Chicago Tribune' TV Station to Begin Program Tests Feb. 1
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Chicago Tribune' TV Station Television stories, on other pages, in this issue: To Begin Program Tests Feb. 1 WMAR-TV Begin; Pictorial News Show. p. 14 Chevrolet Sponsors News on TV ... p. 14 WGN-TV, the Chicago Tribune's cupied by WMAQ, now in the Four More Enter Video Requests. __p. 16 television station, will take the air Merchandise Mart, and can quickly AT&T Ready to File FM Cable Rates p. 20 with test patterns "about Feb. 1" be adapted to the TV operation, National Convention TV Plans Mapped p. 20 and will begin a regular schedule of Mr. Schreiber said. A mast to be Television Coverage Set for AWB Meet - p. 26 programs "on or before March 1," erected atop the building will carry WBZ-TV Starts Training School a p. 36 Frank P. Schrei- (.he antenna to 427 feet above Canadian Video Specifications Ready Soon p. 70 TV Said Cutting Chicago Jukebox Revenue ber, manager of street level—the highest television p. 70 Lack of Video Channels Discussed at NAB p. 82 WGN Inc., an- antenna in Chicago. 6,600 Video Receivers Reported in D. C.. p. 82 nounced yester- The station's program structure 15 NBC Newscasters Sign TV Contracts p. 84 day (Sunday). will consist of a balanced schedule 11,500 Sets Estimoted for Chicago p. 90A Chicago's first of studio features and remote For television personnel changes, programs, etc., se *• various notes video station to broadcasts of sports and news departments in this issue. be operated by an events, both on the spot and through AM network af- newsreel film service, the mana- filiate will occupy ger said. equipment will be used, he added. temporary quar- On the 25th floor will be studios, NBC Chicago Video Set Alignment Mr. Schreiber ters in the Chi- one 40 by 50 feet and one 12 by cago Daily News Early transmission of the test 16 feet, master control, studio con- Seen Ready in Sept. Bldg. until the Centennial Bldg., patterns in Feburary will enable trol, property and dressing rooms, adjoining Tribune Tower, is com- the 14,000 TV set owners in the a workshop, and office space. On Network Hopes to Build Around pleted. Chicago area to have service men the 26th floor will be the transmit- Four Midwest Outlets ter, a projection room for 16 and The entire 25th and 26th floors align their sets for best WGN-TV COMPLETION of NBC's pro- and part of the 24th floor of the reception, Carl J. Meyers, WGN 35 millimeter motion pictures and for slides, music library, and extra posed television station in Chicago News Bldg. will be used. Some director of engineering, explained. by Sept. 1 and possible network of this space formerly was oc- Latest transmitter and studio studio space. All of the space to be used on the 24th floor will be television by the year's end were for offices. predicted last week by I. E. Show- A mobile transmission unit for erman, vice president in charge NBC Includes Fairbanks Feature Films covering sports, special features, of the Central Division. and news events is expected to be Mr. Showerman announced NBC In Video Service Beyond Cable Reach delivered Feb. 10. was pushing ahead its original The investment in WGN-TV, plan for WNBY Chicago a full Mr. Mullen praised the facilities NBC'S USE of film in servicing which will operate on Channel 9 four months ahead in line with and techniques of the Fairbanks video stations outside the reach of at 186-192 mc, will be "about $500,- the company's desire to provide organization, which in addition to present coaxial cable or radio relay 000" by the time regular program- network program service to the its pioneering work in the produc- network facilities is being ex- ming begins, according to Mr. Midwest audience through its af- tion of movies for television is also panded to include feature pro- Schreiber. filiates, three of which already grams as well as news under a five- the distributing agency for the are on the air (WTMJ-TV Mil- year agreement between the net- Zoomar Lens, developed by Dr. waukee, KSD-TV St. Louis and work and Jerry Fairbanks Pro- Frank Back in collaboration with Kaiser-Frazer Show Uses WWJ-TV Detroit). ductions. Mr. Fairbanks. Around the four outlets NBC Terms of the agreement as dis- Four-Station TV Hook-Up NBC did not divulge its plans hopes to build its central grid, closed last week by Frank E. KAISER-FRAZER Corp., Willow for distributing the Fairbanks films while other affiliated video stations Mullen, NBC executive vice presi- Run, Mich., last night (Jan. 18) but presumably they will be used are expected to be in operation dent, and Jerry Fairbanks, presi- started sponsorship of Amateur to supplement its video network before many months. dent of the motion picture firm, service presently in operation along Flour on a four-station DuMont call for the movie company to the East Coast and projected for video hook-up, Sun. 7-8 p.m. Origi- Chicago's Status nating at WABD New York, pro- produce for NBC on order feature similar regional coverage in the gram will also be carried on WFIL- Noting that Chicago long has films of all styles and lengths. Midwest and on the Pacific Coast. Designed for video showing, the TV Philadelphia, WMAR-TV Bal- been one of the major origination The network has for some time films will incorporate the special timore and WTTG Washington. points in regular broadcasting, techniques developed by the Fair- serviced WWJ-TV Detroit and Swaney, Drake & Bement, Chi- Mr. Showerman observed: "The banks organization for television, KSD-TV St. Louis with news pro- cago and Detroit, K-F agency, logic that applied to establish its such as are utilized in its own grams on film. placed the 11-week video contract. position in this field applies with Public Prosecutor series. even more emphasis to television NBC will specify the types of ... It enjoys a strategic spot in the films desired and will acquire all network picture, whether it be for distribution rights, which may in- radio or television. ... In the clude other showings than by tele- course of any year, Chicago pro- vision, to the films produced by vides a vast number of program- Fairbanks under this contract. worthy events, and these events Fairbanks will be responsible for will be shared inevitably wdth the the production of the pictures un- national television audience." der NBC's general supervision. With respect to staff alignments, The films will follow the radio the NBC vice president stated that pattern, utilizing the open end personnel already employed in the technique which permits the inser- network's Chicago broadcasting tion of a sponsored message at the operations will be utilized in the beginning and close of each pro- new video setup. Some employes gram unit. will be given special training Commenting on the agreement, courses, and the entire Chicago Mr. Mullen called it "a highly engineering staff already has been significant step toward the imple- put through a basic television mentation of at least one type of course, which will be expanded. television programming. It is es- In addition, Mr. Showerman sential that television films be of disclosed, a limited number of tech- first-class quality. It is equally es- nical and production employes may sential that the televisor determine Drawn for BROADCASTING by Sid Hix be transferred to Chicago from the type, quality and standard of WNBT, NBC's New York pioneer the pictures that they are to put 'Our alternate video route must have taken the wrong turn on the air." somewhere in Jersey." (Continued on page 82) Two Years of Accomplishment For The Tribune's1 WGN-TV CHICAGO Ridge, 111. In August, WGN-TV time to 60%, as compared with was a natural selection to telecast 24% at the outset. The average two mammoth Tribune extrava- March program week broke down ganzas — the Chicagoland Music as follows: 29% live studio shows; YEAR AGO, Frank P. Schreib- air April 5, 1948. Its premiere, in Festival and the All-Star Football 15% remotes (outside the studio); er, manager of Chicago Tri- WGN's famous radio theatre— game. The latter drew an estimated 30% film; 26% network feeds. bune broadcasting activities, Studio One—featured a parade of A 500,000 viewers. In step with program and com- generalized about television as he the best talent then available in Throughout its two years, WGN- surveyed a year of achievement by Chicago, plus speeches by a United mercial developments, WGN-TV TV's Chicagoland Newsreel has mads long strides engineering-wise WGN-TV Chicago, youngest of States Senator, the governor of been one of the station's most the illustrious Tribune offsprings. Illinois, and the mayor of Chicago. during the latter part of its first popular offerings. It is the only 12 months, and early in its second "An open mind; the courage to There were 17,000 receivers in the locally prepared TV newsreel, with Chicago area at the time. year moved its antenna tower and take a chance; the ability to learn 35 commercial spots in 10 showings transmitter from a temporary lo- quickly from trial and error—these With the influential Tribune pro- per week. With a large staff of cation at the Chicago Daily News are television's prime requisites," moting it to the hilt, WGN-TV was photographers and technicians, Bldg. to Tribune Tower. However, he declared. an important factor in bringing many of them Tribune news- delays in construction of a spacious Last week, Mr.