Radio annual (1949)

Television H i g h lights 15 — The Dominion Government, currently becoming more concerned over preparations for the advent of television in Canada, was urged in the house of Commons this week to "get a move on" before Canada is "invaded" by programs from the United States. 22 — Philadelphia — Television opened its most ambitious schedule yesterday with a full-day airing of the opening of the Republican National Convention here — an occasion which had been provided with perhaps the greatest video promotion of any special event in the short history of the medium. 24 — Television took another giant stride foward last night when the Westinghouse Electric Corporation and the Glen L. Martin Company successfully demonstrated "Stratovision" from an airborne transmitter cruising at an altitude of 25,000 feet in the vicinity of Pittsburgh. JULY 6 — Specific action to prevent "unauthorized" pickups of video coverage of the up-coming Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia was taken over the weekend by the Television Committee for Coverage of National Political Conventions. 9 — Details of the tentative agreement between the United States and Canada regarding TV channels in the border regions were announced yesterday by the FCC, and were met with complaints that some provisions of the pact would limit opportunity for power expansion by outlets in the areas concerned. 13 — Television stations throughout the country will soon have at their disposal a film library covering important world-wide events as the result of a long-term agreement for joint establishment of a television news service signed yesterday by Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox and Hugh Baillie, President of the United Press Association. 19 — Completion of plans for its N. Y. video studio, to occupy the width of a city block between 66th and 67th streets off Central Park West, was announced Friday by ABC, construction of which is to begin immediately. 27— The FCC was told yesterday by ABC that most of the new proposals for TV channel reallocation "were based upon a disregard of the effect of tropospheric interference. The ABC presentation was followed by a lengthy presentation on Stratovision, which opened this new phase of the Commission's TV channel reallocation hearing. AUGUST 5 — Current video boom has skyrocketed to even greater heights than predicted by the most optimistic leaders in the industry, with result that by the end of this year more than 850,000 sets will have been produced and more than 60 stations will be in operation. 11— WJZ-TV, key television outlet of ABC, made its debut as New York's sixth station last night on Channel 7, in perhaps the most elaborate premiere yet accompanying the inaugural of a video opening in any city. 16 — Formal application was filed Friday by Westinghouse for first commercial stratovision station to bring television broadcasting to about "6,000,000 people who under the present allocations will not receive protected television." The application is for Channel 8 in the Pitttsburgh area. 20 — Another experiment designed to test the effectiveness of video in the future conduct of naval warfare will be jointly undertaken by NBC and the Navy Department from an aircraft carrier 35 miles off the New York coast on August 29. 31 — Video's explosive commercial upsurge the past six months — the effect of which is being felt in virtually all phases of show business production — has swelled the ranks of independent package firms to almost triple the number feeding their output to TV a year ago. SEPTEMBER 2 — First official meeting between committees of TBA and NAB to discuss future needs of the video industry and possible co-op between the two associations was held yesterday at the Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y. 20 — In what is considered to be the heaviest oneshot commercial airer thus far effected in TV, Kaiser-Frazer will sponsor election night (Tuesday, Nov. 2) coverage on ABC's eastern and mid-west networks, it was announced Friday. 27 — Arrival of Motor City's second and third TV stations within the next 30 days, led by opening of ABC's WXYZ-TV on Oct. 9, will focus unprecedented importance on Detroit as a major market, with retailers and set manufacturers setting plans for accelerated activity in that area. 30 — Today is UHF Day for the te'ev^ion industry. FCC Chairman Wayne Coy will announce this morning that the Commission has decided to move ahead to insure sufficient channels 1109