Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-08-16
On the Air
TeIevisiion
Looks the
Other Wuy
By Harry Macarthur

ing of this weeks session of the
Senate Crime Investigating Com
mittee apparently didn't check
first with the television broad
casters. There was, as televiewers
soon discovered, no television of
the hearings yesterday and it is
mot likely that there will be any
today or tomorrow.
The TV networks just couldn't
work up much enthusiasm Each
of them. admitted a sort of bored
Willingness to carry the televised
proceedings if someone else went
to the trouble of making the re-
mote pickup. Even such lukewarm
Interest as was aroused here and
there faded when the committee
couldn't be sure where it was
going to be. The network program
heads told their Washington
people just to forget the whole
thing.
The TV broadcaSters are just
as happy today that none of them
went to the expense of dispatch
ing equipment and crews to the
hearing room. The cost would have
gone down the drain. TeleviSion
surely would have been cut off
along with radio and newSreels
when Witness Irving Sherman'S
attorney allowed as how these
aecoutrementS made
his client nervous.
It's possible that the lack of in
,surance against just such a ban
was on the minds of the television
people when they decided against
rising the expense of remote
pickup that might not be u,ed.
A fascinating legal problem has
now been raised, at any rate,
which broadcasters will be happy
to see solved some day. Two wit
nesses called by the Senate Crime
Committee last March have been
cited for contempt of Congress
for their refusal to testify on the
grounds that their Constitutional
rights were violated by TV, news
reels and radio broadcasting of
the hearings. Yesterday the Sen
ate Crime Investigating Commit
tee agreed Fundamentally with
a witness who made the same
claim, agreed at least to the ex-
tent of banning the taking of
newsreel pictures and the re-
cording of testimony for broad
cast.
To Battle - If Frank Sinatra
thinks he had it tough in Mexico,
he should wait until October rolls
around. Come October Mr.. Sinat-
ra will return to television and
will discover what the diabolical
fates and Hubbell Robinson, jr.,
have in store for him. Mr.. Robin
sons nlle-long title is vice presi-
dent and director of network pro-
grams Of the CHS television divi-
sion. What he has devised for
frankie Boy is a one-hour variety
show which will be seen at 8 pm.
Tuesdays. which means that
frankie Boy will be fighting Uncle
Miltie for the attention of the
TV audience.
Sooner or later CHS, or some
body, is going to find out exactly
what it is that the majority of
people would rather look at than
Milton Berle. 1t could even be
Sinatra in some households.
x x x
End of an Era?-Life without
Tuffy may be difficult for you to
contemplate, but tonight's Roller
Derby telecast (WMAL-TV-1O:30
PM is the last of the series and
there is no word on when land III
it will return. An interesting de-
parture from the norm could de-
velop here. The Roller Derby
might become the first sports event
to suffer at the box Office because
of the lack Of television.
X X X X
Home Again-Mike Hunnicutt.
disc jockey-entertainer, will be
back at his old VOL stand next
Monday, to be heard from sos to
8 am. daily thereafter, Monday
through Friday. Mr.. Hunnicut
really is back home when he is in
Spartenburg, S. c., but he's been
IA Washington favorite since 1912.
He spent five years at VOL before
going to other stations here
For the past six months he has
been conducting a morning tele-
vision show titled Coffee Club"
in Cincinnati. The Hunnicutt tele-
vision activity back here will con-
Islst OF a daily afternoon show,
The Animal Fair" seen in Balti-
more only, via WBAL-TV.
Mr.. Hunnicutt's return to these
parts is being made at a most
al1SripiOIIc fiyoo Tho .oor;,-J &c..