Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1957)

KOI N TV "High man on the Totem Pole" in the 4-STATION Portland, Oregon Market GOVERNMENT CHECK THE RATINGS • 49.3% Share-of-Audience in Metropolitan Portland. • 13 of Top 15 Weekly Shows. • 8 out of Top 10 Multiweekly. Source: January 1957 Portland ARB Represented Nationally by CBS Television Spot Sales FCC EXPECTS ALL-OUT ATTACKS FROM LOSERS IN DEINTERMIXTURE THE FCC is bracing itself for expected oppositions by tv operators and grantees whose vhf channels have been moved away from their cities. This was done in the Commission's far-reaching first step toward deintermixture two weeks ago [B«T, March 4]. It also was expecting objections from uhf operators in the two cities where v channels were retained — Hartford, Conn., and Madison, Wis. Basic attack, it was obvious, will be the inconsistencies between the newly segregated areas and those where uhf-vhf integration remains. No announcement has come from General Electric Co. regarding its attitude toward the Commission's shift of ch. 6 — now occupied by GE's WRGB (TV)— from Schenectady to Syracuse, N. Y. It was understood, however, that FCC commissioners were told last week that the statement of R. W. Welpott, WRGB station manager, that GE would fight the move, "did not represent the General Electric Co." Official GE reaction so far is "no comment." A check of Washington attorneys representing the other four vhf permit-holders who are supposed to lose their channels indicated that WIRL-TV Springfield, 111. (ch. 8), WTVW (TV) Evansville, Ind. (ch. 7), KFRE-TV Fresno, Calif, (ch. 12) had decided to file court appeals against the FCC's actions. WMAY-TV Peoria, 111. (ch. 2), was giving "serious consideration to the question of whether to appeal or not." The Commission actions two weeks ago BOXSCORE STATUS of comparative hearing cases for new tv stations before FCC: AWAITING FINAL DECISION: 8 (Figures in parentheses indicate dates oral arguments were held.) Seattle, Wash., ch. 7 (12-17-56); Indianapolis, Ind., ch. 13 (5-25-56); St. Louis, Mo., ch. 11 (7-9-56); Orlando, Fla., ch. 9 (6-1956); Buffalo, N. Y., ch. 7 (9-24-56); Boston, Mass., ch. 5 (10-29-56); Biloxi. Miss., ch. 13 (12-18-56); Pittsburgh, Pa., ch. 11. AWAITING ORAL ARGUMENT: 3 (Figures in parentheses indicate dates initial decisions were issued.) San Francisco-Oakland, Calif., ch. 2 (6-2556); Coos Bay, Ore., ch. 16 (7-20-56); Hatfield, Ind.-Owensboro, Ky., ch. 9 (2-18-57). AWAITING INITIAL DECISION: 3 (Figures in parentheses indicate dates records were closed after hearings.) Toledo, Ohio, ch. 11 (1-25-56); OnondagaParma, Mich., ch. 10 (3-2-56); McKeesportPittsburgh,, Pa., ch. 4 (1-7-57). IN HEARING 6 Sheboygan, Mich., ch. 4; Mayaguez, P. R., ch. 3; Victoria, Tex., ch. 19; Beaumont, Tex., ch. 6; Ponce, P. R., ch. 7; Lubbock, Tex., ch. 5. IN COURT 6 (Appeals from tv grants in U. S. Court of Appeals, Washington.) Miami, Fla., ch. 7; Wichita, Kan., ch. 3; Portsmouth, Va., ch. 10; Knoxville, Tenn., ch. 10; Miami, ch. 10; Supreme Court: Shreveport, La., ch. 12; Sacramento, Calif., ch. 10; (petitions for writs of certiorari submitted). shifted ch. 2 from Springfield to St. Louis, Mo., and offered ch. 36 KTVI (TV) St. Louis temporary operation on that vhf channel; ch. 7 from Evansville to Louisville, Ky.; ch. 8 from Peoria to Davenport, IowaRock Island-Moline, 111.; and ch. 12 from Fresno to Santa Barbara, Calif. The Commission also voted to retain ch. 3 in Hartford and Madison, and to instruct its staff to write an order placing ch. 12 in New Orleans, La., and Beaumont-Port Arthur, Tex., ch. 3 to Lake Charles-Lafayette, La., and ch. 1 1 to Houma, La. In his testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee earlier last week, FCC Chairman George C. McConnaughey said there were about 10 more deintermixture actions awaiting FCC decision. These include the proposals to add vhf channels to Miami, Fla.; Norfolk, Va.; Charleston and Columbia, S. C, and Duluth, Minn.-Superior, Wis. Pending FCC action are requests to deintermix these cities: Biloxi, Miss.; Columbus, Ga.; Raleigh and Charlotte, N. C; Ft. Smith, Ark.; Corpus Christi, Tex.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Erie, Pa.; Spartanburg, S. C; San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif.; Flint, Mich. $47 Million Excise Tax Paid By Radio, Tv, Phono Business EXCISE taxes on radio, tv and phonograph sets brought $46,950,000 into the U. S. Treasury in the last quarter of 1956, the Internal Revenue Service revealed last week. Radio, tv and phonograph sets produced revenue of $42,865,000. Records gave the Treasury $4,093,000. The figures topped government returns of 1955 for the last quarter. Tv, radio and phonograph sets brought into the federal coffers about $200,000 more than in 1955. Records produced an increased income of about one million dollars. Matta Trusteeship Petition Denied for Pittsburgh Ch. 4 FCC last week denied a petition by Matta Enterprises (one of five applicants for ch. 4 Pittsburgh) for establishment of an interim trusteeship to construct and operate a tv station on that channel pending a final grant of the facility. The other four applicants are Tv City Inc. (favored in an initial decision), WCAE Pittsburgh, Wespen Tv Co. and Irwin Community Tv Co. The Commission ruled that proceedings were so far along (toward a final grant) that the proposal would not speed a new tv service for Pittsburgh; that in view of opposition of Wespen to a trusteeship, there is no assurance that the five parties could reach accord on interim operation of the proposed station, and that the Matta proposal was vague in details as to the interim operation. Page 76 March 11, 1957 Broadcasting Telecasting