DuMont Opens New Tele-

Latest technological facilities included in $5 million
installation. Provisions made for color TV originations

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A completely self-contained TV production facility, the DuMont Tele-Centre, has been formally opened at 205 E. 67 St., New York City. The $5 million installation contains five studios, including one 110 x 80 ft. in area, and 40 ft. high, reported to be the largest TV studio in the East. Another studio is fully equipped for film and slide color telecasting, which the network plans to inaugurate on a regular schedule soon. In all, the Tele-Centre is the origination point for more than 160 programs each week, many of which are carried by the over 200 stations affiliated with DuMont Network.

The building itself is actually a rebuilt version of Jacob Ruppert’s venerable Central Opera House, which was completely gutted to make room for the Tele-Center. Only the shell of the original structure remains, with 2,500,000 cubic of air conditioned space devoted to TV.

Each of the five studios is sound-locked. Muslin wire mesh on top of spun-glass lining extends three-quarters of the way up the walls, with acoustic plaster covering the remaining area. Each studio is equipped with an electronically operated Izenour Board for lighting control.

The five control rooms for the respective studios are located in a vertical bank through the building, providing the shortest cable runs.

The three basic controlling elements of TV broadcasting--sound, sight and production--are isolated by glass partitions from each other.

Although control personnel can communicate with each other through an intercom, their mutual isolation eliminates a great deal of the noise and confusion often present in studio operations.

The master control room is characterized by flexibility of operation, with various preset features which enable engineers to set up relays for network programs in advance. From master control a film projector can be remotely operated while an announcer in a different booth supplies the audio. In all, there are circuit facilities for 24 video lines and 50 audio lines to other points from the Tele-Centre.

The four-unit teletranscription kinescope recording system, developed by DuMont Labs,, is available for recording live shows for subisequent distribution to statiotions carrying delayed programs.

Other features include a film projector room, with two 35 mm and four 16 mm projectors remotely controllable from each studio’s video control room. The recently developed DuMont multi-scanner for film, slides and opaques is also used Three rehearsal rooms, 16 star dressing rooms, film storage vaults, and four editing rooms are included.