Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1957)

— 2 — between private interests but state's rights and educational claims involving a change in channeling. This is the first such attempt to "usurp" on occupied channel — and there's no doubt a battle royal impends before the FCC and perhaps the courts and Congress. Up to now, only 28 noncommercial educational stations have taken to the air, 22 on vhf channels; there are also commercial vhf's operated by Cornell U at Ithaca, N. Y., Iowa State College at Ames, Loyola of New Orleans, U of Missouri at Columbia; Notre Dame has commercial uhf at South Bend. Plenty of uhf channels are still available, generally unwanted, and some vhf's in certain areas; the New York regents themselves since 1952 have held CPs for 7 uhf's but have done nothing about them because of the failure of uhf set circulation in well-served vhf territory. Their unwillingness to venture will doubtless be cited against them. Besides the question of New Jersey rights, there's municipally-owned WNYC, holding a uhf Ch. 31 grant — and city's politicos may step in to ask priority on any newly available vhf. There are 5 uhf grantees (one educational) in New Jersey, and they may also be heard from — to say nothing of priority claims that might be put forth by the private owners of defunct uhf's in Atlantic City and Asbury Park who had to quit when they couldn't make the economic grade. For example, indicative of kind of fight that may be in store was this week's filing in Court of Appeals by David E. Mackey, holder of CP for WOCN, Atlantic City (Ch. 52); he challenges FCC refusal to move WRCV-TV's Ch. 3 from Philadelphia to Atlantic City, noting that New Jersey has only one vhf station — i.e., WATV. If WATV and NTA choose to fight, as expected, this case promises to be a cause celebre about which we'll be hearing a lot more in ensuing months. (More on p. 6.) VIDEO TAPE BECOMES TV STATION TOOL: As first 2 non-network-owned stations put their video tape recorders to work, Ampex this week began taking orders for color conversion units and announced video tape recorder leasing plan for stations which can't afford or don't want to buy. First stations with production-model Ampex recorders are Seattle's KING-TV & Portland's KGWTV, both owned by Mrs. A. Scott Bullitt interests. KING-TV engineers, under James L. Middlebrooks, had new machine in operation within 4 hours after uncrating, successfully used recordings on air. Compatibility feature of production model recorders will be put to acid test, with KING-TV and KGW-TV (which received its Ampex this week) already working out details of taped program exchange. Next 4 Ampex video recorders to be delivered this month go to CBS, which already has 5 prototype models and is scheduled to receive an additional 9 production models next month, another 5 later. Ampex this week announced it is ready to take orders for color conversion kits for its production model black-and-white recorders, and for complete color recorders — deliveries of both to begin in June. Color kit is engineer-made prototype model; Ampex won't make decision on production models (which should be considerably cheaper) until it con gauge demand for color recorders and conversion kits. Though Ampex prototype color kits won't be compatible with RCA prototype or production models, Ampex officials say that any future production models will have interchangeability feature. With 2 manufacturers now offering both color and monochrome video tape units, here is the picture in machine availability and price: Monochrome recorder-reproducers: Ampex production models $45,000 each, now being delivered, close to 100 on order; 13 pre-production prototypes delivered at $75,000 each. RCA, production model available by Dec. 1958, at $49,500. Color recorder-reproducers: RCA production models, for Dec. 1958 delivery, $63,000; 7 pre-production units, to be delivered April-Sept. 1958, at $96,000 (6 to NBC, 1 to WBTV, Charlotte, no more scheduled). Ampex monochrome production model recorder with prototype color unit, for delivery by June, $74,000; prototype color converter for Ampex monochrome recorder, delivery by June, $29,000. In addition, Ampex announced this week new recorder leasing plan for stations. Company says it will rent a single recorder or an entire system, black-&-white or color, under the plan. For a single I