Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1954)

6 Fee GRANTED NO CPs this week, but heard plenty from a couple grantees who wondered just when one can be sure his CP is firm. In almost unprecedented action 2 weeks ago, Commission stayed effectiveness of Ch. 6 grant to KFDM-TV, Beaumont, Tex. and Ch. 13 CP to WTVT, Tampa, Fla. (Vol. 10:49) — reportedly because Chairman McConnaughey wanted to have full Commission hear oral argument, set for Dec. 21. This week, both grantees pleaded for reconsideration of the stay. KFDM-TV reported it had already contracted to spend $406,055, had station 70% built, asserted that FCC’s action was an “abuse of administrative discretion” and “contrary to law.” WTVT said it had begun heavy construction Nov. 2, now has stopped everything and equipment is exposed to elements. It reported having bought $750,000 worth of equipment, hired key personnel which it may lose through delays, completed tower foundation and transmitter building, taken delivery of antenna, built dwelling for transmitter engineers, has tower erection crew en route, etc. In another matter involving construction, satellite KEPR-TV, Pasco, Wash. (Ch. 19), stated it did not build before it got CP, as charged by KALE, Richmond (Vol. 10:49). Nevertheless, it said, it is tearing down transmitter building and pouring new tower foundations a few feet from those already in — to get going before freezing weather arrives (see p. 10). * * sjj * Various attacks on CBS for its station purchases (Vol. 10:49) were answered this week. To request of WTRI, Albany, N. Y. (Ch. 35) that FCC hold up sales of WOKY-TV, Milwaukee (Ch. 19) and WSTV-TV Steubenville (Ch. 9), CBS and the stations said that WTRI isnt involved, has no standing, isn’t a “party in interest” entitled to protest. To charges that move of WSTV-TV transmitter to Pittsburgh is violation of allocation rules. WSTV-TV stated that objectors are misinterpreting rules, ignoring their history. Protest against sale of WROW-TV, Albany (Ch. 41) by WTRI (Vol. 10:49), was answered by WROW-TV which stated there’s no “secret agreement” to shift CBS affiliation to WROW-TV; that CBS can’t and doesn’t control stockholders Lowell Thomas and his business agent Frank Smith; that WTRI has no legal standing to protest. Allocation of Ch. 10 to Vail Mills, requested by WROW-TV, was advanced by FCC this week as proposed rule-making. Along with it, Commission proposed WTRI’s conflicting request to de-intermix area by shifting GE’s WRGB from Ch. 6 to Ch. 17. In other allocations actions. Commission: (1) Finalized addition of Ch. 23 to Miami (see below), involved in Storer’s purchase of WMIE-TV. (2) Started rule-making on conflicting proposals to add Ch. 7 to Pachuta or Hattiesburg, Miss. (3) Started rule-making to switch Ch. 14 from Annapolis, Md. to Washington, D. C. (4) Received amended proposal from WKNX-TV, Saginaw, Mich. (Ch. 57), regarding location of transmitters (Vol. 10:49). (5) Received endorsement of proposed addition of Ch. 8 to Buffalo (Vol. 10:45) from WHEN-TV, Syracuse, which would have to shift from Ch. 8 to 7. (6) Received objection to shift of KELP-TV, El Paso, from Ch. 13 to 7, from Texas Western College. Commission also received a technical report which could have important repercussions on allocations. WAAM, Baltimore (Ch. 13) opposed allocation of Ch. 13 to Princess Anne (Norfolk), Va. on grounds that extensive measurements by consulting engineers Kear & Kennedy show that propagation over Baltimore-Norfolk water path is far stronger than FCC rules anticipate. It said that signal levels are comparable with those in Gulf area (Zone III), where FCC has provided 220-mi. minimum co-channel separation instead of the 170-mi. provided in east (Zone I). STORER became first entity to o>vn full quota of 7 TV stations, as result of series of FCC actions this week which in effect gave him an operating Miami outlet on Ch. 23, with call letters WGBS-TV (Vol. 10:47). Actually, FCC approved Storer purchase of CP for Miami’s WMIETV (Ch. 27) for $35,409 expenses from Georgia’s ex-Gov. E. D. Rivers Sr., and at same time switched Ch. 23 to Miami from Ft. Lauderdale in place of Ch. 27, allocating Ch. 39 to Ft. Lauderdale. Storer plans to purchase physical assets of NBC-affiliated WFTL-TV (Ch. 23) for $300,000 from Ft. Lauderdale Daily News. Commission granted Storer STA to operate his Ch. 23 outlet temporarily from Ft. Lauderdale and to begin construction of interim 500-ft. tower at Miami antenna farm. Storer’s plans are to operate from Ft. Lauderdale site until Jan. 15, then move to interim Miami tower with new RCA 12%-kw transmitter, while constructing 1000-ft. tower. Move to latter tower will come about July 15, when Storer expects to install new RCA transmitter to give 1000-kw ERP — the third RCA 1-megawatt (first 2 going to WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre, and Storer’s KPTV, Portland). WGBS-TV will carry full schedule of NBC programs, according to Storer exec. v.p. Lee B. Wailes, beginning with early morning Today show and ending with Tonight. Though plans have been under discussion to help pay cost of conversion of sets in area, Wailes said, news of Storer’s projected entry into Miami uhf have led to strong “revival of interest in uhf” there, and increased network programming is expected to give conversion a further shot in arm. “If necessary, however, we’ll give conversion a big assist,” he added (Vol. 10:49). Comrs. Hennock & Bartley dissented, and Chairman McConnaughey didn’t vote, on sale of CP to Storer and on juggling of channel assignments in Miami area. Mystery of MT. HIGBY remained unsolved this week, as mayor of Middletown, Conn, continued to refuse to divulge identity of lessee of 3-acre tract which he had announced would be rented to one of the “national TV and radio broadcasting companies.” All of the networks unequivocally denied they were principals in project looking to possible 1000-kw uhf transmitter on 1000-ft. site between Hartford & New Haven. So did all of the uhf & vhf operators and all gi'antees and applicants in the area. Even AT&T denied it had any plans for a relay site there, and the equipment manufacturers would add neither evidence nor clues. Disclosure of the lease in the columns last week (Vol. 10:50) had everyone interested scurrying to get the dope, including the networks. It was generally conceded the site was an excellent one for telecasting purposes, particularly for the new super-power uhf. But neither NBC nor CBS, both committed to uhf, nor ABC, which is waiting to see what they do, nor General Teleradio, which owns half of Hartford’s WGTH-TV (Ch. 18), appears to be the principal. We got denials too from spokesmen for WKNBTV, New Britain (Ch. 30); CP-holder WELI-TV, New Haven (Ch. 59) ; and the applicants for Ch. 3 in Hartford. Unless someone is doing a good job of covering up, the natural deduction is that the site has been taken by a prospective applicant for Meriden’s Ch. 65, as yet unapplied for; or by one of the big interests looking to ultimate acceptance of uhf and readying itself to plunge into operation in “uhf country” already opened up by the Hartford stations. Possibility that site has been acquired for a satellite outlet cannot be overlooked. Note: Report from Meriden this week had it that a “big New York organization” was also acquiring site on Meriden Mt. — but identity of this one, too, was undisclosed.