Sponsor (1964)

There were few tv sets equipped to receive UHF signals. With a limited number of viewers, operators were unable to get quality programing. Lacking sufficient viewers and programs, stations were unable to attract sponsors. Result: nearly 100 UHF outlets went dark, most during these early years. And these problems, together with a host of others, still plague the industry. Eleven years after its inception, there are fewer than 90 commercial Us in operation today, compared to nearly 500 VHF stations. To lay the groundwork for a successful nurturing of the UHF medium, Congress enacted the all-channel bill. Effective as of April 30, it provides that all tv receivers manufactured after this date must be equipped with a tuner able to receive channels 14 through 83. Even this step has opened a Pandora's box of problems that has disturbed set manufacturers and their distributors. Nor has the bill touched off a rush of applications for U channels. Broadcasters are cautious. Those who do have CPs are proceeding slowly: only one UHF station has opened so far this year. This whole situation is temporary, however, and will pick up speed with the passage of time, say UHF supporters. FCC commissioner Robert E. Lee notes that "somebody has to start the ball rolling," and the allchannel bill is the first step. Lee is an example of the powerful forces behind UHF. Led by the FCC, the departments of Commerce, Health, Education and Welfare, and industry organizations such as the Assn. of Maximum Service Tclecasters, the Electronic Industries Assn. and the Assn. for Competitive Television, are now championing UHF's growth. "All-channel telecasting is here to stay," states Lee, "and will bring more jobs, more advertising and a greater contribution to the national product by increasing the consumer consumption of the national production." The commissioner has flatly called for cooperation from all segments of the tv industry in moving UHF through its present transitional stage. "UHF is on the march and noth ing will stem the tide," Lee has declared. The Assn. of Maximum Service Tclecasters, an organization composed mainly of VHF broadcasters, is in the forefront of the pro-UHF movement. AMST's executive director, Lester Lindow, tells Sponsor that the reason, for this support is simple: "enlightened self-interest." "The growing needs of the public will require side by side use of both U and V bands," he says. Lindow notes that the alternative — squeezing in more V stations via "drop-ins at less than mileage separation"— would mean signal interference and a deterioration of service. Concurrent "remedies," such as use of directional antennas and operating on lower power, still would cause interference, he declares. Broadcasters are also well aware of the proposal made several years ago to convert all tv to UHF. To them, this spector could always be revived by the FCC should UHF fail to develop along hoped-for lines. On the other hand, Kenyon & Eckhardt's Stephens Dietz, executive vice president, has expressed the anxiety that some industry people believe surrounds the UHF situation. Concerned with rising ad expenses, he observes that it now costs "twice as much as it did 10 years ago" for a tv advertiser to maintain the share of the market he had then. Dietz suggests that there may be trouble ahead for the broadcast industry if UHF's growth means only a great many more stations, each reaching a much smaller share of the same audience. "We know that in such a sitution," he says, "there will be an effort to charge us the same or more for delivering less. "Throughout the entire advertising world, there is great concern about cost efficiency of all advertising, especially in broadcasting. And if the rise of UHF only serves to depress this efficiency factor, the result will not be fun for any of us," he declares. Roughly, a look at the complexities of UHF involves four broad areas. They are: the history of the medium, its present status, its problems and their possible solutions.* FCC commissioner Frederick Ford: An align ment of UHF and CATV may well be the way to encourage growth of all-channel operations u FCC commissioner Robert E. Lee: UHF's growth will bring an "important upsurge" in local advertising, "particularly in larger markets." Assn. of Maximum Service Telecasters' Lester Lindow: "Growing need of public will require the side by side use of both U and V bands." Kenyon & Eckhardt's Stephens Dieti: Will more UHF stations mean smaller viewing audiences per station, and higher costs for the sponsor? 30 SPONSOR