Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1957)

3 Canada is in midst of network expansion reminiscent of U.S. a few years ago. Huge jump from Toronto to Winnipeg was accomplished, along with big extension from Saint John, N.B. to Sydney, N.S. Also in the works now are plans to link Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie & Timmins, Ont. * >|s * Growth of private links operated by U.S. stations hasn't let up, either. FCC granted links to following in last 6 months; KTVC, Ensign, Kan. from Hutchinson; KICA-TV, Clovis, N.M. from Amarillo; WINK-TV, Ft. Myers, Fla. from Tampa; WCYB-TV, Bristol, Va. from Winston-Salem; KDIX-TV, Dickinson, N.D. from Bismarck; KUMV-TV, Williston, N.D. from Bismarck ; KVSO-TV, Ardmore, Okla. from Oklahoma City; KNAC-TV, Ft. Smith, Ark. from Little Rock. [All foregoing additions and changes will be included in our new map of TV stations and network routes, to be included with forthcoming Spring-Summer edition of our semi-annual TV Factbook.] TV INDUSTRY EVALUATES THE CRAVEN PLAN': There's extremely varied reaction to the "Craven Flan" — Corar. T.A.M. Craven's proposal to rescind allocation table and consider applications on case-to-case basis (Vol. 12:52). Commission plans to discuss plan Jan. 14; ultimate disposition is still most conjectural. Most violent opposition engendered, of course, comes from educators — for plan would make all channels commercial, force schools to compete for CPs with the commercial applicants who can move firmly and quickly. "It would stop educational TV in its tracks," states Ralph Steetle, exec, director of Joint Council on Educational TV. "If the Commission puts it out for rule-making, our activity will make our work during the 1948-52 freeze look picayune. We've just begun to scratch the surface of educational TV, and its performance is exceeding our most optimistic theories. The plan would also put the axe to uhf." Whether such activity would cut much ice with FCC is another question, for several members of Commission don't agree that educators have made much progress. Some vhf operators are leery of the proposal, fearing possibility that the introduction of "flexibility" would gradually add stations to reduce their service areas — even though present engineering standards are retained. Others assert that they're more likely to protect themselves without an allocation table — because there's always possibility that FCC may adopt a new table with mileage cuts, which might prove to be worse. Some operators question whether "voluntary" shifts to new vhf channels or new locations can be achieved by "persuasion." Says one; "It just ain't human nature to do any shifting that costs money, particularly if it permits someone to build a co-channel or adjacent-channel station closer to you." One engineer analyzes plan this way: "If you maintain present engineering standards, I'd like to know where you'd drop in vhf channels in any worthwhile markets. I think they've all been found. I'll bet 100 engineers have been combing the maps for 4 years looking for them." Several attorneys claim that basic result of plan would be to eliminate educational reservations. They also state that it would eliminate one procedural step — applicants wouldn't have any rule-making before applying for new channel. Several attorneys were enthusiastic about proposal — foreseeing applicants using ingenuity to apply for stations where economics dictate, not where FCC thinks there might be demand. Some visualize use of directional antennas, precision offset, etc., with station assignments on interference-protection basis as in AM — with considerable increase in potential number of stations. Subject may be broached at meeting of Federal Communications Bar Assn. Jan. 11; several years ago, group took stand in favor of abolishing allocation table. + * * sfe Some people queried for reactions say they don't know precisely what Craven has in mind. Following are excerpts from his 11 recommendations to colleagues: (1) "Proclaim a policy which emphasizes that the objective of the Commission