Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1953)

COLOR TV, HI-FI QUESTIONS KEYNOTE SESSIONS AT RETMA'S CHICAGO MEET Two of broadcasting's newest developments catch the attention at the convention. Two new directors and a committee member are named by the manufacturers' group. COLOR TV and proposed minimum standards for high fidelity, as well as organizational problems, dominated the agenda of Radio-Electronics-Tv Mfrs. Assn. at its fall meeting in Chicago's Palmer House last week. Proposed standards were studied and referred to RETMA's engineering committee, which will be assigned the task of continuing work, but it was felt doubtful they would be formulated in time for incorporation into FTC's suggested trade practice rules. Suggestions were relayed to RETMA's Amplifier Division but did not come up for action before the board of directors. Color tv cropped up in a number of committee sessions, 26 of which were held during the three-day meeting. Manufacturers found themselves making various "guestimates" on relative black and white and color tv production next year. Primary board developments were these: 1. Two new directors and one committee member were named. 2. A resolution was adopted praising the work of the National Television System Committee for its work in adopting proposed color standards. 3. It was agreed to establish an international department within the trade organization. Low Set Production MANUFACTURERS will turn out about five million black-and-white tv receivers and 120,000 color sets in 1954, according to an informal poll by Radio-ElectronicTv Mfrs. Assn.'s Sales Managers Committee. The prediction was made at the committee's session during the three-day RETMA fall meeting in Chicago last Monday. The figure for monochrome receivers was pegged low because of the need to shift lines for color production next year, and partly because the consumer will have a choice between blackand-white and color, it was explained. Tv set output for the first nine months of this year was 5,524,370 [B«T, Nov. 9]. New Directors The new directors are A. Blumenkrantz, General Instrument Corp.. elected a director representing the parts division, and loseph A. Gillies, Philco Corp., named head of RETMA's Government Relations Dept. Louis Hausman, CBSColumbia, was named to the set division executive committee. There was nothing startling out of the television committee, during which Dr. W. R. G. Baker. General Electric Co., traced progress of color tv developments. Both the tube division and radio-television industry committee, however, as well as the sales managers group (see box above) came out with informal estimates on 1954 color tv output. The tube unit predicted 5.1 million monochrome and 171,000 color video receivers while the radio-tv group gave these guesses: Black and white average, 4,860,000; black and white sales average, 4,900,000; color tv average, 192,000, and radio set output, 10,390,000. W. O. Swinyard, Hazeltine Corp., substituting for Knox Mcllvain, who chairmanned NTSC's Panel 16 on field testing, talked on what color tv will mean to parts makers. He said color sets will use twice as many parts as monochrome and that the industry hopes to get along with 25 or 30 instead of some 36 tubes in color receivers. Mr. Swinyard said color reception is just as good on uhf as vhf, on the basis of demonstrations before the FCC. He predicted 75,000 color sets by the end of 1954 and thought it likely there won't be nearly as many color tv test patterns aired on stations as frequently as might be needed or as appeared in the early days of black and white. Sessions were held Monday morning by RETMA's committees on public relations and advertising, sales managers, service, speaker section (parts division), antenna section (also parts division) and microwave section. The Public Relations & Advertising Committee, under Chairman John F. Gilligan, discussed plans and mechanics of the Voice of Democracy contest, competition for which got under way Nov. 1 as part of National Radio & Television Week (story page 50). The microwave group explored steps to be taken for the formation of microwave standards, looking toward appointment of an allindustry committee. It recommended that the appropriate RETMA engineering committee be the focal point for such an organization, with representatives including manufacturers, government and other segments. The Antenna Section brought up alleged discrimination in freight rates for antenna shipments between the east and west coasts. In the mill also are proposed engineering standards for electrical antennas. The Sales Managers Committee turned its attention to set prospects for 1954, particularly with the advent of color set output on a limited scale. The group met under chairmanship of Dan D. Halpin. RETMA's Service Committee, under H. J. Schulman, met Monday morning and afternoon. It is seeking to devise methods for distributing advanced information on field servicing, especially in initial colorcasting areas. Manufacturers agreed to utilize service personnel in the field. The committee also set up eastern and midwest subcommittees which will meet with the full service committee on call. Bulletins are contemplated for circulating information on tv servicing. Electronics Parts Show Meet THE BOARD of directors of Radio Parts & Electronics Equipment Shows Inc., which operates the annual Electronics Parts Show, will meet Dec. 9 in New York's Roosevelt Hotel to hear special reports of its various committees. Contracts for more than a half of Exhibition Hall space in the Conrad Hilton Hotel, site of the 1954 convention May 17-20, have been received, according to Kenneth C. Prince, manager of the show. Assignments of booth space will be made in New York next month. REVIEWING a new 10-second tv spot film released to more than 125 tv stations in the Advertising Federation of America's campaign for better understanding of advertising are Robert M. Gray (1), advertising and sales promotion director for Esso Standard Oil Co. and AFA board chairman, and John Wingate, Esso newscaster who narrated the strip. All-Industry Group Maps ASCAP Campaign Policy matters on per-program and blanket tv licenses are studied at Chicago session. POLICY matters involving negotiation with ASCAP over per-program and blanket licenses for tv stations were thrashed out in Chicago last Thursday in an all-day meeting of the AllIndustry Local Tv Music License Committee. Members of the committee reviewed a research project designed to furnish more information for the fight by stations against what they feel are "excessive" rates sought by ASCAP in renewed blanket licenses for another four years [B»T, Nov. 9]. The committee was authorized at last spring's NARTB convention to act for tv broadcasters, excluding networks and their o & o stations, in negotiations for terms covering both type of licenses. Looks to Talks Dwight W. Martin, General Teleradio Corp. (WOR-TV New York), committee chairman, said the committee called the meeting looking toward negotiation with ASCAP, perhaps the next fortnight. Discussions touching on litigation— the committee also serves as counsel for 80 or 90 tv stations which sued ASCAP and asked the court to set reasonable fees — also were reviewed, as well as the suit by 33 ASCAP members of the Songwriters of America against various industry groups [B«T, Nov. 16]. The committee is negotiating for tv stations on blanket licenses after Jan. 1 and for all the industry on per-program pacts prior to that date. Attending Thursday's meeting were: Paul Adanti, WHEN (TV) Syracuse, N. Y.; Walter Damm and Russ Winnie, WTMJ-TV Milwaukee; Jack Harris, KPRC-TV Houston; Gaines Kelly, WFMY-TV Greensboro, N. C; Phil Lasky, KPIX (TV) San Francisco; Hugh Terry, KLZ-TV Denver; Robert Thompson, WBEN-TV Buffalo; Nathan Lord, WAVE-TV Louisville; Don McGannon, DuMont Tv Network; W. D. (Dub) Rogers Jr.; KDUB-TV Lubbock; attorneys Stuart Sprague of Sprague & Peck, and J. Lewis and J. Topkas of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Page 48 • November 23, 1953 Broadcasting • Telecasting