Broadcasting Telecasting (Jul-Sep 1960)

said, was not a shaving product at all but a special formulation prepared for the demonstration. Denying that the demonstration was deceptive. Carter asserted that "The members of the purchasing public, who also constitute the viewing audience, are ■not so naive or easily misled so as not to realize that certain photographic license must be taken in many instances in order to represent various situations within the time and other limitations imposed by television commercial photography." The company called attention to special effects required to be used in tv demonstrations of hair waving products, cake and dessert mixes, cosmetics, laundry soaps and detergents "and a host of other products." The challenged tv commercial has been permanently withdrawn. Carter Products said. It asked that the complaint be dismissed. In addition to the company, the FTC complaint was directed at its advertising agency, Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles, and the account executive, S. Heagan Bayles. UNDER ITS WING FCC to help boosters come legally to flock A bureaucratic government agency with a heart and the ability to understand the problems of the little man. If that definition does not fit the average broadcaster's private opinion of the FCC, that agency showed last week that it is willing to meet the vhf translator (or booster) operators more than halfway. The commission said that it will send representatives into the field to explain what steps are necessary for the vhf operations, previously termed illegal, to come into the good graces of the law. Vhf translators were authorized July 28 by the commission, which also provided for "grandfather" recognition of those stations built illegally (Broadcasting, Aug. 1). Beginning Aug. 23, three representatives from the commission will be in the Far West for 10 days to explain what steps are necessary to meet the new vhf translator needs. Dee Pencock of the general counsel's office and engineer Mac Parker from Washington and one man from various FCC field offices will make the trip. Their tentative itinerary: Aug. 23 — Prescott, Ariz.; Aug. 24 — Pueblo, Colo.; Aug. 25 — Casper, Wyo.; Aug. 27 — Miles City, Mont.; Aug. 29 — Great Falls, Mont.; Aug. 30 — Wenatchee, Wash.; Sept. 1 — Redmond, Ore.; Sept. 2 — Pocatello, Idaho; Sept. 3— Salt Lake City. The commission said that it appre ciates that operators of presently unlicensed boosters are not familiar with FCC rules and procedures, that their stations are located in remote areas and that they will need a reasonable time to convert to the new rules. Consequently, the FCC staffers will meeet with the operators in their locale to distribute copies of the translator rules, necessary application forms and instructions for completion of the "simple" interim authorization form. Messrs. Pencock and Parker also will explain steps which must be taken to comply with regular licensing requirements and answer related questions. The Reqiurements ■ Principal points of the new rules provide that: ( 1 ) A maximum of 1 watt power will be authorized and provision must be made for on-off control and automatic cut-off. (2) Application for interim operation of those vhf boosters already constructed, using present power and facilities, must be filed by Oct. 31. (3) Application for a license indicating compliance with the vhf translator rules must be filed by Feb. I, 1960. (4) All vhf translators must be in complete compliance with the rules by Oct. 31, 1961. Operation thereafter will be permitted only under a regular license. The translators must not cause interference to regular tv stations and must receive permission of the stations repeated. Commission engineers estimate that actual effective radiated power of the translators using directional antennas will reach 10 watts and send a signal approximately 15-20 miles. Their interference range, however, will cover up to 100 miles, it was pointed out. Interference problems among the vhf translators must be resolved by the licensees themselves. James Beamer of Livingston, Mont., president of the Tri-State Repeater Assn., is arranging the western trip by the commission staffers. iVIove to 70 channels would take 5-10 yrs. A proposal for "a gradual changeover" to an all uhf, 70 channel television system which would include pay tv, has been presented to the FCC by the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU policy statment, adopted by its board of directors, was contained in a letter to FCC Chairman Frederick W. Ford last week. The proposal recommends that the change-over to all uhf should take place over a five to ten year period, retaining existing vhf facilities until the change is completed. The proposal, ACLU said, is based "upon our conviction, that under the First Amendment, the public is entitled to view a wide diversity of programs in the public affairs, religious, educational, cultural and informational fields . . . available to all possible types of broadcasting" including subscription and pay television. A 70 channel uhf system "should provide" all types of programming, ACLU said. "For the government to deny the public a wider choice of tv fare than it now has," the union asserted, "would be an unpardonable confession of defeat." The letter enthusiastically endorsed the commission's New York uhf study (Broadcasting, April 25). Don't Wait ■ The ACLU asked the commission not to wait until "every technical difficulty" is solved before asking Congress to pass enabling legislation. "We entertain the hope," the union asserted, "that the commission is now envisaging a change-over to a 70 channel uhf system. ..." A period of from five to ten years would give set owners and manufacturers time to adjust to uhf and would allow time for further research. In a related development, BlonderTongue Labs Inc., Newark, N.J., a major manufacturer of uhf converters, told the commission that its uhf test program, which is limited to 100 receivers of superior quality, "will probably do no more than confirm the already available technical facts." The company said that the problem is not one where "we have to establish technical feasibility of uhf, but whether the low public esteem into which uhf has fallen can be overcome by this new test program." The company asserted that an e.xextensive publicity program and programming of new forms "of high grade entertainment not now available" would capture an enthusiastic New York audience during the test. Commissioner Lee again stressed last week that the New York uhf study was "a technical test, not a program test." He said that current plans call for the use of network programming and "possibly" some independent as well. The commissioner said that as far as the goals of the study are concerned, "if we get nothing more than improvement in receiving equipment for existing use from the New York project, it will still have been worth the effort." African problem The countries of the free world must help the new nations of Africa establish modern communications, Francis Colt DeWolfe, chief of the State Dept.'s telecommunications division, told a national symposium on global communications a fortnight ago. He said the International Communications Union soon will have 20 new members from Africa. 86 (GROVERNMENT) BROADCASTING, August 15, 1960