Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

6 Directional antennas are providing practical answer to good uhf coverage in certain areas particularly suited to them, by increasing ERP in the direction of populated sectors. RCA this week reported 6 of its directionals in use, 2 more being fabricated. These stations now on air have RCA directional antennas, with cardioid patterns: WTRI, Schen^tady, N. Y. (Ch. 35), approximate gain 49 in principal direction; KMJ-TV (Ch. 24), approximate gain 38, KJEO (Ch. 47) gain 40 and KBID-TV (Ch. 53) gain 47.5, all Fresno, Cal. WITV, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Ch. 17) has peanut pattern, with gain of about 54. Standard Electronics Corp., subsidiary of Claude Neon Inc., reports order of 10-kw transmitter from WALB-TV, Albany, Ga. (Ch. 10), for delivery later this month. Station has June target date. Only transmitter shipment reported this week was 25-kw RCA, shipped Feb. 27 to KTEN, Ada, Okla. (Ch. 10), aiming for May or June debut. GE this week shipped 4-bay antenna to WSEE, Erie, Pa. (Ch. 35), which plans to take delivery of 12-kw transmitter next week, has April tai'get. GE reports order from WWJ-TV, Detroit (Ch. 4) for 35kw transmitter for July delivery. * m * * In our continuing survey of upcoming stations, these were the reports received this week: KULA-TV, Honolulu (Ch. 4), now installing 5-kw DuMont transmitter which arrived last month by ship, plans March 15 test patterns and April 9 programming, according to asst. mgr. Art Sprinkle, ex-KPHO-TV, Phoenix. Interim operation begins with 26.3-kw visual power using antenna 365-ft. above ground at new TVradio building on Ala Moana Blvd., Waikiki. Grantee plans to build tower on Mt. Tantalus and double ERP at later date. It’s signed as non-interconnected ABC affiliate, will have $300 base i*ate. Rep will be Headley-Reed. WLAC-TV, Nashville (Ch. 5), with 10-kw RCA transmitter aw'aiting installation, building now 40% completed and 1000-ft. Ideco guyed tower scheduled for completion about May 15, now plans June 1 tests, according to T. B. Baker Jr. He owns 50% of Capitol Bcstg. Co. which has option to acquire half interest in TV outlet after disposing of radio WKDA in Nashville. Rep not yet chosen. The Brockway Co., new grantee for Ch. 7 in Carthage, N. Y. this week, has given up its CP for WWNY-TV, Watertown (Ch. 48), will build new station on Champion Rd., 9 mi. E of Watertown and 6 mi. W of Carthage. Grantee is owned by Watertowji Times, will begin construction as soon as weather conditions permit, has late summer target, said pres. John B. Johnson. Station will use GE 20-kw transmitter, GE 12-bay antenna atop 500-ft. guyed tower, with 190-kw ERP. Call letters haven’t yet been announced, nor has rep. WINT, Waterloo, Ind. (Ch. 15), with 12-kw GE transmitter ordered for April 1 delivery, has started construction at new site 16 mi. north of Fort Wayne, reports pres. R. Morris Pierce, who operates radio WDOK, Cleveland. Its 800-ft. Stainless tower, topped by GE antenna, is due to be ready by May 1 and test patterns are slated to begin shortly thereafter. Rep not yet chosen. WTLV, New Brunswick, N. J. (Ch. 19, educational), is now stalled as result of Gov. Meyner’s opposition to proposed $292,000 appropriation. Governor recently told legislature he doubts “propriety of publicly-financed, state-controlled interference with local school programs.” WHA-TV, Madison, Wis. (Ch. 21, educational), has finished installing its 1-kw RCA transmitter, now awaits delivery of Gabriel antenna which it hopes to have installed by March 25, plans April 1 tests and programming 10 days later, according to exec, director H. B. McCarty. WNET, Providence (Ch. 16) now plans March 17 tests, programming March 29, with 1-kw RCA transmitter and 420-ft. Stainless tower, has 5-kw DuMont transmitter ordered for delivery later this year. It will be ABC and DuMont affiliate, will have $250 base rate. Rep will be Raymer. It will be first local competition for pre-freeze WJAR-TV (Ch. 10). WPRO-TV (Ch. 12), other grantee there, has been delayed by protest. WCMB-TV, Harrisburg, Pa. (Ch. 27), studios 80% ready & transmitter house scheduled for mid-March, now hasn’t specific target, but 5-kw DuMont transmitter is due for May delivery and 400-ft. Wind Turbine tower, topped by RCA antenna, is scheduled for June-July, reports v.p.-gen. mgr. Ed K. Smith. Base rate will be $200. Rep will be Donald Cooke. WUOM-TV, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ch. 26, educational), whose $500,000 TV construction fund was cut from state budget by Gov. Williams, now is at “standstill” as far as transmitter is concerned, writes TV director Garnet R. Garrison. University’s TV Service has completed move to new studios in remodeled funeral home on Maynard St.; it’s now scheduling 214 hours of live programming each w’eek over local WPAG-TV (Ch. 20). Three years ago it began feeding live and kinescope educational broadcasts regularly to state’s commercial stations; now it’s producing 5 hours weekly, hopes eventually to offer 30 hours weekly. WKNY-TV, Kingston, N. Y. (Ch. 66), has completed 450 ft. of its 600-ft. Stainless tow^er at Port Ewen, 3 mi. from Kingston & 10 mi. from Poughkeepsie, according to owner Joseph K. Close. He also reports RCA equipment ordered for his other CP in Keene, N. H. (Ch. 45), but hasn’t set target date. WKNY-TV has its 1-kw RCA transmitter, was expecting RCA antenna about March 3, and, according to TV operations mgr. Robert L. Sabin, now plans tests between March 15 & April 1. It will carry NBC, CBS & DuMont programs. Base rate will be $100. Rep will be Meeker. * * * it CKCK-TV, Regina, Sask. (Ch. 2), planning July 1 tests, has 5-kw Canadian GE transmitter due for delivery May 1, reports gen. mgr. H. A. Crittenden. Using 600-ft. Stainless tower, it has set Sept. 1 date for full-time operation. Reps will be Weed (for U. S.) & All-Canada Television. Engineering study of tower lighting & marking problems— with particular reference to guy wires of high TV towers (Vol. 10:4-5) — is slated to begin in next 2 weeks under CAA auspices. “Terms of reference” for study were completed March 5 by subcommittee on airdromes, air routes & ground aids (AGA) of CAA’s Air Coordinating Committee, providing for ad hoc group to (1) determine whether existing standards are adequate, and if not, (2) develop possible avenues of approach to better system to warn pilots of high towers. Represented on ad hoc group will be the govt, agencies in AGA (Arthur L. Catudal, chairman): Air Force, Army, CAB, Commerce Dept., FCC. During course of study, engineers will seek assistance from all interested organizations, and any conclusions on new methods of marking towers probably will be referred to FCC for rule-making. Group is expected to explore new ideas, some of which involve ground warnings near base of tower. Houston regional office of FCC was eliminated this week, San Francisco office taking over New Mexico, Atlanta office taking over Tex., Okla., Ark., La., Miss. New Mexico was also reassigned from Dallas district office 10 to Denver district office 15.