Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

17 TO STRUT ITS STUFT: Ten days after it was exclusively reported in these columns (Vol. I, No. 17) the AP reported and the N.Y. Times carried as front-page news the story that President Truman will be televised via coaxial from Washington when he addresses Congress Jan. 15. This first "network" TV broadcast from Washington will include more than the Truman highspot from the Capitol. A 2-hour program by DuMont from its experimental W3XWT studios in the Harrington Hotel is scheduled the same night. Program v/ill mark commencement of Washington-New York TV programming. As in the case of the Philadelphia-New York link, inaugurated with the highly successful telecast of Army-Navy game recently (Vol. I, No. 15), AT&T is lending use of its newly laid coaxial cable to the three big New York TV operators — CBS, DuMont and NBC — without charge in rotation two nights each week until TV gets on a revenue basis. The Truman and other TV broadcasts will be relayed to existing TV stations in Philadelphia, New York and Schenectady v/here most of the estimated 8,000-10,000 TV sets are now operating. They will be seen in V/ashington too from W3XWT, though best count is only about two dozen sets in the capital city v/hich heretofore hasn't had any TV service. These are scattered among radio officials here, but some more will be brought down from N.Y. for the show since this will be first chance to "show off" TV to Washington's many VIPs. DAVIDS GOimiHS: Maybe they are just trying to keep the big boys on their toes, but some of the independent FMers are using the slingshot on the networks and the big AM broadcasters. They're claiming the AMers, particularly the networks, aren't very eager about pushing PM along (because it looms competitive) and they're raising quite a fuss. It started early in November when Leonard Asch (WBCA, Schenectady) charged the networks v/ere not true believers because they took their FMs off the air immediately after Petrillo banned duplicated music. This theme was picked up a few weeks ago by Ira Hirschraann (WABF, New York) who expressed his doubt the networks were sincere about FM, despite their previous avowals to contrary, despite their claim they shut down their FMs to reconvert, and despite fact that NBC is owned by RCA which certainly has big stake in FM equipment sales. The big boys didn't deign to reply, but last week American Broadcasting Co., though it isn't yet in FM and has applied for only 4 FM stations, issued a statement by its President Mark Woods saying "we believe that FM should eventually replace all local and regional stations in urban areas" and that ABC was urging local and regional affiliates to apply for and become active in FM. At present there are only 7 FMs unaffiliated with AMs. In addition to the tv;o already mentioned, they are: V/WZR, Chicago (Zenith); WABW, Indianapolis (Associated) ; KOZY, Kansas City (Everett L. Dillard) ; WFMN, Alpine, N. J. (Dr. Armstrong) ; WGYN, New York (Muzak) . Newcomers to broadcasting number slightly less than 25% of the 730 current applications for FM stations. CS COBHSCTS 'EXPERT'; Everybody's an expert on TV these days because nobody really knows all the answers. There v/as Columnist Leonard Lyons' report last week that the color TV sets made for CBS by GE still are priced prohibitively (he gave §3,150 for the 10-inch, §5,900 for the 18x24), giving impression that's what public might have to pay. GE immediately wired Lyons figures are misleading, are not what public will pay but refer to handmade laboratory models. For example, GE added, first FM sets cost about §2,400 but those eventually placed on sale cost little more than ordinary receivers. But GE did say that "color television receivers when placed on market will compare favorably with black and white television receivers."