Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

6 pects of black-&-white were 8 years ago. I foresee the day when virtually every American home will have a color TV set. To show you the basis for my confidence, I should like to cite figures pertaining to the sales outlook for color receivers during the next five years. "For the balance of this year and next year, it is estimated that more than 550,000 color sets will be produced and sold. During 1956, unit sales should reach 1,780,000 ; during 1957, 5,000,000 ; in 1958, about 5,000,000. These annual sales add up a very satisfactory estimate of more than 10,000,000 [in use] by 1959. "In terms of sales dollars, volume during the next 5 years is expected to more than offset reduction in black-&-white sales — lifting color to $264,000,000 in 1955, $767,000,000 in 1956, $952,000,000 in 1957." In other words, according to Folsom, the public will invest some $2 billion in sets alone during next 5 years, to say nothing of installation and servicing. What's most striking about these figures is that, although RCA speaks of $800-$900 for first price, when you divide Folsom' s estimates of set production into his figures for dollar volume, you find price of average color receiver dropping to $450 in 1956, then $517 in 1957 — mass purchase prices in anyone's business. BACK AT WORK, FCC NOVES ON SEVERAL FRONTS: Though Commission action on grants was light this week — Ch. 11 grant to KFJZ, Ft. Worth, Tex, and initial decision for Ch. 20 to WGMS, Washington, D.C., both after dropouts — Commission has thawed its "freeze" on other kinds of action originally frozen by Potter uhf hearings. Not only did the FCC finalize "5-&-2" multiple ownership ruling (see p. 1), but it initiated rule-making, after long hesitancy, to add vhf channels in several areas and granted power-height increases to WDEL-TV, Wilmington, Del. (Ch.l2), even though station has Grade A overlap with other Steinman station in Lancaster, Pa., WGAL-TV (Ch. 8). WDEL-TV was thus given same treatment as Crosley's CincinnatiDayt onColumbus stations and Storer's Detroit-Toledo outlets — FCC recognizing that changes in rules & standards due to freeze were no fault of station operators. Allocation changes proposed by FCC were; Add Ch. 10 to Goodland, Kan. ; Ch. 4 to Richmond, Ky. ; Ch. 15 to Monroe, La. ; Ch. 15 to Princess Anne (Norfolk), Va. A petition was received from KBOI, Boise, Ida., asking that its Ch. 2 be switched from Caldwell and that it be permanently designated a Boise station. Three CPs were cancelled for lack of prosecution; WTLO, New Orleans, La. (Ch. 20) : KGMO-TV. Cape Girardeau, Mo. (Ch. 18); WAKN-TV, Aiken, S.C. (Ch. 54). Hot arguments between opposing counsel, frayed tempers and charges of “headline grabbing” marked first 3 days of FCC hearing to determine whether Edward Lam,b truthfully denied having communist affiliations in his statements to the Commission. On witness stand all 3 days of widely publicized proceeding was Wm. G. Cummings, who described himself as a onetime undeicovei Communist for the FBI in Toledo. At the outset, Russell M. Brown, attorney for Lamb, denounced Cummings as a “hired character assassin with a known criminal I'ecoid, said he would produce evidence that Cummings had offered a bribe for false testimony against Lamb. Principal allegations made by Cummings under questioning by FCC attorney Walter B. Powell Jr.: That Lamb’s name was on a “must list” of persons to be solicited for contributions to the party in 1944; that Lamb was present at dedication of Communist Party headquarters in Toledo the same year and was introduced as “Comrade Lamb.” Examiner Herbert Scharfman repeatedly blocked questioning by Powell when it led into realm of “hearsay” evidence. Powell then submitted “offers of proof” to outline the course the testimony would have taken if it had been permitted to continue. This led to sharpest clashes of the session — at one point Lamb, as well as his attorneys Brown and J. Howard McGrath, jumping to feet to piotest. Toward end of week’s hearings, Scharfman revised proceedings to permit FCC attorneys to dictate “offers of proof” to the official stenographer within hearing range only of the examiners and counsel. In sustaining objections to “hearsay” testimony raised by Lamb’s lawyers during second day of hearings, Scharfman told FCC lawyers: “You’re asking me to separate the wheat from the chaff and thus far I have had only chaff.” Meanwhile, an editorial in Scripps-Howard’s U'as/ii»ffto>i Dailj/ Xcws called current hearing “one of the most important the FCC has ever had to decide.” Without taking sides in Lamb case, it lamented that proceedings raise possibility of “wholesale security check of every private citizen who needs a Federal license to operate his business,” and pointed out that “there are no charges concerning the actual performance of Mr. Lamb’s stations.” Cummings will be on stand again Monday when hearing resumes in Hearing Room B, ICC Bldg., Washington. ■ Fantastic even in an industry noted for fabulous pulling power and commercial results, was deluge of envelopes containing nickels, even some folding money, that poured in on a Mt. Pleasant, Mich, couple as a result of a remark by m.c. Garry IMoore on his morning CBS-TV partic. show Sept. 12. He liked the wife’s statement that she and her husband wanted no financial help from anyone, suggested people just send in some nickels — and in 2 days 82,000 envelopes arrived.