Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

8 EDUCATIONAL “sleeper” may be in making by St. Louis Educational TV Commission, non-profit corporation composed of local educators and community leaders which is preparing to apply shortly for Channel 9. Assuming quick grant of non-commercial educational vhf allocated to St. Louis, and sparkplugged by St. Louis manufacturer Raymond Wittcoff, station could go on air by early spring and perhaps precede grantees KUSC-TV in Los Angeles (Channel 28) and KUHT in Houston (Ch. 8) as first educational outlet. Wittcoff, who is member of Dr. Milton Eisenhower’s National Citizens Committee for Educatioal TV (Vol. 8:48), tells us application had been delayed until all financing and equipment were assured, said these should be buttoned up early next week. Financing will be handled privately, he said, with Ford Foundation contributing $100,000. Programming will be cooperative — the product of 16 school systems in area, which will pitch in to pay 50% of costs. Other 50% will be met by gifts from corporations and foundations and smaller gifts from citizens. Counsel for project is Malcolm Martin, brother of Federal Reserve Board chairman William McChesney Martin, contributing legal services gratis. Boai’d is headed by Dr. Arthur H. Compton, Washington U chancellor. Members include Rev. Paul C. Reiner, president of St. Louis U; Philip Hickey, St. Louis supt. of schools; Mr. Wittcoff, and other leading local citizens. v $ V ^ Finance division of California educational conference, at meeting in Sacramento Dec. 15-16, recommended that State advance each educational TV station money for construction, with formula for repayment on basis of ability to pay and all operating costs to be financed locally. Biggest educational conference held thus far, with 2000 delegates, recommended study looking into possibility of relocating State’s remaining 7 educational allocations to avoid duplication of coverage. All are uhf save San Francisco-Oakland’s Channel 9 and Sacramento’s No. 6, others being San Diego, No. 15; Fresno, No. 18; San Bernardino, No. 24; San Jose, No. 54; Stockton, No. 42. Other educational TV developments this week: (1) E. Arthur Kungerford, General Precision Labs’ TV commercial mgr. and prewar NBC-TV engineer, given leave of absence to be consultant to Joint Committee on Educational TV. (2) Ford Foundation offered $100,000 grants each to Atlanta board of education and Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Council on Education. (3) Newly-formed film exchange, Educational Television & Radio Center (Vol. 8:49), set up temporary headquarters at 134 So. La Salle St., Chicago. (4) American Civil Liberties Union, in letter to FCC, urged Commission to deny grants to educational applicants which indicate they would bar or restrict discussions of controversial public issues. (5) Ohio State U announced it will apply for uhf Channel 34 in Columbus shortly after Jan. 1. (6) Educational conference sched uled for Jan. 9 in Olympia, Wash. Westinghouse’s Stratovision equipment, used several years ago in series of exciting experiments, was presented to Texas A. & M. this week by alumnus C. E. (Chili) Nobles, Westinghouse engineer who developed system. Equipment comprises transmitter and power supply. System involved TV transmissions from plane flying in small circle 4-5 miles above earth, giving vast coverage. Westinghouse pushed system during one phase of allocations proceedings, but FCC concluded that it would require too many channels to cover country, depriving many cities of local stations. However, end-of-freeze decision said Commission “will consider requests for experimentation” in 792-890 me band. Despite FCC turndown, Westinghouse feels experiments were valuable from propagation standpoint, says data has been given to Defense Dept. HAS THE FCC SET new precedent by permitting Portland’s KOIN to amend application to reflect change in 43.5% ownership after competitive hearing had officially begun (Vol. 8:50) ? This question had Washington lawyers and many of FCC’s own legalists pondering this week, as Commission issued opinion explaining why it brushed aside advice of its own Broadcast Bureau, ruling of examiner Elizabeth Smith and objections of competing applicant KGW, and permitted KOIN to stay in hearing for Portland’s Channel 6. Commission maintained in its opinion that: (1) Although Ralph Stolkin, Edward G. Burke and Sherrill C. Corwin sold their 43.5% holdings in KOIN (Vol. 8:45,47), change in application was not “substantial” because company’s original stockholders now hold about 87% of stock and remaining 13% is held by 25 employes. (2) Applicant had “good cause” to amend because it was faced with “fait accompli” by retirement of 3 stockholders. (3) KGW shouldn’t suffer “undue hardship” since amendment was filed 16 days before testimony was due to be taken on Channel 6 case, which should have given KGW ample time to familiarize itself with new facts in case. Dissent of Comrs. Walker and Hennock charged majority “stretched ‘good cause’ to such an extent as to cause the requirement to lose much of its former significance.” They expressed fear “Commission’s action will open a veritable ‘Pandora’s box’ of difficulties in future hearings.” A high member of Commission staff called it “one of the most significant decisions in many a moon,” and added: “If this is carried to its logical conclusion, it means no applicant for a contested channel will know whom he’s bucking until the hearing record is closed.” Other lawyers argued KOIN ruling was merely isolated action by Commission and “the next time it might do exactly the opposite.” KGW has 30 days to ask Commission to reconsider. Meanwhile, Channel 6 hearing has been postponed until mid-March. Conclusions about satellite operation, submitted to FCC by Sylvania on basis of June-October experimentation with KG2XDU (518-524 me) in Emporium, Pa.: “(1) Unattended satellite operation in the uhf band is feasible if daily checks are made on the operation of the transmitting equipment. (2) To provide acceptable service to the entire community of Emporium, more effective radiated power is desirable or the transmitter should be located within Emporium.” Station rebroadcasts signals of WJAC-TV, Johnstown, 90 miles away. Until W-JAC-TV increased power to 70 kw, received signal was 200 uv/m — a relatively poor level to rebroadcast. With 70 kw, received signal jumped to 1500 uv/m — “a decided improvement.” In summer, uhf signal dropped substantially, possibly due to foliage. Tilting antenna down 7 degrees didn’t help. Sylvania plans to double ERP soon and place a Channel 82 station (878-884 me) in operation in center of town. Company devoted 2472 man-hours to pi'oject during period, spent $10,613. Tough break for KSL-TV, Salt Lake City, came Dec. 5 when 100-mile gale toppled its new 330-ft. tower and antenna atop 9425-ft. Coon Peak, highest transmitter location in country. Station had old facilities in city operating in 8 minutes. Mishap came only a month after operations began at mountain site. Setup will be rebuilt next spring when weather permits, probably with 150-ft. tower. Station is so hard to reach that cable car is used part way. City’s other station, KDYL-TV, operate from new site on 870C-ft. Mt. Vision. “Hamlet” becomes soap opera in first TV serialization of Shakespeare, scheduled to begin 2-week run Jan. 5 on WABD, New York, ll:45-noon daily. Titled One Man’s Experience, sustainer will have cast of one — actor Jack Manning, using bare stage, few props.