Television digest with AM-FM reports (Jan 1951-Jan 1952)

2 mileages given for all foregoing categories. But Commission had to draw line somewhere, and there's no widespread disagreement with its vhf proposals. However, there's considerable question about uhf coverage, with many engineers dubious about uhf's potential in rough terrain — particularly with "mere" 200 kw. There's little question uhf will operate at disadvantage in hilly areas like Pittsburgh. Current reports of 100-150 mile reception will gradually diminish, as they did in AM, when more stations get on each channel. Each station acts as block to signals of others on same channel. Single TV stations serving vast areas, as AM dear-channel stations do, just aren't possible with present type of station. AM signals hug curvature of the earth, while TV signals behave more like beams of light, most of energy shooting off into space beyond horizon. Hence the importance of antenna height — wider horizon. Satellites or Stratovision and the like might offer wide-range coverage, but their prospects are slim for the visible future. FCC aims to give all stations equal potential coverage — hence more power for higher channels. But there will probably always be a "best antenna site in town." Yet here, too, FCC encourages all stations to use same "best" site, e.g.. Empire State Bldg., now scheduled to be site of 6 of New York area's 7 stations. PROGRAM RIVALRY-PURLIC THE WINNER: This summer's programs, with a few exceptions, were admittedly pretty bad — which may account in part for slow sale of TV sets. But from now on, you're going to see such intense competition for audience — networks vs. networks, stations vs. stations, sponsors vs. sponsors, TV vs. radio — that this sixth year of post-war commercial programming can hardly fail to offer something to please the most exacting televiewer. More than any other single factor, good programs sell receiving sets — and the new crop of shows certainly should. And this season, actually only second year of big-time TV operation, most of the stations can hardly plead poverty, for: (a) Their time is being sold at much higher rates, with plenty of sponsors. (b) Nearly all have moved into profit operation, after some lean years, and so they're more inclined to spend on plant and programs. Good many stations are now grossing well into the millions, though most have heavy investments and past losses yet to write off ; several we know will gross better than $5,000,000 each this year. (c) All are thoroughly "sold" on the TV medium, thanking their lucky stars they got into TV before the FCC freeze. They're pioneer enterprisers who know from radio experience they can best consolidate their competitive advantages by pleasing the public. (All but 21 of the 107 stations are affiliated with local AM stations. ) Even before traditional Labor Day turning point, you see spectacle of the networks, always the program leaders, competing hammer and tongs for vantage. And networks in TV, as in radio, are the main experimenters and program providers. Competitively, ABC & NBC would seem to have head start because each owns 5 stations in major markets, whereas DuMont owns only 5, CBS only 2 outright and 45% of third. Yet real race for leadership in TV, as in radio, is between NBC and CBS — with former (backed by parent RCA, big laboratory and manufacturing pioneer) far ahead. Usually live-wire CBS was a later and more reluctant convert to TV. ABC and DuMont are coming along nicely. But though they invested wisely in stations (which are quite profitable, whereas network operation per se isn't yet), they have never cut much ice either program-wise or sponsor-wise. They still run rather poor third and fourth in network billings, the best barometer (see Vol.7:34). * * * * Your daily newspaper listings will report the new and resumed shows, but best trade sizeup we've seen of the way the big competition is shaping up is that of Variety's George Rosen. That top-notch observer is more bluntly outspoken than trade reporters usually are. Here's how he looks on TV's big-league "slugging match" : "The NBC vs. CBS competitive TV program sweepstakes for 1951-52, which preem in the next couple of weeks, projects NBC as the powerhouse in its array of personalities and major productions. Video-wise , it's a throwback to the days when NBC was