Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

Record Details:

Title:
Television digest with electronic reports
Date:
Jan-Dec 1954
Publisher:
Washington, D.C. : Radio News Bureau
Volume:
Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1954)
Leaf #:
000622
Language:
English
Subjects:
Television broadcasting -- Periodicals, Television -- United States -- Periodicals","Radio broadcasting -- United States -- Periodicals.
Collection:
Broadcasting & Recorded Sound
Format:
Periodicals
Contributor:
University of Maryland, College Park
Sponsor:
LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
A weekly digest of brief reports tracking recent developments in the U.S. television marketplace. Published out of Washington, D.C. with much more focus on the retail of TV sets than the other D.C.-based trade paper, BROADCASTING. -- Eric Hoyt, 2015
Date Added:
March 28, 2024
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_ 4 1950. His wife and brother are also substantial stockholders. Bitners own WFBM-TV & WFBM, Indianapolis ; WOOD-TV & WOOD, Grand Rapids ; WFDF, Flint. They had previously been denied Ch. 12 grant in Flint (awarded to WJR, Detroit) because of other TV-radio holdings. WGBF is headed by Alvin Q. Fades, managed by Martin L. Leich; same interests own WTMV, East St. Louis, 111. and WBOW, Terre Haute, Ind. * * * * In Waco case, examiner John Poindexter favored KWTX over WACO because of local residence, programming proposals and diversification. KWTX owners, headed by Waco attorney W.W. Maman, have no other media interests. Though WACO pres. J.H. Kultgen (30%) and secy.-treas. Lee Glasgow (30%) have no other TV-radio interests, examiner frowned on multiple holdings of 40% stockholder Texas State Network — which owns TV and/or radio in Ft. Worth, Amarillo, McAllen, Oklahoma City. * * * * In first of its "selective de-intermixture" decisions. Commission denied the petition of KTVE, Longview, Tex. (Ch. 32) that Ch. 7 be deleted from nearby Tyler. Commission noted that KLTV is all ready to begin on Ch. 7 ; that petition to delete the channel wasn't filed until 6 months after Ch. 7 grant; that KLTV "proceeded in good faith with construction of the station and residents in the area were led to believe that operation on a vhf channel was imminent." Additionally, FCC said: "Ch. 7 can be employed only in this general area and no matter where it is assigned within this area it would create an intermixture situation. Furthermore, deleting Ch. 7 from Tyler would delay the establishment of a new TV service in this area. We believe that in view of these circumstances stronger reasons would be required to delete the channel at this late date." There were no dissents. Commission received another such petition this week — a request that Ch. 3 in Hartford, Conn, be designated educational. Hearing has been conducted on Ch. 3 and initial decision is awaited. Petition was filed by lihf stations WGTH-TV, Hartford ; WKNB-TV, New Britain; WHYN-TV, Holyoke; WWLP, Springfield. Similar petitions pending are for Madison, Wis. ; Peoria, 111. ; Durham, N.C. In other allocations actions, the Commission; (1) Denied waiver of rules to permit WMGT, Adams, Mass, to switch now from Ch. 74 to Ch. 19, while rule-making is in progress to put Ch. 19 in North Adams. (2) Started rule-making to add Ch. 9 to either Elmira, N.Y. or Blossburg, Pa. Reasons for delays in construction, advanced by educational grantee WTHS-TV, Miami (Ch. 2), satisfied Commission and CP was extended 6 months. Commercial CPholder KLYN-TV, Amarillo, Tex. (Ch. 7), however, was set down for hearing to start Nov. 5 on its request for more time to build. BROADCASTERS' INVESTMENT OVER HALF RILLION: The really big dollar figures in TV are in set sales — running $1-1.5 billion annually, with a ctimulative total of about $7-8 billion — but telecasters' investment in stations is by no means peanuts. Though TV station construction started in 1946, building has been going on only for 5-6 years because of freeze's interruption — yet TV entrepreneurs are now approaching figure reached by AM-FM after 30-odd years. We estimate about $225,000,000 has gone into TV station construction so far vs. some $295,000,000 in AM-FM — for an all-broadcasting total of $520,000,000. FCC reports $124,129,000 as cost of the 108 pre-freeze stations, as of end of 1952, including a whopping $61,019,000 for the 4 networks and their 15 0-&-0 stations. Post-freeze, to end of 1953, Commission found 209 more stations had spent $71,046,964 — averaging $376, 125 for the 109 vhf, $300,493 for the 100 uhf. Assuming $50,000,000 for the 80 stations which have started this year, a conservative total for all TV stations is $225,000,000. For combination AM-FM stations, as of end of 1952, last complete year for which figures are available, FCC found 2311 stations had spent $267,435,433. This was average of $104,071 per station, excluding network 0-&-0 outlets. Projecting those figures to today's 2592 AMs, adding the 60-odd FM-only and bearing in mind most new stations in last 2 years were small — we get the $295,000,000 total.