Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY In this Issue: REAU • WYATT BLDG. i inn WASHINGTON 5, D.C. • TELEPHONE STERLING 1755 • VOL. 0, No. 7 %Ml\ «* 1 * Add 6 Cities for Convention Networks, page 1. Latest Freeze Guess — Nearer April, page 1. RCA Seminar — Short Course in UHF, page 2. NARTB-TV Code ‘Ready for Business,’ page 3. Grand Jury Probe of Color & Patents? page It. 1952 February 16, 1952 Pentagon Consulted on Color TV Ban, page i. DuMont Strategy to Rid Self of Paramount, page 6. RCA Gears for All UHF Contingencies, page 10. 2nd Quarter Metals Cuts — Rock Bottom? page 10. Shortages of TV-Radio Tubes Not in Prospect, page 13. ADD 6 CITIES FOR CONVENTION NETWORKS: Network service to 6 more cities by political convention time in July appears virtually certain — to be accomplished precisely along lines we reported last month (Vol. 8:4). This week's announcement by AT&T was carefully qualified, but there's little question these now non-interconnected cities will get conventions: Miami , New Orleans, Houston, Dallas , Ft. Worth, Oklahoma City. As expected, Tulsa and San Antonio won't make it. Said AT&T: "Originally scheduled for the 'last half of 1952, ' the network additions are being rushed to meet the earlier date. It was emphasized, however, that priority of construction for national defense and possible material shortages make it impracticable at this time to assure the advanced dates." Method of making connection is through equipping existing Jackson-Dallas coaxial for TV, feeding signals north and south from Dallas. Alternative route, microwave south from Kansas City, couldn't be completed in time. New cities will get only one circuit in July, so there's nothing to permit multi-network competitive service during conventions. But AT&T says cities with 2 stations (Dallas & San Antonio) will get 2 channels later in year. LATEST FREEZE GUESS-NEARER APRIL: You'll get blue in the face if you're holding your breath waiting for end of freeze. March 1 is now considered well nigh impossible, mid-March a possibility, and April 1 is mentioned occasionally. There's no hidden reason behind constantly sliding date. Fact is job is big one, tremendous, and staff are proceeding carefully. Commissioners are learning the ropes far more expertly than they knew them when they issued last end-of-the-f reeze proposal and allocations table just about a year ago (Vol. 7:12). Commission met on allocations only 2 days this week, as staff checked and rechecked to make certain channel allocations are consistent throughout the country. Most of country has been allocated but complicating the job, says FCC, is fact that many conflicts have turned up in channel reallocation proposals overlooked by those making the proposals. But final draft of allocations table isn't far off. $ # * * Though local demands grow more intense by the clock, though speculation grows wilder and wilder as to what will happen after final freeze decision, FCC has not yet had a single session on basic policy questions: how to handle applications, whether cases will be heard channel-by-channel, which cities come first, etc. Every hint or scrap of information from FCC is avidly seized upon. Example of what Commission is telling applicants and other inquirers was carried in recent issue of Tampa Tribune (WFLA). Newspaper quoted letter from Chairman Coy, in which he doubted that a dozen stations will get on the air this year. He stated he expected decision around end COPYRIGHT l»S2 BY RADIO NEWS BUREAU