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

A PORTABLE TELEVISION CAMERA EQUIPPED WITH THE HIGHLY-SENSITIVE URTHICON TUBE PICKS UP CIRCUS SCENES IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. CIRCLE PACKED IN EASILY-CARRIED "SUITCASES", CONTROL AND TRANSMITTING UNITS OF PORTABLE FIELD EQUIPMENT ARE SET UP IN A ROOM ADJACENT TO THE GARDEN ARENA. Television Goes Afield PORTABLE CAMERA-TRANSMITTERS DEVELOPED BY RCA VICTOR ARE EXPECTED TO ACCELERATE PROGRESS OF NEW SERVICE. By Henry E. Rhea Engineering Products Department RCA Victor Division RCA engineers may be proud that despite the obstacles— technical, economic, and others— that have confronted them, their faith in the future of television has never wavered, and that, partly for that very reason, the contributions of RCA scientists and engineers far surpass the accomplishments of all others combined. The list is a familiar one and need not be repeated in detail. It includes the Iconoscope, the Orthi- con, the Kinescope, the first all- electronic television system, the first high power television trans- mitter (-10 kilowatts — built in 1936), the first electronic projec- tion picture, the first commercial television station, and the first relay system. Hundreds of man-years of work, as well as millions of dollars, have gone into the television work con- ducted by our Laboratories. The accumulated results of this effort ami unswerving faith of our organ- ization in the future of television are the seeds from which a great new industry will grow. There are numerous signs that the seed is beginning to sprout. In the radio magazines, the trade pub- lications, and the daily press, tele- vision is an important topic. Broad- casters, film companies, news- papers, educators, department stores, advertising agencies—-all are looking with interest at this lledgling industry. Most significant of all is the list of television station licenses and .•ipplications for licenses now on file with the Federal Communications Commission. As of May 1, 1044, the number totaled fifty-five. Some thirty cities are represented in this list, including New York, Philadel- phia, Boston, Rochester, Baltimore, Washington, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Chicago, Los Angeles. Hartford, Denver, Oklahoma City. Minneapo- lis, Albuquerque, New Orleans, Cin- cinnati, San Francisco, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Hartford, and Spokane. This represents an immediate post-war market for our transmit- ting and receiving ecpiipments. But before this market will develop, an important question must be an- swered. Where will good programs be obtained? Col. David SarnoflF, in a paper published over seven years ago, stated: "\\'hoever the sponsor may be, or uiiatever his interests or purposes, lie will be under the cominilsion to luovide programs that will bring pleasure, enlightenment and service to the American public. That com- pulsion operates today and must continue to operate if we are to retain the American system of ra- dio broadcasting." His statement assumes new sig- nificance today. As a partial solution, the Amer- ican Telephone & Telegraph Co. recently announced their plans for establishing a television network connecting all of the more impor- tant metropolitan areas of the country. This network will extend from Boston to Miami, Atlanta to Los Angeles, from San Francisco to Chicago to New York, and it is expected that it may be completed by 1950. NBC, which is the pioneer in television station operating and programming, and which is today originating programs for rebroad- cast in the Philadelphia and Al- bany-Schenectady areas, is plan- ning to assume the same role of leadership in television network programming that it now holds in the field of sound broadcasting. In another approach, some of the film companies are engaged in ex- [20 RADIO AGE]