Evening star., 1950-12-28
On the Air
On the Air
Phonovision
Gets q Test
| Run at Last
By Harry Macarthur

Comdr. z. r. Mcdonald, jr., is
wearing the victory smile at last.
Comdr. Mcdonald. president of
Zenith Radio Corp. finally is
ready to launch his pet tele-
vision project. after overcoming a
great deal of opposition he prob
ably never expected to encounter.
The project is a system called
Phonovision. You probably are
familiar with this already, dates
of tests and postponement of same
having been announced rather
frequently. It is method for
bringing home viewers motion
pictures and other entertainment
and educational programs which
otherwise would be too costly for
television. The programs are re-
ceived scrambled on all television
sets but those subscribers who
have contracted to pay the set
fee, will receive an unscrambling
signal by telephone line.
1t seems logical enough to be
worth at least a trial, but Comdr.
Mcdonald has had his troubles.
His major opposition. as you could
readily expect, came from the mo-
ton picture exhibitors. They al
ready have been counting empty
seats which used to be filled by
people now staying at home to
watch Milton Berle and 1884
movies.
The added competition of high
caliber. flrst-run movies at home
is something the exhibitors do
not like to contemplate.
**
Comdr. Mcdonald seems to be
persevering man. however. Us
ing a combination. according to
reports, of persuasiveness, argu-
ment, cajolery and threat he has
brought several of the major movie
producers around. He has OBJ
tanned rights to a series of films
"of a caliber never before pre-
sented on the home video SCREEN"
to be televised without advertis-
ing during the test period.
This will start, it now seems
fairly certain, on January /, with
800 Chicago families representing
a cross section of the television
audience. The pictures will be
shown at 4, 7 and pm. daily,
changing times until each has
been shown once at each time.
The first three are April Showers"
(Jack Carson and Ann Sothern) i,
welcome Stranger" (Bing Crosby,
Joan Caulfield and Barry Fitz-
gerald and Homecoming" CLARK
Gable and Lana Turner. These
all have some age on them now,
but by TV movie standards they
are shining and new.
Paramount, incidentally, released
pictures to Phonovision's test only
If Zenith would take a cross-sec-
ton Of its product. the bad with
the good. A selection of top-notch
pictures, it held. would make the
test invalid.
Meanwhile, Zenith is being 81
lently hopeful about the legal
problems which may be involved.
The movie producers are leaving
in Phonovisions lap the possibil-
tty that writer's, actors, directors
and others may go to court with
the contention that they did not
sell television rights when they
hired out to make motion pic
ture.
Programs and People: Melvyn
Douglas and Penny Singleton will
be the co-stars tomorrow night at
9 on Pulitzer Prize Playhouse"
(WMAL-TV. The play will be
Zoe Atkins Mrs. January and
Mr.. Ex-," produced on Broadway
in 1914. Miss Atkins joined the
Pulitzer company in 1885 with
"The Old Maid" Steve Allen,
young CHS entertainer. has moved
from Hollywood to New York to
do the Steve Allen Show" from
there daily at 7 pm. WTOP-TV
picks it up here only on Tuesdays
and Wednesdays Joe Graydon,
who is Joe Dosh to his Washing
ton family and friends, still is
doing handsomely on television in
California. He is on the verge of
signing for another five-a-week
program and is being sought for
q nighttime variety show E.
Eric Sevareid, whose radio "News
and News Analysis" is heard
nightly at II on CHS (WTOP),
will get new weekly program
next month. Starting January Z
the 1850 Peabody award winner
also will be heard Sundays at 5:45
pm.
Attention Weary -Eared Capital
Transit Riders: You think you
have troubles? In postwar Japan
the rickshas come equipped with
built-in radios. We might as we'll
give up. Those sightseeing camels
in the pyramid country will be
next.