Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

MARTIN COREL’S AUTHORITATIVE NEWS SERVICE FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE VISUAL BROADCASTING AND ALLIED ELECTRONICS ARTS AND INDUSTRY PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY RADIO NEWS BUREAU • WYATT BLDG. • WASHINGTON 5. D.C. • TELEPHONE STERLING 3-1755 •VOL. 10: No. 16 19! In this issue: 9 Date, pp. I A 12 FCC Backstops RETMA on Radiation Control, page 1 Newspaper Protest Granted; 3 CPs Issued, page 2 UHF Operators Organizing 'United Front', page 3 Chattanooga, Des Moines A Weslaco, page 3 April 17, 1954 Biggest Tower Project — 1873 ft. in Selma, Ala., page 5 UHF 5-kw Proposal's Unfavorable Response, page 6 Transmitter Shipments A Upcoming Stations, page 8 21-in. Console Still Leads All Sales, page 8 Ambitious Color Plans: WMAR-TV's and RCA's, page 1 1 LOG OF THE 1954 STARTERS TO DATE: So far this year, exactly 56 new TV stations have gone on the air, including the 3 reported for this week on p. 3. Two more started in Canada, and 7 in the U.S. quit operating. So many of you have asked for lists, since our last semi-annual TV Factbook came off the presses just 3 months ago, that we've compiled them for your convenience; you'll find the tabulation on p. 12. Note that detailed data on most of these stations has already been published in TV Factbook No. 18 of last Jan. 15, wherein you will find names of owners, executives, rate data, etc. Similar data on the 1954 starters not covered in the Factbook will be found in our Newsletters Vol. 10:1-16, for as regular readers of Television Digest know, each station gets a "sendoff report the week it starts test patterns. Incidentally, we are about to start work on our mid-summer Factbook, which will detail all stations on the air to July 15 and as many of the autumn starters as report bona fide plans. FCC RACKSTOPS RETNA ON RADIATION CONTROL: The "one-two" punch to lick interference problems was nearer completion this week when FCC backed up RETMA plan (Vol. 10:14) by issuing notice of proposed rule-making specifying same limitations on spurious radiations that RETMA has adopted. So all-inclusive is FCC's proposal — covering every device in the country employing an oscillator — that we're reprinting document in full as Special Report herewith. It merits close study by every manufacturer. RETMA is pleased with Commission's action, doesn't regard such intervention as the brandishing of a punitive "big stick". RETMA now fully concedes FCC's powers in the matter, is happy that Commission endorses industry's voluntary efforts. RETMA' s own proposal is bringing good response, including approval already by several major manufacturers. There seems little doubt that board meeting in Niagara Falls, Ont. April 29-30 will take steps to put plan into effect. There's nothing new about the fact that FCC says it intends to control the unwanted radiations from TV and FM receivers. Such a provision was part of proposal initiated 5 years ago, which this week's action supersedes. What's new about it is that industry and FCC see eye to eye on it — former recognizing Commission's jurisdiction and latter accepting RETMA' s plans for voluntary policing. Not only TV and FM receivers would come under the new rule. All "restricted radiation devices" would. These are defined as follows: "Devices which radiate radio frequency energy and are specifically designed to generate radio frequency energy (whether or not they are intended to be used for communications purposes) and which are not specifically covered in any other part of the Commission's Rules and Regulations." Also under the rule are "incidental radiation devices" — defined as "electrical apparatus in which the generation of radio frequency energy is unintentional." No specific standards for these are proposed at this time, though FCC always claims power to stop "harmful radiation" of any device affecting communications. eorrai«KT t»»4 by madi# mcws BuiiftAu