Evening star., 1954-12-31
On the Air


days combine to give the two
major networks good reason to
go stand in a corner and hang
their heads in shame.
1t was this week that DuMont.
q sort Of poor relation among
the networks, despite some good
shows. disclosed what it calls "a
realignment in its activities" +"
Says the announcement: TT
contemplates economies through
personnel realignment and re-
duction Of national interconnec-
tion services, with simultaneous
expansion Of improved and
broader coverage via teletran-
scription."
In other words it costs too
much to be q network and
DuMont is almost but not quite
getting out of the network
business.
It was this same week that an
announcer in Chicago let the
TV audience know that next
Wednesday nights telecast Of
the Chicago Symphony Orches-
ira would be the last in the
series. DuMont, with its finan--
cial problems. hardly can be
blamed for dropping the un-
sponsored musical program. In
fact it should be commended for
having carried it.
The announcement that the
symphony telecasts are to be
discontinued threw q spotlight
on a strange remissness on the
part of the television broadcast
ers. The Chicago Symphony has
been the only one appearing re-
gularly on television. Add the
periodic NBC Opera Theater
telecasts and "Voice of Fire
stone" and you have the sum of
good music on TV.
That the least secure of the
networks had to bear this mus
ical burden lends no credit at all
to CHS and NBC. This is not
the first time, either. A few
months back all Of television was
basking in the praise received for
q singular public service. the
telecasts in full of the Army
Mccarthy hearings.
1t was a public service that
might never have been per-
formed, however, If it had not
been performed. at considerable
expense. by the two junior net
works, ABC and DuMont.
{ CHS and NBC. sitting there
fat, rich and happy. really ought
to be ashamed about the state
OF good music on television.
HERO-Msgistrate Samuel H.
Ohringer of New York City
easily walked away with hero
of-the-week honors in television
and radio. He is the one who
found Strike It Rich" guilty Of
operating without q license to
solicit funds and other aid from
It's studio audience. He said he
would have dismissed the charge
II 1t were not for the studio
audience and Producer Walt
Framer indicated the show would
get along henceforth without
same.
II he had not been bound by
the letter of the law. the magis-
trate might have found the
program guilty of offending
decency by trading in misery
and woe. He still struck a blow
for us all, however. II we only
can get a few Of the Tv shows
which are otherwise entertaining
up before his bench so he can
Danish their studio audiences
wen have it made.
Magistrate Ohringer may even
be just the man to find an old
law on the books banning syn
thetic laugh tracks. He'll be the
hero not merely Of the week but
Of the year II he does.
PIGSKIN PARADE - Tomor-
row win be footballs big day on
television, starting with the NBC-
WRC-TV telecast of Pasadena's
Tournament of Roses Parade at
1915 pm. Shortly after that
the bowl games start. with these
available in your living room.
Cotton Bowl, Arkansas VS..
Georgia Tech. WRC-TV. las
pm.
Orange Bowl, Nebraska VS..
Duke. WTOP-TV. LAS pm.
sugar Bowl, Navy VS.. Missis-
sippi. WMAL-Tv. 2 pm.
Rose Bowl, Ohio State VS..