Birthday Party,” with Grace Gioe.
8:00—“Champagne and Orchids” with Adrienne.
8:15—Film: “The American Home.”
8:30—“Charade Quiz,” with Bill Slater.
WRGB (NBC) Channel 4, Schenectady
3:00—Hospital vets (from NBC).
7:10—Program Announcements.
7:15—News Page.
7:30—Memory Lane.
7:55—Behind the News.
8:00—Programs (from NBC).
9:45—Pictorial Spots News.
WPTZ (NBC) Channel 3, Philadelphia
2:45—INS Television News.
3:00—Veterans hospital (from NBC).
7:35—INS Television News.
7:45—United Press news.
8:00—Film.
8:30—NBC programs.
9:10—Film.
9:15—Choir.
9:20—French Diary.
WFIL Channel 6, Philadelphia
10:45 a.m.—Test Pattern.
11:00—National Cathedral Service, Washington (from DuMont).
3:30—Test Pattern.
4:00—Walter Reed USO show, Washington (from DuMont).
7:30—Test Pattern.
8:00—Inquirer Television News.
8:15—Feature Film.
9:00—St. John’s Christmas Service.
9:45—Sign Off.
WMAR (CBS/DuMont) Channel 2, Baltimore
10:30 a.m.—Test Pattern.
11:00—Washington Cathedral.
12:15—Christmas Concert.
2:40—Feature Film: “Miracle on Main Street” (1939, Columbia) with Margo, Lyle Talbot, Willie Best.
4:00—Walter Reed Hospital Christmas show (from DuMont).
5:00—“A Christmas Carol” (from DuMont).
6:00—Carol Program.
6:45—News with Walter Compton, sponsored by G.E. (to DuMont).
7:00—Programs from DuMont.
8:15—Christmas Scenes in Baltimore.
8:30—Quiz show (from DuMont).
9:00—WMAR’s Baltimore Television News
9:15—Basketball at the Colesium: Baltimore Bullets and Chicago Stags, sponsored by National Bohemian Beer.
10:45—Christmas Scenes in Baltimore (repeat broadcast).
11:15—WMAR Previews.
WNBW (NBC) Channel 4, Washington
2:00—Test Pattern.
2:30—Coming Attractions.
3:00—Naval hospital Christmas program (from NBC).
4:00—Choral Music and Christmas Story.
5:00—Musical Interlude.
8:00—Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
WTTG (DuMont) Channel 5, Washington
10:30 a.m.–Christmas Song.
11:00 to 12:15—Washington National Cathedral Christmas Service (to DuMont).
3:30—Afternoon Musicale.
4:00—USO Christmas party, Walter Reed Hospital (to DuMont).
5:00—Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” starring John Carradine (from DuMont).
6:15—Dinner Music.
6:30—Preview Time.
6:35—Film Shorts (from DuMont).
6:45—News with Walter Compton, sponsored by G.E. (to DuMont).
7:00—DuMont programming.
8:15—The Music Album. Sherry Sherwood, vocalist.
8:30—Quiz show (from DuMont).
9:00—Feature film.
10:30—News.
WMAL-TV (CBS) Channel 7, Washington
7:30 to 8:00—Test Pattern.
8:00—Feature Film: “Miracle on Main Street” (1939, Columbia) with Margo.
9:15—Christmas Services.
W8XCT Channel 4, Cincinnati
Off the air.
WBKB Channel 5, Chicago
3:00—Chicago Television Showcase.
4:00—Junior Jamboree, with Kukla, Fran and Ollie, sponsored by RCA.
7:50—Today’s World Picture.
8:00—Christmas Capers.
KSD-TV Channel 5, St. Louis
3:00—Associated Press News and Views.
3:15—NBC Television Newsreel.
3:30—Russ Severin’s Christmas Studio Party; guests, Earl Wrightson, baritone, former soloist in radio’s Family Hour; Keith Anders, movie actor, and Ruth Gillette, singing leads in “The Chocolate Soldier”; Gay English, St. louis soprano; Peter Rich, young ventriloquist, and 10-year-old Zane Farhat of the Junior Jamboree show.
4:15—Film cartoon.
8:00—Film: “Watch Out and Detour.”
8:30—NBC Television Newsreel.
8:45—Basketball (BAA) at the Arena: St. Louis Bombers vs. Washington Capitols, sponsored by Hyde Park Breweries.
W6XAO Channel 2, Los Angeles
10:30 a.m.—Test Pattern and Incidental Music.
11:00—Queen For a Day.
11:30—Test Pattern.
KTLA Channel 5, Hollywood
12:00—Solemn High Mass from Blessed Sacrament Church.
3:00 to 5:00—Test Pattern and music.
7:00—“Uncle Phil” for kids, sponsored by Philco.
7:10—Adventure Serial, sponsored by Philco.
7:30—“Judy’s Christmas,” with Shirley and Judy.
7:45—“Star Views” with Lois Andrews, sponsored by Philco.
8:00—“Holiday Carols.”
8:30—“Christmas in Hollywood.”

Wounded war veterans confined to government hospitals along the Northeastern Seaboard will be entertained on Christmas afternoon with a one-hour television program arranged by the Hamilton Watch Co.
Veterans in the hospitals at Coatesville, Perry Point, Md. and Ft. Howard, Md., as well as those in 9 other hospitals in the area will see the show.
The show will be telecast from St. Albans Naval Hospital, Long Island, N. Y., from 3 to 4 p. m. and will feature a series of acts by stage and screen actors headed by Ilona Massey, Hungarian singer and actress. The Hamilton Chorus of 62 voices will introduced and sign off the program with Christmas carols via a movie taken on the company grounds last week.
* * *
MEMBERS of the Chorus will witness the show at the Lancaster RCA plant through the cooperation of RCA and the Conestoga Television Association. The latter group operates a transmitter in the Welsh Mountains. The transmitter will pick up the Philadelphia signal and relay it to the RCA plant.
The show will be telecast over an NBC network including stations WNBT New York, WMBW Washington [sic], WTPZ Philadelphia, WBAL-TV Baltimore and WRGB Schenectady.
Over the same network Hamilton will sponsor a special New Year’s Eve program from 9 p. m. to 12:15 a. m. heralding the New Year with several hours of entertainment and featuring flashes to Times Square, the National Capitol and Philadelphia’s Independence Square as celebrants welcome in 1948.
Richard Hughes and Jack Rill will transmit the relay from the Welsh mountains. E. E. Hoffman, president of the Association, and I. D. Calmes will receive and monitor it from the penthouse at the RCA plant. (Lancaster, Pa. New Era, Dec. 20)


DuMont will preem what’s to be an annual Christmas Day affair tomorrow (Thursday) [25] with presentation of Charles Dickens’ “Christmas Carol.” Officials of the net hope they can build the show into equal status with the radio version of the classic, which has starred Lionel Barrymore over the ABC web for the last 10 years.
John Carradine will play Scrooge in DuMont’s adaptation, which is to be produced in the studios of WABD (N.Y.), and will be carried to WFIL-TV (Philadelphia), WMAR-TV (Baltimore) and WTTG (Washington). Hour-long play is to employ 12 sets and a cast of 22. Carradine’s 11 year old son will also appear in the show.
Entire production is supervised by DuMont program manager James L. Caddigan. David Lewis will produce and direct, with Rudy Lucek designing the sets. Frank Bunetta is technical director. (Variety, Dec. 24)


Television station WBKB has scheduled two daytime shows and a two hour revue for tonight which will probably provide many families their first glimpse of radio pictures. The Chicago Television Showcase will have special Christmas pictures at 3 p.m. At 4 p.m. Kukla, the puppet and his gang take over the Junior Jamboree, offering a holiday flavored show.
At 8 o'clock tonight a two hour Christmas Capers will be offered. Burr Tillstrom’s Puppets, Fran Allison and Russ Davis as master of ceremonies will be featured. There'll be a sports review with Jack Brickhouse, Joe Wilson, Guy Savage, Milt Hopwood and Don Ward. A special Christmas movie [cartoon] "Santa and the Angel" will be shown.
Many a Chicagoan has made a teleset the big Christmas gift of this season. The television census as of Nov. 1, 1946 in the Chicago area was around 350 sets. On Oct. 10, 1947, it was 6,843. This week, according to last minute checks, it crossed the 11,000 mark. (Larry Wolters, Chi Tribune, Dec. 25)


Newspaper and news service reports describing the “epoch-making first television broadcast of a Solemn High Mass” in Piladelphia [sic] last Sunday found a quiet reception in Los Angeles.
Those with television sets viewed a telecast of the Christmas Solemn High Maas from Blessed Sacrament Church last year.
Fr. Cornelius McCoy, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church, chuckled indulgently as he read the reports from Philadelphia.
“Television station KTLA televised our Christmas Mass last year and will do so again this Christmas,” he said.
Official Permission
The television broadcasts here are done with permission of Bishop Joseph T. McGucken, administrator of the Archdiocese.
Two cameras are used, one concealed in the sanctuary and another placed at one side of the church. No extra lights are required as new lenses are capable of recording the scene with the church's regular illumination.
Witnessing a television broadcast does not, of course, meet the obligation of attending Mass. Canon law requires that Catholics be physically present at the Mass and radio or television broadcasts do not meet this requirement. )(The Tidings, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Dec. 26)


CHICAGO, Dec. 25—(INS)—Football television fans will face a blank screen Sunday when the Chicago Cardinals and the Philadelphia Eagles take to the field in Comiskey Park to decide the National League Championship.
All Cardinal home games were televised this season, but the league, which has jurisdiction over the championship title, banned television.



FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1947
WCBS-TV (CBS), Channel 2, New York City
8:25—Pro Tennis at Madison Square Garden: Bobby Riggs vs. Jack Kramer; Pancho Segura vs. Dinny Pails; Sarah Palfrey Cooke, announcer.
WNBT (NBC), Channel 4, New York City
1:00—Swift Home Service Club with Tex and Jinx, and Martha Logan, home economist; Sandra Gahle, decorator and home planner.
1:30—NBC Television Newsreel.
7:50—United Press news.
8:00—Play: “Our Lady’s Juggler.”
8:15—Universal trailer for “The Senator Was Indiscreet,” starring William Powell.
8:20—“The World in Your Home,” sponsored by RCA.
8:30—Television Screen Magazine.
9:00—“Gillette Cavalcade of Sports,” Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena. Terry Young vs. Bobby Plant, Theodore Davis vs. Harry LeSame, Joey Jordan vs. Ray Soloman, Bobby James vs. Lou Perez.
WABD (DuMont), Channel 5, New York City
6:35—Film shorts.
6:45—Walter Compton, news (from WTTG), sponsored by General Electric.
7:00—Small Fry Club, with Bob Emery.
7:30—Hubert Brill’s Playhouse.
8:00—To be announced.
8:45—Film shorts.
8:54—Sports Names to Remember, sponsored by Moquin Wine.
9:00—Wrestling from Jamaica Arena, with Dennis James.
WRGB (NBC) Channel 4, Schenectady
7:10—Program Announcements.
7:15—WRGB News Page.
7:30—Songs of the Sea.
7:40—Sportsreel.
7:55—Behind the News.
8:00—NBC programs, including “Juggler” and boxing.
10:30—WRGB Pictorial Spot News.
WPTZ (NBC) Channel 3, Philadelphia
9:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and 1:40 to 3:45—Test Chart.
1:00 to 1:40—NBC programming.
3:45—INS Television News.
4:00—Children’s Matinee: cartoon, Clyde Beatty serial, and Western Feature.
7:35—INS Television News.
7:50—United Press News.
8:00—Children’s program (from NBC).
8:15—Short subject.
8:30—“Handy Man” with Jack Creamer, sponsored by Gimbels.
8:45—Motion Picture Short.
8:55—Sunshine Sportsman’s Show.
9:10—Boxing (from NBC).
WFIL-TV Channel 6, Philadelphia
9:30 a.m. to noon, 1 to 5 p.m.—Test Pattern.
7:30—DuMont gospel program (from WTTG).
8:00—Inquirer Television News.
8:15—Teen Canteen.
8:30—Motion Pictures.
9:00—Basketball at the Convention Hall—Philadelphia Warriors vs. Providence Steamrollers.
WMAR Channel 2, Baltimore
6:00—Test Pattern.
6:45—News from DuMont (WTTG).
7:00—Evening Sun Bowling Tournament.
7:30—Gospel show from DuMont (WTTG).
8:00—Film from DuMont (WTTG).
8:30—Hockey from DuMont (WTTG).
WNBW (NBC) Channel 4, Washington
12:45—Coming Attractions.
1:00—NBC programming.
1:45—Musical Interlude.
3:30—A Day at the Zoo.
4:30—Film Features.
5:30—Musical Interlude.
7:50—Coming Attractions.
8:00—“Juggler” (from NBC).
8:15—Film Features.
8:30—Story of the Week, with Richard C. Harkness.
8:45—Let’s Learn To Dance, sponsored by Georges Radio and Television Stores.
9:25—News in Review
9:30—NBC boxing, sponsored by Gillette. Washington Post has 9:00—News, 9:05—Boxing.
10:45—Telesports Show.
WTTG (DuMont) Channel 5, Washington
6:15—Dinner Music.
6:30—Preview Time.
6:35—Film Shorts (from DuMont).
6:45—Walter Compton, news, sponsored by General Electric (to DuMont).
7:00—NBC program with Bob Emery.
7:30—Elder Michaux and the “Happy I Am” Choir (to WMAR).
8:00—Film Featurette (to WMAR).
8:30—Hockey from Uline Arena: Washington Lions vs. Springfield Indians (to WMAR).
11:00—News.
WMAL-TV (CBS) Channel 7, Washington
10:00 a.m. to noon, 1:00 to 5:00—Test Pattern.
W8XCT Channel 4, Cincinnati
1:30—Film: “Return of the Buffalo.”
1:45—Film: “Latin Rhythm.”
7:30—Cartoon: “Fresh Ham” (1933, Van Beuren) with Cubby Bear.
8:00—Film: “Latin Rhythm.”
8:15—Wrestling at the Music Hall Sports Arena. John Demchuck vs. Bill Darnell (two falls, 90 mins.), Angel Martinelli and Whitey Wahlberg vs. Monte LaDue and Buck Lipscombe, Paul Steuer vs. Jack Smithers.
WBKB Channel 5, Chicago
3:00—Chicago Television Showcase.
4:00—Junior Jamboree, with Kukla, Fran and Ollie, sponsored by RCA.
7:30—Variety program.
7:40—Film shorts.
8:00—Telechats, sponsored by The Fair.
8:15—“Lost Jungle.”
8:44—The Singing Smiths, sponsored by Terman Television Sales.
9:00—Boxing from Madison Athletic Club, sponsored by Atlas Prager Brewing Co.
KSD-TV Channel 5, St. Louis
3:00—Associated Press News and Views.
3:15—Film: “Holiday Carols.”
3:30—Behind the Fashion Scene with Marjorie Wilten.
3:45—Films: “I Don’t Know Enough About You,” “Aquabatics” and “Crazy Things.”
4:00—Vaudeville Matinee: Punch and Judy, juggler clown; George Woods.
4:15—Film cartoon.
8:15—Films: “Boy and Girl From North Carolina” and “The Cowboy Isn’t Speaking to His Horse.”
8:30—France Laux, Sports Review.
8:45—Feature Film.
W6XAO Channel 2, Los Angeles
10:30 a.m.—Test Pattern.
11:00—Queen For a Day.
11:30 to noon—Test Pattern and Music.
8:00—Test Pattern and Incidental Music.
8:25—Boxing Card and Announcements.
8:30—Boxing at the Hollywood Legion Stadium, Paolino Montes vs. Chuey Figueroa, Vince Turpin vs. Jimmy Shans, Lou Fillipo vs. Darnell Carter, Richard Lopez vs. Chuck Railey, Butch Maxwell vs. Jose Louis, Ray Mills, Ozzie Biggie.
KTLA Channel 5, Hollywood
12:30-1:00—“On the Town,” sponsored by local television set distributors.
3:00-5:00—World Wide News and Music.
7:00—“Uncle Phil,” with ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale and Judy Splinters, sponsored by Philo.
7:10—Adventure Serial, sponsored by Philco.
7:30—“Looking at Music” with Al Jarvis, sponsored by Philco.
8:00—Tele-Newsreel, sponsored by Buchanan Co.
8:30—Hockey from the Pan-American Arena: Los Angeles Monarchs vs. San Francisco Shamrocks.

The Snow Storm . . . WNEW [radio] yesterday and last night [26] broadcast traffic bulletins supplied by The News every hour on the hour and will continue to do so as long as snow-bound conditions prevail. WOR, WCBS, television station WABD and practically every other outlet in this area also provided similar services. The storm caused little interference technically with local broadcasting yesterday by productions schedules were affected by the late arrival of performers temporarily marooned by the storm. Perry Como was unable to make it to the NBC studios in Radio City last night and Mel Torme took his place on the “[Chesterfield] Supper Club” show as a last-minute substitute. (Ben Gross, Daily News, Dec. 27)

Television Screen Magazine
Reviewed Friday (26), 8:35-8:45 p.m. Sustaining via WNBT. Director, Ira Skutch. Assistant director, Theodore Mills. Writer, Gene Hand. Technical director, Richard Pickard. Video director, Frank Burns. Cameramen, Henry Bomberger, Stoddard Dentz, Henry Albert. Audioman, Thomas Smiley. Title, this broadcast, “The Story Behind Stamps.” Cast: Walter Law.
The Story Behind Stamps, with Walter Law, shaped up as a modest, comparatively inexpensive, brief program in the Television Screen Magazine series aired over WNBT. Such a program, of course, appeals primarily to a specific audience segment—those interested in stamp collecting. But in addition to people who are active stamp collectors, it would seem that such a program might also snag a sizable number of people whose interest in the subject might be passive.
The reviewer is one of the latter. Never having collected stamps, he nevertheless found Walter Law’s commentary and stamp exhibits of more than passing interest. It would seem, then, that a program built around a hobby might draw considerable audience from among non-hobbyists, assuming that the program was well-presented. This show did ring a bell, even to alien ears.
What the program did was to show how topical stamp collections are made—illustrating this with pictures of stamps portraying winter spots. Law also demonstrated how a series of stamps could tell a story, and to illustrate this he displayed a series portraying the history of the events leading to the construction of the Panama Canal. Brief sections of film were used in the telecast—most of the time being devoted to shots of the stamps and Law’s commentary.
The program apparentaly [sic] presented few technical difficulties. The film footage was clear, the details on the stamps were sharp and the commentary was concise and interesting. Paul Ackerman. (Billboard, Jan. 3)



SATURDAY, DECEMEBER 27, 1947
WCBS-TV (CBS), Channel 2, New York City
2:55—Pro Basketball at Madison Square Garden: N.Y. Knicks vs. Chicago Stags.
7:45—News, Tom O’Connor.
8:00—Selected film shorts.
8:15—College Basketball at Madison Square Garden: St. Francis vs. Arizona, N.Y.U. vs. Missouri, Bob Edge announcing, sponsored by Ford.
WNBT (NBC), Channel 4, New York City
5:00—Puppet Television Theater (debut).
WABD (DuMont), Channel 5, New York City
Basketball in Orange, N.J.: Rutgers vs. Seton Hall.
WRGB (NBC) Channel 4, Schenectady
No programs scheduled.
WPTZ (NBC) Channel 3, Philadelphia
9:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.—Test Chart.
4:45—INS Television News.
5:00—Puppet show (from NBC).
WFIL-TV Channel 6, Philadelphia
2:30 and 7:00—Test Pattern.
7:30—“Starlet Stairway” with Jack Steck.
8:00—Inquirer Television News.
8:10—Better Sports, with Don Kellett.
8:30—Motion Pictures.
9:00—Basketball at the Convention Hall: Temple vs. Dartmouth.
WMAR (CBS/DuMont), Channel 2, Baltimore
2:55—Basketball (from CBS).
7:45—news, films, basketball (from CBS).
10:30—WMAR Previews.
WNBW (NBC) Channel 4, Washington
12:30—Test Pattern.
3:00—Coming Attractions.
3:45—Musical Interlude.
4:30—Energy to Burn.
5:00—Puppets (from NBC).
6:00—Musical Interlude.
8:00—Gypsy Singers.
8:30—Film Features.
8:45—Song in the House.
WTTG (DuMont) Channel 5, Washington
7:15—Dinner Music.
7:45—Arnold Fine Show.
8:00—Film short.
8:15—Scholastic Sports Association.
8:30—Film short.
8:45—Basketball (B.B.A.) from Uline Arena: Washington Capitols vs. Philadelphia Warriors.
11:00—News.
WMAL-TV (CBS) Channel 7, Washington
3:00 to 5:00 and 7:15—Test Pattern.
7:45—news, films, basketball (from CBS).
W8XCT Channel 4, Cincinnati
7:30—Film: “Not So Dumb.”
7:45 to 10:45—Basketball at the Music Hall Sports Arena: South Dakota vs. Morehead, Universituy of Cincinnati vs. North Carolina State.
WBKB Channel 5, Chicago
Off the air.
KSD-TV Channel 5, St. Louis
3:00—Associated Press News and Views.
3:15—Films: “Boogie Woogie Cindy” (1946, Soundie) with the Nilsson Twins, “I’m Not That Way” and “Pay Day Rolls Around.”
3:30—“Junior Jamboree” with Russ Severin.
4:00—Film Cartoon.
4:15—Film: “News Review of 1947.”
8:00—Musical Shorts: “Hi Neighbor” (1942, Soundie) with Anita Boyer, and “Mail Order.”
8:10—Hockey at the Arena: St. Louis Flyers vs. Indianapolis Capitals, sponsored by Crosley Dealers.
W6XAO Channel 2, Los Angeles
Off the air.
KTLA Channel 5, Hollywood
12:30-1:00—“On the Town.”
3:00 to 5:00—News and music.
7:00—“Uncle Phil,” with Shirley Dinsdale and Judy Splinters, sponsored by Philco.
7:10—Adventure Serial, sponsored by Philco.
7:30—Pantomime Quiz, hosted by Mike Stokey. Guests: Morley Drury, Cotton Warburton, Tom Harmon and other sports celebrities.
8:00—Los Angeles National College Invitational Basketball Championships at Olympic Stadium.

HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 27 (U.P.)—A television set builder announced today he will put television on a senior-size screen in a big theater—just like a movie—for the first time New Year’s Day. And, so far, nobody’s mad at him for doing it.
The radio-television station people just scratched their heads when they heard that Bert D’Orsay was going to install an ordinary set in the Shrine Auditorium. He’ll project the image on a big screen and invite 6,700 paying customers in to see the Tournament of Roses parade and the Rose Bowl game.
They said they believed it was all right for a person to receive a television show and charge admission. However, N.B.C., which owns the television rights to the Roses events, said it was seeing its lawyers anyway to “find out how far those rights” can go.
D’Orsay’s not worried.
“I receive the program, I can do what I want with it,” he shrugged. “This proves television theatres are here.”
The prices at the big television show ae $2.40, $1.80 and $1.20. Profits go to veterans’ hospital, D’Orsay said.
He figures people who don’t have home television sets and couldn’t buy tickets to the game will swamp the auditorium, the biggest in town.
A customer can arrive at 7 a. m. to watch the parade on a 9x12 foot screen instead of over the heads of a million other guys. He can stay until the last whistle of the game blows about 5 p. m. No traffic jams, no elbowing crowds, no aching feet.
“I may be able to use a 15 by 20 foot screen,” D’Orsay said. “But even with the smaller size, this will be the largest commercial telecast in the world.”
D’Orsay rigged up an ordinary table model television set with photographic lenses. This he’ll park behind a translucent screen on the stage. He said he tried out his trick set at a night club Monday night and it worked.
NBC, not owning a television station here, leased the television rights to Paramount’s KTLA. The radio network mournfully indicated that citizens who would have stayed home to hear the game probably will jam D’Orsay’s demonstration.
But the television station isn’t miffed.
“The more people who can see how wonderful television is, the better for our business,” said station head Klaus Landsberg. “How they see it, we don’t care.” (Aline Mosby, United Press)

Union trouble which threatened to interfere with televising the Rose Bowl parade and game was disclosed today to have evaporated.
Klaus Landsberg, manager of KTLA television station, said the televising would proceed on schedule.
Carl Cooper, international vice president of AFL International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, agreed that an IATSE bid to unionize KTLA employes “would be straightened out" in time to avoid interference with the scheduled television.
When KTLA employes rejected a proposal that they join an IATSE local, the union reportedly threatened to bar member cameramen from working for newsreel companies at the Rose Bowl event if non-members handled television cameras. Cooper would not comment on status of the reported union ultimatum, but was sure the matter will be resolved.
Both Landsberg and Cooper said the IATSE has offered KTLA employes a charter for a television local under the IATSE banner. (Hollywood Citizen-News, Dec. 27)


WITH national leaders in the industry predicting the emergence of television on a national scale in 1948, Buffalo is looking forward to its first see-and-hear programs in the new year through The Buffalo Evening News television station WBEN-TV.
David Sarnoff, president of RCA, predicts that it is only a matter of time before a radio program without television will be as out of date as a movie without speech.
WBEN-TV plans to go on the air about Feb. 1 with test patterns and is scheduled to begin regular commercial programs April 1. The patterns will serve to test the strength and quality of the station’s signal and to serve as a “sample picture” for dealers, radio service men who will install the antennas and the set-buying public.
The antenna for The News television station atop Hotel Statler was completed last Fall, and the construction of the studio’s transmitter in the Statler is under way.
WBEN-TV is making extensive preparations to televise football, hockey, basketball and boxing, and its mobile units will telecast parades, civic celebrations, and other out-of-the-studio special events. The station has obtained the latest motion picture and slide projectors. Dramas will be broadcast both from the studio and theater stages. WBEN-TV will broadcast on Channel 4 or a frequency of 66-72 megacycles. (Buffalo News, Dec. 27)


New York video stations last week got their first inquiry from a brassiere manufacturer about buying time on the medium. Interest was specifically in a series of spot announcements.
The bra man was quoted the spot rate but was also advised that the business, of course, would have to be subject to approval of commercial "copy." (Variety, Dec. 24)

Philadelphia, Dec. 23. WFIL-TV last week made its sports program 100% commercial with the sale of the telecasts of the home games of the Philly Rockets ice hockey team to Thornton-Fuller, auto distributors.
Other sporting events on the Philly Inquirer's video outlet are the home games of the Warriors, basketball pro club, bankrolled by the Norge distributors, household appliances, and wrestling matches at the Arena, sponsored by Scott and Grauer, beer distribs. (Variety, Dec. 24)


HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 27. — Larry Finley, currently supervising Philco’s series of live tele shows here, will start filming the segs in mid-February and will make them available to other stations and sponsors thruout the country. First to go on film will be a Hollywood gossip stint and a fashion show. Finley said his top headache in developing usable video-cine fare is James C. Petrillo’s ban against using music in pix intended for tele. Only type of shows he will be able to can are those that do not have to rely upon the use of music. Finley’s reasons for swinging from live to film are twofold: (1) One sponsor has to shoulder the cost burden of a live show while a multiple number of bank-rollers can share the load if filmed version is made available to other stations. (2) Final product is superior on film than live since it has the benefits of retakes, editing, etc. Furthermore, Finley feels the Motion Picture Producers’ Association, which recently banned screen celebs from appearing on tele, will look more kindly to the video medium if shows using their people are filmed. One of the main reasons studio execs have forbidden stars from exposing themselves to the tele lens has been the fear that they would be scanned to ill-advantage. By filming a tele seg pic brass arguments against tele can be minimized. Finley said filmed versions will be carried on KTLA (outlet currently beaming his live Philco shows) and will be distributed to other tele outlets via his radio transcription firm (Larry Finley Transcriptions). He estimates the half-hour show would cost him $2,000 for talent and filming. Above mentioned segs, 15 minutes each, will be made available to video stations on a non-profit basis, Finley said. He added that the number of stations carrying shows will be expected to share only the production costs, and as a number of outlets increase, cost for each station using the films will decrease. He will distribute pix on a non-profit basis until such time when there is a sufficient number of stations to defray production costs to the point where an outlet can get a film at a reasonable fee yet allowing him a margin of profit. (Hollywood Reporter, Dec. 27