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

Answer to Anti-Trust Suit T J-H .he Radio Corporation of America and the National Broadcasting Company have issued the follow- ing statement relative to the civil anti-trust suit filed in federal court in Philadelphia by the Anti-Trust Divi- sion in December: "This suit results from a jurisdictional dispute be- tween two agencies of government, in which RCA and NBC have been caught in the middle. The NBC- Westinghouse exchange of stations in Philadelphia and Cleveland, with which the action deals, was approved by the Federal Communications Commission in De- cember, 1955, after a thorough study of all the facts. On the basis of this study, the FCC decided that the exchange was in the public interest. "Contrary to the claim made by the Anti-Trust Division in this suit, not only was Westinghouse not coerced by RCA and NBC to make the transfer but Westinghouse in fact sent a letter to the FCC urging approval of the transfer as being in the public interest." Letter to the Commission The letter, signed jointly by the Chairman of the Board of Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, Inc., and the Chairman of the Board of the National Broad- casting Company, was sent on November 10, 1955, to George C. McConnaughey, Chairman, Federal Com- munications Commission. It said: Dear Chairman McConnaughey: Attached are the replies of our respective companies to the points raised by the Commis- sion in its letter of October 17, 1955, describing the proposed exchange of the Westinghouse stations in Philadelphia for the NBC stations in Cleveland and answering the other questions raised by the Commission. The decision to make this exchange was arrived at after careful consideration of all factors at the highest management level of both com- panies. It has the approval of our respective Boards of Directors and the approval of the Boards of Directors of our respective parent companies. The companies, therefore, entered into the agreement satisfied that the exchange is a fair one, that its consummation will serve the best interests of both companies, and that it is con- sistent with the public interest. We jointly urge the Commission to approve this exchange at an early date. The statement by RCA and NBC went on to say: "It was on the basis of this representation by West- inghouse as well as the other material before it that the FCC approved the transfer now challenged by the Anti-Trust Division. "The FCC is specifically authorized by Congress to pass upon such station transfers, and NBC acted in ac- cordance with its decision. Now another branch of gov- ernment — the Anti-Trust Division — is trying to undo the action of the Federal Communications Commission. "If American businesses are to be hauled into court by the Anti-Trust Division because they act in con- formance with the rulings of an authorized government agency, then indeed confusion will be compounded by confusion. We are confidenr that this dispute between government agencies will not result in RCA and NBC being penalized for scrupulously following the pro- cedures established by law." T 1h TV Tape Vn the Air' .HE FIRST "on-the-air" public demonstration of RCA's new video magnetic tape has heralded a new era of television in which all programs, whether in black-and- white or in color, can be recorded for later viewing. The demonstration, a two-and-a-half-minute, tape- recorded segment featuring singer Dorothy Collins, was colorcast coast-to-coast by NBC on the "Jonathan Win- ters Show" October 23. Under the RCA system, a television program is recorded on magnetic tape in much the same manner that sound is recorded on tape. The video magnetic tape can be replayed immediately, without the chemical processing required in the use of films. In introducing the system to the viewers, Mr. Win- ters showed a section of the video tape and said, "For the first time in history you are going to see a color television picture transmitted from a piece of tape just like this. It is called video magnetic tape. On it is recorded both sound and picture — with the picture in full compatible color, as well as black-and-white." The principle of video magnetic tape recording was first demonstrated in color by RCA under laboratory conditions on Dec. 1, 1953, at the David Sarnoff Re- search Center, Princeton, N. J. On May 12, 1955, the system was employed in a closed-circuit transmission from New York to St. Paul. NBC has been field-testing the system. 30 RADIO AGE