Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1949)

T E Vol. 37, No. 23 WASHINGTON, D. C, DECEMBER 5, 1949 $7,00 A YEAR— 25<* A COPY CUBAN CHANNEL RAID U.S. Advisors Prefer No NARBA THE FATE of NARBA and the threat of ether war hung in the balance after the U.S. industry advisory delegation to the Montreal NARBA conference voted 6-to-4 last Thursday to reject Cuban terms for ether peace. The State Dept. is expected to decide after conferences with FCC early this week whether to accept the Cuban proposals for the sake of effecting a treaty or to reject them and abandon hopes for a treaty. State Dept. inclinations traditionally favor operation under international agreement, though this time a division of opinion loomed in view of the far-reaching Cuban demands, officially disclosed last Monday. On Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Scott W. Lucas (D-Hl.) served notice he will call for "an investigation with the purpose of preventing ratification" of any treaty incorporating Cuba's proposals. Johnson Withholds Comment I Sen. Ed C. Johnson (D-Col.), I chairman of the Senate Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, withheld public comment on the Cuban demands but implicitly opposed acceptance now by saying the Mexican and Cuban proposals should be considered together, not ; separately. Mexico is not participating in the conference. Cuba's proposals, the latest in what reportedly has been a series of demands advanced during the conference, include: 9 Rights on three additional U.S. 1-A clear channels and power increases on three others. 9 Establishment of Cuban ^ Class 1 stations on 11 channels (7 regionals, 4 clears). # A total of 108 assignments on some 79 channels to serve an island of approximately 5 million population. 9 Increased protection on many channels, with Cuban power boosts openly threatened against two stations unless they reduce radiation toward Cuba. 9 A ban on further licensing on at least 590, 690, 860, 950 and 1010 kc throughout Florida and in southern Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Some 17 U.S. 1-B stations were reported facing "incomplete" pro tection if the Cuban plan were adopted. Cuba would give up its 1-kw assignment at Oriente on WMAQ Chicago's 670 kc clear channel and apparently would also relinquish 1 kw day and 500 w night at Santa Clara and 250 w at Artemisa on the 680 1-B frequency on which KNBC San Francisco is dominant. Three Days of Study The vote of the U.S. industry delegation pecommending rejection of the proposal came after three days of careful study. The plan was presented at an extraordinary session of the U.S. group Monday morning following Washington conferences of FCC Comr. Rosel H. Hyde, delegation chairman, with FCC and the State Dept. the preceding week [Broadcasting, Nov. 21], Stations affected by the pro-^ posal had been polled by telegram. The vote: Against treaty embodying Cuban plan — Representatives of NBC, CBS, NAB, Clear Channel Broadcasting Service, WBT Charlotte, and WFBC Greenville, S. C, For treaty — Representatives of ABC, Westinghouse Radio Stations, KPRC Houston (with reservations), and Foi-t Industry Co. (tentatively). It was not a question of whether Cuba's demands were desirable or undesirable. Rather, to many it seemed ■ basically a question of whether the U. S. might get a better treaty, at a later time, by foregoing one incorporating Cuba's current requests. The CCBS vote opposing Cuba's terms was cast by Louis G. Caldwell, Washington attorney and treaty conference veteran, even though only one CCBS member station — WJR Detroit — would be affected. Mr. Caldwell reportedly felt he must oppose any clearchannel breakdowns. Additionally, observers felt that if the plan were accepted and subsequent adjustments became necessary, then Cuba might grasp at other clears. Casting NAB's vote, Government Relations Director Forney A. Rankin pointed out that 40 NAB member stations would be adversely affected by the Cuban allocation plan. Among the other opponents, NBC stood to have its WNBC New York's clear channel broken down; CBS faced the same prospect for its WBBM Chicago; and WBT and WFBC would be among the chief victims of other Cuban proposals. ABC, voting for a treaty even at the expense of meeting Cuba's bids, presumably felt almost any agi'eement is better than no agreement. ABC was the hardest hit in the 1946 Interim AK^eement between the NARBA nations, which officially expired last March 29. Westinghouse evidently also felt even a bad treaty would be better than none. KPRC Action KPRC, which would have to install one or more additional towers if the Cuban plan were adopted, is understood to have voted in favor of a treaty only on condition that measures would be taken by both Cuba and itself to assure that the KPRC service area would not be curtailed. Thg, 6-4 vote was not considered indicative of overall industry, .op( Continued on page 20) CUBA'S TERMS FOR ETHER PEACE CHANNELS affected by the Cuban NARBA demands are shown in the following tables, presented to the U. S. industry delegation at the Montreal treaty conference last week. The tables are arranged to show (1) U.S. 1-A clear channels which would be affected; (2) 1-B and foreign 1-A channels affected; and (3) regional stations affected. The dominant stations are shown in parentheses with each frequency in the case of clear channels; in the case of regional frequencies, the stations shown in parentheses are the ones that apparently would be chiefly affected. The comments in each case are those presented to the U.S. industry delegation explaining or analyzing the pertinent Cuban proposals. Channels not affected by the Cuban demands are listed in the final tables. (Also see separate list of the proposed Cuban assignments, channel by channel, on page 49.) In these listings, "DA" represents directional antenna. As signments "as of 3-29-49" are those which had been reported when the Interim Agreement between the North American countries officially expired last March 29. U.S. 1-A CLEAR CHANNEL ASSIGNMENTS 640 kc (KFI Los Angeles)— Interim Agreement gave Cuba a Class 2 station at Havana, 25 kw, DA. Cuba proposes to change this to Class 1 at Santa Clara, 50 kw, DA. KFI and U.S. Class 2 stations would continue to receive protection specified by Interim Agreement. U.S. would m«ke no future assignments on 640 kc which would increase interference to CMQ Havana, exceut that KFI may radiate up to 2000 mv/m towards Cuban border. U.S. assignment would remain Class 1-A station, but Cuban assignment would be considered Cuban Class 1. See comments on 690 kc arid notes at end of Regional table for further data on protection of Cuban Class 1 stations. 660 kc (WNBC New York)-=^No Cuban assignment under Interim BROADCASTING Telecasting Agreement. Cuba proposes Class 2 station at Havana, 10 kw, DA. The U.S. station would be protected in accordance with the Interim Agreement formula permitting certain Cuban operation on designated U.S. Class lA channels. The pertinent provision of the Interim Agreement: "The interfering signal shall not exceed 0.025 mv/m 10% of the time at night at the present 0.4 mv/m 50%" contour of the respective U.S. Class 1-A stations." 670 kc (WMAQ Chicago)— Under Interim Agreement Cuba has assignment ;at Oriente, 1 kw, DA. It would relinquish this assignment. 760 kc (WJR Detroit)— Interim Agreement gave Cuba no assignment, Cuba requests Class 2 station at Havana, 10 kw, DA. Protection as in case of 660 kc, above. However, Cuba anticipates certain difficulty in fully meeting the above requirement on this channel; an understanding would be reached pursuant to which Cuba would be required to take corrective meas(Continued on page i7) December 5, 1949 • Page 19