Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

2 happening again in TV — and this one won't be the last, either, for TV sharers are finding such operation as uneconomical and confusing as it has always been in radio. There are very few time-sharing radio stations left. But the fact is that, despite FCC’s zeal to hasten TV stations on the air, causing it to sanction "mergers" of competing applicants even to point of issuing 2 "half licenses," the long-range trend is inevitable. They may deny it at present, but the other time-sharing TV stations on the books — all of them post-freezers — will undoubtedly go the same way, eventually. First TV time-sharers to propose merger are KOY-TV & KOOL-TV, Phoenix (Ch. 10) ; Gene Autry owns latter and has made deal to buy KOY-TV for |200,000 (Vol. 10:12). Other time-sharers now on air: KMBY-TV & KSBW-TV, Monterey-Salinas , Cal. (Ch. 8) ; WTCN-TV & WMIN-TV, Minneapolis-St . Paul (Ch. 11) ; WHEC-TV & WVET-TV, Rochester, N.Y. (Ch. 10). Holding CP to share are KLFY-TV & KVOL-TV, Lafayette, La. (Ch. 10). 4: * * * The retirement of Arthur B. Church comes coincidentally with retirement of 2 other leaders of the broadcasting industry who have similarly been high in the CBS councils — Leo J. Fitzpatrick and I.R. (Ike) Lounsberry. They completed deal to sell WGR, Buffalo (5-kw on 550 kc, CBS) to city's new Channel 2 grantee, BuffaloNiagara Amusement Corp. , for $1,450,000. Price includes about $450,000 in net quick assets. Fitzpatrick owns 70%, Lounsberry 30%. FCC approved transfer April 21. This deal involves TV-network maneuvering — but it also means that a wellheeled newcomer on the Buffalo broadcasting scene (for Ch. 2 grant details, see Vol. 10:16) takes over in both TV and radio after radio interests had failed to get TV. New station will be known as WGRB (though may elect to take WGR-TV) and will become basic NBC outlet when completed in June. It will replace Buffalo News' WBEN-TV (Ch. 4) whose defection to CBS was a recent industry cause celebre (Vol. 9:42). Radio WGR presumably also will switch to NBC. Neither Fitzpatrick, pioneer broadcaster who announced the famed Kansas City Nighthawks in the early '20s, nor Lounsberry, who recently headed the CBS affiliates advisory committee, will be connected with the new combined TV-radio operation. Note : Indicating that you can expect more and more TV station sale deals, was near sale of Nashville's WSIX-TV (Ch. 8), with WSIX (5-kw on 980 kc , ABC), to unnamed New York buyers this week. WSIX-TV has been on the air only since last Nov. Negotiations collapsed when chief owner & gen. mgr. L.R. Draughon turned down terms. (For further details about these and other station deals, see p. 12.) ST. LOUIS VHF GRANTED, 3 MORE STARTERS: FCC granted only one CP this week — but it was a big one, Ch. 4 to KWK Inc., St. Louis. CP came via final decision following 3-way merger and dismissal of 2 competing applications (Vol. 10:15-16). FCC approval was over objections of uhf station WTVI, Belleville-St . Louis, whose counsel says it will appeal. WTVI had also filed Ch. 4 application this week. Another applicant was readied for CP when the much-litigated Mansfield (0.) Journal dropped from hearing, leaving Fergum Theatres free to get Ch. 36. Third station in Portland, Me., second in Erie , Pa. , first in Kingston, N.Y. were this week's additions to log of TV stations now in operation. These, minus the 2 more uhf quitting this week (see p. 3), mean 386 on the air, 129 of them uhf. And one more Mexican border station also began, opposite El Paso. Week's new starters: WGAN-TV, Portland, Me. (Ch. 13), city's third outlet, second vhf, after preliminary tests April 21, begins daily 9 a.m.-3 p.m. test patterns as of May 3, goes commercial May 16. It uses 20-kw GE transmitter, temporary 2-bay antenna on 62-ft. steel pole at site of 240-ft. Truscon tower now being built atop Blackstrap Hill, W. Falmouth, Me., on which 12-bay superturnstile will be placed. Owner Gannett Co. (Guy P. Gannett) publishes Portland Press-Herald and Express and other Maine newspapers. C.E. Gatchell is gen. mgr. ; Richard Gates, sales mgr. ; S.G. Henderson Jr., program mgr. ; Roger Hodgkins, chief engineer. Base rate is $250, rep is Avery-Knodel. WKNY-TV, Kingston, N.Y. (Ch. 66), 81 mi. up Hudson River from New York, began regular test patterns April 23, goes commercial May 15 with interconnections