Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr - June 1951)

Ride Ride the TV trail with WAFM-TV's "Western Theatre," and you'll have one of the best-known brands in Birmingham. Because "Western Theatre" is the most-watched children's daytime TV show in town."' high High ratings are as certain as the triumph of the hero over the bad guy on "Western Theatre." Ratings quarter-hour by quarter-hour have been running consistently better than 10... as high as 12.1.* with the With the best cowboy movies available on TV— and with one of the best juvenile viewing hours to boot (Mon.-Fri., 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.)"Western Theatre" is headed for an even bigger rating roundup. small Small wonder more national advertisers than ever before are setting their sights on Birmingham : industry is booming here, and workers are bringing home record paychecks, ringing up record sales. fry Fry from four to fourteen who watch "Western Theatre" (and the tall fry, too) are hot prospects for any product the younger set uses. For rates and availabilities, call the nearest Radio Sales office or... *Telepulse of Birmingham, March 1951. WAFM-TV "TELEVISION ALABAMA" CBS in Birmingham • Channel 13 Represented by Radio Sales Page 146 • April 16, 1951 Allocation Delay (Continued from page 137) known. The freeze was imposed Sept. 30, 1948. Other proposals contained in FCC's new plan include: (1) Designation of 13 or 18 "flexibility" channels at top of UHF for such future use as experimentation in Stratovision or Polycasting, neither of which would be accepted now. (2) Intermixture of VHF and UHF channels in the same area. (3) Reduction of station classes from previously proposed three (metropolitan, community and rural) to one; reduction of grades of service from previous three (A, B and C) to two (A and B); minimum and maximum powers to depend on population of principal city and interference. (4) Minimum ERP of 50 kw for station serving city with 1 million or more persons, 10 kw for city of 250,000 to 1 million population, 2 kw for city 50,000250,000, 1 kw for cities under 50,000. (5) Maximum power on Channels 2 to 6 would be 100 kw, Channels 7 to 83, 200 kw. (6) Minimum co-channel station separations of 180 miles for VHF, 165 miles for UHF, with minimum transmitter separations of 170 miles VHF and 155 miles UHF (former proposed co-channel station separations were 220 miles VHF and 200 miles UHF; present VHF separation is 150 miles). (7) Reduction of previously proposed adjacent channel separation of 110 miles in VHF and 100 miles in UHF to 70 and 65 miles, respectively. (8) All stations to employ offset carrier type of operation, with UHF stations to be offset from each other by plus or minus 10 kc (1 kc tolerance), but specific UHF values to be set later. (9) Technical limitations on UHF assignments and station spacing because of oscillator radiation, intermodulation, image interference and intermediate frequency (IF) beat. (10) Directional antennas may be employed to improve service but may not be used to reduce minimum station separation. (11) Prediction of service areas and interference to be based on lower atmosphere propagation only. No protection to be provided from long distance skywave interference (sporadic E and F2 layers) which may occur particularly on VHF Channels 2 to 6. Favorable Comments Majority of comment on FCC's plan has been favorable engineering-wise although considerable differences have been expressed as to the practicality and even legality of the allocation provisions. Some engineers feel the technical proposals do not allow fullest use of the VHF (through directional antennas, closer spacing etc.). Many observers consider the allocation by rule-making too rigid and inflexible. Many Washington attorneys and engineers have been hard-pressed how to advise clients on the UHF question particularly. Is UHF another FM debacle, some query? Or will bright hopes envisioned in many engineering quarters for UHF, because of certain technical advantages considered far superior to VHF, actually become reality? WE LI New Haven's General Manager Richard W. Davis has UHF plans already underway (story page 138). Set manufacturers more and more are unwrapping plans for UHF converters and other equipment (story this page). Color television, considered in some quarters as making UHF a sure thing even in competition with local VHF, could be taken out of its litigation stalemate any moment by action of the U. S. Supreme Court on RCA's appeal of the FCC ruling favoring the CBS system. CBS, meanwhile, has bought a plant to make color sets (story page 39). These problems concerning the fate of the UHF— and the fate of those who may risk millions of dollars in UHF — are being balanced off in some industry minds by the possibly darkhorse question: "Just how long will we have the VHF channels ?" Thus, some thought is that prospective UHF operators may be better off in the long run. This thinking also notes the longdistance interference problem of the lower VHF channels. According to informed quarters, the Commission itself is split on the subject of VHF's life prospects. The majority view, indicated in the 1945 general reallocation report and other policy statements, is that VHF is the "temporary" home of TV and UHF is the "permanent" home. There seems to be no disagreement that only the UHF will provide a truly national, competitive system. Then there are the 13 or 18 "flexibility" channels reserved at the top of the UHF band. Are they held for VHF operators when moving day comes, some ask? Further, the increasing swell in public safety and special services radio may create demand for new channels for these services, and it is pointed out that about the only place they can go is to splash over into adjoining TV channels in the VHF. Yet increased equipment efficiency for these special services, permitting more channels in the same space, may well relieve what pressure might develop. These services in the 150 mc band now get about only 5 kc of intelligence in a 60 kc channel, or less than 10% efficiency. TV channel efficiency by contrast is 75%. Some Washington attorneys indicated last week they would like to have the VHF "life" issue openly commented upon by industry and FCC alike during the coming discussion on the new FCC TV plan. They want a policy statement to clear the air. There appear to be few doubts that FCC would allow fullest amortization of present VHF investment if and when it possibly decided to move existing stations "upstairs." Public policy could hardly permit exploitation of the pioneers whose millions have made TV possible at all, most say. Hypothetical "transitions" and amortization have been discussed during past hearings in Commission questioning. Chairman Wayne Coy, in queries to industry witnesses in more recent hearings, posed dates as early as 1956 or 1960 in hypothetical cases. Industry pressure has arisen in some instances for expansion of present VHF TV channels into unused portions of the FM band or into blocks of channels reserved for unknown government use. FM is a first love of FCC, some explain, and to get these channels would be a hard row to hoe. Again, should channels be ob ■ CONVERTERS For UHF Underv THE PROBLEM of adapting VB.' television sets for UHF receptio in line with FCC proposed alloc tions, continues to receive top a tention of set manufacturers wl are eager to reassure the pub] that present sets will not becor: obsolete. Crosley Division of Avco Mf Co. last Wednesday unveiled tuner for the reception of UB transmission (see story page 137 RCA also has stated its belief th converters will prove to be the be solution to the problem [Broa casting • Telecasting, April S Admiral Corp. last week announc* its views on the controversy wi a statement from Joe Marty M television manager. Commenting on his concerr "pioneering" in the development the turret-top tuner, Mr. Mar jj said TV sets with such tuners c;| receive UHF telecasts. In a bulletin to 30,000 distrijj utors and dealers, he stated jtul tuner provides adaptation to UBl transmission by use of "easily ri placed snap-in coil inserts" wit|j out the use of converters adapters. The tuner consists of a fou inch oblong drum divided into segments, each wider than a le; pencil, which correspond to nui bers on the tuning dial. Each se ment contains four tuned co: which adjust automatically to specific channel, Mr. Marty sail-. For UHF reception, a VHF se ment held by a spring clip is r moved with a screwdriver and UHF segment snapped into plac Zenith Radio Corp., which clair its sets have built-in provisions f adaption to UHF reception, h spotted full-page advertisements 81 newspapers plugging the pr vision. The ads asserted: "Zeni'lfe — and Zenith alone — guarantenpun that every TV set it has ever buijr and sold to the public has built-:' provision to receive these new st\ tions without the use of any co: verter or adapter." (He a-: =: iSt iicei tainable in either place, it w: pointed out, TV would have j match its merits with those | other services. FCC has indicated it will d mand full compliance with pr cedures specified for filing of coi ments on its new plan. This meai comments filed without adequa engineering support would be r jected, and replies filed merely ; support somone else's initial cor ment also would be rejected. Approval or opposition to specil educational reservations need n be accompanied by engineerii data, however, but FCC stated th would be at the risk of later poss bly not finding a channel there reserve or not reserve. FCC also emphasized any oppos tion to general proposals in A; pendices A and B must specifical cite exhibits and transcript pag< showing where FCC has erre 7 In ire : (01 its Telecasting • BROADCASTIN