Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

Television Production Inc.*s application for San Francisco, stating it intended to concentrate on Los Angeles because of greater importance of that city to TV. This now leaves 6 for 6 in San Francisco, presaging probable dropping of July 15 hearings It also means Paramount is now involved in 5 pending applications (Vol. No. 20) , in addition to its Chicago subsidiary's already-licensed station WBKB. Mystery of its relationship with Maison Blanche (WSMB) New Orleans application v/as cleared this week when inquiry disclosed that V/SMB Inc. is owned 50% by Paramount, 50% by big department store. STBATOVISIOH TESTS SUCCESSFUL: Westinghouse officials are certain nov; that "Stratovision holds the answer to transmission problems v/hich have delayed TV and FM expansion by limiting their service to big-city audiences." Certainty, in fact, has displaced their former frank attitude that the thing looked foolproof on paper but that "we won't know the answers until we try it" (Vol. 1, No. 1). Try it they did — and the results achieved thus far with their "skyhook transmitters" convince them, as Vice President V/alter Evans reports, that "the day is not far distant when economically practical TV and FM radio services, for farm and city homes alike, will be available all over the land." Within next few weeks, Westinghouse and its collaborating Glenn L. Martin Co. will announce a regular schedule of flight times, and will ask FM set owners to report on reception on 107.5 me. Test flights begun last December have carried their specially equipped monoplane over courses embracing Baltimore-WilmingtonPhiladelphia-New York-New Haven and Washington-Richmond-Rocky Mount, N.C. Flying circle courses at 25,000 ft, plane has transmitted usable signals 240 airline miles v/ith only 250-w power. Stratovision plans envision a few dozen such planes serving whole country, including rural and remote areas not now reachable with 35-50 mile line-of-sight radius of ordinary FM and TV transmitters. SOME HEW Fa^s GET G9IHG: Though plagued by all sorts of obstacles — equipment delays, CPA restrictions, lack of receivers — a corporal's guard of FM stations nevertheless is getting going under FCC's special temporary authority (STA) policy. Latest to join the select list of FMers actually putting out signals, but v/ith minimum power, is Portland Oregonian (KGW) which went on air 30 minutes after receiving FCC blessing May 7. It joined Supreme Broadcasting's WRCM, New Orleans, and KSTP, St. Paul, latter using home-built transmitter. Three other FM grantees have STAs to broadcast; Patriot Co. and V/HP Inc., both Harrisburg, Pa., and New Orleans Times-Picayune , but reports on their activity are still lacking. While it is difficult to get data on who are receiving local CPA approvals to build, Washington gleans that numerous exceptions are being made to the $1,000minimum rule, depending on local conditions. Last week KOMO, Seattle, holder of CP for FM, got approval for §500,000 building for its AM-FM-TV projects. Best advice to proposed builders still is to try secure dispensations from district CPA offices ; complete addresses of 71 such offices now available from Washington CPA headquarters in Release No. 329. While you're at it, ask also for Supplement No. 2 to VHP-1 which explains what is meant by "beginning construction" and may be valuable to broadcasters finding it difficult to decide whether their installations v/ere begun before or after March 26 issuance of VHP-1. MAHY AMs IGHOBE FM: Our records show that only 32 out of the 198 outstanding CP holders for new AM stations have also applied for FM ; also that about 375 AM licensees have not yet applied for FM. The latter are largely in thinly populated western areas, where operators don't think they need FM because ground conductivity of their AM signals is generally quite good. Thus no AM operators in Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota or South Dakota have applied for FM, none also among the 15 in Alaska, Hawaii or Porto Rico. Latest list of FM applicants (Supplement No. 14K herewith ) discloses 13 c-ili-etidy operating AM and 11 newcoiaers. Among new applicants are Larus & Brothers (WRVA) foi Richmond and Norfolk; the Oklahoma City Oklahoman interests, along with Gov. Kerr of that state, for Peoria, 111.