Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

TVs SILEIiT PSfIDINS SHIFTS: Ordered by the FCC to vacate their old frequencies by March 1 (Vol. 1, No. 17), all existing commercial TV stations with the exception of GE's WGRB, Schenectady (which retains Channel No. 4), are currently off the air pending reconversion to new channels. New York's 3 plan to return to schedules on their new channels in the following order: DuMont's WABD (No. 5), about mid-March v/hen at least Studio A of its new Wanamaker setup is expected to be ready; CBS's VVCBW (No. 2), week of March 15; NBC's WNBT (No. 4), "sometime in April, more likely early than late." Balaban & Katz's WBXB, Chicago, resumes March 18 on Channel No. 4. Philco's VVPTZ, Philadelphia, resumes March 8 on No. 3. In addition, the I tv/o Hollywood experimentals assigned to the commercial bands (Don Lee's V/6XA0 and i Television Production Inc.'s V/6XYZ) v/ill resume shortly on Channels No. 2 and 5 : respectively. The 28-hours-per-week operating rule has been v/aived by the FCC I until next July 1. 1 C?s FOR MOBILE FM: Long-promised railroad and automobile communications, utilizing FM, received impetus by CPs granted this week by FCC. Denver & Rio Grande Western R.R. was authorized 32 units, using 159.81 me, 50 watts, for such uses as cab-to— caboose, train-to-train, station-to-train. Yellow Cab Co., Philadelphia, v/as granted experimental CP to develop cab dispatching system, and Cleveland Automobile Club Co. received CP to experiment with service truck communication. Philco this v/eek announced plans to produce complete line of mobile, dialtelephone type FM equipment for use in places inaccessible or too costly to reach with poles and wire, such as farms, ranches, mines, logging camps. Transceivers will employ Philco Advanced FM System and its FM 1000 seven-element tube. PORTABLE TV PICKUPS: TV is going to sell itself, at least at first, on its ability to bring spot news events to the homes of set ovmers. Consequently, any improvement in portable pickup units, such as the new Philco "suitcase-type" TV camera, is all to the good. The Philco equipment consists of 35-pound cameras and control units so designed that several cameras can be operated from a single portable master control. Pictures are clearer and sharper than was possible in the heavier, pre-war equipment, says Philco. Models of the new cameras were used at Philco's U of Pennsylvania football telecasts last autumn. Also in the field with a portable camera-transmitter unit is Farnsworth Television & Radio Corp. which late in January told about its work in the Array-Navy guided missile project. Farnsworth stressed the rugged compactness of its equipment and indicated that it could be operated from a storage battery if power line current v/as not available. Then there is Remington-Rand' s Vericon, a compact, automatic pickup unit, v/hich the company is plugging for industrial us'e. The Vericon is also an offshoot of the war's guided missile project. Still tops, however, as far as low-level lighting coverage is concerned, is NBC's Image Orthicon, used so effectively in picking up interior shots from the Lincoln Memorial in the inaugural Washington New York telecast via coaxial cable Feb. 12 (Vol. 2, No. 7). ABC SELLS TV TO LOCKHEED: Not yet an operator of TV stations of its own — though it has applied for them in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco — American Broadcasting Co. isn't letting any grass grow under its feet in keeping up with television. Its experimental programs over DuMont's WABD have led to the sale by Paul Mowrey's ABC Television Division of 4 Thursday night (8:30-9) programs to Lockheed Aircraft Corp., starting when that station resumes operation in March and advertising the famous Lockheed Constellation plane. Mr. Mowrey was on the Pacific Coast last month, told the San Francisco ad and press clubs that if the FCC approves ABC's application it will have a TV station operating there in 18 months.