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

lUANK M. KOI.SOM, KXECl IIVK VH K PKESIDKNT IN CHARCE OF THE KCA VICTOR DIVISION (LCT'T) AND CHARLES A. DOSTAL, VICE PRESIDENT, WESTI.N(;H0USE electric corporation, at appliance TRADE DINNER IN SAN FRANCISCO. TELEVISION HEADS WEST San Francisco will he Test Point for Video Because of Problems Raised by Mountainous Region, Folsom Tells Trade Association. TELEVISION, having proved itself in the East by its wide variety of entertainment and its up-to-the-minute coverage of major sports, political conventions, and news events, now faces toward the West, according to Frank M. Fol- som, Executive Vice President in Charge of the RCA Victor Division. Speaking at the Western Radio and Appliance Trade Dinner in San Francisco, on August 4, Mr. Folsom told retailers and distribu- tors that "the entire nation will be watching the progress of television in San Francisco with close atten- tion," because through experience gained in that city, he said, the industry will learn much about the ability of the service to operate in a mountainous region, and from the tests made there many interesting new developments should result. In reviewing television prospects in the Golden Gate city, Mr. Folsom said: "Three stations already have been granted construction permits in San Francisco. One will be owned by the American Broadcast- ing Company, another by Associ- ated Broadcasters, Inc., and the third by the San Francisco Chron- icle, to be affiliated with NBC." With only six channels available to the San Francisco-Oakland re- gion, he pointed out, six broad- casters are seeking the remaining three unassigned channels. These are: Twentieth Century-Fox of California, Inc., Paramount Televi- sion Productions, Inc., the Colum- bia Broadcasting System, Don Lee Broadcasting Company, Television California, and station KROW, in Oakland. Sizeable sums are being invested in television by broadcasters seek- ing outlets on the West Coast, said Mr. Folsom. Construction figures range as high as $691,785, with one applicant planning to spend S921,- (>9o for his first year's operation. Plans are well along, he said, for linking San Francisco by cable and relays with all major cities to the North, the Ea.st and the South. Although coast-to-coast networks are not expected to be in operation until the end of 10.52, Folsom said, regional links will supply intercon- necting television service for West Coast municipal neighbors at a much earlier date. Then, with the West and the East linked by net- works, national advertisers, no longer restricted to locally origi- nated [irograms or shows recorded on film, will be able to present tele- vision programs using talent that would be far too costly for individ- ual station showings. In emphasizing the importance of video's future role as an adver- tising medium, the RCA executive quoted Amos Parrish, noted mer- chandising consultant: "Television is the bigge.st thing since radio. And it will out-sell radio in selling goods many to one, because it appeals to your eyes as well as to your ears. And the eyes are still the windows to your soul —especially your buying soul. "We don't know and we don't want to know what's in a television set, because we don't understand it. But we do know there is one thing —one of the elements that makes up the future of America—and that means it has no limits. That no- limit element is a combination of excellent reporting, teaching, en- tertaining, selling. This element says in undebatable terms: 'Stop, Listen and LOOK!' And people will not only 'Stop, Listen, and LOOK!'—but they will also buy." Television receivers are rolling off production lines in an increasing spiral, Mr. Folsom revealed. Today more than 500,000 are in the pub- lic's hands. By the end of the year, he predicted, the industry should have produced in excess of 850,000 television receivers. In 1949, the estimated output should be 1,600,- 000 receivers, representing a poten- tial retail business of more than $400,000,000. As its share of this figure, Mr. Folsom said, San Fran- cisco can expect a television re- ceiver business with a retail volume of more than $10,000,000. "Proud as we are of the business stature television has attained," he said in conclusion, "we're even prouder of the many excellent ways in which it has served and will con- tinue to serve humanity with major roles envisioned for it in educa- tional, religious, industrial and military fields." [RADIO AGE 15]