Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

'•—'Television Digest with COn.SUZtl.eX* Electx*0nics . . . (starts page 7) MAY 6, 1963 NEW SERIES VOL. 3, Nc. 18 The Etuth.orita.tive service for executives in all branches of the television arts & industries JAB LIBRARY -INDEX OF WEEK^S NEWS D . ^ WAf"' 61963 Broadcast CONFLICT RISES IN UHF STUDY as 'haves' & 'have nots' argue how far committees should go in compiling programming & business data — on affiliations, film availability, etc. FCC staff recommends rare exemptions from all-channel-set rules for receivers on master antenna systems (p. 1). GE'S TALARIA PROJECTOR appraised as capable of utilizing full potential of NTSC color on full-size theater screen with movie brightness; company sees near-term demand for 400-500 units (p. 2). TRAVAILS OF ETV IN NEW YORK: FCC looking into any 'understanding' on program policy between WNDT & donors; controversy arose over NBC's $100,000 gift (p. 3). INDUSTRY GEARS FOR NEXT RATINGS ROUND, Harris Subcommittee giving time for self-improvement planning, NAB Pres. Collins reports on goals. ARB & Nielsen continue working on modifications (p. 4). NETWORKS REPLY ON CIGARETTE commercials, Stanton, Kintner & Goldenson telling Sen. Moss medical information is still lacking, that no special attempt to reach youth is made (p. 5). Consumer Electronics COLOR'S FUTURE — PROJECTION? Provocative question about eventual design of home sets is implicit in GE's Talaria demonstration. Added feature might be inclusion of thermoplastic video recorder (p. 7). ALL-CHANNEL LAW will result in depressed TV sales next year, most industry leaders agree, but extent of impact is debated; strong dissents registered by some who feel law will increase sales (p. 7). 3M TAPE CARTRIDGE models to be added next year after nationwide distribution is reached; device seen moving eventually to mass market as competitor to phono (p. 8). NEW-LINE CALENDAR shows debut dates for most manufacturers' new models; few dealer-showing junkets planned this year (p. 9). JAPAN PINS HOPE ON TV for future increases in consumer electronics exports, according to predictions by govt. & manufacturers' association; elimination of sales tax on transistor TV seen as boost (p. 10). RADIO IMPORTS UP another 24% from Japan in first 2 months of year, while average price drops again. Toy radios & tube radios register sharp decline, recorders & phonos rise (p. 10). CONFLICT RISES IN UHF STUDY: Self-interest of parties became more abundantly apparent last week in Washington meeting of executive committee of Committee for Full Development of All-Channel Broadcasting. Chaired by FCC Comr. Lee, committee got into substantial controversy of duties of "Committee No. 2" — on uhf station operation. Controversy seems about as basic as this: The "have nots" want to dig as deeply as possible into business & programming practices; the "haves" fear that govt, pressure might be brought to bear on status quo, through committee. Meeting ended with majority voting to explore the controversial areas— but with Comr. Lee making it clear that govt, won't pressure anyone, that Commission isn't dictating committee's work. Uhf station operation committee, under Seymour Siegel, WNYC-TV N.Y., has established these subcommittees: (1) Programming resources, Lawrence Turet, WUHF-TV Milwaukee, chmn. (2) Network affiliations, John English, WSEE Erie, Pa., chmn. (3) Influence of ratings on uhf, rep Adam Young, chmn. (4) Advertising practices, Lawrence Webb, SRA, chmn. (5) CATV & pay TV, William Putnam, WWLP Springfield, chmn. You can well imagine concern of networks, et al., about a committee probing such things under aegis of FCC. Many reservations were voiced by Peter Kenney, NBC; Harvey Struthers, CBS; Frank Marx, ABC; Vincent Wasilewski, NAB; Lester Lindow, AMST — and several attorneys for vhf operators. Though Lee sought to assure them that subcommittees weren't going to browbeat networks and others about uhf-affiliation practices, price of film, etc., many of foregoing either voted against subcommittees or abstained. Commission's representatives are very concerned about being labeled "promoters." Reflecting Comr. Ford's reservations, Lee stated that Commission doesn't intend to put out rosy predictions to entice newcomers into uhf station operation. However, as Lee's engineering asst. Robert Weston puts it: "We're promoters in only one sense — promoting the distribution of all-channel sets."