Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr - June 1951)

CAB ANSWER Says Report Nor Realistic CANADIAN broadcasters, through Canadian Assn. of Broadcasters, in a public statement regarding the report of the Royal Commission on Arts, Letters and Sciences (see separate story), felt that the "distinguished commissioners might have been a little more practical and realistic. Many member statins will feel there is not much definite direction within the report. . . . Cultural views of commissioners, if applied to daily broadcasting;, might drive our listeners to United States stations." CAB deplored the stand on TV development "at the expense of taxpayers." A committee of CAB directors met at Toronto June 2-4 to review the report and compile recommendations for a general meeting of directors at Toronto on June 18. Attending the meeting were D. Malcolm Neill, chairman of CAB board, and manager, CFNB Frederiction; William Guild, CJOC Lethbridge, CAB board chairman for the past two years while Royal Commission hearings have been held; Ralph Snelgrove, CKBB Barrie, CAB director and president, Central Canada Broadcasters Assn.; and James T. Allard, CAB general manager, Ottawa. CAB statement pointed to the "very practical, down-to-earth minority report" of Commissioner Arthur Surveyer of Montreal, which recommended CAB plan for an independent regulatory body. The CAB statement said the Surveyer recommendation "would form the basis of a highly practical and workable plan for Canadian radio." The association said it is satisfied with the chief recommendation of the Royal Commission which gives independent stations recourse to the courts from CBC board rulings, extended station license from three to five years and cancellable only for cause, suggested revision of CBC regulations, and gives right of independent stations to appear before CBC board. CAB pointed out that "we had hoped that independent stations GREENVILLE is SOUTH CAROLINA'S LARGEST METROPOLITAN AREA . . . In AUTOS & TRUCKS GREENVILLE 56,772 Columbia 44,975 Charleston 38,030 S. C. Highway Dept., 1950 MAKE IT YOURS WITH W F B C 5000 watts The News-Piedmont Station, Greenville, S. C. NBP For the Greenville-Anderson IWU Spartanburg Markets Represented by Avery-Knodel would be allowed to share the expense and adventure of pioneering the new field of TV. The commission has recommended against this, and has suggested that all TV be conducted by CBC for the state, at the expense of the taxpayer. The suggestion involves tremendous tax expenditures which will be burdensome to the taxpayer, while independent stations are willing to bring TV to Canadians free." CD FUND CUTS Caldwell Hits Congress CONGRESSIONAL ax-wielding on President Truman's $40.3 million request for additional civil defense funds for communications and other equipment has been soundly scored by Millard F. Caldwell Jr., Federal Civil Defense Administrator. In a letter to Gov. Frank J. UNATTENDED TRANSMITTER OPERATION Canadian Success Out-lined by Chandler UNATTENDED operation of broadcast transmitters in Canada is providing reliable service and is "thoroughly practical," according to George Chandler, manager of CJOR Vancouver, B. C. Growing shortage of technical personnel has drawn wide interest to the Canadian operation, which was explained in detail during the NARTB Engineering Conference in Chicago last April. Remotely controlled operation in this country would permit the average station to concentrate on raising the quality of announcing instead of relying on a balance between engineers who can do announcing or announcers who know enough engineering to get a ticket, according to the views of some broadcasters. Canadian government standards covering equipment are "unusually high," according to Mr. Chandler, encouraging automatic handling of most functions and location of transmitters outside of urban areas. Four Canadian manufacturers offer equipment for remote operation of broadcast transmitters, one using telemetering and the others marginal relays. Graphical recording has been suggested for this type of operation, in combination with telemetering or marginal relays. According to Mr. Chandler, examination of logs of a 5 kw Canadian transmitter showed transmission of over 6,200 hours in a year with 1 hour 42 minutes offthe-air time. Of this, all but eight minutes were caused by power failure. Use of an emergency power plant would solve the power problem, he said, and an auxiliary transmitter would reduce loss of time caused by all other faults. He suggested a radio studio-transmitter link could be used for control functions and program transmission if program and control circuits failed. Mr. Chandler said the British Columbia Telephone Co. handles over 60,000 calls a month by radio, using a system of unattended transmitters which are controlled when necessary by phone dialing. As to the personnel side of unattended operation, Mr. Chandler said: People would question the saving if the transmitter operator was moved from a chair in front of a transmitter to another chair in front of telemetering equipment. The simplicity of necessary information for remote monitoring does not require skills higher than those found in the operator of a studio console. If the station is of a type that uses a control room operator at all times, this man is then able to handle the required functions. If it is a station that combines the announcer and the operator then this operator can ride gain and therefore read a percentage of modulation indicator and should certainly be able to read and interpret other minor information carried to the studio by frequency deviation monitor, telemetering or marginal relay apparatus. This man need only know at what margins he should switch off the transmitter and call for the engineer. Remote operating of transmitters would tend to encourage high calibre of station engineers as it does place more responsibility upon them. Lausche of Ohio, Mr. Caldwell charged that Congress "completely failed" to provide any worthwhile program. He termed the $110,000 allotted for a communications warning system "insignificant" and charged that his program for state assistance has been "stopped cold" because Capitol Hill appropriated nothing for two-way radios and other items. Mr. Caldwell expressed hope that Congress will recognize the importance of an "informed, organized and trained public" and make a decision quickly. "It's time to stop fiddling," he added. A sum of $5,758,000 was allotted for training and education, with roughly $500,000 of that sum set aside for activities in radio, television and other media activities. FM Set Meeting JOINT meeting to discuss availability and demand for FM receivers will be held June 26 at NARTB headquarters in Washington by the NARTB FM Committee and the FM Policy Committee of RadioTelevision Mfrs. Assn. Members of the separate broadcast industry FM committee are invited. Chairman of the NARTB FM group is Ben Strouse, WWDC Washington. John W. Craig, Crosley Division, heads the RTMA committee. Last meeting of the three groups was held March 13 in Washington. The Biggest Giveaway of ALL V/NCE UPON A TIME, there was a Radio Station (like WARD) with a GIANT share of the audience in an industrial rich metropolitan market (like Johnstown, Pennsylvania) of nearly 300,000 THERE were other Radio Stations in this city (like Johnstown) but alack, alas, they just couldn't increase their tiny, dwarf-like share of listeners • SO, they huffed, and they puffed with their giveaways, lucky numbers, mystery noises and all sorts of those prize-for-listening devices <^> ONE day, the inevitable happened! These overzealous, free-for-all Radio Stations trying to outdo each other, gave away their transmitters and everything AND now, the Radio Station (like WARD) that never believed in giveways, as a substitute for GOOD radio, is all alone (or so it seems) This station has its transmitter, listeners, HOOPERFIRST ratings and everything — INCLUDING 27 ACTIVE NATIONAL ACCOUNTS. JOHNSTOWN WVAM ALTOONA Represented by W e e d and Company BROADCASTING • Telecasting June 11, 1951 • Page 59