Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

3 MORE THAN 400 ON AIR RY LAROR DAY: Two new vhf stations began operating this week, both in towns having uhf antecedents — Palm Beach, Fla, and Charleston, W.Va. They brought on-air total to 595 (122 of them uhf). List should exceed 400 by Labor Day, with these starters reported imminent: WCMB-TV, Harrisburg, Pa. (Ch. 27); KSWM-TV, Joplin, Mo. (Ch. 12) ; WMVT, Montpelier, Vt. (Ch. 3) ; WMTW, Poland Spring, Me. (Ch. 8); KTIV, Sioux City, la. (Ch. 4); KOVR, Stockton, Cal. (Ch. 13). Also imminent is CKLW-TV, Windsor, Ont. (Ch. 9), across the river from Detroit. There are quite a few with Sept. 1 targets, and that month should see dozen or more take air. This week’s new starters; WJNO-TV, Palm Beach, Fla. (Ch. 5), which began test patterns Aug. 19 with partial power of 60-kw, reported "very good picture" as far as Coral Gables, 80 mi. to south and taking in Miami area, "excellent picture" received 102 mi. north at Melbourne Beach area — with such good reception reports from intermediate points as to augur well when it goes to full 100-kw with commercial debut Aug. 22. It starts with NBC affiliation, has local bank as first sponsor (newscasts). Station is owned 50% by radio WJNO ; 21% by Ted Granik, moderator of NBC's American Forum of the Air; 18% by Wm. H. Cook, exec. v.p. and a son-in-law of RCA pres. Frank Folsom. It uses 10-kw RCA transmitter, 377-ft. Ideco tower. Walter Dennis, ex-WILS-TV, Lansing, is gen. mgr. & sales director; Frederick Von Strange, production mgr. ; Walter R. Brown, chief engineer. Base rate is |175. Rep is Meeker. WCHS-TV, Charleston, W.Va. (Ch. 8) went on air night of Aug. 16 as first competitor of WKNA-TV (Ch. 49) which started just 11 months ago. Nearest other vhf is pre-freeze WSAZ-TV, Huntington (Ch. 3), 45 mi. distant. It will be primary interconnected CBS, taking some DuMont. It uses 50-kw RCA transmitter with 12-bay antenna on 576-ft. Ideco tower. Control is held by Tierney Co. (Lewis C. Tierney), 60%, with Capital Television (Sam Rahall group) holding 40%. John T. Gelder Jr. is v.p. & gen. mgr. Base rate is $550. Rep is Branham. SATELLITE' POLICY STILL A PUZZLER: Exact meaning of FCC's uhf "satellite" ruling remains unclear — and it's now evident that it will stay that way until Commission either begins making grants under new policy or decides to hold everything while it conducts rule-making proceedings to explore all ramifications. Certain interpretations of FCC's policy are obvious — e.g.. Commission will unquestionably grant repeater to uhf station to fill hole in what should be normal coverage of the station. And Commission would undoubtedly go further than that to help a uhf operation. But how close will it get to letting a strong vhf operator place uhf repeater with good network programs in same town with a uhf that cannot get affiliation? No one knows. Each commissioner has his own philosophy, and each case is going to be different. There's just enough divergence of ideas among FCC members to make it impossible to predict how far they'll go. There's some chance Commission may hold off implementing policy and go into rule -making instead. That course was urged this week by UHF Industry Coordinating Committee , which suggested that repeaters would do uhf more harm than good unless they were restricted as follows: (1) Only uhf stations be allowed satellites. (2) Alternatively, let the vhf stations feed them only in areas where there is no present or potential service from independent uhf stations. (3) Permit repeater ownership only by local residents of communities served by repeaters. * * ^ * There's definite interest in satellites, not a land rush, but serious consideration is being given by quite a few stations. However, several booster and satellite proponents feel FCC's approach is wrong, or doesn't go far enough. The principal experimenters to date — Sylvania. Adler Communications Labs, RCA and Nashville's WSM-TV — have been concentrating on installations with 10 to 1000 watts. Some of these may again suggest lower power and height. Sarkes Tarzian, on the other hand, has in mind plenty of power for satellites