Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1958)

3 nent criticism of SRA scheme, both by networks and stations, is that it might preclude stations from taking unscheduled news & special events shows from networks, to say nothing of extraordinary sponsorships such as one-shot spectaculars. "It would be tragedy to forbid network news in station time," said one manager. As for networks inching into non-option time with top shows, inclination was to feel that's stations' own affair, own choice, none of reps' business. "What would we do," said a station man, "if business fell off so that we really faced a gaposis of schedule or where we ourselves prefer what the network may have to offer?" "Just another twist to option time," is how a top network executive characterized the SRA plan. "You might call it national reps' option time. Unless I miss my guess, the affiliates are going to tell them they better let well enough alone." Another network topkick waxed sarcastic; "They're contradicting. themselves , aren't they, in first opposing option time and now saying it's okay and there ought to be more of it — for the reps? They aren't licensed, aren't concerned with public service programming, and when business gets tough they run to Uncle Sam to protect their mighty bucks. Theirs is one business that can't miss; if business gets tough, all they have to do is fire a few people and close a few offices." It's apparent the reps' real quarry is to drive the networks out of the rep business; that, though they liked the Barrow findings at first, they've backed entirely away from their original opposition to option time; that they now can't even go along with expressed Dept, of Justice position that option time violates the anti-trust laws, for if it does, so logically would "Station Reserved Time." And it's even clearer that, short of a political prairie fire which they're not likely to set off on their own or via their own stations, the reps' chances of setting up the "Station Reserved Time" by way of FCC fiat are nil. SENATE COMMITTEE PICKS AT ALLOCATIONS TANGLE: Two major themes emerged from FCC's testimony before Commerce Committee this week; (1) Wait for TASO technical findings before making any major move. (2) More deintermixture would help — now. [Commission also gave views on community antennas, translators, satellites, illegal boosters, etc. and their impact on regular stations — see p. 4.] FCC Chairman Doerfer still turns thumbs down on de intermixture (i.e., making cities all-vhf or all-uhf) — but several of his colleagues, maybe majority, talked up deintermixture. Doerfer said that deintermixture "holds little promise for the future." He's still concerned about loss of fringe service by shifting some operators from vhf to uhf, said FCC should have more technical data, still to come from TASO, before it considers moving all TV to uhf, or similar drastic changes. He does think, however, that careful vhf mileage cuts in certain areas would help. Zone I cut from 170 to 167 mi., for example, would be all right with him. "I'd like to find some way," he said, "to assure vhf operators so they wouldn't be afraid things would fall apart. We should have a little looseness in the joints." Engineering Comr. Craven said small mileage cuts are like "being a little bit pregnant." He'd wait for more accurate interference data from TASO. Said Craven; "I'm for deintermixture as an immediate answer, the intermediate stage. The basic allocation problem is that there is too wide a range in TV. It's not technically possible to make cheap, good all-channel TV sets. There are developments on the horizon, concerning long-distance communications, which will have a big impact. There's not enough space for safety and special services. There are not enough channels for aircraft in the jet age. We need more for industrial radio. We must take an overall look to accommodate them all. The Office of Defense Mobilization has offered to take a long-range look. We should take them up on it." Comr. Hyde stuck by previous pro-deintermixture views, said that uhf is not being abandoned. "There are 92 uhf stations operating," he said, "plus 125 translators, a very significant segment of TV. The 70 uhf channels offer a great potential for competitive TV." Comr. Bartley asserted; "We did too little in deinter