Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY RADIO NEWS BUREAU P f* f* !'■*’’ r> PJ n r?\ s • WYATT BLDG. v «• 'A I JAN WASHINGTON 5, D.C. 7 1952 In this Issue: TELEPHONE STERLING 1755 • VOL . 8, No. 1j| January 5, 1952 NBC Wants UHF; FCC*s Free^ Puzzlers, page 1. Big Scale TV for Canada, Cuba, Mexico, page 2. FCC’s 1950 Statistics, Aged but Useful, page 3. Mr. Damm’s WTMJ-TV — Personal & Fiscal, page U~ Network Competition for Political Outlets, page 6. Taking Stock of TV-Radio Stocks, page 8. Hope, Faith and Cool Calculation, page 8. Financial Notes, p. 7; Trade & Mobilization, pp. 10-11. NBC WANTS UHF; FCC's FREEZE PUZZLERS: Biggest fillip for uhf to date came this week when NBC filed formal petition asking FCC to lift 5-station limit on TV so that any entity with "full bag" of vhf may go into uhf too. Petition, sure to get heavy backing from others in industry, and opposition from some, stands excellent chance of Commission approval. Comr. Sterling’s go-ahead is already on record, in recent speech (Vol. 7:44), and other commissioners have shown favorable inclination. Backed by RCA's tremendous production and research facilities, NBC is completely sold on uhf, and stands ready to apply for stations in number of markets — whether they're already heavily vhf-served, non-TV, uhf-only or vhf-uhf intermixed. Presumably, NBC will go for such cities as San Francisco, Denver, Portland. Unless FCC relaxes its "duopoly" rules, NBC couldn't expect to commercialize its Bridgeport experimental uhf station because of overlap in coverage with WNBT, New York. NBC doesn't specify number of uhf to be added, leaves figure up to FCC. Comr. Sterling suggested 2 or 3 in his talk. So intent is Commission on putting uhf across, so fearful it is of seeing "another FM situation," that some of its most avid "anti-monopolists" see far less danger in new proposal than in perpetuating vhf monopolies through failure of uhf. In back of mind of some at Commission, too, may be thought that at some future date, when uhf is flourishing, FCC could force multiple owners to divest selves of some stations if they loom too big. Regarding "concentration of control," NBC petition says: "The suggested amendment would present no problem of control which cannot be handled appropriately upon consideration of a particular application." * * * * NBC's petition is biggest lift to uhf since Westinghouse affirmed faith in technical-economic capabilities of uhf by preparing application for Philadelphia, where some 1,000,000 vhf sets are now in use (Vol. 7:49). Westinghouse may be expected to pursue its vhf applications in Pittsburgh and Portland, but it's likely to amend Ft. Wayne application to uhf since that city will probably have uhf only. Other multiple owners naturally won't let up in efforts to corral limit of 5 vhf channels in key markets, but many are sure to support NBC petition. Expected to be among these are the other networks, Crosley, Fort Industry (Storer), O'Neil interests, Scripps-Howard, et al. How much opposition will arise is hard to guess. One AM operator, S. A. Cisler, WKYW, Louisville, in Dec. 31 letter to the editor of Broadcasting Magazine, noted Comr. Sterling's speech, said: "Here is a grab for more power for the big operators, and in a field where even the FCC admits there are not enough channels to go around. " NBC petition asks for amendment of Sec. 3.640(b) of Commission's rules, states it's proposed "as a means for encouraging the rapid and successful development of the uhf band," notes that only 26 uhf applications had been filed (compared with 447 vhf). NBC says it's "willing and able" to get into commercial uhf, "will COPYRIGHT 1952 BY RADIO NEWS BUREAU