May 1940

You couldn’t blame David Sarnoff if he mumbled some uncomplimentary comments at the F.C.C. in May of 1940.

The Commission made two rulings, basically telling Sarnoff if RCA wanted to force an NBC monopoly on television, it wasn’t going to happen.

First, it re-allocated the air waves to accommodate F.M. That meant NBC would have to move W2XBS in New York off its channel (the same decision affected Don Lee’s W6AXO in Los Angeles and Zenith’s W9XZV in Chicago, though an AP story from May 27 said only NBC and Don Lee were on the air). Then it reaffirmed a decision to pretty much ban commercial television until transmission standards were standardised. RCA and its allies had one system, while DuMont had developed another one. Both were trying to sell television their sets. And the Commission also said it would open up more cities for television. In other words, to companies other than RCA.

NBC modified its schedule this month, ending Sunday broadcasts, and operating Tuesday through Saturday, with a live remote on Saturdays. W2XBS gave up baseball for horse racing. Its 16 mm. camera was doing a lot of unspooling; the schedule is full of cartoons from the defunct Van Beuren studio.

There’s incomplete information available about W6XAO. The Pasadena Post was the only paper that published a schedule and it was only for daytime broadcasts. Newspapers gave bits and pieces of information about the station’s evening programmes. In fact, one appliance store was open at night to allow people to come in and watch W6XAO broadcast sports. The daytime schedule looked like this:

Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 3:00—Films.
Thursdays, 3:00—Round Table, films.
Saturdays, 5:30—Film, Discussion.

The only exception in May was Tuesday the 28th, when an interview at 2:30 p.m. was added to the schedule, though there are hints in one newspaper story of live programming. Nelson McEdward worked at the station and contributed this on W6XAO’s programming to the “Television” column in the June 1940 edition of International Photographer magazine:

Thomas S. Lee's mobile unit W6XAO has been telecasting the baseball games at the Gilmore Stadium on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with great success. Last Sunday was the only time in our outdoor broadcasts where we had a decent break in the light. On Monday and Friday nights Station W6XAO televises the wrestling and boxing matches at the Legion Stadium. Ray Coffin, W6XAO's talent scout and 24-hour-a-day man, stated that one could see the hair on the legs and very clear facial expressions on the wrestlers as they were throwing each other's noses and ears about the stadium. He was "seeing-in" on the Gilfillan receiver installed at the Brown Derby. Bob Gregory smashed Yukon Jake's face so bad it looked like a raw beefsteak. Gregory is a clean fighter and fine gentleman. I will televise him at W6XAO in a few weeks. Our new 24-inch lens is an added improvement on these telecasts. Dwight Warren and I bumped into Norman Taurog, Hollywood veteran and an old time friend, at the fights the other night and he was very much interested in the telecasting of the matches.
Col. Nix, the kindly 79-year-old gentleman who fired the first shot allowing the settlers new land grants in Oklahoma in the early '70's, was telecasted last night again and is a remarkable character. The members of my staff at W6XAO who so faithfully stay with these telecasts are Dwight Warren, Hatto Tappenbach and John Polito, operative cameramen; Bill Collins and Keva Marcus, assistants. All but Marcus, who is a member of Local 644, are members of Local 659, IATSE. From Local 728, handling studio set lighting, are Tom Fay, Ralph Slater and Eric Wybrow.

In the May issue, McEdward described the technical issues for W6XAO to broadcast matches at the Legion:

The camera was placed in the rear of the stadium up high with the telephoto which covers nearly all the ring. The lights were not bad but Otto K. Olsen is rigging up some more for better results. I will have a telephoto lens about 30 feet from the ring for a close angle, and hope the wrestlers don’t throw each other in my lap as they near did before.

However, with maybe 300 sets in the Los Angeles area at the time, W6XAO didn’t warrant a lot of publicity. The NBC station in America’s biggest city got most of it. Below are listings for W2XBS in New York and selected stories about American television for the month.

WEDNESDAY, May 1, 1940
3:00-5:00—Baseball: N. Y. U. vs. Manhattan, at Ohio Field.
6:45-7:00—News, Lowell Thomas.
8:30-10:30—First anniversary television celebration, with Diosa Costello, dancer; Hildegarde, singer; Gertrude Berg in “The House of Glass,” drama; Pages and Guides minstrel show; fashion show; “Harlem Highlights,” with Avis Andrews and the Berry Brothers; “The Ugly Duckling,” a Walt Disney cartoon, etc.

Television Review
Reviewed Wednesday, 8:30-11 p.m. Style—Variety and dramatic, using live talent and film. Reviewed on RCA television receiver. Station—W2XBS.
On Wednesday (1) NBC presented its Television Birthday Party, occasion being in celebration of one year of regular telecasting. Scheduled for two hours, program lasted two and one-half hours, and talent ranged from bad to very good. Significant thing in the layout was that it held interest fairly well despite its unusual length. Session started with a brief talk by Dr. Alfred H. Morton, NBC vice-president in charge of television, and included a raft of vaude and night club acts, a drama, a cartoon by Walt Disney, ballet dancing, opera singers, a fashion show and a minstrel show presented by the NBC page boys.
Definition and use of camera was generally good on this program, as was the lighting, but sometimes performances ended with a certain flat quality. It’s quite possible that applause would remedy this to a great extent and provide better working conditions for the performers. Comics, particularly, would show up better under such circumstances.
From standpoint of popular appeal, best items in the show were the singers, including Hildegarde, Avis Andrews and Peters Sisters; the Berry Brothers, eccentric dancers; a play by Gertrude Berg, The House of Glass, and Walt Disney’s great cartoon, The Ugly Duckling. Disney opus came over with amazing clarity. The Berg play, too, was particularly well adapted for tele, being written originally for television. It had a small cast, few scenes and its action was kept well within the compass of the camera. A few film clips were cut into the presentation.
Fashion show was given by Frances Hawks, of Franklin Simon, in conjunction with Lentheric, perfume manufacturer. Angle of the tie-up was to mention and show bottles of perfume which complemented certain fashions. Minstrel show by the page-boys was not so good, but one of the admirals.
Casper Kuhn, did a very capable imitation of Waiter Winchell and looked as tho he could do an emsee job.
Emnsee was Ray Perkins, just fair. Ray Forrest announced. Ackerman. (Billboard, May 11)

‘MILESTONE IN TELEVISION’
With Ray Perkins, Alicia Markora, Anton Delia, Avis Andrews, Hildegarde. Gertrude Berg, Annamary Dickey. Leonard Warren, Berry Bros., Peters Sisters, NBC Minstrels.
RCA-NBC, New York.
This lengthy telecast, marking the elapse of one year since regularly scheduled programs began, established pertinent points on how far sight-sound broadcasting has progressed. One angle was that after-dinner speakers, who go across at banquets, often click as well on television. Alfred H. Morton, NBC vice-president for television, proved this, his personal appearance coming through well. Ray Perkins, m.c., clicked nicely with ad libs and piano-ballading as in radio.
Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin, ballet dancers, also gave the favorable side of new medium. Television camera’s ability to shift from one terp artist to the other, move from closeup to distance shots and catch twinkling toes, said much for the improvement over a year ago.
Fashion revue, blatantly a plug for a N. Y. women’s store and a perfume concern, illustrated a weakness of telecasting to date—dull movement of models with a fashion stylist reading equally dull patter. Hint here, too, of how obnoxious commercial plugs might become when television is commercialized.
Negro entertainment, introduced by Avis Andrews of Kit Kat Club, revealed the future need for careful pruning of performer time. Miss Andrews, admittedly good in her first song, could have trimmed her second and eliminated the third. Same true of Berry Brothers, three eccentric dancers, Three Peters Sisters had the identical failing — too much. Clyde Hart, pianist, did one specialty.
Annamary Dickey and Leonard Warren two younger members of the Met Opera, in contrast, offered their pet songs and bowed off. Edward Johnson, director of the Met association, introduced pair.
‘The Ugly Duckling,’ prize winning Walt Disney short. Showed that cartoons may have a future. Line drawings were more impressive than some live talent on show.
Hildegarde not only proved photogenically perfect for television but her personality went as well as at a swank hotel.
Production of ‘House of Glass’ sketch, prepared particularly for television, indicated what might be accomplished with radio serials when sight-sound broadcasting becomes general. Gertrude Berg’s playlet registered Impressively as it had done in the past on airway programs.
Minstrel show of NBC pages and guides sized up well considering amateur talent. Wear. (Billboard, May 15)

NEW YORK, April 27.—National Broadcasting Co. is preparing a television production, titled “21 Men and a Girl.”
Understood the production will use NBC page boys as singers, and breaks in May 1.
Marcia Harris, vaude singer and dancer, will be the girl, Joining the May 13 program from the studio and the May 10 program from the stage of the Ritz Theater. (Billboard, May 4)

THURSDAY, May 2, 1940
3:30—“Oriental Odyssey,” film travelogue.
4:00—“Pleasure Time,” film musical with Fred Waring Pennsylvanians.
4:20—“Let’s See America,” film travelogue, and/or “The Burning of Canton,” Chinese war film.
6:45-7:00—News, Lowell Thomas.
8:30-9:30—“Out of the Kaleidoscope,” variety hour, with Helen Morgan, songs; Frank Eliscu in “You’re an Artist”; Senor Wences, novelty act; Poldi Mildner, piano; “Maid of Cotton,” interview, and Geraldine and Joe, comedy dancers.

FRIDAY, May 3, 1940
3:30—“The Last of the Mohicans,” film serial, episode II.
3:50—“Tiger, Tiger,” animal hunt film.
4:00—“Let’s Sing,” musical film.
4:10—“Willie, the Worm,” 1938 film cartoon.
4:15—“Master of the Camera,” film on Edward Steichen’s methods.
4:25—“Springtime in Australia,” film travelogue.
8:30—Esso Television reporter.
8:45—”The Artist as Reporter,” with John Sloane, artist.
9:00-11:00—Boxing, Buddy Baer-Nathan Mann, Madison Square Garden. Jack Fraser announcer. Sponsored program.

SATURDAY, May 4, 1940
3:30-5:30—Baseball: Fordham vs. Villanova, at Fordham Field.
7:30-9:50—“The Bat Whispers,” 1930 United Artists mystery film with Chester Morris, Una Merkel.

The Chicago office of the National Broadcasting company yesterday announced a new American record for long distance television reception. Images flashed from station W2XBS, atop the Empire State building in New York City, were picked up at the NBC office here, 717 air miles distant, on Thursday night [2].
“After a few moments of unrecognizable patterns on the receiver screen,” the broadcasting company said, “the image cleared. The sound portion of the program was very good, but the image gradually faded. Both sound and image completely disappeared after 16 minutes altho the program continued in New York for 11 more minutes.” (Chicago Tribune, May 4)

SUNDAY, May 5, 1940
3:30-4:35—Film, “Cipher Bureau.” with Leon Ames and Charlotte Winters.
8:30-9:30—Comedy, “Three Wise Fools,” by Austin Strong, with Percy Kilbride, Stephen Courtleigh, James Craven and Betty Furness.

At least 3,000 television sets are “looking in” on the New York air, according to the National Broadcasting Company. As the basis of count, it is pointed out that 2,000 program cards are mailed weekly to homes equipped with tele-radios. It is believed that this mailing list reaches from one-half to two-thirds of the set owners. In addition cards are mailed to 110 restaurants and taverns which have television sets in the New York area served by the telecasts from the Empire State Building’s aerial. (Times, May 5)

TUESDAY, May 7, 1940
For the first time in history, actual scenes of a motion picture company making a production were televised last over Station W6XAO under the supervision of Thomas S. Lee, head of the Lee Broadcasting System, from RKO studio.
Subjects chosen for the initial picture—making telecast were two sequences from “Dreaming Out Loud,” which Jack Votion and Sam Coslow are producing for RKO with Lum and Abner, Irving Bacon and Bobs Watson [sic] appearing. As a standard sound camera photographed the regular takes, twin telecameras were used to transmit the complete record of preliminary dressing activity, rehearsals and okayed shots to 1100 television receiving sets within a 35-mile radius of W6XAO. A wide angle unit of the television twins picked up the general action while, for the close-ups, a telephoto unit was used.
A dipper-shaped cathode-ray tube in the television camera head changed the light into sound and shot the impulses by cable to a ten-foot antenna atop the highest building on the lot to the base transmitter at Seventh and Bixel streets.
While noise interference created by the curious crowd of spectators present on the stage hampered sound reproduction, immediate reproduction of the screens shot were sharply and clearly reflected on miniature glass screens in the rear of the camera auxiliaries.
Telephone reports coming in both to RKO studio and the W6XAO offices indicated that viewers of the television version were highly pleased with what they had seen.
Through the courtesy of Votion, Coslow and Lee, a special showing of the broadcast was presented at the Hollywood Brown Derby on an 8½ by 9½ inch screen. Here the results proved to be only fair, but gave assurances that, with better transmission of sound and images in future tests, practical television may not be such a long way off. (Hollywood Reporter, May 8)

ACTUAL scenes of a motion picture company making a production were televised May 7, 8:30-9:30 p. m. over W6XAO, under supervision of Thomas S. Lee, president of Don Lee Broadcasting System, Los Angeles, from the RKO studios in Hollywood. Subjects chosen for the initial picture-making telecast were two sequences from “Dreaming Out Loud,” which Voco Productions is producing with Lum & Abner, Irving Bacon, Bob Watson and Sheilah Sheldon.
As a standard sound camera photographed regular takes, twin telecameras were used to transmit the complete record of preliminary dressing activity, rehearsals and okayed shots to 1,100 television receiving sets within a 35-mile radius of W6XAO. A wide-angle unit of the television twin cameras picked up the general action, while, for closeups, a telephoto unit was used.
A dipper shaped cathode-ray tube in the television camera head converted the light waves and shot the impulses by cable to a 10-foot antenna atop the highest building on the RKO studio lot to the base transmitter of W6XAO in downtown Los Angeles, six miles away.
While noise interference created by the crowd of spectators present on the stage hampered sound re-production, immediate television reproduction of the scenes shot were sharply and clearly reflected on miniature glass screens in the rear of the camera auxiliaries. (Broadcasting, May 15)

RCA’s new system of large-screen television was given its first public demonstration May 7 at the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting, held in one of the larger NBC studios and attended by some 400 persons. Program, featuring stars of opera, symphony, stage and radio, was projected by a laboratory model instrument on an ordinary moving picture screen, producing images 4½ x 6 feet in size that were comparable to home television reception in quality.
Asked why the increase in size did not cause a diffusion in the images, which were broadcast on the RMA standard of 441-line definition, comparable to the diffusion that accompanies magnification of a half-tone reproduction, RCA engineers explained that as the size of the image was increased, the size of the spot made by the beam of electrons scanning the picture was also increased, with the result that the large-screen pictures were as good as the smaller images viewed on a regular home receiver, with the scanning lines just as invisible. Too much increase in the size of the scanning spot would cause a loss of definition in the image, it was explained, but experiment located the happy medium at which no lines are visible nor is there any decrease in definition.
How It Is Done
While the unit was built as an intermediate step in developing apparatus for projection of larger images, suitable for use in motion picture theatres, the present size has “interesting possibilities for use in clubs, schools and other similar places where the viewing group numbers from 100 to 150 persons,” RCA reports. There are no immediate plans for marketing this apparatus, it was stated, and from a year to 18 months would be required for its commercial development.
Projection optics of extremely wide aperture, a kinescope capable of high-voltage operation, using 56,000 volts as compared with the 6,000 or 7,000 volts used by the kinescope in an ordinary home receiver, and apparatus suited to those conditions are said to be the basic elements of the new system. The image on the face of the kinescope, where it measures only 2.4 by 3.2 inches, faces not toward the screen but in the opposite direction, being thrown upon a concave mirror surface 16 inches in diameter. The mirror collects the strong light from the kinescope and magnifies the image 22½ times; the magnified image is then projected back through a glass lens surrounding the neck of the kinescope and thence 20 feet through space to the screen.
Signals are received at the Kinescope either through the air as broadcast or by direct wire line. Both methods were employed during the demonstration, with no noticeable difference in the resultant images on the screen. (Broadcasting, May 15)

New York. — Stating that it has arranged with a group of theatres (not named) on the Pacific coast to reproduce television programs, the Don Lee System, owner of W6XAO, has filed a brief with the FCC asking immediate full commercialization of the new entertainment. The brief states that the arrangement with the theatres was made as a result of the FCC order of February 29 allowing limited commercialization an order that was later rescinded.
The brief states that the arrangement with the theatres will permit a program expenditure of from $18,000 to $20,000 a week and that the programs would be available to all television receivers as well as those in the theatres. Also, Lee’s brief says several advertisers are willing to use the new method. There are understood to be between 300 and 400 receiving sets in the Los Angeles area, and the brief contends that this number could easily be increased to 10,000 within a short time if the plea is granted. (Hollywood Reporter, May 7)

WASHINGTON, May 7—Front row spectators at the 1940 Republican National convention at Philadelphia beginning on June 24 wall be the television cameras of both the National Broadcasting Co. and the Philco Radio & Television Corp. This will mark the first time in history that national political convention has been televised. Companies involved in the television operation estimate that about 43,000 persons will be able to look in on the proceedings. (Wall Street Journal)

WEDNESDAY, May 8, 1940.
3:30—“Norwegian Sketches,” travelogue.
3:40—“Mother Melodies,” film.
3:45—“Screw Drivers of 1940,” Roland Reed film for Shell, with Lew Lehr and Don Wilson.
4:05—“The King’s Stamp,” film.
4:25—“See America,” travelogue.
6:45-7:00—News, Lowell Thomas.
8:30-9:30—Midweek Varieties, with Eleanor French, songs; “Joe and Mary’s Place,” dramatic sketch, and a fashion revue.

Clarence Brown will be interviewed by Ray Coffin over Don Lee’s Mutual Television broadcast, May 8th, on “Edison the Man.” (Hollywood Reporter, May 1)

In a telecast, or television broadcast, with this reporter Wednesday night [8] over station W6XAO, [Jack] MacKenzie [of Hollywood Park] scorched Kentucky racing officials who turned thumbs down on the new electrical gate for starting the Kentucky derby.
“If the gate is good enough for any race at all,” was the way Jack put it, “It is good enough for the derby, too. ...
Incidentally, Mr. M. has made arrangements with Phil Schaffer of W6XAO to telecast the feature race every Saturday from Inglewood. You’ll see the horses and hear the crowd as the field parades from the paddock to the post; you’ll see and hear the start and the entire run through the stretch, which can be shown through wide range lens.
On the day of the Gold cup, station W6XAO will outdo itself.
Movies will be taken of every step, or jump, of the race in the afternoon, and telecast throughout the city only a few hours later. (Los Angeles Daily News, Bob Hebert, May 10 column)

THURSDAY, May 9, 1940
3:30-4:30—Preview of racing season, Belmont Park.
6:45-7:00—News, Lowell Thomas.
8:30-9:30—Finals of Miss RCA Television beauty contest.

Television Review
Reviewed Thursday, 8:30-9:30 p.m. Style— Interview. Reviewed on RCA Television Receiver. Station—W2XBS.
Thursday studio presentation consisted of a batch of interviews by Alan Kent, and constituted the final session of a contest to choose Miss RCA Television for the RCA exhibit at the World’s Fair.
The girls, most of them pretty, came on and were quizzed as to where they came from, what they did, their ambitions, etc. Some of them had talent of a sort—either dramatic or musical—and these wound up their session with Kent by emoting, playing piano, etc.
This type of presentation offered none of the technical problems encountered in either a variety or dramatic program, but it did indicate that the tele camera will not be particularly kind to persons submitting to interviews over the new medium. Owing to terrific intimacy of television, it became apparent quickly that most of the girls interviewed we’re posing and striving for effect. This would not be nearly so noticeable over radio, but the tele camera reveals it brutally, and those who go before it for such a purpose will be vulnerable to adverse audience reaction on this account [sic].
Prom the standpoint of make-up, the NBC producers have advanced measurably in the last year—so much so that a pretty girl will usually look pretty over television. This was not so a year ago. But make-up can still be improved. Emsee Kent, hemmed in by a continuous succession of femmes, handled his assignmnt with grace and wit. Voting to pick Miss RCA Television is done by the tele audience. Among those considered on this program were Helen Jemison, Carol Joyce, Janice Holter, Martha English, Helen Harmon, Patricia Fitzgerald. Mabel Ellis, Nancy Clarke and others. Ackerman. (Billboard, May 18)

FRIDAY, May 10, 1940
3:30—Selections from films, “Casamiento en Buenos Aires” and “Gente Bien.”
3:40-4:45—Film, “Mystery in Swing,” with a Negro cast.
6:45-7:00—News. Lowell Thomas.
8:30—Esso Television Reporter.
8:45—Collectors’ Corner, with Joan Atkinson.
9:00-11:00—Wrestling in Jamaica Arena.

Through arrangements completed today by managing director F. D. McDonald Jr., an outstanding feature of the third annual Southern California Home show which opens at the Pan Pacific auditorium on May 25 for a 12 day run, will be daily television receptions.
Each night during the engagement of the home show, three of the latest television receiving sets will pick up broadcasts of various events. Each set will be the product of a different manufacturer, which will furnish an interesting demonstration for all those interested in television.
Arrangements are also under way to have portions of the show televised from the Pan Pacific auditorium.
On Tuesday and Saturday afternoons during the home show there will be a one hour program, while the evening exhibitions will encompass demonstrations from the boxing and wrestling matches at the Hollywood American Legion stadium to the televising of motion pictures. The nightly exhibitions will start at 8:15 while the afternoon demonstrations will run from 3 to 4 o’clock.
Exhibits in this year’s home show will occupy 10,000 square feet more than the 1939 exposition. (LA Daily News, May 10)

With nationally-advertised appliances filling every available inch of space, beautiful Leimert Park Appliance company will stage its grand opening today and tomorrow at 3351 West Forty-third- place, in the Leimert Theater building. ...
Feature of Leimert Park Appliance Is the huge television theater, which is open to the public every evening between 8 and 9:30. Wrestling matches from Hollywood Legion stadium may be seen every Monday night, while plays and similar broadcasts are visible on other evenings. (LA Southwest Wave, May 10)

SATURDAY, May 11, 1940
2:30-4:00—Opening of the New York World’s Fair.
8:30—”Crisis in the Pacific,” a March of Time film.
8:50-10:00—“Panama Patrol,” mystery film with Leon Ames.

The National Broadcasting Company televised the formal ceremonies of the opening of the New York World’s Fair yesterday [11] in the Court of Peace, thereby bringing a reproduction of the event to possibly 3,000 homes in the metropolitan area, where television sets are now distributed.
Preceding speeches by the chief executives of the Fair, city and state, a milling throng was shown as it jammed its way into the court, recalling the crowds that gathered by the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of England to the Fair last summer. At the Fair the program was picked up both in the Radio Corporation of America exhibit, which will be opened to the public May 18, and in the General Electric building.
The sight of Kate Smith, star of radio and screen, as she greeted the throng from a ribbon-decorated rostrum before singing “God Save America,” [sic] and of Mayor F. H. La Guardia as he gesticulated during his speech, did much to bring home the value of the visual recording.
The most telegenic members of the gathering, however, were Mrs. Sara Delano Roosevelt, mother of the President, and Mrs. Herbert H. Lehman, both of whom wore white flowered hats. Through the use of an orthicon tube, not in use at the Fair last year, shadows were largely eliminated from the devised image. Most of the time reproduction was clear enough to permit the reading of the letters on the radio microphones in front of the speakers. (Herald Tribune, May 12)

The opening ceremonies of the 1940 N. Y. World’s Fair provided Saturday afternoon’s broadcasting highlight (WJZ, WNYC, WOV-3). Governor Lehman, Mayor LaGuardia, Finnish Commissioner General Y. A. Palheimo, Harvey Gibson, Grover Whalen, Kate Smith and many others passed before the microphones and the NBC television cameras in the Court of Peace.
The telecasting of the ceremonies was extremely helpful (W2XBS—2:30 to 4). Kate Smith, perched high on her own platform, drew a long round of applause from the spectators before she formally opened the fair by singing “God Bless America.” A great popular favorite, Kate. One amusing trick effect of the cameras resulted from the presence of a woman seated a few rows behind the speakers’ stand, wearing a hat with a huge, white turned-up brim. This seemed to invest each of the orators with a halo.
The television camera emphasized another point: How little attention many of the invited guests really give to the speeches of the various dignitaries. A number of those seen by this listener were having a good time gossiping among themselves, while the speakers held forth. With picture broadcasting to the fore, there will have to be a new etiquette for public gatherings. (Daily News, Ben Gross column)

SUNDAY, May 12, 1940
3:30-4:40—“The Mother,” film.
3:40—“The Lady in Scarlet,” 1935 film mystery with Reginald Denny.
8:30-9:30—Play, “Mrs. Moonlight,” by Benn Levy, with Frances Reid, Dennis Hoey, Frieda Altman and Barbara Robins.

MONDAY, May 13, 1940
2:00-5:00—Racing, opening day at Belmont Park—the Fashion Stakes and the Toboggan Handicap.

Television cameras have turned to new sports prey. Having spied on wrestlers, fighters, ball players and hockey stars, the energetic camera eyes are now focusing on the ponies. Yesterday, at Belmont’s get away day, the races were caught by television. Clem McCarthy, leather-tongued, syllable-spouting sports commentator, and announcer Ray Forrest combined their talents for the seeing and hearing. A fashion parade lent a feminine touch to the proceedings as trim, dreamy-eyed girls paraded to the style post. The ladies and the ponies are a sure-fire parlay. Too bad the camera pickups weren’t sharper, but it was interesting listening and looking. (Daily News, Ben Gross column, May 14)

TUESDAY, May 14, 1940
3:30—“The Last of the Mohicans,” film.
3:50—“Hinterland Trout,” film.
4:00—“Evolution,” educational film.
4:25—“Let’s See America,” film.
6:45-7:00—News, Lowell Thomas.
9:00-10:00—NBC Pages and Guides Minstrel Show.

WEDNESDAY, May 15, 1940
3:30—“The Office Boy,” 1930 Van Beuren film cartoon.
3:40—“The Idaho Kid,” Western film.
6:45-7:00—Sunoco News, Lowell Thomas.
9:00-10:00—Midweek Varieties, with Paul Wing’s spelling bee; Richard Van Calio, the one-man band; Mr. America.

Television Review
Reviewed Wednesday, 9-10 p.m. Style—Variety. Reviewed on RCA Television Receiver. Station—W2XBS.
Wednesday’s studio program was made up of a number of very diverse elements, and the novelty of the acts presented gave show some experimental value. Judging on the basis of entertainment, it was not as effective as a more orthodox variety layout—but at this stage of the game it is obviously desirable for producers to take a crack at as many types of presentation as possible.
Session included talks by Ruth and Helen Hoffman, explorers and writers; a display of weight-lifting by Sigmund Klein and a bevy of lads with thick necks and wonderful muscles; a one-man band, namely, Richard Van Callio, and Paul Wing’s Spelling Bee.
Hoffman girls, twins, spoke of their experiences in Oriental countries, telling of sheiks, harems and details of life among the Bedouins. During the talk they donned native costume and sat on the floor and smoked water pipes. It was of fair interest, but there was come artificiality in the method of presentation—a method requiring one of the girls to cut in on the other to bandy the conversation back and forth. Listener began to wonder at exactly what point the interruption would come.
Sigmund Klein and his mighty men deuced. Klein’s men were Frank Light, Bob Harley and Johnny Davis. While these lads startled the yokels with their muscular development. Klein gave a quite pedantic discourse on the art of weight-lifting. Later proved he was not merely a talker by doing some fancy stuff himself.
Richard Van Callo played a few numbers calling for the use of sonic 13 instruments. This is a musical feat, but not particularly entertaining. During one of the numbers he was accompanied by a very’ robust-appearing vocalist who also sang.
Wing’s spelling bee had eight contestants, chosen from the television audience. Three winners were presented with dictionaries which they’ can very well use. Most of the people participating appeared so completely negative that they were interesting only from the comedy angle. Their faces assumed the aspect of frozen etchings, some smiling and some deathly grim. Wing carries on very capably.
Definition was good. Ackerman. (Billboard, May 25)

Mrs. John S. Merritt of 9 Leffingwell Place, who claims to be the city’s first participant in a television broadcast, appeared last night [15] on Paul Wing’s spelling bee televised by NBC from their studios in New York.
Friends and relatives, who were gathered about the Merritt home, waited anxiously for Mrs. Merritt’s appearance.
She came on and the announcer asked her to spell “yoicks.”
Mrs. Merritt hesitated a bit and then answered “y-o-i-c-k-e-s.” She got the “gong.”
“I’d never seen or heard the word before,” she said today. Yoicks is an exclamation used to urge foxhounds in a chase.
It was Mrs. Merritt’s first venture in radio or television—and “undoubtedly my last,” she said. (New Rochelle Standard-Star, May 16)

ACCORDING to a survey of radio dealers in the metropolitan New York area, conducted by Radio Today magazine, at least 100 television sets are now being sold each week. Dr. O. H. Caldwell, editor of the magazine and former Federal Radio Commissioner, pointed out that despite the FCC’s recent cautionary statements regarding the new art, which caused a temporary drop to about 10 television set sales a week, purchases resumed “as rapidly as the public discovered that entertaining television pictures were still on the air”. Dealers estimated during the Radio Today survey that as soon as full-commercial television is available, with CBS joining NBC in regular transmission, they expect to increase present sales five-fold—about 500 sets a week or 25,000 sets a year in the New York area. With the public “unmistakably demanding television”, Dr. Caldwell estimated that extension of service to Boston, Hartford, Philadelphia, Schenectady and Washington, set sales would increase to over 50,000 yearly, representing sales of more than $15,000,000. (Broadcasting, May 15)

In cooperation with Tom Lee, president of the Don Lee Broadcasting System, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel inaugurated television programs in its Cinegrill Thursday evening. Programs will be broadcast twice daily. (Hollywood Reporter, May 15)

THURSDAY, May 16, 1940
3:15-5:00—Edison Pageant of Progress Parade, at Orange, N. J.
6:15-7:00—Sunoco News, Lowell Thomas.
8:30—Opening night of film “Edison, the Man,” at the Hollywood Theatre, Orange. N. J.
9:15-9:35—“Crisis in the Pacific,” a March of Time film.

Television Images flashed from Station W2XBS, atop the Empire State Building, were picked up 234 land miles at sea aboard the liner President Roosevelt Wednesday night [16], establishing an American distance record for shore-to-ship television reception, it was announced yesterday by the National Broadcasting Company. Engineers who arrived here yesterday aboard the vessel from Bermuda said the scenes were tuned in for a full hour without fading or distortion, as usually happened in other long distance pick-ups. ‘While it is true images have been received in unusual instances over long distance, the record Wednesday, with respect to clarity, constitutes the greatest distance for good reception,” it was said. (New York Times, May 17)

Elsa Lanchester (Mrs. Charles Laughton) has been set by the Don Lee-Mutual network to appear over station W6XAO, Mutual’s television station, in a dramatic presentation tomorrow night [16] at 8 o’clock. (Hollywood Reporter)

FRIDAY, May 17, 1940
3:30—“Recovery Road,” film.
3:40—“Blind Justice,” film with Eva Moore, Frank Vosper, John Stuart.
6:45-7:00—Sunoco News, Lowell Thomas.
8:45—Esso Television reporter.
9:00-11:00—Wrestling, at the Jamaica Arena.

SATURDAY, May 18, 1940
2:00-5:00—Racing, at Belmont Park—The Withers.
9:00-10:00—Play, “We’ll Take the High Road,” drama by Leslie W. McLeod, with William Podmore, Frances Fuller, Edgar Kent, Maurice Wells.

SUNDAY, May 19, 1940
Television had a prominent part in the “I Am An American” national broadcast May 19. A feature of the all-star show was the skit entitled “We Are Americans,” written by Rupert Hughes and billing Lewis Stone, Hedda Hopper, Marjorie Rambeau, Mickey Rooney, Rosemary Lane and Jane Wyman.
This portion of the program was televised, simultaneously with the radio broadcast, by Thomas S. Lee’s W6XAO, the only television station in the entire eleven states west of Kansas City. (International Photographer, June 1940)

Frequency modulation, a type of radio transmission and reception which eliminates static and gives near—perfect, clarity in voice—tone and music, progressed from the experimental to the commercial stage yesterday [19], through an announcement from the Federal Communications Commission that forty air channels had been made available to an unlimited number of station for use of the new method.
Describing frequency modulation (FM) as “one of the most significant contributions to radio in recent years,” the F. C. C. said in its announcement in Washington that FM would be assigned to forty channels, each 200 kilocycles wide, in the 42-to-50 megacycle band. Thirty-five channels will be for commercial and five for non-commercial, educational stations.
An indirect and immediate result of the F. C. C. announcement is that television station W2XBS, operated by the National Broadcasting Company, will have to shift to a new air channel. Its present channel is included in the wave band assigned yesterday to FM.
During a hearing in Washington last March the N. B. C. and its parent, the Radio Corporation of America, fought assignment or its channel to FM. contending that switching to another channel would cost $100,000 and put its station off the air for four months. Pending perusal of the F. C. C. announcement, N. B. C. officials withheld comment last night, but Maj. Edwin H. Armstrong, inventor of FM, has agreed to pay the bill. As part of the adjustment making room for FM on the air, the F. C. C. discontinued television service in channels No. 1 and 8. Respectively, these had been used by N. B. C. and the government. The former channel No. 2 will become No. 1 and a new No. 2 will be created, assigned from 50,000 to 66,000 kilocycles. (News Tribune, May 20)

TUESDAY, May 21, 1940
2:30—Test Pattern, Sound Transmission.
3:30-4:30—Film, “Murder at Midnight.”
4:30—Test Pattern, Sound Transmission.
6:45-7:00—News bulletins.
7:00—Test Pattern, Sound Transmission.
9:00-10:00—Variety show: Mrs. Carveth Wells presenting an illustrated lecture on travel in Mexico and Panama; Moore and Revel, dance team; James McCall, impersonator; Marionettes.

WEDNESDAY, May 22, 1940
3:30—“Frozen Frolics,” 1930 Van Beuren film cartoon.
3:40—“Let’s See America,” film; “The Last of the Mohicans,” film serial.
4:04—“American Portrait.”
6:45-7:00—Lowell Thomas, news.
7:00-7:10—Film, “More Power to You.”
9:00—“Jungle Jazz,” an Aesop fable, 1930.
9:08—“Torpedoed,” with Noah Beery.

Daily television programs at Griffith observatory are attracting interest, M. K. Baughman, chief engineer of the observatory, reported yesterday [22].
WPA workers assigned to the observatory installed a television receiving set which is proving an outstanding drawing card so far as the public is concerned in connection with This Work Pays Your Community week, being observed by sponsors of WPA white collar projects. (Los Angeles Daily News, May 23)

THURSDAY, May 23, 1940
3:30—“Long Road,” film short.
3:38—“Law and Lead,” Western film with Rex Bell.
6:45-7:00—Lowell Thomas, news.
9:00-10:00—Sketch, “The Old Book Shop,” with Simpson Boys [Arthur Allen and Parker Fennelly]; Joan Hardy’s French lesson; Michael Bartlett, songs; Your American Army—Captain Edwin Glavin.

Television Review
Reviewed Thursday, 9-10:10 p.m. Style—Variety. Reviewed on RCA Television Receiver. Station—W2XBS, New York.
NBC has presented much better television programs than this one. Thursday’s session, however, indicated forcefully and concretely to what extent the medium might be used for propaganda and educational purposes.
Specific instances were a talk by Capt. Edwin Glavin, titled Your American Army, and a lesson in French conducted by Joan Hardy.
Glavin used maps and posters to illustrate his spiel, and then had various army officers conduct an interview with a man who, for program purposes, was trying to join the army. Propaganda value was nothing short of terrific.
Suffice to say, this particular item ended with the American flag waving on the tele screen and appropriate patriotic music on the sound track.
Miss Hardy’s French lesson was conducted with Ray Forrest, tele announcer, as the pupil. Scene was the Stork Club, where Miss Hardy showed Forrest how to order a French meal. She described the dishes on the menu, had Forrest practice pronunciation, etc. It was of undeniable interest and indicates an educational medium of vast possibilities.
Program opened with a hayseed serial drama, of passing interest, and included some three or four operatic numbers, spotted at different intervals and very well sung by Vivian Della Chiesa. Garcia-Overlin fight concluded.
Definition and camera good this session. Ackerman. (Billboard, June 8)

HOLLYWOOD—The Lehman Trio, children’s ensemble on the air here many times last winter and who made many appearances before civic clubs, returned to Amarillo last night [23] from Hollywood where they recently completed a television picture.
They were the first child entertainers signed for television performance and made a two-hour picture at which Don Wilson, announcer of the Jack Benny program, officiated as master of ceremonies.
The performance was broadcast for television by state [station] W6XAO.
The group will be in Amarillo for several weeks. (Amarillo Globe, May 24)

FRIDAY, May 24, 1940
3:30—“Toy Town Tale,” film cartoon.
3:40—“A Fire Has Been Arranged,” comedy film.
6:45-7:00—News, Clem McCarthy.
8:45-9:00—Esso Television reporter.
9:00-11:00—Wrestling, at the Jamaica Arena.

SATURDAY, May 25, 1940
2:00-5:00—Racing, at Belmont Park—The Metropolitan Handicap.
9:00-10:00—Drama, “The Barker,” by Kenyon Nicholson, with Len Doyle, John Craven, Ann Thomas and Judy Parish.

MONDAY, May 27, 1940 Washington, D. C., May 27.—The Federal Communications commission tonight announced that commercialization of television will not be permitted so long as the industry is in disagreement over transmission standards. By making the announcement the FCC stood by its controversial decision halting commercialization of television, but attempted to place the responsibility for its action on the industry itself.
At the same time, the commission moved to create a loophole by which it can escape from its position against the development of television. It announced that it is prepared to approve full commercialization of the invention as soon as the industry is prepared to approve any one of the present competing television systems.
Promises More Licenses.
To this end, the commission said, it stands ready to license applicants to carry on further comparative experiments on the different systems. It added that cities under consideration for allotment of these licenses. In addition to New York, include Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, Albany, Cincinnati, and Boston.
The commission stand on commercialization of television came about as follows: It issued an order permitting limited commercialization of television beginning next Sept. 1. Then, last April, it suspended this order because it did not approve of the methods by which television sets were being offered for sale by the Radio Corporation of America.
The FCC said it feared the buyers of the first sets offered would lose their money because the newer sets would make their sets obsolete. This assertion brought a storm of criticism. It was charged that the FCC was standing in the way of progress and inventive genius.
Holds Others Don’t Back RCA.
In defense of the latter order, the commission said today:
“In the television field a major portion of the industry takes the view that successful promotional activities at this time can act only as an anchor on experimental efforts to go forward.
“Premature crystalization of standards removes the incentive for technical research toward higher 1evels of efficiency.
“It is obvious that the industry as a whole does not share the RCA view of forging ahead regardless of the untested possibility of improvements on the horizon. It further appears that the industry was not prepared to accept Sarnoff’s [David Sarnoff, president of RCA] promise of ‘We 1ive on obsolescence’ as a basis for justifying a heavy public investment at current of efficiency. (Chicago Tribune)

Leonia Players Guild, with its recent mystery farce, “One Mad Night,” will feature in the first experimental television comedy drama presented by Philco’s Philadelphia studios. June 15 is the tentative date set for the production which will hive the entire original cast which played in Leonia recently at the High School.
George H. H. Lamb of Leonia, who directed the show locally, was invited by the Philadelphia studios to strike his production there for the experiment. Recently while in Philadelphia, Lamb was on television himself with a comedy monologue, the first of its kind the studíos had broadcast.
It was because of this contact that the Leonia group of players was invited. (Bergen Evening Record, May 27)

ASCAP yesterday [27] issued its first television license in the country to the Brown Derby in Hollywood, the only restaurant in town with receiving equipment.
While the Society’s jurisdiction over broadcast music has been included to cover television for some time past, this is the first instance where it has invoked its right, and will probably become the forerunner of a national move to cover television spots. (Hollywood Reporter)

April 1940

It was a battle that wouldn’t end for more than a year.

The F.C.C. was concerned RCA was manoeuvering to impose its 441-line transmission standard by selling TV sets that didn’t pick up a higher resolution, the one that DuMont was all set to go ahead with.

It put off plans to allow commercial television—ad revenue companies like NBC said it needed.

The Commission held more hearings in April 1940 into the situation. Even President Roosevelt weighed in, saying he would not permit a monopoly in television broadcasting.

It’s very rhetorical and ho-hum, so we’re only posting an opening day story here. The rest of the post is taken up by listings and highlights, as well as a couple of feature stories.

Quite nicely, the Pasadena Post published the schedule for W6XAO. Unfortunately, it didn’t print any radio/TV listening for after 6 p.m., when the Los Angeles station broadcast its live shows. One featured June Foray. She got a good review.

Tuesday, April 2, 1940
W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
3:00-4:00—Films.

Wednesday, April 3, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
4:00—Baseball, Columbia vs. C.C.N.Y., at Baker Field.
6:45-7:00—Lowell Thomas, news, sponsored by Sun Oil.
8:30—Debate: Columbia University vs. Bucknell University. Resolved: The Dust Bowl Situation Requires that the United States Take Extraordinary Measures for Its Improvement.
9:00—Spinning Wheel Singers.
9:10—Chekhov’s “A Marriage Proposal,” studio play.
9:30-9:40—Esso Television Reporter.

W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
3:00-4:00—Films.

Television Review
“W6XAO Variety Show”
Reviewed Wednesday [3], 7:30-8:30 p.m. Style — Variety. Station — W6XAO.
Don Lee network corraled a nice bunch of live talent for this show, with 19 people getting the call before the final curtain. One handicap artists have to cope with is working with recorded music because of union ruling that all live talent get union scale.
Opening had the Lee Sisters, in Spanish costumes, playing accordions. Adequate curtain raiser.
Max Reinhardt’s Players delivered some good stuff in Berry Kroger’s The Wall, Mel Williamson directing. Betsay Reed and Valla Tognetta took the top spots, supported by Alma Ray, Miki Dworman and Ken Snyder.
Chuck Thorndike, cartoonist and publisher of a book on “doodles,” drew most of the laughs. His caricature of emsee Hugh Brundage backfired when Brundage turned the tables by proving himself a cartoonist in his own right. Thorndike’s best crack was “Doodles are pixies of the subconscious mind.”
June Foray, who is a regular on KECA with her kid stories, did a monolog entitled Lady Tilbury Entertaining With Hay Fever. A good-looker, Miss Foray is a definite personality for tele.
Second half of show, emseed by Bill Gordon, got off to a bad start with Suzanne Duller, French warbler trying to synchronize her voice with recording.
She finally wound up doing okeh.
Juanita Wright delivered a monolog of a prospective bride in the boudoir just before the ceremony. Her mugging makes her a good television subject.
Barron and Blair, terp team, topped the show with their exhibition of ballroom technique. Their stuff brought some action into the show.
Jim Moran wound up with his Jim Douglas-Fred Waring stunt about seeing which sun gives the most tan—Florida or California. He exhibited his mask to show how he protects one side of his face from the sun while exposing the other. Some short spots were handled by Ollie MacDonald, Dr. George Cox, George Rowland and Jerry Corbeil.
One bad feature of show was lack of good closeups. In case of Juanita Wright, close shots could have been worked to decided advantage. Operators apparently decided that three-quarter and distance shots were good enough. However lighting was good and pictures were clear. (Hollywood Reporter, Apr. 6)

Thursday, April 4, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:30—“Circus Days,” film.
3:40—“Washington and Cherry Blossoms,” film travelogue.
3:50—“Sport of Fencing,” sports film.
4:00—“Shakespeare,” film travelogue.
4:10—“Air For G String,” musical film.
4:20—“Western Whoopee,” 1930 Aesop Fable cartoon (animation to right by Jim Tyer).
6:45—Lowell Thomas, news.
8:30—“Our Daily Bread,” 1934 film with Karen Morley.
8:40—N.B.C. Pages and Guides.

W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
3:00-4:00—Round Table, Films.

The NBC Guides and Pages staged another variety show for television station W2XBS last night (8:50-9:30). These youngsters, although amateurs, again offered one of the sprightliest entertainments I’ve seen and heard over my picture set. In fact, their aggregate talent compares favorably with that of a group of professionals. Especially good, was the Walter Winchellian master of ceremonies. If Walter wants to see himself, let him get an eyeful of this lad . . . Speaking of television, I notice that the sponsored telecast news period aired on Wednesday night had adopted practically every suggestion for improvement made by this column. And even though I blush with becoming modesty, I must admit that this period is far more interesting now than it was before. (Daily News, Ben Gross radio column)

Friday, April 5, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:30—“Stone Age Romance,” film cartoon.
3:40—“Texas Gun Fighter,” film feature.
6:45—Lowell Thomas, news.
8:30—“Ode to Liberty,” comedy drama with Mady Christians, Walter Slezak, others.

Television Review
MADY CHRISTMAS “Ode to Liberty,’ with Walter Slezak, Henry Edwards, Katherine Stewart, Judson Laire, Edward Franz, Alfred Hesse, Boris Marshalov, Çolin Hunter.
70 mins.
Friday, 8:30 p.m. RCA-NBC, New York
This may be another case of whether or not television will require an acting technique all its own. Experienced legit players in this instance were so loud it was close to old-time meller in effect. It could not escape danger of the audience laughing at the players, not with them.
‘Ode to Liberty’ as a television vehicle did not surmount the shortcomings of Gilbert Miller’s presentation, starring Ina Claire, during a two-month run on Broadway in 1935-36. As was pointed out it that time, Miller realized the play itself offered little and whatever minor success it enjoyed was achieved by billing Miss Claire bigger than the title.
Walter Slezak, a member of the original Broadway cast, was the vis-a-vis of Mady Christians in the telecast. Both indulged broad gestures, mugging, and consonant-hissing. The performance was reminiscent of the old ten-twent-thirt mellers, although this was French farce, very much so.
One of those things with a plot that telegraphs ahead for reservation. Slezak was a Communist sought by the police. He found a hiding place in the home of Miss Christians, flighty femme, highly successful in business, who has kicked out her husband despite his offers to let her maintain a boy friend. Love versus Communism was the clash factor.
Technically, telecast revealed more pan shots than formerly and they are now much smoother, although still self-conscious and slow. Cross-set shots are also considerably freer, giving added feeling that vision is no longer cooped up between two chalk lines on the floor.
Aside from Slezak, Katherine Stewart and Colin Hunter were also in the original Broadway cast. Herb. (Billboard, Apr. 17)

Television broadcasts highlighting Los Angeles Industries are being featured by the Thomas S. Lee television station W6XAO, of the Don Lee Broadcasting System, in a series that includes both the garment trades and the heavier industries. Edward A. Fischer is handling these special programs, under Ray Coffin, program manager. each Monday evening, between 8 and 9 p. m.
The work is still experimental, but Mark Finley, director of public relations for the station, reports quite rapid expansion of the service out here with between 800 and 900 television sets estimated now in use in this area. Great preparations are under way for expansion of the facilities of W6XAO, he reports, the firm having recently purchased a 23-acre site on top of a 1,7000-foot [sic] mountain in Hollywoodland. It is now known as Mt. Lee and will have a tower one and one-halt times the height of that of the Empire State tower, when completed.
A recent broadcast featured Lee Gersten, head of the Los Angeles Coat and Suit Association, who was interviewed over the air on the importance of Los Angeles as a coat and suit market. The hour included presentation of locally made coats and suits on pretty University of Southern California co-eds, who also wore hats manufactured by Weyman Bros., local millinery house. Another had Caspar Riese, member of the firm of Style Millinery, with Assistance League girls wearing hats made by his firm and designed by Howard Shoup, designer for Warner Bros.-First National. Mr. Shoup was also present and appeared on the program.
Several broadcasts have been worked around dresses made here and were under the auspices of the Associated Apparel Manufacturers of Los Angeles. Men’s apparel came in for its share recently, when Silverwood’s, men’s and women’s specialty stores, appeared in a broadcast using apparel from 10 local manufacturers.
Chamber of Commerce executives from departments interested in local industry have also been interviewed on the extent of the various industries here. With them have been representatives of the air plane industry, tire manufacturers and the like, and some of their products have been shown, as well. (Women’s Wear Daily, Apr. 5)

Manuel Ortiz of El Centro and Jackie Jurich of San Jose, two of the five best flyweights in the world, clash in an elimination bout at the Hollywood Legion tonight.
The Jurish-Ortiz bout has the distinction of being the first professional boxing match on the Pacific coast to be recorded by television.
The club has made special arrangements with Thomas S. Lee, owner of W6XAO, for the sight-sound broadcast.
W6XAO is the only licensed television station in the entire west. (Los Angeles Daily News, Apr. 5)

Saturday, April 6, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
2:15—Army Day Parade, Fifth Avenue, New York.
8:30—“Rainbow’s End,” film feature with Hoot Gibson.

W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
5:30—Films, discussion.

The annual Army Day Parade on Fifth Avenue was telecast yesterday [6] by W2XBS (2:15 P. M.).The camera picked up the procession of armed forces at Fifth Ave. and 64th St. Although the reception on my set was poor, in other parts of the city, according to reports, the images came over clearly. (Daily News, Ben Gross radio column)

New York—NBC has started using 16 mm. film for television with a specially designed projector. This narrow gauge film helped fill the four hours weekly now being devoted to television of motion pictures, especially as the major decline to lease their product and foreign films are not suitable, partly from a censorship angle.
Already available are “Aesop’s Fables,” “Melody Masters,” and several animal shorts. NBC will also use westerns and has lined up several Ken Maynards, Kermit Maynards and Hoot Gibsons. (Hollywood Reporter, Apr. 5)

Sunday, April 7, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
2:30-3:30—“On the Roof of a City,” Jimmy Jemail, Daily News "Inquiring Photographer." Interviews from the roof of the RCA Building.
4:30-5:30—Solar Eclipse.
8:30-9:30—Debut Hour. Yale University Theatre Group in “Hospital Scene,” a one-act play; Professor Oakes, the Wizard of Waukesha; Loretta Clemens, songs; Chiquita, Mexican dances.

This column somehow found itself in on the 2572nd program broadcast of Station W6XAO, which is television for KHJ—the occasion being the first full length play to be sent out over the air in the West. Six or eight of us sat in comfortable chairs in an office and stared at a mirror in the raised lid of the apparatus, which might otherwise have been an ordinary radio cabinet.
After a while, sure enough, things began to appear. An animal short, reproduced from film, came first. Then—“Theater Visionair Presents ‘Ides of March,’ by Wilfrid Pettitt.” The stars, it developed, were Shirley Thomas and John Barkley. The credit titles were lifted away by hand, one by one. Then came the play itself.
There were eight scenes in all, with short waits between. I don’t know whether the play—something about John Wilkes Booth—was good or bad. Toward the end I went down the hall to the room where the actors were and watched the broadcast itself. Steve Sekely, of Hungary and Hollywood, was directing. There were two “cameras,” or transmitters—one for the medium shots and the other for the closeups. The set, that “southern mansion,” was a makeshift two-by-four—but it served. The players wore panchromatic make-up—No. 29.
Later Sekely aptly compared his production to “early Vitaphone.” (L.A. Times, Philip K. Scheuer column, Apr. 7)

Monday, April 8, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
12:00-1:00—Air Safety Presentations, La Guardia Field.

WASHINGTON, Apr. 8 (AP) — Allen B. Du Mont, Passaic, N. J., television set manufacturer told the Federal Communications Commission today that standards for commercial telecasting should be ‘flexible.”
Du Mont, the first witness as the commission reopened hearings on the question of permitting limited commercial operation, said there should be further research and experimentation before permanent standards were set.
The commission once authorized commercial telecasting, beginning Sept. 1, but later suspended its order and directed new hearings on the question whether commercial use of telecasting now might unduly retard research.
Du Mont said f1exibility of standards would pave the way for immediate initiation of wide-spread public participation in television.
He opposed “freezing” at 441 lines, the unit determining clearness of the projected image. He said more “lines” in an image made for better reception and that sets were in process of perfection receiving a greater number than 441.
Du Mont explained that his company guaranteed purchasers of sets that adjustments would be made free of charge to protect against receiver obsolescence for the next two years.
Although Chairman James Lawrence Fly of the commission said he expected the additional hearings would last only a few days. Du Mont was on the stand all day.

Tuesday, April 9, 1940
W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
3:00-4:00—Films

Wednesday, April 10, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:30-5:00—Baseball, Columbia vs. Fordham.
6:45-7:00—Lowell Thomas, news, sponsored by Sun Oil.
8:30—Midweek Varieties, with Yvette, songstress; Buck and Bubbles, novelty act; the Virginians, song team, and Paul Wing’s Spelling Bee.
9:30-9:40—Esso Television Reporter.

W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
3:00-4:00—Films

Television Review
Reviewed Wednesday, 9:30-9:40 p.m. Style—News. Sponsor—Standard Oil of New Jersey. Agency—Marschalk & Pratt, Inc. Station—W2XBS. Reviewed on RCA Television Receiver
This is the first television program series that The Billboard has reviewed twice, reason for the second review being that certain suggested changes were adopted in preparing the news presentation. Improvement of this program over that of the preceding week was noticeable, the presentation having more fluidity, better commercials and a more extensive use of tele’s visual possibilities in newscasting.
First review stated, “The great letdown in the presentation is in the use of still pictures which seem to be ancient relics of bygone days . . . these stills do not show well over television . . . they have a tendency to slow up the show.”
While stills were used in this week’s program, they were not used as extensively. In addition, the producers heightened the effect by using maps and pointers to illustrate comment on the international situation. Technique here resembled newsreels somewhat, and was quite effective, in order to illustrate disposition of naval power and other military and economic factors of the war, miniature ships and soldiers were placed on certain areas of the maps—all going to make a fairly clear picture. In general this map technique is very promising, much more so than use of stills.
One failing of the maps, however, is that no countries are shown. Divisions and an easily understood legend should be added.
In addition to maps, other devices of Illustrative value were used. In one case, for instance, announcer William Spargrove used stacked-up piles of silver dollars by way of clarifying certain economic phases of the war. In another instance a graph was used to illustrate news of recent floods—graph showing the effects on water supply.
Commercial for Esso solvent was carefully worked out, and showed great potentialities as compared to regular radio commercials. Spargrove showed the gum that deposits in motors and clogs valves, etc. The commercial has all the punch of a radio commercial, plus undeniable visual aid.
Other items were a brief fashion show, a bit of screen star chatter, census news, etc.
Program definitely illustrated one significant point, namely, that tele newscasting will require much more preparation than radio newscasting. Latter is mainly a case of editing, but with tele the factors are so complex and possibilities so great that the presentation amounts to careful production.
Altho use of stills was cut down, they can still be cut down even more. Each should be used for a few seconds at most, for by their very nature they induce a static condition in a program which should be constantly moving. Organ music and titles introduce each item. Ackerman. (Billboard, April 18)

Thursday, April 11, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:31—“Making Glass,” film.
3:41—“Packaging Competition,” film
4:00—“Oriental Sports,” film.
4:10—“Let’s See America,” film.
4:20-4:30—“Gypped in Egypt,” 1930 Aesop Fable.
6:45-7:00—Lowell Thomas, news.
8:30-9:30—“The Big Chase,” film with Mickey Rooney.

W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
3:00-4:00—Round Table, Films.

Friday, April 12, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:30-4:30—“Wild Horse Round-up,” feature film.
6:45-7:00—Clem McCarthy, news.
8:30-9:30—“Hits and Bits of 1890,” an hour of vaudeville with Blanche Ring and others.

Saturday, April 13, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:00-4:30—Baseball, Fordham vs. Rutgers at Fordham Field. (Game was cancelled due to snow).
8:30-9:30—“Rainbow’s End,” film.

W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
5:30—Films, discussion.

Two major television productions are set for the week. The first, ‘Song of Peace,’ written by Bill Thomas, and featuring in the adult cast Bob Emerick, Patricia Peters and Frank Bishell, will be presented by Stern over the Thomas Lee station, WXAO, Wednesday night [17]. The second telecast features the Teen Age Group of boys known as the ‘Half Moon Boys,’ written and directed by Judith Whitney, tinder the supervision of Grace Hamilton. The play, “Half Moon Boys Out West,” will be presented tonight [13] over W6XAO. (Hollywood Citizen-News)

WASHINGTON, April 13 (AP)—The Federal Communications Commission today authorized Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc., to construct a new experimental television station in New York City. The station will be at 515 Madison Avenue. The commission previously had issued permits to the National Broadcasting Company and the Columbia Broadcasting System for experimental stations in New York.

NEW YORK, Apr. 13 (AP)—It looks like a water tower. It might even be used for that purpose. Actually, it’s a unit of an ultra-short-wave relay network to pass television signals from city to city just as sound radio is distributed by a wire system.
Ultimately, the water tank motif may be replaced by some other basic design. But in the first experimental television relay between New York City and Riverhead, Long Island, a distance of approximately 70 miles, two of the tanks were perched on high steel frames resembling windmill towers. This test demonstrated, the engineers said that the system was practical.
6/10 OF A METER
Instead of holding water, the tanks housed the equipment comprising the automatic radio relay made up of special receiver and transmitters to pass along the signal considerably boosted in strength.
Extremely short wavelengths are used, the shortest vet applied to television. They measure six-tenths of a meter, or just above 460 megacycles.
It is this same equipment developed by Radio Corporation of America engineers in a long period of testing which will be employed in setting up the world’s first television relay link. It will connect Philadelphia to New York visually as the starter for what it is hoped will be a coast-to-roast network.
After this hookup gets operating, probably by the end of the year, other cities are to be tied in, with Washington as a next step. Already it is intended to televise the 1941 inauguration if technical developments permit.
TANKS 30 MILES APART
The New York-Philadelphia circuit, as now laid out, would have two of the water-tank stations, placed about 30 miles apart to span the 90-mile gap. Besides the booster stations, the tanks also provide space for the receivíng and transmitting antennas, so arranged with reflectors that they do not interfere with one another.
Coupled with plans for the network start was the announcement of the National Broadcasting Company that it had applied for permission to erect television broadcast stations not only in Philadelphia, but in Washington and Chicago as well. (C.E. Butterfield)

Sunday, April 14, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:30-4:45—“Dark Hour,” film with Ray Walker and Irene Ware.
8:30-9:30—“Her Master’s Voice,” comedy by Claire Kummer, with Hume Cronyn, Jean Adair, Rosalind Ivan and Peggy French.

Tuesday, April 16, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:00-4:00—Films.

Wednesday, April 17, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:30—“Hits, Runs and Errors,” film.
3:40—“Boston Common and Proper,” film.
3:50—“Let’s See America,” film.
4:10—“Science in Business,” film.
4:20—“California Holiday,” film.
6:45-7:00—Lowell Thomas, news.
8:30-9:30—“The Old Bookshop,” variety with Arthur Allen and Parker Fennelly as the Simpson boys; Joan Hardy in a French lesson; a piano lesson by Russell, and “The Night of April 14,” a documentary drama.

W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
3:00-4:00—Films.

WHAT was claimed to be the first televised Shakespearean broadcast was presented April 17 by the Henry Howard Players of Philadelphia on W3XE, Philco’s experimental visual broadcast station in that city. Thomas Froman directed the players in scenes from “Romeo and Juliet”, “Macbeth” and “The Taming of the Shrew”. (Broadcasting, May 1)

Thursday, April 18, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:00-5:00—Baseball, Jersey City Giants vs. Montreal Royals, at Jersey City.
6:45-7:00—Lowell Thomas, news.
8:30-9:30—“Stars of the Future,” a programme by 19 juvenile performers, including Gary Graffman, pianist; Beverly Sills, actress; the Mitchell Brothers, tap dancers; Baby Barbara Del Rose, six-year-old xylophonist; The Koutzen Trio.

W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
3:00—Films.

Friday, April 19, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:00-5:00—Baseball, Brooklyn Dodgers vs. New York Giants, at Ebbets Field., Jack Starr announcing.
6:45-7:00—Lowell Thomas, news.
8:30—Esso Television Reporter.
8:45—“Feminine Fancies,” Ana Maria, dancer; Camille Rajane, futurachord; Sylvia Reed, accordion.
9:00-11:00—Wrestling, at Jamaica Arena.

The 12 to 0 massacre of the New York Giants by the fighting Brooklyn Dodgers provided thrills for both television and radio fans yesterday [19]. The cameras of W2XBS picked up the excitement at Ebbets Field (3 to 5 P. M.). Al Helfer, Red Barber’s assistant, served as announcer for those who viewed the game on their picture sets and did an illuminating job. Despite the cloudy weather, the reception of the images was excellent. But there is this criticism to be made: At times, the pickup failed to follow the action. It would seem that television field crews could use one or two newspaper trained photographers, who would employ their instinctive news sense in the handling of the cameras.
Red Barber did the play-by-play broadcast of this game for WOR listeners and, as usual, acquitted himself in first rate fashion. (Daily News, Ben Gross column)

TWO one-minute televised commercials for Ivory Soap were included in NBC’s telecast of the opening home game of the Brooklyn Dodgers for the 1940 season on April 19. In one spot, Ken Roberts, announcer, showed how the soap foams up by making suds in a glass; in the other, by wearing one red mitten and one white glove, he illustrated how Ivory keeps hands white. Commercials were prepared by Compton Adv., New York, Ivory agency for Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, co-sponsor of the Dodgers games broadcast on WOR, Newark.
In addition to the normal audience of television set-owners in the metropolitan area, the game was witnessed by more than 50 patients at the Metropolitan Sanitarium at Mount McGregor, near Saratoga Springs, New York. Signals from W2XBS, NBC’s New York television transmitter, were picked up by the General Electric television relay station in the Helderberg mountains 12 miles from Schenectady and rebroadcast, making possible the reception at the sanatorium. (Broadcasting, May 1)

Television Review
ESSO REPORTER
20 Mins. Friday, 8:30 p.m. W2XBS, New York, (Marschalk & Pratt)
Interesting but still pretty much in the primitive stage. Though the items were loosely documented, the runoff gave a good Insight into how the medium could some day be applied to knitting such elements as photos, maps and live appearances into a broadcast newsreel.
Event caught was divided into two parts. The first dealt with the war. Aided by specially drawn maps and photos of personalities mentioned, the unbilled ‘reporter’ expatiated on the possible implications of the latest war bulletins from Europe. The whole thing could have been made more effective if a pointer had been used to indicate the spots referred to instead of leaving it to the spectator to seek out the circled number on the map.
Second part brought in groups of youngsters. The first was the winner of the recent N. Y. Boys Club pet show and its prize pooches, while the other item provided an interesting glimpse of the famous Woods Twins. These six-year-old youngsters have been in the public prints since shortly after their birth, when one came under the exclusive tutorship of a child psychologist and the other remained with his lower middleclass family. The behavior of the twosome before the camera and the mike reflected difference of environment in a big way. The conditioned lad, huskier and happier looking, was self-assured and pretty much in command of the proceedings. He whispered the answers of questions addressed to his brother but even then the latter failed to come out of his shell. Odec. (Billboard, April 24)

ESSO MARKETERS, which started the first sponsored news series designed especially for television March 20 on W2XBS, New York, on April 19 shifted the program, titled The Esso Television Reporter, from Wednesday to Friday nights at 8:30 p. m. The telecasts, featuring UP news, are arranged through the cooperation of NBCs television department and Marschalk & Pratt, New York, agency handling the Esso account. (Broadcasting, May 1)

Nat Tanchuck yesterday [19] signed a deal with Tom Lee to produce, direct and write television shows for the Mutual telecasting station.
Tanchuck’s first will be “A Man Named Brown,” and is set to go on May 8. (Hollywood Reporter, Apr. 20)

Saturday, April 20, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
2:00-4:30—Track Meet, Princeton-Columbia-Navy, Baker Field.
8:30-9:35—“I Met a Murderer,” 1939 film with James Mason and Pamela Kellino.

Sunday, April 21, 1940
3:30—“Red Riding Hood,” Aesop Fable cartoon.
3:40—“Frontier Scout,” film.
8:30—“Burlesque,” a play by George Maker Watters and Arthur Hopkins, with Audrie Christie, Edwin Muchael, Betty Harmon and Robert Allen.

W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
5:30—Films, discussion.

Monday, April 22, 1940
NEW YORK, Apr. 22 (NEA).—Television—a brand new industry untouched by the tradition of male dominance—will offer women opportunities as great as those offered to men.
That is the vision of television which Thelma Prescott of N. B. C.—only woman in the field so far—sees when she looks into the new decade.
“Since the audience not only hears but sees in television, women are going to be important in the role of performers,” says Mrs. Prescott. “But contrary to popular notion, that isn’t going to limit television stars to young, beautiful women.
“It takes more than surface beauty to make a television act less appealing. Personality is equally important. That is why it isn’t possible to answer the question, “What is the perfect television type?’”
Miss Prescott has directed and produced many experimental commercial television broadcasts. Ninety per cent of them have been directed toward feminine “lookers-in.” She says that the 67 advertising agencies which have experimented in television are for the most part interested in women’s programs.
That will automatically make the hiring of many women a necessity. For instance, when a style show is put on, not only will the entire cast be women, but it will be best to have women rehearsing, supervising and putting on the show. Same way when the program is a cooking demonstration, or any other type program built to interest women.
Women will also be let in on costume designing, supervising productions, checking details, acting, dancing, training actors in their parts, and assembling programs, she points out.
And she thinks that with men and women both novices in a field—as they ate bound to be in anything as new as television—the women will have a real chance to get into important jobs.
Miss Prescott, who reported fashions from Paris for a number of years, has never been in radio. She says she is glad of that. For she thinks that experience in radio would have narrowed her viewpoint and might have led her into trying radio technique in television instead of realizing that there is no television technique—that it must be developed from scratch.

Tuesday, April 23, 1940
W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
3:00-4:00—Films

Wednesday, Apr. 24, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:15-5:15 — Baseball, Princeton vs. Columbia, at Baker Field.
6:45-7:00—News, Lowell Thomas.
8:30-9:30—A revue, with Gali Gali, magic; Jules Lande, violin; Lysbeth Hughes, harp; Leni Bouvier and Eugene Van Grona, dancers; Pauline Alpert, piano, and Sarita, dancer. Also Fashions Out of Test Tubes.

W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
3:00-4:00—Films

Television Review
BENJAMIN DAVID REVUE
With Mrs. Burnley Railing, Pauline Alpert, Lysbeth Hughes, Gali Gali, Jules Lande, Bouvier and Van Grona, and Vilan and Kevin.
RCA-NBC, New York
This musical revuette, guided by Benjamin David (credited with production, lyrics and dialog) and his aide, Florence Mullen, strung together nitery and vaudeville turns for one of the better jobs in this program vein. Began with the explanation by different characters that the ensuing revue was a charity society affair; hence the lack of elaborate production usually associated with stage revues. Lyrical introduction by an Alan Holt singer brought in Dorothy Allen and Jeffrey McMahon, ingenue and juvenile from productions, for further explanations on what was to follow. Swung into dance after usual vocal duet.
Revue then jumped to garden party setting, but managed to hold-up despite straightaway procession of turns. Scripting and work of Mrs. Burnley Railing as mistress of ceremonies was largely responsible. Threesome, consisting of Jules Lande, violinist from St. Reg1s hotel; Pauline Alpert, radio pianist, and Lysbeth Hughes, harpist-balladist from the Biltmore hotel, then were introduced individually, with closeups.
Leni Bouvier and Eugene Van Grona, ballroomologists from the Rainbow Room, offered a straight number, then a burlesque bolero. Their work as well as Gali-Gali’s (also Rainbow Room) bag of manic tricks were deftly captured by the television camera, not a single magical stunt being muffed by the iconoscope.
Dimitrios Vilan and Ilsa Kevin, another dance combo, did ‘Down to My Last Yacht’ vocal duct, thence into a ballroom routine, Slow motion semi-acrobatic movements registered very well on tele. Perili and Perila, Mexican singers, and Sarita, South American castanet dancer, provided Latin-American atmosphere.
Al and Vincent, comedy musicians using a special whistle gadget to make the sounds of various instruments: the Alan Holt Singers: John Sebastian, harmonica wizard; and Cliff Crane, eccentric rube tapster, filled out much of the remainder of show.
Whole revuette ran off quite smoothly. Wear. (Variety, May 8)

Television broadcasting was added to the scope of activities of Manual Arts high schools Boys’ Aeolian club Wednesday evening [24] when 28 members of the organization appeared and sang in a special program over station W6XAO.
The broadcast marked the second time in history that a choral group had appeared on a television program. First claimant to the honor is the Hall Johnson choir.
Among the numbers presented by the Aeolian club were the Manual Arts “Alma Mater,” the secular “March of the Musketeers,” and the sacred chorale, “Thanks Be To God.” Elizabeth Mottern is a director of the organization; Miss Jeanette Davis, accompanist; and Frank Snyder, president. (Los Angeles Southwest Wave, Apr. 26)

Thursday, April 25, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:30-4:30—“The Last of the Mohicans,” film serial, episode 1.
4:00—“The Story of the Sponge,” film.
4:20—“Let’s See America,” film travelogue
6:45-7:00—Lowell Thomas, news.
7:30-8:00—Passover Seder, Saul P. Applebaum, Asst. Rabbi, Central Synagogue, and others.
8:30-11:30—“Television Goes to the Circus,” Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, at Madison Square Garden.

W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
3:00—Round Table, films.

IF any one sees elephants in the air on Thursday night [25] he will not “be seeing things.” In quest of a “bigger, better, grander-than-ever show,” the NBC television cameras will go to the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey circus at Madison Square Garden. The complete three-hour performance will be telecast beginning at 8:30 with the opening parade.
Two cameras will be used, and while the electric “eyes” will be subject to new tests, the camera men are confident that they can pick up from the trapeze with the greatest of ease. One lens will be focused on the three sawdust rings under the big top while the other scans the sideshow. (Times, April 21)

Friday, April 26, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:30-4:30—Film, “Battle of Greed,” with Tom Keene and Gwynne Shipman.
6:45-7:00—Lowell Thomas, news.
8:30—Esso Television reporter.
8:45—Feminine Fancies.”
9:00-11:00—Wrestling, at Jamaica Arena.

A part of the opening-day ceremonies at the New York World’s Fair on May 11 will be telecast to the United States liner President Roosevelt, from 3:30 to 5 p. m., soon after the ship leaves for Bermuda from Pier 60, Twentieth Street and the Hudson River, it was announced yesterday [26]. The National Broadcasting Company and the Radio Corporation of America will transmit the program, which will be the first shore-to-ship telecast ever attempted. Which part of the ceremonies will be transmitted from the exposition was not disclosed yesterday, although it was believed that the program would consist mainly of the rededication exercises at the Court of Peace. It was estimated that the President Roosevelt, which will leave the pier at 3 p. m., would be near Sandy Hook when it received the broadcast. The announcement was made after a conference among Harvey D. Gibson, chairman of the board of the Fair Corporation; Ralph Beal, director of research of R. C. A.; Capt. James E. Roberts of the President Roosevelt, and Ralph Reed, executive vice-president of the American Express Company, which is sponsoring the telecast. Mr. Beal explained that sending and receiving apparatus was now being installed in two of the ship’s lounges and that a staff of N. B. C. and R. C. A. engineers would make a round trip to Bermuda on the President Roosevelt a week before the telecast is scheduled to perfect the technical arrangements. Bermuda residents will be invited to attend a television program on the liner, during which a program will be presented from a small transmitter on the ship to an audience in one of the lounges. It will be the first telecast ever seen in Bermuda. World’s Fair and radio officials said yesterday that the telecast might turn out to be the outstanding scientific development of the exposition. Mr. Beal pointed out that “other fairs have signalized the telephone, electric light and other inventions,” and that the opening of the New York World’s Fair “will signalize a great advance in another new medium, which is television.” Mr. Beal said that the present effective television range on land was ninety miles, but that it might be possible to receive and send 150 miles or more at sea. Experimental programs will originate from the President Roosevelt while it is en route to Bermuda, he added. Besides the exercises at the Court of Peace, the telecast program originating at the Fair may include a pageant near the Trylon and Perisphere, it was said, in the evening, when the ship will be about eighty miles from New York City, another telecast will be transmitted from the exposition. (Herald Tribune, Apr. 27)

Saturday, April 27, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:15-5:15—Baseball, Columbia vs. Manhattan, Baker Field.
8:30-9:00—“Anything for a Thrill,” feature film with Frankie Darro and Kane Richmond.

W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
5:30—Films, discussion.

Sunday, April 28, 1940
W2XBS, New York, Channel 1 (45.25 meters, audio on 49.75 meters)
3:30—“Tobaccoland, U.S.A.,” film.
4:05—“Louis Pasteur,” film.
4:20—“Circus Capers,” Aesop’s Fable cartoon.
8:30—“My Heart’s in the Highlands,” play by William Saroyan, with Peter Miner, Russell Hardie, Ann Brody, Winfield Hoeny.

Television operations of the National Broadcasting Company’s station, W2XBS, will be conducted under a Summer schedule, beginning May 13, to meet conditions imposed by daylight saving time.
Under the impending arrangement, evening shows will he seen a half-hour later than the present hour of 8:30 o’clock. Monday and Tuesday evening programs will be substituted for the present Saturday evening and Sunday presentations.
The revised calendar lists evening programs for Mondays through Fridays and the matinee telecasts are to go on Tuesdays through Fridays at 3 o’clock, thirty minutes earlier than under the current schedule. The Saturday afternoon period is to he retained to pick up sports events. (Times, April 28)

Monday, April 29, 1940
NEW YORK, April 29 (AP)—Regular telecasting in the New York area celebrates its first anniversary on Wednesday.
To mark the occasion, the NBC picture transmitter W2XBS will have a two-hour variety bill designed to give a visual indication of the scope of television entertainment. The opening telecast April 30, 1939, came simultaneously with the start of the New York’s World’s Fair and included the first telecast of a public address by the President of the United States.
With an estimated increase to 3000 in the number of receivers now in operation in this vicinity, W2XB is on the air with 16 hours of programs a week compared to the starting schedule of five. (C.E. Butterfield column)

Believed to be the first of the kind ever to be presented, a television broadcast of a Mexican program in the Spanish language will be a feature of the fifth annual Mexican Exposition celebrating the “Cinco de Mayo” holidays, President A.G. Torrez of the Mexican Chamber of Commerce announced yesterday [29]. The program transmitted from the KHJ television studio to the exposition auditorium, was arranged specially for the event, which will be staged in the 4600 block on Brooklyn Ave., between the hours of 2 to 10 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. All sorts of Mexican products will be on exhibition, with entertainment programs to include patriotic speeches, songs and dances afternoons and evenings. (Los Angeles Times, Apr. 30)

Tuesday, April 30, 1940
W6XAO, Los Angeles, Channel 1
3:00-4:00—Films.