Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1955)

MAGNUSON HITS FCC'S UHF-VHF MOVES Washington Senator says that an overall deintermixture policy is necessary so everyone will know where and what type of channels are assigned. Sen. Pastore asks the Commission to explain its deintermixture action. SENATE Commerce Committee Chairman Warren G. Magnuson (D-Wash.) last week criticized the FCC for failing to establish "an overall policy which would assure a realistic nationwide competitive tv service." He called it a "shameful situation." Sen. Magnuson made the statement in a news release Wednesday in which he also released the contents of a Nov. 17 letter from the FCC to the Senate committee explaining the FCC's reasons for denying all pending uhf-vhf deintermixture petitions [B»T, Nov. 14]. The Washington Democrat said an overall FCC policy on deintermixture is desirable "so that all segments of the public, the licensee, the applicant and the viewers would know, once and for all, where and what type of channels are assigned." He added: "This critical situation must be solved and our committee proposes to see that it is done as quickly as possible." The FCC, in the letter released last week, reiterated that in the Commission's view, "the problem of deintermixture could not be approached on the piecemeal basis of scattered communities but, along with all other remedies, must be considered in the general proceeding which will explore the matter from a national standpoint." The FCC document was in answer to inquiries from Sen. Magnuson on the deintermixture question, which Sen. Magnuson said last week he had first asked about 10 months ago. Other replies have been forwarded by the FCC to Sen. John O. Pastore (D-R.I.), chairman of the Communications Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee. Sen. Pastore, after the FCC action on the deintermixture petition, had asked the Commission for an explanation of its actions on the deintermixture cases. Sen. Pastore did not confine his questions to the FCC to the deintermixture denial actions, but the Rhode Island Democrat declined to reveal the nature of his other queries or the FCC answers. The FCC, in its Nov. 10 decision on deintermixture. instituted a rule-making proceeding to consider all possible overall solutions to intermixture problems on a nationwide basis. Deadline for comments is Dec. 15, with counter comments due Jan. 6, 1956. The Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to open hearings Jan. 17, 1956, in its investigation of networks and uhf-vhf troubles. A full report will be expected from the FCC at that time, Sen. Magnuson said last week. In its decision on deintermixture, the FCC denied five bellwether deintermixture petitions and 30 others. The five argued cases were for selective deintermixture of uhf and vhf channels at Peoria, 111.; Evansville, Ind.; Madison, Wis.; Hartford, Conn.; and Albany, N. Y. At the same time the FCC authorized the "drop-in" of ch. 10 at Vail Mills, N. Y., on grounds this assignment meets all the criteria of the present standards. In its letter to the Senate Commerce Committee, the FCC said it had concluded that the public interest would be served by the Vail Mills assignment, which "differs from the request for deintermixture, or for the assignment of additional channels at sub-standard spacings, in that the latter proposals involve basic departures from the present television structure." The FCC concluded by expressing its "firm belief that its [FCC's] recent action represents a significant step toward the realization of a truly nationwide competitive television service." Comrs. Rosel H. Hyde and Robert T. Bartley dissented in the Nov. 10 FCC action. Joint U-V Operation Sought in Rochester BOLD plan which applicants believe may get uhf on the road was suggested to the FCC Friday by sharetime ch. 10 WHEC-TV and WVET-TV Rochester, N. Y. The two vhf stations filed an application asking for ch. 27 in Rochester, to be used jointly with ch. 10. They propose to share time on th6 uhf facility, just as they do on the vhf channel. Basic idea, according to the applicants, is that the move would bring three full-time tv operations to the upstate New York city. When WHEC-TV is operating on ch. 10, WVET-TV would operate on ch. 27. When WVET-TV is operating on ch. 10, WHEC-TV would operate on ch. 27. Both stations are affiliated with CBS and ABC. They have been the target of litigation by Gordon Brown (WSAY Rochester), who has been seeking to force the FCC to accept a protest against the 1952 grant of ch. 10 to the present occupants. The vhf stations, facing an order taking them off the air, have appealed a lower court ruling that Mr. Brown should have had a hearing, and have asked the Supreme Court of the U. S. to review the case. The applications seek 20 kw, estimate $74,350 for construction and $60,000 for first year's operations. All costs are to be shared. Antenna will be mounted on the present shared tower (with ch. 5 WHAM-TV Rochester), 405 ft. above average terrain. Grade B service will extend 17-24 miles, applicants said. The WHEC Inc. balance sheet for Oct. 31 showed total assets of $750,217, of which $301,108 were current assets. Current liabilities were listed at $199,617, and earned surplus at $519,727. The WVET balance sheet as of Sept. 30 showed total assets of $659,846, of which $326,562 were current assets. Current liabilities amounted to $215,834, long term liabilities to $59,500, earned surplus was listed as $114,791 and net worth put at $384,512. WHEC reported its net earnings in 1953 were $43,486, and in 1954 were $137,286. WVET reported net earnings in 1954 of $65,203, and in the first nine months of 1955 of $105,247. Ervin F. Lyke, president of Veterans Broadcasting Co. Inc., which owns and operates WVET-AM-TV, said in a statement Friday: "The proposal made by stations WVET-TV and WHEC-TV for reversed share-time operations on an available uhf channel in conjunction with their current share-time operations on ch. Broadcasting • Telecasting NEW LOWEST PRICED REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM MEETS FCC REQUIREMENTS OF SINGLE TRANSMITTER STATIONS Here's a new, reliable system with sufficient capacity to meet FCC requirements for single transmitter stations. Engineered with the same quality components and workmanship as more elaborate Rust systems, its simplicity of design minimizes installation and maintenance work. Thousands of dollars can be saved annually with this economical remote control. Why not investigate the possibility for your station? GET THE FACTS! WRITE US TODAY! MODEL 108 SERIES E Complete with control relays for filament and plate power, motorized plate rheostat, all FCC required tower light and transmitter remote metering units. oo Page 78 December 5, 1955