Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1957)

FOR THE RECORD continued BOXSCORE STATUS of comparative hearing cases for new tv stations before FCC: AWAITING FINAL DECISION: 6 (Figures in parentheses indicate dates oral arguments were held.) Seattle, Wash., ch. 7 (12-17-56); Buffalo, N. Y., ch. 7 (9-24-56); Biloxi, Miss., ch. 13 (12-18-56); San Francisco-Oakland, Calif., ch. 2 (3-11-56); Ponce, P. R., ch. 7; McKeesport-Pittsburgh, Pa., ch. 4 (6-3-57). AWAITING ORAL ARGUMENT: 5 (Figures in parentheses indicate dates initial decisions were issued.) Coos Bay, Ore., ch. 16 (7-20-56); Hatfield, Ind.-Owensboro, Ky., ch. 9 (2-18-57); Onondaga-Parma, Mich., ch. 10 (3-7-57); Toledo, Ohio, ch. 11 (3-21-57); Beaumont, Tex., ch. 6 (4-27-57). IN HEARING: 5 Cheboygan, Mich., ch. 4; Mayaguez, P. R., ch. 3; Lubbock. Tex., ch. 5; Sioux Falls. S. D., ch. 13; Alliance, Neb., ch. 13 (6-6-57). IN COURT: 4 (Appeals from tv grants in V. S. Court of Appeals, Washington.) Wichita, Kan., ch. 3: Portsmouth, Va., ch. 10; Miami, ch. 10; Knoxville, Tenn., ch. 10. sylvania Bcstg. Co. (WIP, AM and FM), Philadelphia, Pa., to dismiss its protest; (2) reaffirmed and made effective immediately March 13 grant to WPFH Bcstg. Co. to change transmitter location of WPFH (ch. 12), Wilmington, Del., from five miles northeast of city to a point 26 miles eastward and nearer Philadelphia and increase antenna height from 623 to 900 ft. (BPCT-2083) and terminated proceedings in Docket 12015; and (3) dismissed as moot petitions by Pennsylvania Bcstg. Co. and Storer Bcstg. Co. for enlargement of issues and reconsideration of designation order. The Commission announced its Memorandum Opinion and Order of June 13, denying a petition filed April 29, 1957 by Wilton E. Hall and Greenville Television Co. asking reconsideration of the Commission's Order of March 27, 1957 which denied their petition to discontinue the Paris Mountain operation of WSPA-TV, The Spartan Radiocasting Co., ch. 7, Spartanburg, S. C. (Docket 11314). Their court appeal is currently pending. Comr. Bartley concurred. (Text to be printed by GPO in weekly pamphlet.) The Commission made effective immediately an initial decision and (1) affirmed Sept. 5, 1956 grant of assignment of license of station KEAR (now KOBY), San Francisco, Calif., from Bay Radio Inc., to Mid-America Bcstrs, Inc., and (2) denied protest by Milton Stern, Jr. (Docket 11862). Comr. Bartley abstained from voting. (Text to be printed by GPO in weekly pamphlet.) INITIAL DECISIONS Hearing Examiner Hugh B. Hutchison issued supplemental initial decision looking toward grant of application of Valley Bcstg. Co. for new am on 600 kc, 1 kw, D, in Murphy, N. C, and denial of competing application of Cherokee Bcstg. Co. Hearing Examiner Tmomas H. Donahue issued initial decision looking toward grant of application of York Bcstg. Co. for new am on 1220 kc, 1 kw, D, in Sanford, Me. Other Actions FCC denied petition by Association of Maximum Service Telecasters Inc., requesting 30-day extension of time for filing reply comments in the rule-making proposal to largely abandon the tv channel assignment table. Comrs. Hyde and Lee favored a 2-week extension. Comr. Craven absent. TV RULE MAKING PROPOSAL FCC invites comments by July 15 to a rulemaking proposal by Television Columbus (WDAK-TV, ch. 28), Columbus, Ga., to substitute ch. 62 for ch. 4 in Columbus. Comrs. Doerfer and Craven dissented. TV RULE MAKING FINALIZED FCC finalized rule making and amended the tv table of assignments by shifting ch. 12 from Coeur d'Alene to Moscow, Idaho, effective July 19. PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION DENIED FCC denied a petition by KRNT-TV Co. (KRNT-TV, ch. 8), Des Moines, Iowa, to (1) reconsider that portion of March 1 report and order in the Peoria (111.) -Davenport (Iowa) -Rock Island-Moline (111.) deintermixture proceeding which assigned ch. 8 to Davenport-Rock IslandMoline by deleting it from Peoria, or (2) specify that any grant on that channel in Rock Island will require transmitter to be located 190 miles from transmitter of KRNT-TV, and that the action taken is without prejudice to grant of an application by KRNT-TV to move its transmitter location a reasonable distance to the east so it can construct a 1000-ft. antenna. Comrs. Doerfer and Mack abstained from voting; Comr. Craven absent. FCC (1) issued notice that it will grant no new authorizations for fm broadcast stations to to engage in functional music operations on a simplex basis, and (2) extended for six months from July 1, 1957, the time during which existing fm stations may continue such simplex operations. (Comr. Mack absent.) The Report reiterates the Commission's view that all functional music operation should be conducted on a multiplex basis as soon as practicable. When operating on a simplex basis, the FM station can transmit functional music programs only when the regular fm programs are not being broadcast; by multiplexing it can perform both operations at the same time. PETITIONS WICS Springfield, 111. — Petition requesting that rule making proceedings be instituted looking toward the deletion of ch. 3, Champaign, 111., and conversion of that market to all-uhf market. PETITION FOR RULE MAKING DENIED Southwestern Radio and Television Company, Fort Smith, Ark. — Petition to amend sec. 3.606 (b) of rules governing tv broadcast stations, by issuance of proposed rule making looking toward deintermixture of tv allocation in Fort Smith, and reallocation of vhf ch. 5 from Fort Smith, Ark., to Fayetteville, Ark. Petitioner also requests that American Television Company Inc. should be issued order to show cause why its construction permit for station KNAC-TV, if extended, should not be modified to provide for operation on ch. 39 at Fort Smith. COMMISSION INSTRUCTIONS The Commission on June 13 directed preparation of a document looking toward (1) denying a petition by East Coast Television Corp. to require that, pending final disposition in comparative proceeding, any further operation on ch. 7 in Miami, Fla., be conducted only by a trusteeship composed of all applicants in proceeding (Biscayne Television Corp., East Coast Television Corp., South Florida Television Corp., and Sunbeam Television Corp.), and that Biscayne Television Corp. cease operations of WCKT on said channel; and (2) denying a petition by Gerico Investment Co. (WITV, ch. 17), Fort Lauderdale, Fla., requesting the Commission to suspend operation of WCKT, reopen the record and make Gerico a party intervenor, and other relief. The Commission on June 13 directed preparation of a document looking toward (1) denying petitions of North Dade Video, Inc., L. B. Wilson, Inc., and WKAT, Inc., for rehearing, reconsideration, reopening of record, stay, and other relief, directed against Commission's Feb. 7 grant of application of Public Service Television, Inc., for a new TV station (WPST-TV) to operate on ch. 10 in Miami, Fla., and denial of competing applications of North Dade Video, Inc., L. B. Wilson, Inc., and WKAT, Inc.; and (2) denying petition by Gerico Investment Co. (WITV, ch. 17), Fort Lauderdale, seeking similar relief. The Commission on June 13 directed preparation of a document looking toward denying a petition by Jacksonville Bcstg. Corp. for reconsideration, reopening of record, and oral argument, directed against Commission's Aug. 31, 1956 grant of application of Florida-Georgia Television Co., Inc., for a new tv station (WFGATV) to operate on ch. 12 in Jacksonville, Fla., and denial of competing applications of City of Jacksonville and Jacksonville Bcstg. Corp. The Commission on June 13 directed preparation of two documents, one looking toward denial of petitions for reconsideration of its action in deintermixing Springfield, 111., by shifting ch. 2 from there to St. Louis, Mo., and to Terre Haute, Ind., and the other looking toward rule making with respect to moving ch. 10 from Terre Haute to Lafayette, Ind. The Commission on June 13 directed preparation of a document looking toward denying petitions for reconsideration of its action deintermixing Evansville, Ind., by shifting ch. 7 to Louisville, Ky., and ch. 9 from Hatfield to Evansville for noncommercial educational operation. NARBA List of changes, proposed changes, and corrections in assignment of Canadian Broadcast Stations Modifying Appendix containing assignments of Canadian Broadcast Stations (Mimeograph 47214-3) attached to the recommendations of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement Engineering Meeting, January 30, 1941. 610 kc Thompson Townsite, Man. 1 kw ND unl. Class III 5-15-58. 630 kc CJET Smith Falls, Ont. 1 kw DA-1 unl. Class IH 5-15-58 (PO: 1070 kc 1 kw ND D). 680 kc CHLO St. Thomas, Ont. 10 kw D 1 kw N DA-2 unl. Class II EIO 5-15-58 (PO: 680 kc 1 kw DA-1). 900 kc CKBI Prince Albert, Sask. 10 kw DA-2 unl. Class II. Now in operation. 1250 kc CKRB St. George de Beauce, Que., 5 kw D, 1 kw N DA-N unl. Class III EIO 5-15-58 (PO: 1400 kc 250 w ND). Note: In change List #111, dated April 12, 1957, "EIO 15.3.57" should have read "EIO 15.3.53" in all cases. The annotation to the CJSP, Leamington, Ont., item should have shown present operation as Day only instead of DA-1. List of changes, proposed changes, and corrections in Assignments of Mexican Broadcast Stations modifying the appendix containing assignments of Mexican Broadcast Stations (Mimeograph 47214-6) attached to the recommendations of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement Engineering Meeting January 30, 1941. Mexican List No. 202 May 20, 1957 560 kc Toluca, Mexico, 1 kw ND unl. Class III 11-20 57. 1270 kc XEAX Oaxaca, Oaxaca 5 kw D, 0.5 kw N ND unl. Class III 8-20-57. 1400 kc XELH Acaponeta, Nayarit, 100 w ND unl. Class IV 11-20-57. Continues on Page 111 Broadcasting • Telecasting ALLEN KANDER NEGOTIATORS FOR THE PURCHASE AND SALE OF RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS EVALUATIONS FINANCIAL ADVISERS WASHINGTON 1625 Eye Street, N.W. Washington 6, D. C NAtional 8-1990 NEW YORK 60 East 42nd Street New York 17, N. Y. MUrray Hill 7-4242 --CHICAGO 35 East Wacker Drive Chicago 1, Illinois RAndolph 6-6760 Page 106 June 24, 1957