American television directory (1946)

THE BELL SYSTEM'S PLANS (co.«„..<i n™ page 25) success of those installations led to the large coaxial expansion program now under way, calling for the construction of nearly 7000 route-miles of cable within the next few years. Planned for inclusion in this network are four in¬ terconnected cable routes which will provide facilities suitable for the trans¬ mission of telephone calls or television programs to a large portion of the country. 1 — Atlantic Seaboard Route. This cable will extend down the eastern seaboard from New York to Miami. Cables have been laid between New York and Wash¬ ington and between Atlanta and Jack¬ sonville. New York-Washington service is expected to be available experiment¬ ally in January, 1946. Cable now is in the process of being put in the ground between Washington and Charlotte, N. C. When the entire project is com¬ pleted, it will provide the means for transmitting television programs to much of the eastern United States. 2 — Southern Transcontinental Route. This route traverses the southern part of the country from Atlanta through Dallas and Los Angeles to San Fran¬ cisco. Laying of the Atlanta-MeridianShreveport sections of the cable is un¬ der way. Work has begun on the Shreveport-Dallas link. When finished, this transcontinental cable will make possible the transmission of a television program for simultaneous broadcasting on both coasts as well as at intermedi¬ ate points. 3 — Midwestern Route. The cable on this route, when completed, will con¬ nect the eastern seaboard with the midwest via Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Chicago. 4 — North-South Route. Running from Chicago to New Orleans via St. Louis THE ECONOMIC which is approximately 42 per cent of the lower local rate. Let us assume that 28 hours per week of network programming is added to a 49-hour independent schedule, putting our average station on the air 77 hours weekly. The majority of network pro¬ grams are half-hour shows. The net¬ work rate will average $132 per half hour (10 per cent higher than the sug¬ gested local rate of $120 per half hour). On an annual basis therefore, these 2912 half-hours of network time will yield $144,144 of additional revenue. What costs will be incurred in addi¬ tion to those previously itemized? Only approximately $850 per year for power. The only station equipment employed during network operation is the trans¬ mitter and master control board — and the relay receiver if a relay network is involved. No additional personnel is re¬ quired. Our budget already covers the salaries of 2 transmitter operators and 4 master control technicians. Network revenue of $144,144 — less power costs of approximately $850 — and Memphis, this cable will intercept the southern transcontinental route at Jackson, Miss. Cable in the Terre Haute-St. Louis section is in the ground but is not yet equipped for operation. These north-south and east-west co¬ axial cables are being engineered and constructed as rapidly as possible. It is anticipated that broad-band facilities will continue to be added in other parts of the country to meet the serv¬ ice requirements of the telephone com¬ panies. Such facilities will form a broad basis for the development of nationwide television networks. Radio Relay Microwave radio relay offers another promising method of transmitting tele¬ vision programs and telephone calls. In order to compare the quality of trans¬ mission and the dependability of this method with that of coaxial cables, the Bell System has under way the con¬ struction of an experimental radio re¬ lay link between New York and Boston. Behind such a project is research which was well advanced before the war as well as the experience gained by the Bell Telephone Laboratories in develop¬ ing electronic devices used by the armed forces during the war. The system will include seven relay stations between the New York and Boston terminals. Because microwaves travel in a straight line and only about as far as the horizon, the relay sta¬ tions will be located about CO miles apart on high ground to permit unob¬ structed transmittal of their radio beams. Hilltop locations for the relay sta¬ tions have been selected and surveyed. Roads arc being built to the sites an 1 preparations being made to start con¬ struction of power and telephone lines, buildings and antennas. indicates that $143,291 of extra profit will be realized — or a total net of $191,227.97 for single-studio, 2-crew statisn operation when 28 hours weekly of network time is added. In most cases it may not prove prac¬ tical to go on the air for as much as a full 77-hour week. Should an a, Lustment to a shorter week appear desirable, wis¬ dom dictates the selection of shows on a. long range basis. One owner may choose a certain network show which will contribute to a station’s prestige, another may select a local advertiser who is certain to be a profitable, long¬ term client. Any adjustment in hours of local operation because of utilizing more network hours, will require an adjustment of the working time of op¬ erating personnel. This will decrease operating costs appreciably. The economic data presented would indicate that only a very limited num¬ ber of cities throughout the country can support independent full-service television stations. Still every section of the country and all of the people are Eight channels in each of three parts of the radio spectrum — near 2000, 4000, and 12,000 megacycles — have been as¬ signed for use during the experimental period. Broadcasting Network Experience From the beginning of radio broad¬ casting, the Bell System has provided the facilities used in operating nation¬ wide networks, which include at the present time 135,000 miles of circuits. From this activity a world of experi¬ ence in network operation has been gained. Bell engineers know that the standards of network maintenance must be high; that dependable arrange¬ ments must be developed for instan¬ taneous and complicated switching to make possible the uninterrupted broad¬ cast of successive programs often origi¬ nating from points a continent apart; that monitoring of a network is re¬ quired at many points; and that alter¬ nate routes are desirable to assure un¬ interrupted service in times of emer¬ gency. A network that is part of the nationwide telephone system automatic¬ ally receives the attention of experi¬ enced telephone operating and mainte¬ nance personnel and the protection of alternate routes. The Bell System's Intentions With the background of network transmission experience gained in some 20 years of radio broadcasting, with a plivsical plant unequalled in depend¬ ability, scope and flexibility, with a continually expanding knowledge of electrical transmission problems, paced by con’inual research by the Bell Tele¬ phone Laboratories, and with an expe¬ rienced personnel to assure capable operation, the Bell System plans to mee: the local and intercity transmis¬ sion demands of the television industry. (Continued from page 41) entitled to as good a television service as possible. It is evident that a rela¬ tively few local full-service television stations could not provide an adequate television service on a nationwide scale. The only plausible economic answer to this problem is to construct television stations of extremely modest facilities for handling less elaborate programs of local origin but primarily designed for rebroadcasting programs originating in larger centers. Such a station could be constructed and operated at a fraction of the cost of the typical full-service station here described. The Public is Waiting Television is a logical, inevitable outgrowth of motion pictures, radio, printing, and all the means of commu¬ nication that have gone before. Because an eager expectant public is waiting . . . because advertisers and agencies are already attempting to obtain options on choice evening hours at existing sta¬ tions . . . television’s nationwide expan¬ sion is certain to be swift. 5 © F TELEVISION 128