Broadcasting (July - Sep 1950)

Set Makers' Dilemma (Continued from page 69) version of all circuits to bracket standards in early November. Some set makers were violent on vi^hat they felt were shotgun tactics by FCC. Others took the FCC action calmly but felt the Commission failed to give due weight to the practical side of TV manufacturing j and engineering. Still others said the whole argument was academic I in view of the anticipated flood of ! military orders for electronic gear. Many members of RTMA and its board felt the FCC color document had misrepresented the industry's part in development of the television art. The board adopted a resolution authorizing a special committee "to investigate the feasibility of having a comprehensive study prepared on the technical contributions of the industry in the development of television and frequency allocation plans." President Sprague named Dr. W. R. G. Baker, General Electric Co. j vice president, to head the special i committee. Dr. Baker is director of the RTMA Engineering Dept. and chairman of the National Television Systems Committee. Other members of the special committee I are Dr. Allen B. DuMont, of the [ Allen B. DuMont Labs, and President Sprague. Meanwhile, FCC last week replied to Philco Corp.'s request for "immediate clarification" of tech nical details in the Commission's bracket standards proposal [Telecasting, Sept. 18]. Philco questioned how the switching mechanism in the bracket set should operate and what was to be done about the 5% hum tolerance in present TV sets. Using this tolerance with CBS standards might cause flicker, Philco indicated. FCC's letter stated in part: With respect to interpretation of paragraph 151 of the report, relating to bracket standards, the Commission proposed that television receivers would be capable of operating anywhere within the limits specified. In order for receivers to be changed instantaneously from monocrome standards to the proposed CBS standards, receivers would be provided with a manual or automatic switch having two positions. For each position of the switch, service controls, plug-in components, or other methods should be provided so that the receiver can be adjusted to operate anywhere within the full range of the specified brackets. With respect to your questions concerning (1) the syncronizing signal to be employed for values other than present black-and-white, and (2) the use of a color indexing or phasing pulse to permit automatic syncronization of the color disc, as you know the bracket standards in the Commission's Second Notice of Further Proposed Rule Making (FCC 50-1065) would apply only to black-and-white, and the Commission has not to date proposed the adoption of standards for color. Accordingly, the precise form of color transmission standards has not yet been announced by the Commission. Under the alternative procedures set forth in the First Report of the Commission, shortly after Sept. 29, 1950, the Commission will either adopt final standards for the field sequential color system, or it will issue a notice of further proposed rule making proposing to adopt standards for that color system. In connection with either of these courses of action, the Commission will determine the precise synchronizing signals to be employed with the field sequential color system. Accordingly, the precise answers to your questions will be available shortly after Sept. 29, 1950. . With respect to the hum tolerance of 5%, this matter has not been fully determined. However, the bracket standards proposed were primarily for consideration in television receiver design and it was not intended to propose other changes in the transmission standards at this time. Many Problems Covered The RTMA board acted on a long list of industry problems at its New York meeting, which included sessions of RTMA committees, divisions and other groups. The autumn industry conference was held Monday through Wednesday at the Roosevelt Hotel. On recommendation of the RTMA Set Division executive committee, the board ordered the secretary to distribute among all association members copies of a proposed code of advertising and selling ethics for television receivers. Members will be asked to comment on the proposed ethics. Drafting of the proposed code was in charge of the RTMA Sales Managers Committee, cooperating with the Better Business Bureau. The RTMA board will act on the code, to be strictly voluntary in its enforcement, at the mid-November meeting. Funds to aid in promoting the 30th anniversary of broadcasting were appropriated. The event will be celebrated during National Radio & Television Week Oct. 29Nov. 4. High spot of the celebration is the nationwide Voice of Democracy contest for high school students. Recommending appropriation of ALLOCATION PROBE FCC Delays General Hearing FURTHER hearing in FCC's general TV allocation proceeding;, heretofore designated to commence Oct. 2, was postponed to Oct. 16 by the Commission last week. Although no formal request for delay had been filed, FCC apparently postponed the hearing because its Sept. 29 deadline for indicating manufacturing plans in the color TV case is conflicting with participants' adequate preparation for the allocations case. Meanwhile, FCC last week accepted the late appearance of KTUL-AM-FM Tulsa, Okla., in the specific allocation portion of the TV proceeding. KTUL seeks reallocation of TV Channel 8 from Muskogee to Tulsa, Channel 21 from Russellville, Ark., to Muskogee, allocation of Channel 35 to Russellville, switch of Channel 13 from Enid to Tulsa and allocation of Channel 19 to Enid. FCC also granted WNBW (TV) Washington, NBC-owned station, extension of special temporary authority to test RCA's color system from Sept. 20 to Oct. 13. [Telecasting, Sept. 18]. the funds for the annual industry week was the RTMA Advertising Committee, of which Lee Pettit, General Electric Co., Syracuse, is chairman. TV sets will be provided by manufacturers as prizes for many local Voice of Democracy contests. Accepting a report by the Set Division, the board authorized President Sprague to name a special committee to confer with an industry FM Broadcasters Committee to discuss outlook for inclusion of FM circuits in TV sets as well as production of more FM sets. Head of the FM committee is Morris Novik, radio consultant for several CIO FM stations. Committee Members Named President Sprague named H. C. Bonfig, Zenith Radio Corp. vice president, as chairman of the special committee. Others are Leonard F. Cramer, vice president of Allen B. DuMont Labs, and E. H. Vogel, marketing manager of the General Electric Co. electronics department. Center of industry discussion during the three-day meeting was the efl'ect of military requirements on industry operations. The Parts Division executive committee and section chairmen voiced the belief that the parts industry generally will be able to meet both civilian and military requirements for electronic components during the balance of 1950. Presiding at the division session was Chairman R. G. Zender, Lenz Electric Mfg. Co., Chicago. With plant expansions underway, resistor manufacturers believed that industry could ease the present shortage when production is increased. RTMA will publish a supple mental study on the effect of television on attendance at professional baseball games during the past summer. Conducting this study is Jerry N. Jordan, who directed the basic report on "The Long-Range Effect of Television and Other Factors on Sports Attendance." The association, on the basis of a membership poll, will continue its opposition to municipal ordinances requiring licensing of radio and television servicemen as proposed in New York and other cities. A second representative was named on the board of the Radio Parts & Electronic Equipment Shows Inc. He is Herbert W. Clough, Belden Mfg. Co. Already on the show board is J. J. Kahn, Standard Transformer Corp. Standardization Work Plans were discussed for publicizing the fact that RTMA has standardized the measurement, manufacturing and rating units of microphones, speakers and amplifiers so component parts are interchangeable. The plan will be handled by the Commercial Equipment Committee, headed by A. K. Ward, RCA Victor Division. The committee will meet Oct. 6 in New York. On recommendation of the Sales Managers Committee, under C. J. Hunt, Stromberg-Carlson Co., the RTMA Engineering Dept. will attempt to standardize cathode ray tubes. Plans to aid set manufacturers by means of market research studies were approved by a new research committee headed by W. H. Rinkenbach. Meeting with Labor Dept. officials will be held Oct. 19 by the Walsh-Healey subcommittee of the RTMA Industrial Relations Committee. NEWS INTEREST Spurred by TV, Sullivan Says TELEVISION would spur the public's appetite for news details and thus help newspaper circulation, according to Matthew G. Sullivan, general circulation director of the Gannett newspapers. Speaking before the New York State Publishers Assn. fall meeting at Lake Placid, Sept. 19, Mr. Sullivan said newspapers need not fear competition from radio and television "so long as publishers continue to produce newspapers that serve their readers the news of the community." He said listeners to the radio and TV viewers are hungry for details of the news and want to read about it in the newspaper. CINCINNATI U., Cincinnati, has completed installation of video equipment with facilities comparable to commercial stations. School has fouryear course in television leading to bachelor of fine , arts degree in radio education. Page 72 • September 25, 1950 Telecasting • BROADCASTING