The radio annual (1960)

International TV Statistical Roundup This report summarizes the development in overseas television in the last quarter of 1959 and also provides a year-end statistical roundup. All countries are included, with the exception of the U. S., its territories and Canada. United States Armed Forces television stations abroad are excluded. Statistical data must be viewed with caution since the reliability of the sources from which these statistics are compiled varies. Where official sources are lacking, a consen/sus of a variety of unofficial source is used. WESTERN EUROPE AUSTRIA Television in Austria was very successful in 1959. The number of TV sets doubled during the year; a network of 15 transmitting stations covers about 60 per cent of the country; prices on TV sets declined by about 40 per cent since the end of 1955; hours of telecasting were increased to about 24 hours per week, and are now on a daily basis; and the quality of programs was improved. However, criticism of the TV administration has been mounting. Warnings were expressed against excessive Socialist propaganda influence on Austrian TV, and demands were put forward for "early and concrete measures" to end the Socialists' grip on TV. BELGIUM The Belgian Government plans to spend about $12,000,000 to expand its national broadcasting and television activities. Most of the money will be ussd to build a TV center in Brussels and to modernize its Eurovision facilities. About 25 per cent will be invested in radio development. DENMARK The Naestved TV station on Seeland Island was inaugurated last October. In addition to being used as a local transmitter, it will be an important link in the Eurovision network between Germany and Scandinavia. It is expected to improve reception in an area where East German TV programs had reportedly been received hitherto better than Danish telecasts. Television reception now extends to all of Denmark with the exception of the island of Bornholm in the Baltic. FINLAND Finland built up its television network with four new transmitting stations, and its first Eurovision hookup was inaugurated on January 1, 1960 with a relay via the Swedish TV network of a Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra concert on New Year's Day, and of the Central European ski contests. FRANCE The opening of the second TV channel in France has been postponed to April. Besides the failure Source: USIA. of the Finance Ministry to unblock the necessary funds in time, technical problems have emerged. Test transmissions on channel 9 in Band III have proved unsatisfactory, and the possibility of using channels 10, 11, or 12 is being studied. A great TV center at Bouvigny to serve all of Northern France has been completed. It has two transmitters which will service the Amiens and Lille areas respectively. French and Spanish radio and TV organizations have reached an accord for the installation of a French relay transmitter on the Balearic Islands, to establish a TV link between France and Algeria. WEST GERMANY Last September the Federal Cabinet passed the draft bill for a federal radio and television law. In addition to various radio provisions, the bill would create a TV institute, with its seat at Frankfurt, which would establish a second TV network. The institute would not produce programs of its own, but would sell time to private companies. These would finance themselves by accepting advertising. During November the Bundesrat (Upper House) unanimously rejected the draft bill. The Laender representatives did not object to the radio broadcasting provisions of the bill, but denied the Federal Government's alleged right to participate in TV. Thereupon the Laender broadcasting agencies jointly filed applications with the Bundespost for assignment of frequencies for the transmitters to be used for the second TV program. The Federal Government, however, announced that the bill would be discussed by the Bundestag (Lower House) in January 1960. The latter can overrule a unanimous Bundesrat rejection by a 2/3 majority vote. In the meantime. Chancellor Adenauer called a meeting on December 16 of the Minister Presidents of the Laender to discuss the problem. It was announced after the meeting that a compromise solution was developed whereby operation of the radio services, as well as the license fee problem, should be regulated by federal law, and that operation pf a second and probably a third TV program would be subject to state treaties or administrative agreements between the Federal Government and the Laender. Despite the rapid growth of television in West (Continued on Page 1097) 1095