Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1957)
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9
New and Upcoming Slaiions: Smaiiest-yet North
American market opened when CFCR-TV, Kamloops, B. C. (Ch. 4) held official ceremonies April 8, becoming 39th Canadian outlet. Following day, WCMB-TV, Harrisburg, Pa. (Ch. 27), an economic casualty, left air. With Storer’s WGBS-TV, Miami (Ch. 23) also expiring this week (Vol. 13:14), on-air box score is 496 (92 uhf). WCMB-TV’s transmitter plant and tower are being purchased by WTPA, Harrisburg (Ch. 71), seeking switch to Ch. 27.
CFCR-TV, affiliated with local radio CFJC, has potential of 4000 homes, is 160 mi. NE of Vancouver, location of nearest station. It uses 500-watt Gates transmitter, 70-ft. Aermotor tower with Gates 2-ring antenna. Coming from CFJC are gen. mgr. Ian G. Clark, commercial mgr. Walter Harwood, program mgr. Gordon Rye, chief engineer J. Fred Weber. Base hour is $75. Reps are Weed and All-Canada.
In letter to FCC, Storer’s WGBS-TV states it has lost $182,737 since July 1, 1956, suffered total losses of $432,978. It’s selling studio facilities to National Airlines’ WPST-TV (Ch. 10) for over $500,000— with WPST-TV planning to keep most of WGBS-TV employes. WGBS-TV states it spent $757,000 for plant, plus more than $50,000 to promote uhf in area.
WCMB-TV’s Ch. 27 transmitter and tower are being purchased by WTPA, operated by Harrisburg Patriot and News (Newhouse), in deal whereby Ch. 71 plant is turned over to WCMB-TV, which also gets $150,000 for Ch. 27 transmitter & tower, according to application filed with FCC this week. Combined Dec. 31 WCMB-TV & WCMB balance sheet shows $106,500 deficit. Current assets were $72,866, fixed assets $204,673. Current liabilities were $145,002, long-term indebtedness $217,117. WTPA’s parent Patriot-News Co. says net worth is $2,000,000 and firm’s net income after taxes past 2 years has exceeded $250,000.
In our continuing survey of upcoming stations, these are latest reports from principals:
WPSD-TV, Paducah, Ky. (Ch. 6) expects to have 10-kw RCA transmitter wired up by April 20, plans test patterns by end of month, NBC-TV programming May 15, reports v.p.-gen. mgr. E. J. Paxton Jr., who with family owns grantee Paducah Sun-Democrat. Base and anchors were ready for 500-ft. Ideco tower due April 10 and antenna was already on hand. Fitz Hooton, ex-KPLC-TV, Lake Charles, will be program director. Base hour will be $400. Rep will be Pearson.
KBTX-TV, Bryan, Tex. (Ch. 3) plans April 28 test patterns. May 1 start as partial satellite of KWTX-TV, Waco (Ch. 10), 76 mi. away, using own microwave, reports M. N. (Buddy) Bostick, v.p.-gen. mgr. of KWTX-TV, which owns 50% of KBTX-TV. Studio-transmitter building is ready and 10-kw RCA transmitter is to be wired by April 15. Andrews 482-ft. tower with 6-bay antenna is scheduled for April 25. Base hour will be $150. Rep will be Raymer.
RCA shipped 50-kw transmitter April 11 to upcoming KETV, Omaha (Ch. 7); 12-kw transmitter April 12 to WRLP, Greenfield, Mass. (Ch. 32), planned as satellite of WWLP, Springfield (Ch. 22); 6-section superturnstile antenna April 2 to WPSD-TV, Paducah, Ky. (Ch. 6) ; 3-section supertumstile April 11 to KMAU-TV, Wailuku, Hawaii (Ch. 3).
Starting use of new tower April 14, Westinghouse’s WBZ-TV, Boston (Ch. 4) claims ability to reach more than 5,800,000 people — “more than half of all New England.” Dresser-Ideco tower is 1199-ft. above ground, 1180ft. above average terrain, 1349-ft. above sea level. Use of tower has been offered to all other vhf stations in area.
OUIET WEEK AT FCC, with commissioners at NARTB convention — and nothing major is expected next week while Chairman McConnaughey is on vacation. There was, however, an unusual initial decision in Pittsburgh’s Ch. 4 case. Examiner Elizabeth C. Smith, who last year favored KQV (Vol. 12:17), now recommends that WCAE get the channel — KQV’s qualifications having “suffered a great loss in leadership” through death of principal Irwin D. Wolf, Sr. Commission had previously ordered case reopened to consider impact of Wolf’s death (Vol. 12:45).
Examiner noted “unfavorable factor” of widespread Hearst interests in newspapers & magazines in addition to TV-radio. She also acknowledged deficiencies in local ownership & management of WCAE. But she concluded they were outweighed by local broadcasting experience & performance against unproven “ability & influence” of Irwin D. Wolf Jr., who succeeded father at KQV. Either WCAE or KQV was found superior to other applicants: radio WLOA, Braddock, Pa. (Wm. G. & George C. Matta) ; Irwin Community TV Co. (radios WEDO, McKeesport, Pa., and WEIR, Weirton, W. Va.) ; Wespen TV Inc., Irwin, Pa. (Fink family movie theatre interests) .
WCAE is controlled by Hearst Corp., owner of Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, operator of WBAL-TV, Baltimore (Ch. 11) and WISN-TV, Milwaukee (Ch. 12).
* * *
On court appeal front. Cape Girardeau TV Co. lost in 8th circuit (St. Paul) in effort to stay St. Louis’ KTVI from starting on Ch. 2. In hassle over Henry Kaiser’s grant of KHVH-TV, Honolulu (Ch. 12), KULA-TV (Ch. 4) promptly went to D. C. Court of Appeals after FCC denied its protest, after oral arguments. In case of WSPATV, Spartaiihiiig, S. C. (Ch. 7), one of most-litigated on record, WAIM-TV, Anderson (Ch. 40) and off-air WGVL, Greenville (Ch. 23) again trudged to court, charging that
FCC must take WSPA-TV from Paris Mt. site — that Commission has evaded court order.
Sole allocation petition filed was that of KBAK-TV, Bakersfield, Cal. (Ch. 29), which asked that KERO-TV’s Ch. 10 be moved to coast north of Los Angeles and that KERO-TV be given Ch. 39.
Aural power 10% that of video may well give quality as good as or better than presently required 50%, Crosley Bcstg. engineering v.p. R. J. Rockwell told FCC this week in letter reporting recent tests multiplexing aural carrier as subcarrier through visual transmitter. He says that lower aural power not only provides adequate coverage but improves picture quality without degrading sound quality or aural signal-noise ratio. He adds that change can be made through addition of 2 miniature tubes and simple circuitiy. Up to now, tests have been conducted after hours ; Crosley now asks to test during regular hours.
Sale for some $10,000,000 of WDAF-TV, Kansas City (Ch. 4) & WDAF is being negotiated, managing director H. Dean Fitzer has acknowledged, without disclosing prospective purchaser. Stations are owned by Kansas City Star which has been found guilty of monopoly of news & advertising and has been considering appeal to Supreme Court. Relief sought by Govt, includes divestiture of TV-radio properties by Star.
Contract for sale of KCOP, Los Angeles (Ch. 13) was being negotiated in deal whereby Copley Press sells its only broadcast property for $4,000,000 to group headed by Kenyon Brown & Bing Crosby. Brown & Crosby own % each in KFEQ-TV & KFEQ, St. Joseph, Mo., Brown also holding intei*ests in i-adio stations in Kan., Tex. and Okla. Bfok-er: Hamilton, Stnliblefield, Twining & Assoc.
KUAM-TV, Guam, establishes sales office in Gieat China House, Hong Kong.