Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

2 estate taxes. Johnson originally intended to tack his amendment onto general tax revision bill, but Committee then nixed all excise tax changes. Insiders now feel the amendment has good chance if industry keeps on its toes, makes wishes known to lawmakers. Finance Committee is expected to get to the bill in about 2 weeks. As for drastic or controversial TV legislation, none seems to be in prospect. With Administration's "must" program lagging, and legislators raring to go home for politicking, it's hardly likely that any "uhf bills" could be pushed through in the month or two remaining — or that Senate Interstate Commerce Committee will even try. The Senators are much more likely to toss problem back to the FCC — with or without specific recommendations. Actually, most of the proposals made by the uhf telecasters are within province of Commission, wouldn't require any new legislation. But a recommendation, a resolution, even a "suggestion" from the Senators can have a powerfully persuasive influence on FCC. Only last March, for example, FCC called off its "filing fee" proposal at request of Commerce Committee (Vol. 10:13). Most of the uhf people realize they don't have much chance of getting new laws passed soon. They're aiming for strong action by the Committee — possibly a resolution by full Senate — telling FCC to take specific action to help uhf pronto. Before subcommittee deliberates on uhf problem, it will hear commissioners again — either in closed or open session — to get their views on all proposals advanced during hearings. Open hearings may continue after next week, if subcommittee doesn't get to hear all 26 witnesses on list (p. 12) or if many more ask to be heard. ^ ^ ^ # About 150 vhf stations have now lined up behind united presentation for the hearing, coordinated by Washington attorney Ted Pierson. Though the only witness now signed up to represent the vhf group is Pierson himself, the "organization" expects to present 5 or more witnesses from broadcasting industry. "To tell the whole story of TV," vhf group hopes to put on the stand representatives of pre-freeze telecasters, vhf grantees and applicants — giving their own "case histories" (as tihf witnesses did). It will also introduce written statements from large number of vhf operators. Outside of the vhf "organization" structure, there will be testimony by vhf owners George Storer, Hulbert Taft Jr. (WKRC-TV, Cincinnati) and 2 vhf applicants. a. vU ^ ^ a* 'r ^ Network representatives at hearing are listed as v.p. Ernest L. Jahncke for ABC, v.p. Joseph V. Heffernan for NBC, TV pres. J.L. Van Volkenburg for CBS, though others may be substituted — in fact, CBS may be represented by pres. Frank Stanton. At least part of networks' rebuttal will be aimed at showing that the 127 uhf stations aren't being discriminated against, affiliation-wise. Without attempting to determine how much network programming is carried on uhf stations (FCC did that in its presentation to the subcommittee), we checked latest rate cards of the four networks, found that NBC lists 5 uhf stations in its "basic" affiliate group — Norfolk's WVEC-TV, Portland's KPTV, Youngstown's WFMJ-TV — and 45 in "optional" category; CBS lists no uhf outlets in "basic required" group, 18 in "optional" group and 12 as "supplementary", though network says it feeds programs to 51 uhf stations in 47 markets; ABC has 67 uhf, 42 of them "basic" or primary; DuMont has 75, broken down into 58 basic, 10 alternate, 5 "available on request." Indicative of stepped-up behind-the-scenes lobbying by virtually all segments of TV industry was letter sent June 12 by Dr. Allen B. DuMont to every Senator and Congressman. Accompanying a brochure describing new DuMont Tele-centre in New York, to be dedicated June 14, Dr. DuMont's letter said, in part : "We have invested $5,000,000 [in these studio facilities] with the expectation that we would have the opportunity to use them for the purposes to which they are being dedicated. Under present conditions, however, brought about by the illadvised use of the radio spectrum, monopolies in TV broadcasting and the distribution of products of industry are being developed. The question of whether we shall be able to use these splendid facilities for their dedicated purpose depends on v/hether Congress shall take the action necessary this year to establishment of a fully competitive nationwide TV system..."