NAEB Newsletter (May 1948)

TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS SIXTEEN STATION NETWORK NBC reports it will have a 16-station network stretching from Missouri to Massachu¬ setts by the end of 1948. Major links in chain in central states are KSD-TV(St. Louis), VJWJ-TV(Dotroit), and VJTMJ-TV (Milwaukee)—all due to be operating by October. Nineteen Fifty-two will see NBC television with 90 stations coast to coast. TELEVISION SET PRODUCTION UP—RMA The Radio Manufacturer's Association reports its member companies produced more than 118,000 television receivers during the first quarter of the year. This is nearly t hree times as great as for the same quarter last year—and about two-third of the past year’s output. FM set production was 438,000, and total, set production, in¬ cluding television was 4,352,000. FCC ELIMINATES CHANNEL ONE In May, the FCC announced a final decision taking channel one away from television broadcast and giving it to civilian mobile services. The new order, effective June 14, eliminates all sharing of TV channels with other radio services. At the same time the FCC outlined a tentative reallocation of the remaining 12 TV channels. New distribution is expected to have little affect on large metropolitan areas where TV outlets are now under construction. Changes are designed to give TV to many small communities now without them, PETRILLO LEACHES TV AGREEMENT i-ITH NETS A six-months agreement on wage rates between AFM and networks is now in effect. Musi¬ cians who play for TV networks will receive three-fourths the rate for standard radio network programs (^152 to ^192 per week in N.Y.). Those who play for local TV broadcast will receive two-thirds local rate. The union—lifting a previous ban— will permit TV to carry music that is incidental to some outside event being broad¬ cast, such as a prize fight or basketball game--with no extra fee. » ARMSTRONG GRANTED EXPERIMENTAL TV FACILITIES The FCC has granted Major Edwin H, Armstrong, inventor of FM, permission to construct experimental TV facilities at his Alpine, New Jersey FM station. The TV will operate on the 480-500 me. band with a power of 50 kw. Armstrong says he will use the facil¬ ities in the development of a "new and better TV system," MOTOROLA K SXY SAYS TV SALE HAS NOT HURT RADIO SET SALE Paul Galvin, president Motorola, Inc., says TV set sale.has not hurt radio set sale with exception of higher priced console models. His firm, which makes both radio and TV receivers, believes industry must return to "shirt-sleeve" selling. He is optimis¬ tic over public response to TV sets. Industry is now turning out 50,000 sets per month, and is still unable to keep up with demand. EDUCATORS WONDER IF THEY'VE MISSED THE BOAT ON TV At the Ohio Radio Institute, many educational station operators were wondering "out loud" if their failure to apply for and plan for TV facilities might not find them later in a difficult position. High cost and uncertainty of future developments were given as reason for delay. To date only 5 institutions are regularly using or plan¬ ning TV. The State University of Iowa has made application; Iowa State College has a CP; University of Michigan is producing programs which are fed to a Detroit station Kansas State College is operating an experimental TV unit, and the American Univer¬ sity (Wadiington, D,C.) is producing and feeding programs to a net TV outlet.