Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

#15 Hurricane Hal Year's biggest storm, Coming this way, Hal blew his copy, The devil's to pay! BUT not with * TelePrompTer SERVICE Jha£L whf — ADVERTISERS PREFER >TelePronripTer stations like WCIA Channel 3 Champaign, III. KYTV t Channel 3 Springfield, Mo. QjQ X7 V. S. Pat. No. Other Patente Pending ToIPROMMR CORPORAllON 300 W. 43 St., New York • JU 2-3800 LOS ANGELES CHICAGO WASHINGTON TORONTO GOVERNMENT • facilties in major markets. It claimed, as recited in CBS' comments, that the 100 top markets can support 398 competitive stations — but pointed out that there are only 263 competitive stations assigned to those markets. "Thus the public is now being deprived of the services of over 130 competitive stations for which there is now unquestionably adequate economic support," ABC said. The network asked that first consideration be given to the objective of multiple services in as many communities as possible. This can be accomplished by (1) deintermixture, (2) assignment of additional vhf channels on reduced mileage separation, (3) release of unused educational channels, and (4) moving, in some instances, vhf channels from one market to another. It listed almost 30 cities which it suggested be deintermixed, one way or the other. Among the cities specified were Miami (all uhf), Hartford-Providence (all uhf). Syracuse, N. Y. (all vhf), Duluth-Superior (all vhf), AlbanySchenectady-Troy, N. Y. (all uhf or all vhf). Opposition was expressed to the MullaneyWelch, Mott & Morgan, CBS, Zenith-Skiatron, and other proposals. It referred to the GE proposal to move all tv to uhf as having "theoretical merit" but impracticable due to dislocation and also as having no possibilities for immediate results. It also termed Comdr. Craven's proposals as having "considerable merit", but said they provided no immediate solution. The Joint Committee on Educational Tv comments, ABC said, seeking to maintain educational reservations, were short-sighted. CBS declared that some of the proposals would have a seriously detrimental effect on tv. It opposed abandonment of the table of assignments and the suggested adoption of case by case consideration of applications; reduction of service areas, moving all tv to uhf, and continuance of intermixture where uhf stations strive to compete with a single vhf station. It also termed "extraneous" such issues as subscription tv. Reduction in separations should be permitted, CBS said, only in individual cases where such moves are urgently required. Reduction in service areas, the network declared, would not only mean an "inevitable loss of service to the public" but also a degradation in technical signal quality. As an example, CBS said that if it were possible to limit New York's tv signals to the New York trading area (as proposed by Hometown Television Inc.), the residents of Bridgeport, Conn., would be deprived of seven program choices in favor of perhaps one or two local services. "The price is too high," the network stated, "not to the networks, not to some of the large market stations, not necessarily to many other stations, but certainly to millions of viewers who would be deprived of television service." CBS plumped again for its basic premise: at least three network services in the top 100 markets. In an analysis of proposals that vhf stations have their powers cut down to constrict coverage areas, CBS economist Sidney S. Alexander estimated that from 3 million to 5.3 million families would lose service. RCA and NBC, in reply, declared that the comments, taken as a whole, "reflect a broad awareness of the important public reasons for preserving the 70 uhf channels, as well as the 12 vhf." This is a "long range and statesmanlike view," it said. It follows, RCA-NBC stated, that "an allocation plan based on 12 or 15 channels, with or without lowered standards, ii of doubtful utility as a long-range policy o allocation." Expressing doubt that the proposals for drop ins, specified contours, or other means of con fining a tv station's signal to its market can be accepted since this would leave rural and smal town residents without service or with a de graded service, RCA-NBC added: "This is one of the major policy questions foi resolution by the Commission and cannot be dismissed ... by characterization of rura service as 'fringe'." Commission's proposals for boosters and 5 megawatt power for uhf stations are desirable objectives, RCA-NBC said. The Storer Stand Storer Broadcasting Co., advocating selective deintermixture, claimed allies in its approach in RCA-NBC, ABC and Comdr. T. A. M. Craven Even CBS, Storer pointed out, required 39 uhf stations in 22 of the top 100 markets in order to achieve its three outlets per top market objective under its Plan I. Warning that unless uhf band is established on a "sound economic basis" in a substantial number of markets, existing uhf stations will be unable to survive. Opposing such "unrealistic" proposals as squeeze-ins, lower power, and other drop-in techniques, Storer termed them "milk stop stations" which would derogate the service of existing vhf stations. Storer also revealed that its ch. 23 WGBSTV Miami showed its first operating profits in November and December 1955 after months of losses. There is an 85% conversion of tv receivers for uhf reception in the Miami area, Storer said. Storer thought technical advances, such as the recently proposed "translator" stations, would help overcome shadow area effects in irregular terrain, a problem which has plagued uhf stations in rough, hilly and mountainous country. It called the suggestions that additional vhf channels might be secured from other services "highly problematical and speculative. " It opposed all proposals suggesting the use of 72-78 mc and 2 mc from fm to establish a vhf tv channel, which would also require shifting chs. 5 and 6 upward. It also opposed ABC's suggestion that mileage separations be reduced; called the Mullaney-Welch, Mott & Morgan proposal "completely unworkable and unrealistic." It also objected to any suggestion seeking to dissolve the table of assignments. In discussing proposals to drop-in vhf channels through the use of low power, low tower stations with limited service areas, Storer declared: "It is incredible that the Commission will give serious consideration to proposals which constitute a back-tracking to the conditions that existed in 1945 to 1948 and lead to the 'freeze'." Submitted again was Storer's detailed recommendations for national selective deintermixture. Hometown Television Inc., a group of small city tv stations mostly in the New England area and predominantly uhf, stressed again that the top priority for the FCC should be to provide each community with at least one tv station. "The time is at hand," Hometown said, "when the Commission must take immediate, forthright, meaningful and effective action to preserve and foster uhf and Hometown Television and to rid the industry of the monopolistic albatross which the networks have fastened around the industry's neck and which in these proceedings they seek to engraft even more securely." To accomplish this, Hometown urged that Page 54 • February 13, 1956 Broadcasting • Telecasting