Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

MARTIN CO DEL’S AUTHORITATIVE NEWS SERVICE FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE VISUAL BROADCASTING AND ALLIED ELECTP'^'^*'’' ARTS AND I NEWS BUREAU • WYATT BLDG. • WASHINGTON 5, D.C. • TELEPHONE STERLING 3-1755 • VOL. 1 0: No. 35 August 28, 1954 in this isHMies 395 on Air, Big List of Imminents, page 1 COP Bumbling in TV-Rodio — An Editorial, page 1 On Lifting the 'Curtain of Silence', page 2 Bulk Color Schedules With Film Scanners, page 3 'Diversi.lcation' Theme in Initial Decisions, page A Ownership & Control of TV Stations, page 4 Transmitter Shipments & Upcoming Stations, page 8 65 Cities Can Get Network Color, 28 Being Added, p. 9 Trade Ponders Problems of Selling Color, page 10 Network TV-Radio Billings — Jan.-July 1954, page 14 395 ON AIR, BIG UST OF INNINENTS: There were no new starters this week, but the list of imminent starters is quite substantial — including some that may begin testing this week end. As we went to press, with on-air score at 395, there were still 9 stations, with equipment delivered, that had told us they'd be August starters. And there were 13 that reported prospective Sept, starts, plus 7 due in Canada. These were on August list ; some may get going by month's end, others delayed into Sept.: WLOS-TV, Asheville, N.C. (Ch. 13); WCMB-TV, Harrisburg, Pa. (Ch. 27); KSWM-TV, Joplin, Mo. (Ch. 12); WMVT, Montpelier, Vt. (Ch. 3); KTVX, Muskogee, Okla. (Ch. 8); WMTW, Poland Spring, Me. (Ch. 8); KTIV, Sioux City, la. (Ch. 4); KETC, St. Louis (Ch. 9, educational); KOVR, Stockton. Cal. (Ch. 13). On Sept, list; KALB-TV, Alexandria, La. (Ch. 5) ; WTWO, Bangor. Me. (Ch. 2) ; WCNY-TV, Carthage. N.Y. (Ch. 7) ; WUSN-TV, Charleston. S.C. (Ch. 2) ; WBTW, Florence. S. C. (Ch. 8) ; KCKT, Great Bend, Kan. (Ch. 2) ; KPLC-TV, Lake Charles, La. (Ch. 7) ; WEDM, Munford, Ala. (Ch. 7, educational) ; WOAY-TV, Oak Hill, W.Va. (Ch. 4) ; KUTV, Salt Lake City (Ch. 2) ; KREM-TV, Spokane (Ch. 2) ; KAKE-TV, Wichita, Kan. (Ch. 10) ; WINT, Waterloo-Fort Wayne, Ind. (Ch. 15). Canadian imminent list is headed by CKLW-TV, Windsor (Ch. 9), across river from Detroit, due momentarily. Scheduled for Sept, starts; CHCT-TV, Calgary (Ch. 2); CFRN-TV, Edmonton (Ch. 3) ; CFPA-TV, Port Arthur (Ch. 2) ; CJBR-TV, Rimouski, Que. (Ch. 3); CFQC-TV, Saskatoon (Ch. 8); CJCB-TV, Sydney, N.S. (Ch. 4). GOP BUMBLING IN TV-RADIO-An Editorial: Here's the FCC chairmanship vacant 4 months, with all that connotes in functioning and morale — and with apparently no intention on the part of the Administration to rename the experienced and popular Rosel Hyde, now acting chairman, even though the appointment might help button up the strong Mormon vote for the GOP Senatorial candidate in Hyde's native Idaho. And now here's the Old Guard Republican Senator Bricker, head of a powerful committee but at odds with the Administration and sore at the TV-radio networks, who appoints a fellow Ohio Republican, ex-FCC Comr. Robert F. Jones, to conduct a probe of the networks and review the work of the Potter subcommittee on uhf (Vol. 10;34). Small wonder that some cynics are asking, where's this friendliness to business for which the Republicans are supposed to stand? Hyde was an effective chairman, is now hamstrung as acting chairman. As for the Jones appointment, they're even more disturbed about it over at the FCC than are the networks. We don't often editorialize in these columns — but we can't help remembering that Mr. Jones, while serving on the FCC, could show the New Deal and Fair Deal boys aces eind spades when it came to wielding the Big Stick against business. Senator Bricker is peeved, and he's out to "get" someone. He knew what he was doing when he picked Jones, the type who flails about with a meat-axe. Probable minority counsel, Harry Plotkin, is no network lover either, and he frequently gave CO^'^*IOHT av »AD10 NKWa aURKAU