Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers (1930-1949)

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1949 THEATER TELEVISION 341 groups in the area, could present a strong showing of service to the public. Television broadcast stations are not available in sufficient numbers to make possible their ownership by any substantial number of religious, educational, or civic groups. Theater television potentially is one means whereby such public service organizations may participate directly in the wonders of television. On June 30, 1949, the FCC addressed letters to Paramount Television Productions, Inc. , Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, and the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, inviting statements to be submitted by September 2, 1949, concerning theater television. Without limiting the scope of the statements, the Commission requested expression of views covering six specific subjects: 1. What the minimum frequency requirements would be for a nation-wide, competitive theater television service; 2. What specific frequency bands you would propose to be allocated to a theater television service; reasons therefor; 3. The exact functions which would be performed in each such frequency band in a theater television service; 4. Whether and to what extent such functions could be performed, in whole or in part, by use of coaxial cable, wire, or other means of transmission not using radio frequencies; 5. Whether and to what extent existing common carriers have or propose to have facilities available capable of performing such functions, in whole or in part, by radio relay, coaxial cable, or wire; 6. Plans or proposals looking toward the establishment of a theater television service. Organization of Co-operative Groups — To make theater television economically feasible it may be necessary for numbers of theaters in a city to join together in co-operative theater television groups. Since these groups in all likelihood will find it necessary to qualify as licensees of radio facilities, and possibly as common carriers of television programs, it is important that these co-operative groups be owned and organized to comply with the licensing requirements of the Communications Act and the FCC.10 An example of a co-operative organization that is operating in the common-carrier field with FCC sanction is Press Wireless, Inc. This corporation was organized in 1929 r with its stock held primarily by newspaper and news associations. It has been licensed or authorized by the FCC to engage in various forms of communications, including program transmission, radiophoto, facsimile, and message telegraphy.