Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

lliECKHEIN OH PSTIULLO; There are still some hurdles to leap before the Lea Bill, passed by the House Thursday by the overwhelming vote of 222 to 43, becomes law. The Senate has to agree to its substitution for the already enacted but milder Vandenberg Bill, which seems certain if the measure goes to the Interstate Commerce Committee (Wheeler, chairman) rather than to the Labor Committee. The conference bill must be enacted by both houses, the President must sign — and then you can expect an ATM court test on constitutionality. All this v;ill take some more time and then only can FM — and radio as a whole — be freed of the Petrillo shackles. FMers, naturally, are eagerly awaiting the signal that will end his ban on duplication of AM musical programs. You* 11 find the debate in the Feb. 21 Congressional Record good reading. Only the rabid pro-labor Congressmen fought the bill. Some moderate elements v/anted to water down the penalties on the plea they were too broad and might be interpreted to prevent labor's right to strike, but they made no impression. Petrillo is reaping the harvest of his go-to-hell attitude toward Congress as well as the industry. The debate showed how he left himself wide open to every charge leveled against his AFM; tribute amounting to §20,000,000 a year; union laws that permit him, like a dictator, to annul, amend or promulgate his own rules; his edicts against broadcasts of non-commercial music programs and of music broadcasts from abroad. . As much as anything, the AFM ban on military and other non-professional orchestras in civic ceremonies, his untenable Interlochen proscription, cited again and again by legislators, contributed to the easy passage of the bill. FJlCSiMIL2 LICENSEES: Though interest in facsimile is beginning to stir among broad casters and newspaper interests, little evidence of it has reached FCC in way of new applications. Cowles Co.'s request for developmental facsimile on 107.7 me in V/ashington is the only recent one. FCC Rules (Supplement No. 7, Sec. 3.266) permit FM broadcasters, upon application, to transmit simplex facsimile after aural hours; * multiplex (simultaneously with aural) under certain conditions. All facsimile today is non-commercial, experimental. Notable among facsimile pushers are Capt. V/. G. H. Finch, licensee of FM station WGHF and experimental W2XBF, New York City; John V. L. Hogan, president of Facsimile Inc. and of the New York Times' WQXR and V/QXQ, licensee of experimental V/2XR. Three licensees for facsimile per se have been operating experimentally for 5-6 years in the 25 me band: RadiOhio Inc., Columbus (W8XUM) ; WOKO Inc., A-lbany (W3XWE) ; Louisville Courier-Journal (W9XWT) . Eleven developmental stations specify A-4 (facsimile) or special for facsimile emissions in their licenses or CPs (Supplement No. 5). FCC has placed commercial facsimile in the 470-480 band, and has also designated 106-108 in Area II for facsimile. But, should need for more commercial FM channels arise, 106-108 will be used for that purpose. KAP.3AGS cr TV PUBLICITY: Not to be outdone by the ever promotion-minded CBS in the matter of TV publicity, NBC is firing its own barrage of material designed to "sell” television now. Just issued is 64-page, pocket-size, cartoon-illustrated glossary of the workaday lang’aage of TV titled "Television Talk," which you can obtain from NBC's New York headquarters. It defines such terms as "inky" and "woof" in addition to some 250 less slangy words and phrases which, if you read them through, really tell the story of TV — an excellent job. Then, to publicize V/ashington-New York coaxial telecasts (Vol. 2, No. 7), NBC's WNBT bought big display space in New York nev/spapers urging set owners to invite their friends in "to enjoy this historical broadcast." And time availability on WNBT is also being currently advertised in the trade press to attract sponsors. On its part, CBS used the trade press with big spreads to quote New York radio editors' comments, mostly enthusiastic, on its color TV demonstrations (Vol. 2, No. 5). CBS was host this week to its affiliates, who are being enlisted to back its color TV campaign.