International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1950)

FCC's Theater Tv Hearing To Consider 10 Issues IN RESPONSE to numerous group I and individual petitions from various motion picture units, the Federal Communications Commision will sponsor a Hearing on Allocation and Rule Making for theater television. Although no definite date for the hearing has been announced, it is believed that it will be held in the near future, The Commission's announcement stated that it desires "to obtain full information concerning all aspects of theater television; and to afford all interested parties an opportunity to participate in furnishing related information." The hearing will consider in detail the following ten issues: Transmission Facilities Probe 1. To determine whether the existing and proposed transmission requirements for theater television can be satisfied b> existing and proposed common carrier wire facilities or by existing and proposed common carrier fixed station facilities operated in bands of frequencies now allocated to such stations. 2. To determine the order of frequencies and the spectrum space required, if any, at each order of frequency which would be necessary to establish a theater television service. 3. To obtain full information concerning existing or proposed methods or systems for exhibiting television programs on large screens in motion picture theaters or elsewhere. 4. To obtain full information concerning existing or proposed methods or systems for transmitting or relaying television programs from the point of pickup to the exhibiting theater, by use of radio frequencies, coaxial cable, wire, or other means, including intra-city and inter-city transmission. Experimental Data Asked 5. To obtain full information concerning any technical data obtained in experimental operations conducted in the theater television field, or otherwise available. 6. To obtain full information concerning any nontechnical data obtained in experimental operations conducted in the theater television field, or otherwise available, including public need or demand for the proposed service, public need or desires in theater television programs, approximate uses for the service, and commercial feasibility of the service. 7. To obtain full information concerning plans or proposals looking toward the establishment of theater television on a commercial or non-commercial basis. 8. To determine whether persons engaged in furnishing theater television services would be engaged as common carriers for hire in interstate communications by wire or radio, within the meaning of Section 3(h) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended. 'Public Interest' Determination 9. To determine whether, if frequencies are to be allocated for the purpose of providing a theater television service, such service should be established on a common carrier or non-common carrier basis, and if on a non-common carrier basis, the conditions under which such service would be made available. 10. In the light of the evidence adduced under the foregoing issues, to determine whether or not the public interest would be served by the issuance of a proposal for allocation of frequencies to a theater television service and by the promulgation of proposed rules and engineering standards governing such a service. special sports and news events, as they occur, in combination with regular motion picture fare. Long-range plans include the exploration and development of special forms of Tv entertainment suitable for theater presentation. RCA Large-Screen Tv Systems for New York Circuit Two large-screen theater Tv systems of the instantaneous-projection type have been ordered from RCA by Century Circuit, Inc., which operates a string of theaters in New York and vicinity. One system will go into a new 2200-seat theater on Long Island, with the other scheduled for the 2500-seat, 28-year-old Albemarle Theater in Brooklyn. It is hoped to deliver both systems early next summer. Each will consist of an RCA Model PT-100 theater Tv projector and associated power supplies, amplifiers, and control console. They are designed to produce a screen image 20 by 15 feet in size at an optimum throw of about 65 feet. Programming plans for the two theaters encompass initially the showing of Extend A.T.&.T. Tv Mileage Seven more cities were added to the Bell System's present 18-city Tv network during the latter part of 1949, and an additional 18 cities will join the web in 1950, A. T. & T. recently informed the Federal Communications Commission. Plans also call for the addition of more channels to existing routes. The System's Tv network mileage was about 8400 channel miles at the end of 1949 — some two and a half times greater than at the beginning of the year. By the end of 1950 the intercity network will have grown to some 15,000 channel miles. Enginering work is under way west of Omaha, Neb., looking toward the extension of radio relay channels to San Francisco. Theater Newsreels Still Rate High Eighty-three per cent of patrons of five theaters on Long Island, N. Y., and New Jersey who were quizzed by MPAA researchers said that they preferred the inclusion of newsreels in their screen entertainment. Newsreels are now pressing the association to extend the survey to cover a hundred or 200 theaters in more widely separated areas to get a national reaction. Those quizzed in the pilot survey said that their newsreel subjects preferences were (1) sports, (2) femme fashions and (3) human-interest stories. Findings are accepted as refuting the claims being made that the newsreels were on their way out under blows delivered by Tv, which has demonstrated its ability to beat the reels with spot coverage on a time basis. Photography Reveals: A recently developed electrically-operated camera, mounted on top of a bus or truck, photographs the road ahead about every 500 feet. Where more careful driving is demanded, as on twisting roads or when slowing down, the camera is automatically changed to make one exposure every 50 feet. This enables the truck or bus operator to check the driver's actions through the trip. INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST MARCH 1950 21