Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

THESE WOUNDED SAILORS IN THE U. S. NAVAL HOSPITAL AT ST. ALBANS ARE WATCH- ING ONE OF THE SPECIAL TKLEVISION PROGRAMS ARRANGED BY NBC FOR THE BENEFIT OF CONVALESCENT SERVICE MEN IN NEW YORK AREA. originating at NBC, in New York, are now being broadcast to Phila- delphia, New York, and Albany- Schenectady. Television broadcast- ing facilities also e.xist in Chicago and Los Angeles. A television sta- tion would also begin broadcasting from Cincinnati as soon after the war as e(|iiipment became available. Mr. Joyce revealed. These cities would logically be the first televi- sion markets, he said. Mr. .Joyce estimated that within two or three years after the full commercialization o f television, about 10 per cent of the wired homes in the foregoing cities, or 741,000 families, representing a probable audience of 7.000,000 per- sons would own television receivers. "We can assume further," he con- tinued, "that within three or four years after commercial resumption of television, Washington, D. C, Baltimore, Hartford, Providence, and Boston will have television transmitters. These cities, together with Philadelphia, New York, Schenectady and Albany, could be interconnected with a television network circuit about (UK) miles long. "This network lircuit would make television broadcasting serv- ice available to 33,336,000 people, 9,379,039 wired homes, represent- ing 3().62^r of the total U. S. buying power." The RCA executive then went on to descrilie the development of the television network by trunk lines, thus linking the middle west with the Atlantic seaboard, bringing television service to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chi- cago, St. Louis, and Milwaukee. This trunk line television net- work, with the secondary networks that would be off-shoots from it, he said, can be expected to develop ap- proximately five years after the full commercialization of television. By the end of the fifth year, he said, engineers should be able to develop the automatic transmitter for rebroadcasting television pro- grams, thus blanketing areas of the country unreached by the stations in the 157 key cities. Mr. .Joyce also took occasion to remind his audience that it was too much to expect television to spring forward as an industry the day the fighting ceases. "It may be a year, or two or three years after the war before televi- sion is ready to go forward on a commercial basis," he iterated. "That depends upon the character of the recommendations made by the Radio Technical Planning Board and the action taken by the Federal Communications Commis- sion on the recommendations by that Board. Of this, though, we may be certain: that the genera- tions that come after the war will take home television service just as much for granted as the present generation takes radio." MAJOR sports events and other spectacles held in Madison Square Garden are being televised by the National Broadcasting Com- pany for the en.ioyment of wounded soldiers and sailors in hospitals in the New York area. Plans for this new television service, arranged in cooperation with Army and Navy medical au- thorities, were announced recently by John F. Royal, NBC vice-presi- dent in charge of International Re- lations, Television and Short-Wave. .John T. Williams, NBC's Manager of Television, is in charge of the project. Television receivers have been in- stalled by the National Broadcast- ing Company in the Halloran Gen- eral Hospital, Staten Island, U. S. Naval Hospital, St. Albans, N. Y., the Tilden General Hospital at Fort Dix, the Naval Hospital at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the U. S. Navy Convalescent Hospital at Har- riman, N. Y., and one other insti- tution. The first television program for the wounded men, over NBC station WNBT, was the rodeo direct from Madison Square Garden on Monday evening, October 25. Under arrangements made with Ned Irish, manager of Madison Square Garden, NBC plans to tele- vise track meets, basketball and hockey games and other sports events originating at the Garden from time to time. Arrangements were completed by Royal and Williams with Col. C. M. Walson, of the Medical Corps, Sec- ond Service Command, and Lieuten- ant Willard B. Stone, USNR, Dis- trict Welfare-Recreation Officer. The television area reached by the programs for the wounded men will extend approximately 7.5 miles from Radio City, with re-broadcasts through WPTZ, Philadelphia, and WRGB in Schenectady. N. Y. At least one receiver has been installed in each hospital. As many more instruments will be installed as NBC is able to obtain. Music Aids Production Selected music in high-geared war industries lifts workers' mor- ale, reduces fatigue and is a definite aid to production. That's the word from War Pro- duction Drive Headquarters follow- ing an extensive survey of 100 war plants, undertaken for the WPB by Wheeler Beckett, well-known con- ductor and composer. [24 RADIO AGE]