Yearbook of radio and television (1957)

FCC Outlines Some Current Developments and Problems (1) Brief Survey of Broadcasting IN the broadcast field AM stations now total 3,125, of which 3,005 are on the air. Commercial FM station authorizations have decreased to 554, with 529 operating. However, the number of non-commercial educational FM authorizations has risen to 141, of which 125 are in operation. Commercial TV station authorizations now total 631 (426 VHF and 205 UHF). Of this number, 472 commercial TV stations are on the air (382 VHF and 90 UHF). In addition, 38 stations (all UHF) which went off the air still retain operating authorizations. TV stations holding construction permits number 121 (77 UHF and 44 VHF). These figures do not include new TV translator stations, of which 21 have been authorized to extend TV service to remote areas and five are already functioning. Of 46 noncommercial educational TV station grants (27 VHF and 19 UHF), 23 are on the air (18 VHF and 5 UHF). Over 90 percent of the population is now within range of at least one TV station, 76 percent can receive two or more TV stations, and 60 percent can get three or more TV stations. More color TV programs and color TV sets are available. In order to make UHF transmission more compatible with that of VHF, the Commission has initiated an immediate research and development program to increase the coverage of UHF stations, is acting on proposals to eliminate local VHF channels in UHF areas and, at the same time, assign more VHF outlets to other localities. Also, it is considering the possibility of ultimately shifting all or a geographical proportion of TV operation to the UHF band. Proposals for "boosters" and "subscription" TV service, and extended authority over community TV systems, are also receiving its attention. The Commission expects to complete its special study of radio and TV network broadcasting by June 30, 1957. (2) Problems of the Commission in 1957 The close of last year found the Commission head-on with many problems posed by the growth of the nation's electrical communication facihties. They extend beyond broadcasting to other services bursting at the seams and interests demanding space in crowded parts of the spectrum. New techniques may make it possible to double-up on some popular frequencies, while By GEORGE C. McCONNAUGHEY Chairman Federal Communications Commission new equipment holds promise of operating on still higher bands. However, the complicated problems involved in "single sideband," "split channel" and "over-the-horizon" transmission, as well as extension of the microwave facilities, require exacting engineering consideration. At the same time, the mushrooming of transmitters coupled with the mounting popularity of electronic gadgets is causing an unprecedented amount of interference which is difficult to control. In broadcasting, the AM band is so congested that only small local daytime-only stations seem able to shoehorn in. Commercial FM continues to lose stations numerically. In trying to help resolve UHF problems in TV, the Commission is deluged with conflicting deintermixture and other proposals which further complicate the situation. Competition and interference considerations require one out of every three applications for new TV and AM stations go to hearing. (XI>0 Also, court dictum now requires the Commission to hear, with priority, practically all protests to grants made without hearing. This not only bogs down the Commission's processes but holds up new services to the public. If Commission procedures are considered slow, this is due largely to the extra steps that higher authority requires it to take. The FCC is saddled with more procedural timeconsuming requirements than any other Federal agency. In particular, it needs reUef from a 1952 amendment to its act which goes far beyond standard government procedure by precluding the Commission from consulting its own staff experts on problems involved in certain proceedings. Despite a workload that has doubled and become more complex in the past few years, the Commission personnel remains numerically unchanged and overworked. But whether or not the Commission is able to catch up with its work schedules, there is every indication that the electrical communications industry will, in practically every line, continue its present high rate of expansion ?nd development. 55