Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)
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8
TELEVISION STATION construction will enjoy no “privileged” status after freeze-end so far as NPA is concerned. At least that’s how NPA administrator Henry Fowler feels about it. In response to press conference question this week, he said materials requirements of TV stations “will be conditioned as against all other demands.” In NPA language, that means continuation of present policies in doling out materials for TV construction projects (Vol. 8 :5) .
NPA issued statistical breakdown of first quarter construction applications and allocations this week. Overall, it shows 77.4% of all first quarter applications were denied, compared with denial rate of 63% in fourth quarter 1951. Under heading “Radio & TV Stations” (which also includes community-antenna projects), breakdown lists 28 applications, of which 5 received allotments, 5 were found exempt, 18 denied. Materials-wise, TV-radio did rather well in first quarter; of the 5 projects approved, 3 were large TV projects. Most of the denied projects were small studio remodeling jobs.
The 5 approved projects (Vol. 7 :51, 8:4) included CBS-TV Hollywood studios, new WCAU & WCAU-TV studios in Philadelphia suburb, New York DuMont studios and 2 community antennas. Allotment was also made in first quarter for studios for radio station WEDO, McKeesport, Pa., but this wasn’t included under TV-radio in breakdown because studio is being built in CIO Steelworkers union hall, for which materials allotment was made.
Of the 18 denials, 11 were TV projects, including 6 NBC-TV studio remodeling projects. Also denied were 4 radio station construction and alteration jobs, 3 community antennas. The 5 projects classified as exempt included 4 NBC-TV studio remodeling applications.
The 28 TV-radio-community antenna applicants requested materials for construction scheduled to cost total of $13,103,721. They asked total of 4216 tons of carbon steel, 1954 tons of structural steel, 80,780 lbs. of copper. The 5 which received allotments represented projects costing total of $9,961,805, and got total 3522 tons carbon steel, 1849 tons structural steel, 26,500 lbs. copper.
E
CBS-TV’s Television City in Hollywood will begin broadcasting operations Oct. 1, president Jack Van Volkenburg announced Feb. 4 — despite NPA’s statements that very little civilian construction will be permitted during second quarter. It’s understood that such projects as the $5,000,000 TV center may be held to as little as 15-20% of their structural steel requirements for next quarter. CBS project, reported “more than 30% completed,” will contain four 12,100-sq. ft. studios, 35,000 ft. of office space, three 4550-sq. ft. rehearsal halls. Built on 15 acres of Los Angeles’ Gilmore Island and designed by architects William L. Pereira and Charles Luckman, new studios will be built for flexibility — building walls can be moved outward as much as 300 ft., then anchored back in place.
Compatible color field-test schedule, announced by NTSC chairman Dr. W. R. G. Baker this week, includes: Feb. 12-21 in Philadelphia, signals to be furnished by Philco’s WPTZ, with FCC representatives invited to Feb. 16 demonstration; Feb. 25, in New York, with RCA, DuMont and Hazeltine pictures; later tests at unspecified dates at GE plant in Syracuse.
Another antenna-sharing arrangement, a la Empire State Bldg. — to conserve materials, best utilize best site — was proposed to all other Denver TV applicants this week by KFEL’s Gene O’Fallon. He proposed use of his Lookout Mountain site, 2000 ft. higher than Denver.
A 1000-line TV scanner “with clarity of detail considerably exceeding that obtainable on 16mm film” has been developed by Telechrome Inc., Amityville, N. Y. Company reports one unit delivered to a movie research group.
Trade Personals: Richard Dooley, Admiral v.p. in charge of real estate operations, is retiring and was tendered testimonial dinner at Drake Hotel Feb. 8 . . . Bruno Dal Bianco, engineering chief of Fabrica Apparecchiature Communicazione Elletriche, of Milan, Italy, arrived in New York Feb. 8 to study TV here . . . Sanford M. Gordy, exLudwig Baumann Stores, named gen. mgr. of Majestic’s New York distributing branch; Louis Stutz, West Coast field representative, named to head Majestic factory sales branch in Los Angeles . . . Hans U. Hjermstad appointed engineering v.p., Sola Electric Co. . . . Harry Granat, exgen. mgr. of now-bankrupt Concord Radio Corp., named asst, sales mgr. in charge of private-label conti’acting for Jackson Industries Inc., succeeding George Wayson . . . Carl Blaker, ex-Lear Radio and Wood & Cies, named chief production engineer, National Electronics Mfg. Co. (Natalie Kalmus TVs) . . . James W. Kelso, ex-Stromberg-Carlson, recently United Nations artist-designer, joins PackardBell as chief cabinet designer . . . William C. Cole, exAdmiral, named mgr. of Capehart-Farnsworth’s Detroit sales region . . . Fred A. Lyman promoted to mgr. of DuMont New York factory distributor branch, succeeding Rowland Guilford, resigned . . . Charles P. Cushway, exexecutive v.p., Webster-Chicago, becomes v.p. of Crescent Industries Inc., Chicago, making phonos, record changers, wire recorders, etc.
•
ATTENDING NPA color-TV conference (see story, pp.
L 2-5) were these industry representatives: Richard Graver & Ray DeCola, Admiral; John W. Craig & L. M. Clement, Crosley; Barney Balaban & Paul Porter, Chromatic TV Labs; C. J. Burnside & Arthur Matthews, Color TV Inc.; Frank Stanton, Adrian Murphy & R. S. Salant, CBS; Dr. Allen B. DuMont & William Roberts, DuMont; Dorman D. Israel, Emerson; Dr. W. R. G. Baker & Robert M. Estes, GE; H. Barnett, General Precision Laboratories; R. W. Durst & H. J. Adler, Hallicrafters; Laurence B. Dodds & A. V. Loughren, Hazeltine; John Rankin, Magnavox; Paul Galvin, Motorola; Larry F. Hardy & David B. Smith, Philco; David Sarnoff & John T. Cahill, RCA; J. Friedman, Trav-Ler; H. A. Gumz, Webster-Chicago; Robert S. Alexander, Wells-Gardner; F. M. Sloan & Edmund T. Morris Jr., Westinghouse; G. E. Gustafson & Edward Wheeler, Zenith. Also, James Carey, president, IUE-CIO.
Govt, personnel included: Sen. Edwin C. Johnson,
(D-Col.); Horace B. McCoy, asst, administrator, NPA (presiding) ; J. A. Milling, director of NPA Electx’onics Div., and chairman of Electronics Production Board; Donald S. Parris, deputy director, NPA Electronics Div.; Leon Golder, chief, radio & TV section, NPA Electronics Div.; Marvin Hobbs, electronics adviser to Munitions Board chairman and member Electronics Production Board; Joseph Kittner, asst, chief, FCC Broadcast Bureau.
Some of backstage maneuvering in recent color controversy— but by no means all — is recounted in “Lawyers and Lobbyists” article in February Fortune, which devotes whole issue to U. S. Govt. It relates how RCA counsel Clark Clifford, ex-Truman secretary, and George Allen, member of Avco board, discussed problem with FCC Chairman Coy from industry standpoint; how ex-Democratic chairman Wm. Boyle and Sen. Anderson (D-N. M.), and even President Truman, got into the act from political viewpoint, though latter never asked Coy either to change or delay decision. Article charges no wrong-doing, cites case of “color lobby” to show that influence due to personal friendships and political relations doesn’t always work. But article fails to indicate that FCC and the pro-CBS color forces also exerted considerable influence and were quite active on the Washington scene during the ill-starred color imbroglio.