Broadcasting (Jul - Dec 1944)

Radio Progress Unveiled at Hearing Tell 'em and you . . . sell 'em! Advertisers are finding WINX unusually productive. Their "ace-in-the-hole" is repetition . . . because you can buy two or three spots on WINX for the same amount of money that you would ordinarily pay for one ... in a comparable market. The Best Test Market at MINIMUA'l COST WINX Washington 1, D. C. Represented Nationally by FORJOE & COMPANY Page 54 e October 2, 1944 FM Winner in Dispute With Television For Low Band (Continued from page 11) output in frequencies ranging as high as 600 mc. Already in factory and production stages is a 1 kw power output tube operating on 400 mc with a 40% efficiency. In the concluding stages of research are two watercooled tubes, one of 3 kw operating on 400 mc and one of 1 kw on 600 mc. The 3 kw tube, operating at 40% efficiency at 400 mcs, will take about a year to get into production. Other tubes described by Mr. Adair include: 250 w on 400 mc, 200 w on 500 mc and 150 w on 600 mc, all in preliminary stages of production; 500 w on 400 mc, 400 w on 500 mc and 300 w on 600 mc, in research; tubes of 700 w operating on 400 and 600 mc, in concluding stages of research and probably can be operated to 700 mc. In this connection it was learned that one broadcasting company already has placed an order with a large manufacturer for a 5,000 w color television transmitter which will operate at 750 mc with delivery guaranteed within a year following the war. Television Needs Recommendations were made by RTPB Panel 6 to set aside sufficient space in the region from 300 to 3,000 mc for television relay stations and for commercial television stations. The American Television Society, in a telegram last week to the FCC, protested any plans to eliminate television from the present A and B channels (50-108 mc), although expressing approval of experimental channels between 400-1,000 mc. The ATS also asked permission to be heard. Dr. Lynde P. Wheeler, head of the Technical Information Division of the FCC Engineering Dept., presented findings based on 32,000 hours of continuous automatic recordings of VHF transmissions from various commercial and experimental stations over the last two years at the Commission's monitoring stations at Laurel, Md. ; Allegan, Mich.; Atlanta, and Grand Island, Neb. He explained that the FCC has reached no conclusions as to the bearing on allocation problems, but submitted his report that witnesses might study it and determine its significance themselves. The studies covered three type of signals — tropospheric, bursts and sporadic E, due to different causes. He submitted a complete technical report for the record as an exhibit. Dr. Wheeler, past president of the Institute of Radio Engineers, described the results of the observations of VHF field strength measures in 1943-44, pointing out three distinct kinds of signals were recorded. He described the vagaries of FM reception at varying distances from the stations. Aside from the "bursts" which are present intermittently on the high frequencies, momentarily impairing reception, he declared that at certain periods distant stations otherwise inaudible, give an "abnormally high field strength". He described this as the "tropospheric phenomenon," the origin of which has not been determined, although it may have some relationship to the "incidence of meteors in the upper atmosphere". Witnesses on behalf of FM, including Dr. C. M. Jansky Jr., consulting engineer and chairman of RTPB Panel 5 (FM), have held that these reports of sporadic interference are not regarded as basic, and that no radio frequencies are entirely interference-free. Secrecy Problem Dr. W. R. G. Baker, chairman of the RTPB and vice-president of General Electric Co., after tracing the history of the technical advisory board, declared: "Without attempting to rate the relative importance of the existing and possible new services, it is apparent that certain services can and will provide thousands of jobs after the war restrictions have been removed, provided the way is cleared for them to proceed. Such services of a mass entertainment character are represented by FM and television. "Until the frequency allocations and system standards for these services have been approved by the FCC, it is probable that no manufacturer will produce either transmitters or receivers. That is, commercial exploitation is not practical or possible without approval by the FCC of the frequency allocations and system standards." Dr. Baker explained the work of each panel and the various subcommittees, told how conclusions had been difficult because of secret military developments not available for civilian knowledge. He said, however, that on some panels were members who were familiar with the wartime developments. Those panels, however, will not report during the hearings. Getting Ready "It is not the common characteristic of scientists and engineers to make public statements which cannot be substantiated by experimental evidence," he said. "In the work of the RTPB there has been no lack of evidence of this charasteristic conservatism. At the same time it has been recognized that, in the interest of the common good, pi-ompt advantage must be taken of new knowledge. In general this new knowledge has been acquired in narrow and much too isolated spearheads which have reached out into the, until recently, unknown." Declaring that "as victory approaches it is the part of wisdom to prepare for peace". Dr. Baker said it is "essentially important" ANCHOR WITNESS at the FCC allocation hearings when the pro-! ceedings opened last Thursday was' Dr. W. R. G. Baker, vice-president' of General Electric Co., as chair1 man of Radio Technical Planning! Board, through which basic allocations recommendations ai-e being j presented at the hearing. to apply that principle to radio. On employment he asserted that "it is probable that during the pe-| riod of the war the employment provided by the radio industry will: have been increased by a factor ot four" and there is "that increase! in potential labor force available to ; the pi'oduction of equipment for: civilian supply." He mentioned the; "hundreds of thousands" in the! armed forces who, through specialized training, may wish to worki in radio. "Awaiting freeing of ' the pro-i ductive capacity of such a labor force there is a deficit of home re-i ceivers developed through the years since the radio industi'y went to' war," said Dr. Baker. "However,; such a demand can do little but to: provide a market through the earlier phases of the return to production for civilian supply. For any large and permanent expansion of the employment capacity of the radio industry resort must inevitably be had — not only alone to expand-:, ing old services, but most impor-5 tantly to the inauguration of newf services." i In addition to extension of the standard band, Mr. Frazier told theCommission that. Panel 4 has made' JACKSON'S HARVEST It's fall harvest time in Mississippi and new agricultural dollars— added to a steadily increasing industrial and oil income — are boosting Jackson's morket to an all-time high. Here, in the Capital City, the $130,000,000 annual market is ready to be "gathered." Remember, V/SLI offers you efFective coverage of this "double-return" market— at less cost. kBLUE NETWORK ■! WEED & COMPANY NATIONAL REPKEfEHTATIvet BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising