Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

2 could indicate that one or the other network is convinced this area's TV future lies with uhf rather than with the single vhf now in New Haven and the one bitterly contested vhf channel allocated to Hartford, which may take several years to resolve. It's generally conceded the networks can put over uhf if they affiliate with such stations, feed them the programs they need, sweat out the audience incubation period, hasten that buildup with their money and their promotional steam. At all events, the networks are inordinately sensitive to Washington — and there's no palpable intention on the part of FCC or Congress to sell down uhf. From what we can gather, many more uhf affiliations are in prospect even in intermixed markets. Over-all , the impression is one of competitive vitality, even though some station ownerships are in ferment over what one spokesman describes as the networks' "apparent disregard for old affiliations and old loyalties." (For further details on impending network affiliation changes, see p. 4.) UHF BREAKS THROUGH THE POWER BARRIER: The dream of a million-watt uhf station may come true this week — designed further to strengthen the confidence of industry, advertisers and the public in the capabilities and potentials of ultra-high. First 1000-kw station is due to be RCA's installation for Wilkes-Barre ' s pioneer WBRE-TV (Ch. 28). RCA engineers hope to get WBRE-TV's power boosted to the full megawatt some time next week. At week's end, only the antenna remained to be installed — the 25-kw transmitter already has been put through its paces under a dummy load. Station held dedication ceremonies at Wilkes-Barre Dec. 10, attended by RCA-NBC bigwigs, local civic & industrial leaders and the press. Within a month after RCA's first megawatt installation will come GE's first also in Wilkes-Barre, for W I LXTV (Ch. 34), whose antenna is ready for shipment Dec. 13, transmitter due to arrive by Dec. 17 and rectifier scheduled by Dec. 27. GE says all parts have already been tested at Syracuse. Wilkes-Barre is thus destined to become showcase for top-power uhf. Both RCA & GE report heavy interest by -uhf operators, but only other order recorded is for RCA installation at Storer's KPTV, Portland, Ore. (Ch. 27), due for completion by March 1. Most other uhf operators are waiting for opportunity to visit both WilkesBarre stations and to compare transmitters "side-by-side." In achieving the megawatt, GE & RCA use slightly different approaches, though both use their standard 12-kw transmitters as building-blocks. RCA modifies 2 of its 12)4-kw transmitters to get 25-kw power, feeds output into mammoth 46-gain antenna, using conventional beam tetrode tubes in output stage. ^ gets 45-kw transmitter power by harnessing three 12-kw units, modified so there are 4 klystron-powered visual amplifiers, 2 aural, feeding into conventional 25-gain helical antenna. RCA's 46-gain antenna is 96 ft. long, weighs tons, will be shipped and hoisted in 2 sections. GE uses its standard 5-bay helical uhf antenna, which is 43 ft. long, weighs V-fz tons (for Ch. 34). Spokesmen say it has already been tested with 60-kw input, and that single bays have been tested with twice rated power. OLD PATENT PROBE REVIVED BY COMMISSION: Three-year-old patent-filing proposal which was initiated by FCC as aftermath of bitter color hearing (Vol. 7:48 et seq. ) , was resuscitated in somewhat less sweeping form this week by bare 4-3 majority of Commission. Original proposal was so broad, covering so many activities obviously out of FCC's jurisdiction, that hundreds of vigorous comments in opposition forced FCC to pigeon-hole proposal — and it gathered dust until this week. As originally proposed, rule would have required everyone with patent rights on communications equipment to disclose mass of information on such patents to Commission. This was so far-reaching that almost everyone felt it was impossible to comply with, and many argued that FCC was stepping way beyond its legal jurisdiction. Opposition was expressed by such groups as the American Bar Assn., NAM, inventors' organizations, etc. , in addition to communications companies. This week's proposal would require annual reports by those holding patent rights which they know or believe are being used in communications services regu