Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1953)

FCC BUDGET IS UNMARKED Senate Appropriations Subcommittee would give FCC $7.1 million for fiscal '54. That's what House passed. Senate group, however, hints that if TV processing load can be lifted more money for period will be forthcoming. A SENATE Appropriations subcommittee is trying to do a little quarterbacking in the TV application processing jam. The funds group, in effect, last week passed the ball to FCC, telling the Commission that if it can score enough touchdowns, more players will be forthcoming. The Senate Independent Offices Appropriations Subcommittee came up last Wednesday with the same figure — $7.1 million budget for fiscal 1954 — that was passed by the House last month [B*T, April 20]. The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to approve its subcommittee recommendation today. The $7.1 million figure is in line with the Budget Bureau revision. The House Appropriations Committee upped funds for TV processing alone to $950,000, or $200,000 more than the budget submitted by President Truman or by the Eisenhower Administration. But here is how the Senate group would pass the ball to FCC: The Senate unit took away the earmarking of funds for TV or for Safety and Special Radio Services and in effect said to FCC: Take this money, which is an increase, and apply it for whatever need you have. The subcommittee, in a report being prepared last week, also will tell FCC that it is up to the Commission to show that it can process more applications at a faster rate with the about 11 additional examiner teams it would get (FCC now has 12 examiner teams). The 11 prediction was made by FCC Chairman Rosel H. Hyde last month [B»T, April 23]. If FCC can get more done with the additional examiner teams, the Senate subcommittee is inviting the agency to come to Capitol Hill for more funds. FCC would do this by submitting a request for a so-called "supplemental" appropriation. The supplemental, if approved, would provide additional funds for FCC's fiscal 1954. The $7.1 million, if approved by the Senate committee, also must be passed by the Senate. Senators may ask for more money on the floor. Some comment is anticipated. The figure okayed by the Senate group is $600,000 more than the 1953 fiscal appropriation under which FCC now is operating. A number of Senators have expressed concern about the processing of TV applications. Sen. Edwin C. Johnson (D-Colo.), ranking minority member of the Senate Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee, had written every Senator to urge another $1 million be tacked on to the FCC budget. He also testified before the appropriations group on the subject. FCC to See RCA Color MEMBERS of FCC and key staff officials will witness RCA's improvements in compatible color TV at an informal demonstration May 19 at RCA Labs, at Princeton, N. J. Host will be RCA's board chairman, Brig. Gen. David Sarnoff, who tendered the invitation. Budget & Speed FCC appropriations may be discussed at the May 18 meeting between the Senate Commerce Committee and FCC. That meeting has been called on ways and means of speeding up TV application processing [B*T, May 4]. Mr. Stevens David Stevens Leaves FCC, Joins McKenna & Wilkinson DAVID S. STEVENS, chief of the FCC's New and Changed Facilities Branch, Aural Facilities Div., Broadcast Bureau, resigned last week to join the Washington law firm of McKenna & Wilkinson. Mr. Stevens was born in Lisbon, N. H., in 1917, attended the American School in Kodaikanal, India, from 1926 to 1932, when his father was adviser on foreign affairs to the government of Siam (now Thailand). He was graduated from Phillips Exeter in 1935, from Harvard U. in 1939 and from Harvard Law School cum laude in 1942. During World War II, Mr. Stevens was an Air Corps radar officer, with the rank of first lieutenant. He joined the FCC in 1945 and served as an attorney in the AM, FM and TV branches of the old Legal Department. When the FCC was reorganized into bureaus in 1951, he was named chief of the Aural Division's branch handling applications for new stations and changes in facilities. Mr. Stevens is married to the former Rosemary Burton. They have one son, David Michael, four-and-a-half months old. In joining McKenna & Wilkinson, Mr. Stevens resumes his association with Vernon Wilkinson, former FCC Assistant General Counsel in charge of broadcasting. FCC Grants 2 New AMs FCC last week authorized two new AM stations, four FM power reductions and modified facilities for two AM outlets. New station grants were for: Columbus, Miss. — 3. W. Furr, 1540 kc, 10 kw daytime. Mr. Furr operates an auto supply store. Ville Platte, La.— Ville Platte Broadcasting Co., 1050 kc, 250 w daytime. Major stockholders are Thomas and Paul DeClouet, 20% each, part owners of KLFY Lafayette and KEUN Eunice, La. Permission to decrease effective radiated power went to: WNEX-FM Macon, from 41 to 4.1 kw on 96.9 mc. WLWB (FM) Dayton, Ohio, from 18 to 10 kw on 97.5 mc, antenna height changed from 490 to 410 ft. WOR-FM New York, from 3.4 to 1.7 kw on 98.7 mc, antenna height increased from 950 ft. to 1,260 ft. WTMA-FM Charleston, S. C, from 49 to 15 kw on 95.1 mc. A power boost was awarded KMBL Junction, Tex., from 100 to 250 w on 1450 kc. KXOC Chico, Calif., was authorized to move from 1150 kc, 5 kw unlimited to 1060 kc, 10 kw day, 5 kw night. THREE NEW TVS AUTHORIZED BY FCC THREE NEW television stations, including an educational outlet at St. Louis, were authorized by FCC last week to boost the post-thaw total of new TV grants to 353. Harold C. Burke, former manager of WBALAM-FM-TV Baltimore, was granted a construction permit for uhf Ch. 21 at Lancaster, Pa. Plains Radio Broadcasting Co., licensee of KFYO Lubbock, Tex., received vhf Ch. 5 following withdrawal a fortnight ago of the competitive bid of Lindsey TV Co. [B«T, May 4]. Reserved vhf Ch. 9 at St. Louis went to the St. Louis Educational Television Commission, raising the total of noncommercial educational grants to 16. Nine applications are pending. Details of last week's TV grants follow: St. Louis — St. Louis Educational TV Commission, vhf Ch. 9; ERP 54 kw visual, 27 kw aural; antenna height above average terrain 640 ft. Lancaster, Pa. — Harold C. Burke, uhf Ch. 21; ERP 18 kw visual, 10 kw aural; antenna height above average terrain 610 ft. (City priority group B-2, No. 150). Lubbock, Tex.— Plains Bcstg. Co., vhf Ch. 5; ERP 100 kw visual, 50 kw aural; antenna height above average terrain 1,110 ft. Ownership is shared between Globe News Pub. Co. (81%) and Globe News Employees Pool (19%). (A-2, No. 5). Three more consolidated TV hearings were scheduled by FCC last week, to commence June 8 in Washington. They are: Allentown, Pa. — Contestants for uhf Ch. 39: B. Bryan Musselman et al (WSAN) and Queen City TV Co. Allentown, Pa. — Contestants for uhf Ch. 67: Penn-Allen Bcstg. Co. (WFMZ-FM) and Allentown TV Co. (WHOL). Worcester, Mass. — Contestants for uhf Ch. 20: Wilson Enterprises Inc. (WAAB) and WTAG Inc. (WTAG). In other TV actions, the Commission dismissed the application of WTVH-TV Peoria, 111., new uhf Ch. 19 grantee, for modification of its permit to change transmitter location to Creve Coeur, 111. FCC found the move would violate minimum channel separations. The Commission denied petition of WBCKTV Battle Creek, Mich., which requested revocation of the call letters WBKZ-TV assigned Booth Radio & TV Stations there because of alleged possible confusion. FCC turned down the petition of WGRD Grand Rapids, Mich., which sought amendment of the TV rules to preclude applications for new stations where the proposed outlet would render a signal of greater intensity to a city other than that intended to be served, except upon a showing that the proposed site provides optimum coverage to the city in which the station studio would be located. The issue is involved in the WGRD protest hearing before Examiner Gifford Irion on the uhf Ch. 35 grant at Muskegon to Versluis Radio & Television [B»T, April 27]. Joint Petition Denied Joint petition of WTIP Charleston and WMON Montgomery, W. Va., seeking allocation of vhf Ch. 2 to Montgomery-Handley, W. Va., was denied by the Commission. The stations had proposed a joint application for the channel. FCC also denied request of Jefferson Amusement Co., Beaumont, Tex., for a stay of the Port Arthur vhf Ch. 4 hearing. Jefferson earlier was denied admission to the comparative proceeding slated between Smith Radio Co. and Port Arthur College (KPAC) [B*T, April 27]. Page 58 May 11, 1953 Broadcasting Telecasting