Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

TV Gil THE miF GETS HilSGE: Within only few weeks after FCC received their applications (Vol. 2, No. 33), Don Lee and Bendix received CPs for experimental uhf color TV. Grants Thursday went also to tv/o other TV experimenters whose plans were previously reported: Continental Television Corp., Boston (Vol. 2, No. 34) ; RCA, two mobile relays (Vol. 2, No. 30); and to Cone-stoga Television Corp., Lancaster, Pa. Last named is really a club of engineers at RCA Lancaster plant v/ho v/ant to get Philco's WPTZ programs locally. Headed by Philip A. Richards, group plans to place station on hill near Lancaster, rebroadcast WPTZ signals locally on 600 me, as picked up from Philadelphia. They'd rather use low band, but no channel is available for such purpose, so they're building or adapting receivers for uhf. Belated mailings this v/eek of 3 more actual CPs for new low-band TV stations brought to 10 number who have actually received permits (Vol. 2, No. 35). With CPs went call letter designations, as requested: KSTP-TV, St. Paul; KDYL-TV, Salt Lake City; KCPR, Chronicle Publishing Co., San Francisco. CPs are to be sent as fast as possible, but 18 other TV grantees must yet get their "papers from Washington." TV-FM DSCISIS2!S DIJII; So jammed are FCC's quarters that personnel working on TV and FM cases, besides being cro'wded as many as 6 to an office, have overflov;ed into the law library, where they don't even have desks. This lack of physical accommiodations for middle and lower echelons of staff partially accounts for slow action on many pending cases — notably on hearings held as far back as early April (Boston FM) . Nevertheless, though this first week after end of summer vacations brought no more CPs for either FA! or TV, only 10 new conditionals for FM (Supplement No. 41D herewith) , speedup all along the line may now be expected. Promised before month ends is Boston FM decision, to be followed by decisions in other FM hearing cases possibly in order of their calendar (Special Report, March 16, 1946). Big New York Fji competition (18 seeking 5 available channels) will be completed with hearing in Washington Sept. 23 on engineering and race bias complaints against applicant New York News. Expected within month also are decisions on New York TV hearings which ■started in May (6 ^seeking 4 channels) and on Los Angeles hearings of June (8 for 7). IFE’IB 1^2 LISU 0? IIAB? Plumping strongly for a separate Association of Inde pendent FM Broadcasters (IFMB), with voting membership limited to FM independents but with AMers and manufacturers admitted on a non-voting basis, is Alilton Sleeper in August issue of his magazine, "FM and Television." Idea is opposed in statement by FMBI President Walter Damm (WTMJ-FM) , but suppoi-ted by independents I. A. Hirsclimann (WABF, New York), George A. Mayoral (WRCM, New Orleans), Capt. W. G. H. Finch (WGHF, New York). On the other hand. Manufacturer Arthur Freed calls for new association open to all "v/hose exclusive purpose would be the active support of all needed regulations and publicity which would accelerate the widspread broadcasting of FM programs." Some definite attitude should be forthcoming from next Tuesday's meeting of FMers at Maj . Armstrong's home in New York's swank River House. Invitations over the signature of FM's inventor have gone to leading independents, including Leonard Copyright 1946 by Radio News Bureau