Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

SUMMARY-INDEX OF THE WEEK'S NEWS — January 10, 1959 TV-RADIO BILLS START FLOWING as new Congress con MARIE TORRE GOES TO JAIL lor 10-day contempt of court venes, promising another spectacular session for broad sentence rather than divulge CBS source of N. Y. Herald casters. Anti-poy-TV measures up first (pp. 1 & 5). Tribune column item about Judy Garland (p. 7). OPTION-TIME MUST GO, Justice Dept, insists, regardless of FCC opinion. No plans afoot to attack network multiplestation-ownership (p. 1). REGULATION OF CATV and control of translators & boosters, to protect local TV stations, urged in Cox Report to Senate Commerce Committee (pp. 2 & 5). FINAL DRAFT OF TASO REPORT discussed by board. Excerpts from report compare vhf-uhf performance — in propagation, receivers, etc. (pp. 3 & 6). FUND FOR THE REPUBLIC studies almost ready. Pay TV probe extended to include all facets of industry; ratings study covers effects on programming (p. 4). COMPILATION OF MULTIPLE CATV OWNERS shows 40 U.S. operators with 148 of nation's 600-plus systems; 6 operate 15 in Canada (p. 12). Manufaeturing-Distribution-Finanee HIGH-PRICED, QUALITY PRODUCTS feature manufacturers' displays at Chicago Winter Market. Influx of buyers spurs new year optimism (p. 13). CO-OP AD TAX FIGHT goes to Congress as group of manufacturers, admen and press organize to press for legislation to upset IRS ruling (p. 13). NEW GE SERVICE POLICY includes independents, soothing "captive service'' strife (p. 14). MORE INVESTIGATION THAN LEGISLATION: More tJran 150 laws involving broadcasters in one way or another — regulating, harassing, or helping them — were proposed in the last Congress. And the 86th Congress which started this week also promises to match • that bill-introducing record (see p. 5). Yet not a single TV-radio bill was passed by the 85th Congress — despite much weighty talk, marathon hearings and sometimes sensational probes (Vol. 14:34). The record of the false-&-half starts at law-making showed that when it comes to legislating. Congress can be a great investigating body. This was a good thing, by and large, for broadcasters at the last session. They were threatened by law with almost everything from loss of beer commercials to blackouts of telecasts of baseball games. They'll face the same threats in the new Congress. And some of the bills which were worked over last time — notably those reforming some FCC practices — probably will become law this time. We're sure of one thing about Congress as it begins moving once again into the headline-inviting TV-radio area, where a big public audience is always assured. That is that once more there'll be more investigation than legislation. Rep. Harris and his unlamented oversight subcommittee made too good a political thing of it in the 85th for headline-making probes to be dropped now. INDEX TO TV-RADIO NEWS DEVELOPMENTS OF 1958: The only source of its kind in the broadcast & electronics industry, our 8-page Index of 1958 news events is included herewith for all subscribers. It's our 10th annual edition, and it has been a valuable time saver for those who need to know what happened when. We assume that you've maintained your complete file of Newsletters, Special Reports & Factbooks for 1958, to which Index refers. However, if you prefer them in more convenient form, we are preparing bound volumes of our 1958 output, prefaced by the new Index, and can still take orders at |25 per copy.