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[ISBTia CODEl’
authoritative news service
OF THE
VISUAL BROADCASTING ANO FREQUENCY MODULATION ARTS AND INDUSTRY
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY
RADIO
BUREAU
HEWS
1519 COJ^JiECTlCUT AVLH.W.,WASijlH8TC?l S.D.S. TEEPaONE .MlDHiaAH 2020 • VOL 2, MO. il
March 16, 1946
TA' FOH FM EQUALS CP, SAYS FCC: First so-called "Engineering Approvals" (EA) to
conditional FM grantees, designating, channels , powers and antenna heights, v;ere issued Thursday by FCC. They are the equivalent of CPs. The 15 getting them (see Supplement No. 33 herewith) are first batch of many more promised as fast as Commission can process them, order of issuance to follow order of conditional grants so far as possible.
All but one of this week's 15 EAs went to existing AM operators. Ten got Metropolitans, 5 Rurals. Noteworthy among Rurals were the high power assignments, indicating that the old "superpower" bugaboo probably won't prevail in FM to influence uneconomic and technically foolish power ceilings. However, there's still the problem of getting tubes capable of handling the powers, which in the case of the 5 Rurals range from 134 to 318 kw.
The 15, and all others, must still file so-called "program forms" setting forth their program plans, in accordance with new FCC policy of checking promiseand-perf ormance on license renewals as initiated with its March 7 report on "Public Service Responsibility of Broadcast Licensees" (Vol. 2, No. 10). This form will be numbered 90265, but isn't ready for distribution yet because Budget Bureau hasn't gotten around to approving printing cost !
Since filing the form is merely a routine, the EAs are tantamount to CPs, and the grantees may go ahead and order and install the requisite equipment — though in some cases antenna structures are subject to approval of the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
The EA procedure is rather circumlocutory, an apparently needless step interposed before CPs. Commission spokesmen admit they don't like it either, for it means additional work for an already overburdened staff. But they say it is only temporary, will be in force only until conditional grantees can file the program forms. After that, they promise, CPs will issue as rapidly as possible — some as result of hearings, probably many more without hearings because of plentitude in most places of FM channels.
IIZAHIHGS SET GH FM AHU TV: As FCCs first FM hearing droned through 5 hot Washington days this week, the Commission released schedules of 12 more FM and 11 TV hearings covering applicants from as many cities (see Special Report herewith for places and dates.) Most of the hearings will be conducted in the cities involved, but a few will be held in Washington. Presiding will either be commissioners or staffmen, the only presiding officer yet named being Commissioner Durr for Boston FM hearing April 2. Cases come up in April, May, June, July.
Despite fact that in some cities there are enough channels to go around, especially in case of TV. Commission has decided to hold hearings anyway . Its position is that this is best way to determine applicants' qualifications; also that it may decide to keep a few channels "on ice" (FM particularly) for possible
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