Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

NEW SERIES VOL. 3, No. 6 TELEVISION DIGEST— 5 CATV-IN TEXAS, GEORGIA: That strange Austin, Tex. CATV dispute (Vol. 3:5 p3) took another strange turn last week. City Council had finally franchised Capital Cable Co., in which Mrs. Lyndon Johnson has interest, to build system. Three other applicants weren’t accepted — though Council said contract with Capital isn’t exclusive. Last week, comes now new applicant — TV Cable of Austin, headed by John G. Campbell, operator of CATV in Mineral Wells — and also gets Council go-ahead. Campbell says he’ll build $l-million system, holding 25%, offering rest of stock to public. Meanwhile, Bell System spokesman bounced back & forth regarding ability to put more than one CATV system on poles. At latest reading, Bell says it can handle more than one. But — city owns power system and % of city’s poles, Bell the remainder. And Council said it will handle all CATV systems, install more poles if needed. Good final questions: Can CATV be profitable in Austin ? City has one station, but good antennas pick up 4 stations from San Antonio & Temple. And will more operators be franchised? If so, will there be wasteful duplication— eventual consolidation ? « * * « In Georgia, Ga. Assn, of Bcstrs. TV vp Raymond E. Carow reports: (1) CATV interests plan 10-hop microwave from Griffin to Gulf, to feed CATVs in Crest, Butler, Americus, Dawson, Arlington, Donaldsonville and other towns along way. (2) CATV exists or is sought in Savannah, Tifton, Macon, West Point, Albany, Cordele, Fitzgerald, Brunswick, Bainbridge, Dublin, Athens “and dozens more.” “In conclusion,” he says, “CATV is a legitimate business enterprise and a friend to some ‘behind the mountain' communities. It aids TV coverage in other areas, too. It has proven to be a money maker in many locations. However, it can be a foe to local AM-FM radio & TV and compete with local programming & commercials without regulation or licensing of any kind. . . . Regulation of CATV must come by legislation on either the federal or state level.” Rehearing in Court of Appeals, on W. Palm Beach site-move case, is sought by FCC (Vol. 3:4 p4). FCC had granted WEAT-TV & WPTV moves to location 12 miles nearer Miami, over protests of WTVJ Miami, which claimed that stations would serve public better at sites north of W. Palm Beach. Court reversed Commission, ordered evidentiary hearing on WTVJ’s claims. Commission argues that it would have serious administrative problems if it must consider hypothetical sites for which no application has been made. Favoritism to Congressmen in awarding of station licenses would be prohibited in bill (S-708) introduced by Sen. Proxmire (D-Wis.). Measure is identical to one he submitted last session, would forbid FCC to consider membership in Congress as factor in choosing licensee. Small business share of communications satellite program would be assured under bill introduced by Rep. Multer (D-N.Y.). Under HR-3619, Small Business Administration would participate in drawing up procurement regulations. Satellite-era U.N. telecasts of General Assembly & Security Council meetings are in planning stage, although Soviet Union doesn’t think idea is particularly good. U.N. membership has voted go-ahead to plans of SecretaryGeneral U Thant & information chief Tavares de Sa to build 2-level TV facility under present Secretariat building in N.Y. Telecasts of U.N. sessions would then be fed as regular edited-down, hour-long shows via worldwide satellite relays. Radio coverage of U.N. has been reality from start, with organization’s own staffers preparing total of more than 37,000 taped shows in 30 languages for rebroadcast in over 100 countries last year, plus TVtaped International Zone series and special U.N. films. Soviet Union has indicated that it feels pamphlets & booklets would be better medium than TV to tell international organization’s story. Winner of Syracuse’s Ch. 9 should be Onondaga Bcstg. Inc., one of 9 competitors, according to 212-page initial decision issued by FCC Examiner David Kraushaar. Of Onondaga’s 16 stockholders, holder of largest share, 20%, is Martin Sugarman, N.Y. TV film producer. Proposed gen. mgr. is 10% owner Vance Eckersley, former mgr. of WGBI-TV & WDAU-TV Scranton. William Lane, 3%, once managed WLTV Atlanta. Examiner concluded that Onondaga was most likely to meet needs of Syracuse — through “local ownership, integration of ownership with management, and fairly recent experience of a major stockholder in the management of a going TV station with a satisfactory performance record.” Candor didn’t help radio KLIZ Brainerd, Minn. Operating on 1380 kc, 1-kw, daytime, it has pending a request for 5-kw, unlimited time. Greater Minn. Bcstg. Corp. seeks 1340 kc, full-time, in Brainerd. KLIZ asked FCC for permission to amend to 1340 kc, go through comparative hearing with Greater Minn. — stating that town can’t support 2 stations. Said FCC re KLIZ: “Petitioner candidly states that it seeks [to] prevent the construction of a second standard broadcast station in an area which it believes will only support one.” Can’t condone this. Commission said — setting KLIZ’s 1380 kc application for hearing on “its tactics.” Equivalent of short-term renewal, remaining 17 months of term, has been granted to radio WMIS Natchez, Miss., and FCC charged station with violation of rules, including failure to have full time first class operator on duty and operating by remote control with inoperative meter. Supplemental appropriations request for fiscal 1963 sent to Congress by President Kennedy last week includes $9.6 million for construction of USIA Far East radio station, $58,000 for Office of Telecommunications Management. Radio Free Europe has launched $11 million fundraising campaign under Chmn. Charles H. Kellstadt, exSears Roebuck chmn., drive by all media, including special effort by broadcasting industry. CCA Electronics Corp., 542 Industrial Dr., Yeadon, Pa., is new manufacturer of broadcast & communications transmitters, formed by Bernard Wise, who had sold his ITA Electronics to Triangle Publications. U.S. distribution will be through reps, international through Telesco International, N.Y. National Community Antenna Assn, of Canada holds annual convention at Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, May 7-10.