Sponsor (Nov 1946-Oct 1947)

:l*2: t * THE BIG FOUR Th«k ;mI\ rerl isiiiu dollars slill yo lo %>l. lull all lh<k interest ilocsn'l BROADCASTING ison the move. The much touted fall depression just didn't arrive at stations or at the networks. Frequency modulation and television receivers are at last coming off production lines and facsimile test airings under way in 1<> areas throughout the U. S. A and Canada. The Big Four is still headed by standard broadcasting AM and there's certain to be no great challenge to its leadership for another 12 months. The Federal Communii ommission's decision on clear channel 5().<)iHi-watt stations iv scheduled to i>< a straddle, with only the trans 22 mitters on the Atlantic and Pacific being forced to share their frequencies and then at a distance which should not materially alter their coverage. The circulation picture of the networks and independent stations will not differ very much from that claimed at present. The networks will continue to add stations to consolidate and protect their coverage. With all chains using the same basis for audience claims. the reports of the Broadcast Measurement Bureau . comparisons will be easy to make and the ideal lor which all nets are shooting, blanket coverage of the V . S. A., will have to be BMB fact Mutual expects to hit its "complete coverage at the lowest cost" with 425 stations. AEC is striving for more wattage for its present stations and expects to he able to make its programs available to every radio home in the nation with around Stations. Both NBC and CBS networks have bein growing slowly but surely during the past six months. The growth is their hedge on the FCC ruling limiting clear channel stations. Both of the senior networks (although neither will admit I figures) have set their sights at 200 stations. They have done this, not because the BMB ballot type of survey would show anything SPONSOR