Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1956)

5 WORLD RADIO CIRCUI ATION exceeds that of daily newspapers for first time, reports United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization in new 264-p. survey. World Communications, based on 5-year study. Survey found people of the world get news and information on 257,000,000 radio receivers, 44,000,000 TV sets and by 255,000,000 copies of daily newspapers. “A striking development” in the last 5 years, as reported by UNESCO, “has been the sharp increase in the world total of radio receivers, which for the first time exceeded the number of copies of daily newspapers. Wond press circulation rose by 14%, while radio receivers increased by 41%. The biggest gains of both were scored in the economically less-developed countries.” Also covering motion pictures, survey found 130,000 movie theatres in the world, their “weekly total of spectators equalling one-tenth of the world’s population.” North Americans oAvn half of world’s radio receivers, Europeans 30% — while Europeans buy 38% of the world’s daily papers and North Americans 24%. U. S. was credited with 127,000,000 radios, 55,000,000 daily newspaper circulation. USSR has 20,000,000 radios, 44,000,000 daily paper copies. For United Kingdom, figures were 13,873,000 radios, 31,000,000 newspapers. Breakdown of radios, newspapers, movie theatres and TV are given for all countries (although TV figures are now so dated as to be meaningless, and predate those in international TV directory of our Spring-Summer Television Factbook) . The UNESCO survey, World Communications (3rd edition), will be available soon through Columbia University Press, 2960 Broadway, N. Y. Meanwhile NBC’s London director Romney Wheeler has completed survey of TV in western Europe, giving these 'country-by-country breakdowns ori*sets-in-use as of April 10, and potential growth: Belgium, 85,000 sets, increasing 7-8000 a month, with jx)tcntial of 1,000,000 receivers. Denmark, 18,000, increasing 2000 a month, expected maximum of 350,000 in 8 years. France, 350,000 licensed sets, increasing 10,000 a month, with 450,000 due by end of year, 700,000 by end of 1957 and 1,000,000 sometime in 1958. Western Germany, 350,000 sets, 800,000 by end of year, 1,000,000 by Easter 1957. Switzerland, 12,000, increasing 600-900 monthly, eventual maximum 400,000. Italy, 300,000. He reported these audiences for commercial stations in the small European countries: Luxembourg station reaches 20,000 sets in France, Belgium & Luxembourg. Tele-Saar reaches 2000 in Saar & French Lorraine. TeleMonte Carlo, 5000, mostly in Southern France. Wheeler estimates western European TV set count (excluding England) will increase from today’s 1,250,000 to 2,000,000 by Jan. 1, and 4,000,000 by 1958. New BBC director of TV broadcasting as of July will be Gerald Beadle, succeeding Sir George Barnes who leaves to become principal of University College of North Staffordshire. Cecil McGivern becomes deputy director, while Robert McCall resigns as asst, director of TV. Major BBC-TV problems, according to Beadle, are a second TV program and color. “A second BBC television program,” he said, “is absolutely necessary if a really comprehensive service is to be offered to the public.” Australian TV grantee General TV Corp., Melbourne, has ordered 2 GPL 16mm video recorders. Station is due to open this summer, make heavy use of recorders during Nov. Olympic Games. Hungarian Govt, has ordered remote TV broadcast equipment from Pye Ltd., Cambridge, England. A TTACK ON small business subcommittee’s “influence” probe of FCC and networks (Vol. 12:11-12) was unleashed on House floor May 2 by Small Business Committee member Rep. Hill (R-Colo.) who accused Rep. Evins’ subcommittee of playing politics in investigations which “have no small-business implications.” Evins’ subcommittee is the one which recently subpoenaed all CBS & RCA-NBC books and records relating to FCC cases, held one day of hearings and then recessed investigation until further notice. Waving subcommittee’s Dec. 21 questionnaire to FCC, Rep. Hill expressed “grave doubt of the propriety of any committee asking some of these questions.” He charged that document “appears to be the work of a disgruntled employe of FCC, or someone outside of FCC with a particular ax to grind” — immediately denied by subcommittee staff members. He inserted copy of questionnaire in the record. Among the information sought: (1) Details of each comparative TV case since July 1, 1953, including name of examiner, staff reports & memoranda, names of Commissioners present at arguments, “straw votes” taken by FCC, informal or preliminary decisions or opinions, court appeals, communications “outside the record” to Commissioners. (2) “All staff reports or analyses on the problem of TV allocation,” together with action taken on each report. (3) Amounts spent for travel by Commissioners and top FCC officials, and lists of “expenses incurred or honorariums or gifts received” by them and paid or given by outside persons or groups. (4) Ownership of vhf & uhf stations, classified by categories — networks, newspapers, manufacturers, etc.; lists of multiple owners of TV stations; revenues of networks; profits, losses & revenues of uhf stations. (5) Lists of employes, texts of FCC “suiweys,” names of personnel assigned to various projects, etc. Subcommittee staff says Commission has answered most questions, still owes it some information. To legitimatize illegal vhf boosters, Rep. Don Magnuson (D-Wash.) this week introduced HR-10944 to force FCC to license them. He said he believes Commission will never authorize vhf boosters, even if courts rule in their favor. Commission’s proposed alternative, authorization of uhf “translators,” is no “practicable solution,” he said. He declared they’d cost too much, give poor coverage, require set conversion. His bill would direct Commission to issue rules covering vhf boosters, licensing them wherever they won’t “cause harmful interference with the reception of any licensed electromagnetic transmissions.” Such rules would have to be proposed within 6 months of bill’s passage. All existing boosters — and Magnuson estimates there are 70-200 — would be given “reasonable time” to comply with rules, remaining on air as long as they cause no interference. Meanwhile, Commission is working on uhf translator proposal, may well finalize it in month or so — regardless what it does on other allocations problems. Radio sales totaling over $800,000 approved by FCC this week: (1) WCOP, Boston, for $457,500 (Vol. 12:13) by owners of Boston Post to Plough drug firm. (2) KTSA, San Antonio, for $306,000 (Vol. 12:14) by auto dealer 0. R. Mitchell to McLendon Investment Corp. (Gordon McLendon). (3) KIFI, Idaho Falls & KWIK, Pocatello, Ida., for $47,799 — J. Robb Brady Trust acquiring control by buying the 50% held by Frank Carman, Grant Wrathall and Edna 0. Power. Carman-Wrathall interests recently sold holdings in KUTV, Salt Lake City (Ch. 2) and KLIXTV, Twin Falls, Ida. (Ch. 11), along with radio pro))erties to A. L. Glasmann family (Vol. 12:10). Carman now owns and operates Salt Lake City radio KLUB (formerly KUTA) and Wrathall holds CP for KPOO, San Francisco.