Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-21
| On the Air
|WNBW First
With This
Problem
By Horry Macarthur

\ Another television first" ha!
just occurred and it must be notec
for posterity. This one is a shade
more noteworthy than the frs
Itelecast of a girls hair being GU
or the first telecast of group O.
white rats being psychoanalyzed
| WNBW today ran up against {
Sharp-horned dilemma and be,
came the first television station tC
face this one Last week WNBW
found interest mounting in the
televising of the Senate Crime In
veStigating Committee hearings ir
New York. The interest became sc
pronounced that WNBW this week
bowed to the public. tossed out q
lot of commercial afternoon shows
with a vince and carried hearing
telecasts to their conclusion.
Also last week, WNBW televiSeG
the first program in Board OF
EducatiQ6 experiment in the use
of televiSAp in the classroom. The
second program in the sixth grade
music lesson series was scheduled
for 10 am. today. The New York
crime hearing today was slated tC
start at $50 am. So what does a
televiSion station do when it is the
first one ever to be overloaded with
educational public service pro-
grams that is has to throw one out
to telecast the other?
Well, if it is WNBW, it smiles al
the thought of prior commitments
casts aside crime investigation fol
a half-hour and carries the sixth
grade music lesson. And let's have
no complaints from housewives
who did not want to learn how tt
sight read in the key of C.
! X
Hearing SidelightS (TwO): In
dignant woman called WNBW The
first night it carried the Ke-
fauver committee session through
to its conclusion. Very indignant.
She didn't want her children lis
tening to all that talk from Frank
Costello when they should BE-
watching "Howdy- Doody."
Another indignant woman called
this department yesterday. The
questioning of former Mayor
.O'Dwyer of New York had her
Steaming. Have those Senator's
lived such pure lives" she de-
manded, that they think they
have a right to pick on Mr..
O'Dwyer this way?" NO i'm.
mediate answer was Forthcoming
Or isl
There's Good News Tonight:
Victor Borge admirers, who have
noted the earlier program ratings
and who know the fearsome way s
of radio executives, can take a
little cheer today. Mr.. Borge, you
know, has had some odds against
him on his first regular televisicn
series (WNBW-Saturday, 7pm.)
His opposition at that hour is Sam
'Levenson (WTOP-TV), who es-
tablished himself in the time slot
first after building himself fol-
lowing with a number of guest
appearances.
Mr.. Borge, though well-known
in the better cabarets, on the ra-
dio and on the concert stage (hell
be at Constitution Hall the night
OF April s.. was virtually a tele-
vision newcomer when he launched
the series. The two, Borge and
Levenson, are vastly different in
appearance. approach, style and
program content, but both have
in common the fact that they are
willing to grant an audience in
telligence and do not feel that
batting some one in the chops
with slapstick is the apex of
humor. Consequently, they share
an audience, and Mr.. Levenson,
who was there first, has been get
ting the largest share.
There is cheer. however. in the
note just received from Alan Edel-
son, the Chicago public relations
man whose most spectacular client
used to be Hildegarde. THE Vic
tor Borge Show, now in its eighth
week, is healthy as an OK" writes
Mr.. EdelSon. "(The sponsors
have just increased the budget.
and it is likely that Borge will fire
some of the heavy guns he's been
saving, including contrasting
guests. The ratings have gone up
IN the past three weeks and every
body's happy. Borge has proved
his point that he can do the kind
of clean, lively, smart and intel
ligent show he signed to do and
the mail pull on it is amazing. e"
\ x X x
To Reiterate: This is a good
place to say again: Write when
YOU like or dislike something on
~. The sponsors pay attention.
X X X x
Programs and People: Colette
Marchand, Partisan ballots LES
Legs" will make another appear
ance on Star Theater" tomor-
row night (WNBW-9 PM
Florence Halop and Joshua Shell
ley join Don Ameche and Bette
Brewer tomorrow night as "Ho1i-
day HOTEL regulars (WMAL-TV
g p,m0 =. Look for an ex-
plosive Comedy Hour" Sunday
(WNBW-8 PM. Two of TVS
tinest-Eddie Cantor and Jimmy
Durante-will JOHN forces.
Clyde Beatty is discussing a TV