Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

4 possibility RCA, which carried brunt of the case last time, may choose to go to FCC on its own. Such action by others is also a possibility. FCC people say that "thorough study” of proffered compatible system will be conducted by Commission before it begins rule-making proceedings. If so, you can assume system is "in" once hearing is ordered. Many imponderables enter speculation. There's a new Administration. There will be new faces on Commission and in Congress. There will be many new stations on air. There's Korea, questions of materials , business ups-and-downs — etc. etc. # # # # Demonstrating latest Lawrence tri-color tube in New York this week, Paramount's 50%-owned Chromatic TV Labs said it's ready for production. But president Richard Hodgson said he thinks it will be late 1953 or early 1954 before a system is approved and industry is ready to produce color sets. Press observers found considerable improvement in tube, brainchild of famed physicist Ernest 0. Lawrence. Comparing it with original showings (Vol. 7:38), their reactions ranged from "somewhat better" to "infinitely improved." Most felt pictures compared favorably with those RCA and CBS last showed. Only Kodachrome slides were shown, but color film demonstrations are next planned. Hodgson said Chromatic has made about 200 tubes, sold some for industrial use, intends to manufacture them itself and to license others. Tube was in 22-in. envelope, gave picture with about 18-in. diagonal. Cost in mass production, according to Hodgson, would be about twice that of comparable black-&-white tube. He also said it would cost about 25% less than RCA's tri-color •tube though RCA doesn't say what its unit would cost in mass production. cast its first live news and weather program on Dec. 22 at 12:45-1 a.m.” South Bend Tribune station is now in fullfledged operation. WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (Ch. 28) saw no cause for rush, though its plant was ready for quick transmitter installation, too. It had announced Jan. 1 as dedication day — and Jan. 1 it will be, according to mgr. David Baltimore. P@yS3Ilsl Ncies* Joseph M. Allen, Bristol-Myers v.p. in charge of adv. and member of ANA TV-radio steering committee as well as BMB director, joins staff of Assn, of National Advertisers Jan. 1 . . . Walter A. Tibbals Jr., BBDO’s director of TV-radio on Eisenhower train during campaign, transfers from N. Y. to Hollywood Jan. 2 to supervise TV-radio production . . . Kenneth D. Fry, TVradio director of Democratic National Committee since Feb. 1948, resigns to return to private industry . . . Wm. Dallman named merchandising mgr., WNBK, Cleveland, succeeding Gene Myers, resigned to join Ed Lamb stations . . . Lloyd Dennis elected program v.p., WTOP & WTOP-TV, Washington . . . Bertha Kurtzman, WJZ-TV operations mgr., promoted to acting program mgr. . . . Harold A. Smith named NBC central div. adv.-promotion mgr. for network TV-radio, Wm. Yonan, asst., Arnold Johnson mgr. of TV-radio sales service, Tom Lauer asst., in unification just completed by Edward Hitz, network sales mgr. . . . Everett Palmer, ex-Walsh Adv., named TVradio director of new McCann-Erickson Toronto office, succeeded at Walsh by Kent Burt . . . David M. Crandall named supervisor of TV production, N. W. Ayer N. Y. office . . . Charles Phelps, from sales staff, named asst, night executive officer of NBC under Wm. Burke Miller . . . Werner Michel, ex-Kenyon & Eckhardt and CBS, named DuMont asst, director of programming & production. John Glover Robb, 62, former deputy chief engineer of Marconi’s Wdreless and chief of its Baddow research labs, died Dec. 16 at his home in Braithwaite, Keswick, Cumberland. A brother, F. G. Robb, is Marconi test chief. • . •;'“ :• *i :>ll„ (<•. .; . ; I'.l .1 i j.' -I : i ;.|j. THREE NEW UHF stations turned on power at varying hours last week end — and for many a year you can expect them to debate the earth-shaking question of who was first to put RCA’s first factory-built 1-kw jobs into actual operation. Here’s how each tells it: WFPG-TV, Atlantic City (Ch. 46)— Transmitter arrived with motorcycle police escort from Camden Fri., Dec. 19, at 4 p.m. By Saturday at 3 p.m., engineers had picture on air but no sound. Though they encountered trouble — with modulator, cavities, tank circuits, etc— RCA crew of 9 got sight-&-sound going at exactly 8:12 p.m. next day, Dec. 21. At 10:45 p.m., mgr. Fred Weber had dedicated the station— exactly 50 days from time CP was granted. WFPG-TV began commercial operation with Philco-sponsored film, The Gift, is now operating daily 4:45-11:15 p.m., with microwave pickups of all networks from Philadelphia. WSBA-TV, York, Pa. (Ch. 43) — Got delivery of one of first 4 RCA uhf transmitters Friday afternoon also, and at 2:06 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, had a picture on the air but no sound because filterplexer hadn’t arrived. Nevertheless, it continued picture patterns with slides, films, live camera shots, as Washington consultants Robin Compton, George Davis and Julius Cohen worked with chief engineer Lou Jones and crew from Camden to get it going full blast. By 7:45 a.m. Monday, Dec. 22, sight&-sound were working well and intermittent tests continued. By Tuesday, reports mgr. Louis Appell, he had reports of good signals on built-in antennas from points 7-19 miles from the transmitter and reports of good reception up to 30-mi. radius. He says converters are selling very well, with station beginning ABC & DuMont network service from Dec. 23. Daily schedule is 5-11:30 p.m., with afternoon hours to be added next month. WSBT-TV, South Bend, Ind. (Ch. 34)— Delivery of RCA transmitter, which left plant same time as ones for Atlantic City and York, was necessarily slower. From manager Robert H. Swintz came modest claim: “WSBTTV went on the air at 11:50 p.m. Sun., Dec. 21, and tele