Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

GOVERNMENT NAME OUR CHANNEL 12 Clarksburg, W. Va. • A fabulous week for 2 at THE GREENBRIER White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. • ELECTRIC-EYE MOVIE CAMERA By Bell and Howell • POLAROID LAND CAMERA • 12 other wonderful prizes USE THIS INFORMATION TO help you name the symbol of Clarksburg's new high-power TV station • Covers the virgin market of Cen tral W. Va. (Clarksburg — Fairmont — Morgantown) • Rich in coal, oil and gas • Untouched to date by a direct TV signal • Captive audience — 666,315 popula tion • Buying income $1,119,746,000 • $200/hr. AA network time: $250 national spot. Contest open to all readers of this magazine. Ends January 5, 1958. FY2 MAIL YOUR ENTRY TODAY TO CHANNEL 12 Exclusive in Clarksburg, W. Va. INTERCONNECTED I0130] George Clinton, Gen'I Mgr. • Rep. by Avery-Knodel A Member of The Friendly Group I suggest the following name: Name. Company. Address DON'T DISRUPT TV, AMST EXHORTS FCC • Comments on 25-890 mc study • Urges awaiting report by TASO Any reduction or change, whatsoever, in the current 82 channel frequency assignments could be disastrous to the tv industry, and efforts in these directions should be put off until mid-1958 when the Television Allocations Study Organization produces its findings. This is the basic position of the Assn. of Maximum Service Telecasters Inc., which today (Monday) filed its response to the current FCC inquiry into uses of 25-890 mc portion of the spectrum. The group filed a 33-page document, including 15 exhibits, showing the status of the tv industry. TASO studies are well underway, and AMST believes any Commission orders towards more efficient use of the spectrum between 25-890 mc would be premature "until this great industry research effort is concluded." Meanwhile, it warns that an upward shift in frequencies would wipe out an industry investment of more than $400 million. The group also made it plain that such a move would result in degraded service because of propagation limitations and other factors. AMST justified the retention of present tv channels for exclusive broadcast use by spelling out current utilization. It said that after 12 years of commercial tv, 575 on-theair stations (including translators and satellites) have an average frequency loading of seven operating stations per channel whereas it took am stations almost 25 years before they averaged 10 per allocated am frequency. With the exception of ch. 64, AMST said, there is at least one authorized or one requested station for each of the 82 channels indicating 98.8% utilization as of mid-October 1957. AMST noted that each of the 12 vhf channels now averages almost 63 million viewers per channel with uhf outlets serving "large populations." Furthermore, the petition stated, 99.9% of all American families live within the service area of at least one station; the average tv home has a choice of five signals, and 77% of all tv homes are within range of four or more stations. After documenting such items as tv retail expenditures since 1946 as $19,053,481,000 the AMST petition detailed various data to show how the public benefits and depends on tv. Adding that it is a growing industry, AMST repeated that it is adamant against any space reductions or share-channel arrangements, regardless of their nature. As for new technical improvements reported here and there on how to achieve more efficient use of the spectrum, AMST would again wait and see what TASO recommends. FCC Sets New Tower Criteria The FCC last week broadened its rulemaking on its proposal to require that towers over 500 feet above ground be built in "farm areas." The Commission included new Page 80 November 25, 1957 criteria for determining whether applications for towers will require special aeronautical study. Inclusion of comments on the new criteria was recommended by the Joint Industry Government Tall Structures Committee. Objectives of the new proposed rule-making would be to provide (1) protection for low altitude intercity air routes; (2) additional protection for high density air traffic areas, present and forecast; (3) increased protection for airways and heavily-traveled flyways; (4) additional protection for areas in the vicinity of airports and (5) areas for erection of radio and tv towers. The FCC invited comments on the new proposals by Dec. 30. NT A GETS FCC OKAY ON BUY OF KMGM-TV • Bartley dissents sharply • Notes Justice-NTA suit National Telefilm Assoc., a major television film distributor, last week received a green light for purchase of its first tv station when the FCC, by a vote of five to one, approved NTA's $650,000 purchase of 75% interest in ch. 9 KMGM-TV Minneapolis, Minn. FCC Comr. Robert T. Bartley issued a sharp dissent. He urged that a hearing be held on this application. Comr. Rosel H. Hyde was absent. The Commission's approval was "without prejudice" to whatever action may be appropriate following the outcome of a government antitrust suit against NTA. Last April the Dept. of Justice filed an antitrust suit against NTA and four other tv film distributors, alleging they forced tv stations to buy films in packages, thus violating the block-booking prohibition in the 1947 motion picture consent decree. Earlier, the government filed a similar suit against Loew's Inc., a 25% owner of the Minneapolis station. The FCC's approval came after the Justice Dept. was informed of the application for purchase [Government, Nov. 4]. Apparently the Justice Dept. did not ask that the transfer application be held in abeyance. Only last month NTA contracted to pay $3.5 million for WAAT-AM-FM and ch. 13 WATV (TV) Newark, N. J. This application is now pending before the Commission. NTA is headed by Ely A. Landau as chairman, with Oliver A. Unger as president and Harold Goldman as executive vice president. It is a publicly held corporation with its stock traded on the American Stock Exchange. Last spring NTA inaugurated the NTA Film Network, which has 134 outlets. The NTA Film Network is 50% owned by NTA and 50% by 20th Century-Fox Film Co. Among NTA's major film properties today are 450 20th Century-Fox features for which it will pay over $30 million over a five-year period; such series as Sheriff of Cochise, China Smith and Combat Sergeant. Two weeks ago NTA bought "more than 50%" Broadcasting