Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1960)

2 DECEMBER 26, 1960 WHITE HOUSE HOMEWORK ON AGENCIES: There's at least one thing sure about Pres ident-elect Kennedy as he approaches Inaugviration day and such domestic problems as govt, regulation of broadcasting & other industries. He'll have plenty of reading matter to carry with him into White House. Two more weighty analyses of ills of regulatory agencies — latest in long series of treatises on subject— were added last week to piles of literature available in field. One came from staff of House Commerce Legislative Oversight Subcommittee (see p. 3). Other was dispatched to Kennedy from his special agency advisor James M. Landis. "Program of action" was called for by House report — 29th issued by Oversighters or Subcommittee staff since they went to work on FCC in 1957. No "superficial tinkering with existing statutes & regulations" will do, report warned sternly. "Laws ore not self-executing." "We must have administrators with ability, vision, and above all, with a sense of their responsibility," House investigators went. on. Concluding sentence of 166-page report was this: "Whether we hove such men in public service depends in large measure upon the wisdom which is used by the President & the Senate in exercising their respective powers of nomination & approval." Similar admonitions were directed at Kennedy by New Deal agency veteran Landis in 150-page report filed coincidentally with President-elect. His study of commissions & boards was due Dec. 15 (Vol. 16:51 plO), but Landis told us he didn't finish rewriting & polishing his "specific recommendations" imtil 5:15 a.m. Dec. 21. His report was then handed in N.Y. to Keimedy's father Joseph P. Kennedy, who acted as courier next day in flight to Palm Beach to join son's family for Christmas. And these new reports were only starters for incoming Democratic administration. Still to come are: (1) Findings by Legislative Oversight Subcommittee itself. (2) Report by Senate Judiciary Administrative Practice & Procedure Subcommittee (Vol. 16:49 p2). (3) Hearing for agencies planned by Senate Commerce Committee (Vol. 16:48 p5). (4) Proceedings of White House conference on agencies plormed by Circuit Court Judge E. Barrett Prettyman (Vol. 16:36 p5 et seq.). NO RUSH TO REPLACE FORD: Look for FCC Chmn. Ford to continue as head of Commission for some months. Word is out that Kennedy administration is in no hxurry at all to effect FCC shifts, is in fact inclined to let Ford continue his legislative & regulatory revitalization program. Kennedy could change mind fast, of course, but that's how things stand today. Ford will be replaced as chairman sooner or later but his replacement hasn't been selected. Friends of defeated Sen. J. Allen Freor (D-Del.) have sent up trial balloons touting him for FCC, but he says: "My interests don't lean in that direction." Also mentioned for chairmanship is Comr. Cross, Ark. Democrat. "If the President wonts me for chairman," he said, "he'll designate me chairman. I'm not actively seeking it." TV ALLOCATIONS — AIRBORNE ETV A FACTOR: Basic to FCC's allocation thinking today is the all-charmel set. In fact, belief is that such sets must be fairly well distributed before a true decision can be made (Vol. 16:50 p2). However, a new & important factor is about to enter picture — ETV and its potential heavy uhf requirements. If ETV requests and gets substantial number of exclusive uhf channels, commercial interests will begin to worry about lebensraum any time anyone talks of an ultimate shift of all TV to uhf. EarUer this year, FCC Chmn. Ford, in an off-record talk to educators, chewed them out for seeking ETV assignments on piecemeal basis, and for not having long-range nation-wide allocation plan. They took words to heart, intend to come up with recommendations. Question is when. Ford apparently expects it soon, to be considered in whole TV picture. But educators say they can give only rough judgment now, before Stratovision experiment bears technical fruit (see p. 4) — because ihany educators & engineers believe that airborne transmitters will be more efficient than ground-based in every way, including spectrum use. They don't expect full data before end of 1962. Current engineering speculation is that airborne TV would need 15-20 uhf channels, 25 planes in air, to blanket nation with 6 simultaneous ETV programs. If 3-mc channels con be used — and Stratovision experiment will test them — spectrum needs would be less.