Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

expected him to litigate again if he fails to get the low-band channels he wants. The issue was being debated from every angle, mostly technical, each side confident it will prevail. Nub of opposition argument is that Zenith tests on long-range reception are inconclusive. Sporadic E interference is insurmountable deterrent on lower band. Commission has set FM allocations (Supplement No. 21) and so why upset applecart. Crosley’s John D. Reid opposed because of harmonic interference he foresaw on TV Channels No. 2 to 5, also image interference when 50 me FM transmitters were close to TV radiators. And the commissioners themselves quizzed Zenith's J. E. Brown closely on his Deerfield tests, emphasizing that Deerfield receiver was at fixed location rather than mobile, that "usable signal" was criterion rather than microvolts per meter. But, replied Brown, fixed receiver is what listener would have. And, added Prof. Armstrong, the listener knows something is wrong v/hen he gets 100 uv/m for 30 seconds and no microvolts for 30 seconds, even though that adds up to 50 uv/m. Zenith contention that 100 me. could not cover rural areas was disputed by Chairman Porter when he showed a map of Chicago area indicating radius of all current FM licensees, CP holders, conditional grantees and applicants from v/ithin 75-mile range of Chicago. Their coverage. Brown admitted, would be adequate. ' Crosley's Reid said redesigning of production to include 2-band would cost * ^4.50 to $6 extra per set, in contravention to Brown's statement that it would add less than 50 cents per set to cost — and "we'll show other manufacturers how." Reid recommended satellite stations to fill out service to rural areas, or else high power clear channel AM stations. Zenith said its 2-band table model with AM has been OPA-approved at ^54 retail, and had model and chassis on hand to exhibit. As Friday session drew to a close. General Electric's C. R. Miner and Magnavox's Frank Freiman added their support to the Zenith position. A dozen or more witnesses w'ere still scheduled to be heard, though some of the opposition from telephone, police, maritime and geophysical interests v/as expected to fade in view of Zenith's amended petition to ask for only 44-50 me. (the full No. 1 TV band) instead of 42-50. The TV interests were, of course, poised to oppose. It's anybody's guess how the Commission will rule, but rule it will at the very earliest moment if the manifest determination of commissioners to get FM going quickly means anything. Significance was seen in presence at session of Senator Tobey , firebrand member from New Hampshire where Yankee's Mt. V/ashington rural station is located. He told us he wanted to make sure FM was not held back by any "undue influences," said he wanted to see it provide rural as v;ell as urban coverage. KOBE Muzak's VVGYN, New York, has sv/itched to its new frequency, 96.1 me (Channel No. 241) and is now on the air 12 noon-6 p.m. , Mon. thru Friday. South Bend Tribune's WSBF, still on 47.1 me, replies to our questionnaire that it will shift to 101.3 me. (No. 267) at an undetermined date, has no plan then to continue on old. For plans of other licensees, see Vol. II, Nos. 1 and 2. C9V/LES GOIHO UHF: Cowles radio-newspaper interests are filing for an ultra-high experimental TV station in Washington, where they own WOL, and will probably apply soon also for Des Moines and Boston, where they have other AM stations. Their v.p. and technical chief, ex-FCC Commissioner T. A. M. Craven, is outspokenly convinced of the superiority of color TV and the 1,000-line black-and-white which he says is possible only on uhf. LOCAL STOBE'S TV TIEUP: Gertz Dept, store, Jamaica, N.Y., one of Allied Stores group, will put on a two-week demonstration of intra-store television, beginning Jan. 29. Equipment will be supplied by William B. Still, independent Negro electronics engineer and experimental TV station licensee (W2XJT) in that NYC suburb. .