Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1959)

VOL. 15; No. 24 3 FCC BILLS GET BRUSH-OFF TREATMENT: Congressional reluctance to get down to busi ness on much-talked-about FCC "reform" legislation (Vol. 15:22) was seldom better demonstrated than by perfimctory hearings in Senate last week on 8 bills — 7 of them hopefully submitted by Commission itself in gestures toward self-improvement & streamlined housekeeping. All told, only 3 hours were spent by Senate Commerce communications subcommittee in 2 days of scheduled hearings on FCC measures — averaging out to little more than 20 min. of study per bill. At no time did more than one member of 8-man unit turn up to hear testimony & ask questions. Those who did show — chairman Pastore (D-R.I.) and Sen. Thurmond (D-S.C.) — took turns presiding. Other members presumably had more pressing Senate business to tend. And speed of hearings was no token of legislative urgency. As Pastore put it in winding up 2-day meeting: "We are coming to the twilight of this session." He gave no indication that any of the 8 bills — among a dozen slated for subcommittee attention in on-&-off hearings running to July (Vol. 15:21) — have much chance of getting onto Senate floor for vote this year. Let's-get-it-over meetings took just one hour of work by Sen. Thurmond to get through 5 FCC-proposed Communications Act amendments (S-1734-6, S-1738, S-1740) which were sent to Congress in April (Vol. 15: 16). They would (1) forbid ex parte "influence" approaches to Commission & staff. (2) Strip FCC members of their legal privilege to collect "honorariums" for extra-curricular speeches. (3) Substitute federal perjury law for Commission requirements for sworn statements in some cases. (4) Give FCC's review staff greater latitude in making recommendations. (5) Extend FCC authority over common-carrier microwave & other point-to-point circuits. There were almost no questions for FCC Comr. Hyde, who was on stand to answer them. Only spirited discussion was evoked when only other witness — Percy H. Russell of Federal Communications Bar Assn. — objected to review staff proposals. He said they're "unwise," that there'd be danger of staff "impinging" on Commission's own responsibilities. Hyde retorted indignantly: "We are not asking for an opportunity for secret & undisclosed recommendations." Remaining 2 hours of hearings — much of time taken up by more Kyde-Russell exchanges — were devoted by Chairman Pastore to ticking off remaining bills in first batch. Russell had no FCBA objections to FCC proposal (S-1737) to set up fines for rules violations by non-broadcast services. But he opposed one (S-1740) eliminating McFarland letters. Hyde argued that these pre-hearing notices of application deficiencies have been biggest factor in building up FCC's case backlog. Russell said McFarland procedure nevertheless "fills a real need" of applicants. Speaking for FCC majority, Hyde on his part opposed FCBA-sponsored measure (S-1898) to replace Communications Act's "protest" procedure with provisions for "pre-grant" objections (Vol. 15:19). Pastore suggested FCC & FCBA get together on "protest" procedures & "come back in January" at next session of 86th Congress. Nor is FCC "reform" any closer in House. Panel hearings for half-dozen regulatory agencies (Vol. 15:20) will be opened this week by House Commerce legislative oversight subcommittee (see p. 5). But otherwise it as yet has done nothing to push along 14-point master plan for overhaul of FCC & other agencies which was presented last Jan. by Chairman Harris (D-Ark.) following subcommittee's sensation-packed 1958 probes (Vol. 15:1). SLOW GROWTH OF TV STATION AUTOMATION: There has been no rush into automa tion by TV stations. Perhaps 2 dozen outlets can now be said to be more or less "automated" — that is, switching & timing is cued by pre-set electro-mechanical means, at least during "panic period" between shows. Remainder of this year may see number of automated stations doubled, broadcast equipment makers say. Despite formidable obstacles, both equipment manufacturers & operators of automated stations see gradual changeover to automatic switching by all large & medium-sized stations as virtually inevitable. Increasing complexity of control-room operations is one reason. Addition of new types of equipment — such as video tape and special effects generators — leaves more room for costly timing errors. During panic period, station engineers seem to need 100 hands to pull switches, start equipment, cue spots, IDs, network feeds — all at proper instant and in proper sequence. Increasing cost of TV time is gradually making automation more essential to cut down make-goods, prevent overhead from eating up profits. Station managements have been unenthusiastic about automation — and equipment makers are facing up to fact that market for automatic station equipment will have to undergo slow, gradual development.