Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

DEVIATIONS FBOM FM PLAN: One of the Washington Metropolitan FM channels, about which mention was made last v/eek when the FCC announced that 14 applicants were vying for 11 available channels, has gone conditionally to Richard Field Lewis Jr. in Winchester, Va. This became known when the FCC made public this week some of the deviations from its allocation plan. The FCC also reported that one of the Atlantic City Metropolitan channels came from Philadelphia (see Vol. 2, No. 5), and that Hagerstown, Md. got a Metropolitan channel from York, Pa. The exact channels thus shifted from original plan (Supplement No. 21) have not yet been designated. ^ The FCC report reiterated the tentative nature of the FM allocation plan and I stated that it provides the necessary flexibility for getting FM under v/ay satis ' factorily. More readjustments will continue to be made from time to time. That this is the case, v;as seen in the conditional Metropolitan grant to Capital Broadcasting Co. for Annapolis, Md. — one of 7 issued this week as shown in Supplement No. 30 herewith which now lists 530 conditionals. Annapolis is not down in the allocation plan for a Metropolitan. The other 6 conditional grants, all Metropolitan, went to Baltimore, Md. There are still 3 applicants for the remaining 3 channels allotted Baltimore — Hearst Radio, Atlas Broadcasting, and WHOW Inc., the last newly filed this v/eek. Applicants added for designated (but not yet scheduled) hearings, also announced this week, include Radio Station V/JOB, for Chicago; Central Illinois Radio Corp. , for Peoria; Bieberbach Broadcasting Corp., for Waltham, Mass. (Boston); Skyland Broadcasting Corp., for Dayton. A CP for a non-commercial, educational station was granted Oklahoma A&M College, at Stillwater, Okla. TV FJBST niGHTS: One immediate effect of the NBC-Radio Dramatists Guild tieup, announced recently, was given expression by Burton Rascoe, New York World-Telegram theater critic. The deal whereby NBC will produce and televise original plays, to be viewed by theatrical producers on home receivers, he says, "will, to a great extent, eliminate out-of-town tryouts." V/hat this means to the theater has Broadway abuzz. There are details to be worked out. Still to be answered are such questions as whether a play producer will take over play and TV cast with it. Equity niles on rehearsal pay, etc. Favoring the idea are the fillip it will give untried playwrights whose brainchildren may now see the light of electronic day; the increased ability of producers to judge the commercial value of a play v/hich heretofore they have had to judge solely by script reading. To be called "Broadway Preview," the Guild’s WNBT program will be produced by the network, v/hich assumes all production costs and supplies cast. Other TV program notes; Balaban & Katz’s WBKB, Chicago, put on motor driving safety show Feb. 12, featuring Evanston (Ind.) police "drunk-o~meter" ; reaction was reported most favorable .... CBS "See What You Know," telequiz show, got off to good start over WCBW, New York, Feb. 13, with Bennett Cerf doing the Clifton Fadim.an .... 'WCBW viewers also saw dancer Katherine Dunham do unique Haitian religious dances Feb. 15 .... First audition by Hollywood studio representatives of original story by TV v/as presented Feb. 17 when NBC's WNBT televised "Laughter in Paris," by Richard McDonagh, manager of network's script division .... Veteran actor J. C. Nugent plays lead in own comedy, "Knockout," scheduled for Feb. 24 over WNBT. LI-G-M's Vm FM IN L.A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer reports it recently began the construction of its Los Angeles FM station, will start operation by May 1. Holder of a CP since before the war, station was assigned call letters KTLO but has requested and expects KMGM, now being used in marine service. M-G-M's radio affairs are handled by Herbert Pettey. Loew’s Inc., parent company, is licensee thru subsidiaries of AM station WHN, New York, FM station WHNF, New York, and an applicant for FM in Chicago and Washington, TV in Los Angeles.