Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

1 SENATE SUBCONNITTEE PLANS UHF PROBE: Hearing on uhf problems — to which all inter ested parties will be invited — was announced this week by chairman Potter (R-Mich. ) of new communications subcommittee of Senate Commerce Committee. Announcement followed closed subcommittee session during which FCC members were quizzed for more than 2 hours on TV matters — with emphasis on uhf. Forthcoming hearing, which probably will be held in late March or April, was called to determine what can be done to help encourage growth of uhf. FCC's multiple ownership proposal may also be thrown into a Senate hearing. Fiery Sen. Edwin Johnson (D-Colo.), strongest critic of proposal, told us this week he's preparing legislation on the subject and probably will introduce it next week — but that there's still chance he might not throw it in the hopper at all. Object of his bill will be to bring multiple ownership into "open discussion" before Senate commmittee, he says, although he has little hope for passage of the measure. Mere existence of bill wouldn't necessarily hold up FCC approval of its plan to permit ownership of 5 vhf & 2 uhf — but if subcommittee decides to hold hearings, it may well delay FCC action. To help encourage growth of uhf, Johnson tossed out this tentative suggestion as alternative to the FCC proposal now in process of rule-making: Why not let present multiple owners trade in their vhf stations for uhf on a 2-for-l basis, giving them perhaps 5 years to make up their minds? This would raise station ownership limit to 10 uhf. Johnson didn't say he was in favor of this plan, but some subcommittee members thought it might be good idea if bill embodying such a principle were introduced, to open issue to Senate exploration. If bill actually is introduced, it may embrace somewhat different proposal. Commissioners wouldn't com > ment on this plan, except to say it would require good deal of study. * ^ * Sen. Potter, who at 38 is one of Senate's most energetic and powerful junior members, made it clear his subcommittee will take intense interest in TV-radio mat ^ ters. The March 2 get-together with FCC will be followed soon by another, to cover f other communications topics. Subcommittee has also scheduled hearing March 16 on Sen. Johnson's bill to substitute "nominal" filing fees for FCC's proposed schedule of charges for those doing business with Commission (Vol. 10:5). While public was barred from subcommittee session with FCC, details of the meeting were later made known by Sen. Potter, without direct quotes from any of the participants. All Commissioners except Hennock were present. Subcommittee members participating, in addition to Potter, were Schoeppel (R-Kan. ) , Griswold (R-Neb. ), and Hunt (D-Wyo.) — all except Pastore (D-R.I.). Sen. Johnson, ranking minority member of Senate Commerce Committee, also attended. Meeting was harmonious, and for most part devoted to general policy, rather ♦ than specific plans and actions of Commission. FCC did most of the talking, and | nothing startling or new was revealed by Commissioners or Senators. Highlights: I Uhf is now FCC's major problem. Commissioners said, but they pointed out that ‘ vhf faced same uphill battle in TV's early years, when some 18 stations surrendered CPs and pioneers lost heavily. Senators wanted to know how many post-freeze grants i had been given up, were told figure came to about 50, of which 42 were uhf. Asked if some of the 50 entered TV for speculative purposes. Commissioners replied yes, but in many cases the grantees just exercised poor business judgment in filing their applications without first making detailed studies of their markets. Persuading consumers to buy new sets or convert old ones is uhf's toughest problem. Commissioners said. They also saw too-low power as a real obstacle to the development of lohf — although many uhf operators disagree violently on this point (Vol. 10:9). No mention was made of possibility that FCC will seek to raise the uhf power "floor" (Vol. 10:8-9), though it's known Commission is now considering plan to permit nothing less than 5-kw transmitter for future uhf stations. * * * Commissioners attended another session devoted to uhf just one day before their Capitol Hill appearance. Uhf conference in Washington, sponsored by National