Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

riL’VISED fm ASSlGHI^SJiTS: When FCC put out its first FM channel allocation plan back in December, it emphasized the assignments wera only tentative and the plan would be revised from time to time. This week the first revised plan v/as issued ;( Supplement No. 45, herewith) which adds a net of 55 channels to original allocations. It adds additional channels, where possible, to cities where demand exceeded first allocations; subtracts channels in cities where assignments were overabundant. Area II got all but a few of the additional channels. Should demand warrant, FCC indicated additional channels ai*e available in all but crowded metropolitan areas (such as Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Ft. W’orth, Dallas). In Area I, some of the larger cities (Washington, Philadelphia, Worcester, New Haven, Hartford, among others) lost a channel or two, but deleted channels in most cases went to "satellite" communities. In other cases (Baltim.ore and Annapolis, Md., for example, or Chicago and Hammond, Ind.) satellite cities were incorporated into major city’s metropolitan area. 'Over-all, 78 new channels were added, mostly to medivim size cities, while 23 channels were taken away from other metropolitan areas. (Full list of cities gaining or losing channels are reported in Supplement No. 43). Further revisions of the channel allocation plan can be expected, for the new plan is carefully labeled tentative. This will be especially true when the more than 300 new AMs, nov/ only CP holders, get on the air. The Commission did not take new AM stations into account when revising the^ newly issued FM channel assignment outline, which is still broadly based on assigning at least 50% more FM channels than there ara AM stations in a given community. Commission staffers indicate it is their hope to continue this ratio as closely as possible. THS PHILADELPHIA ST0EY; Two, sudden dropouts leave 6 applicants asking for 4 available FM channels in Philadelphia hearing starting there Monday before FCC ExaminerCounsel team of Charles Hubert and A1 Hall. City has 5 pre-war stations, 1 pre-war CP outstanding. Bowing out were Amalgamated Broadcasting System Inc. (Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union), though it has large membership there, and Percy B. Crawford, conductor of Young People's Church of the Air. Dropout by union, which holds conditional for Rochester, N.Y. , and is applicant in New York and Chicago, is seen by some as attempt to strengthen New York case. Novel sidelight of hearing will be testimony of Patrick Stanton, v.p. and manager, but not stockholder, of WDAS, and grantee of recent AM-CP in his own right. He'll serve as principal v/itness for WDAS, reveal his forthcoming resignation, turn around and serve as star witness supporting his own FM application. Another WDAS protege will offer competition to the parent Station; Charles Stahl, former commercial manager of WDAS, is substantial stockholder in Crescent Broadcasting Corp. Philadelphia hearing is first of new fall calendar (Supplement No. 42). GRAFTS CAfl'T BE STOPPED : FCC's current open-handed policy in granting CPs for new am stations (more than 300 now outstanding) has many broadcasters disturbed — but NAB tells them nothing can be done about it under Supreme Court ruling prohibiting Commission from considering economic injury to existing stations. Moreover, reasons NAB board, to give FCC that authority would acquiesce in its right to regulate business side of broadcasting, which industry violently resists. So unless Congress does something about curbing AM grants (altogether unlikely) , it looks like real survival of fittest fight ahead on AM wavelengths, with FM complicating audience-division problem still further. NAB policy was enunciated in letter Friday to perturbed owner of KGFL, lone little local in Roswell, N.M. (pop. 13,443), where 2 more stations are sought and may be granted if FCC continues policy of wholesale grants. Complainant intends to carry protest to NAB convention next month, his plea meanwhile evidencing deep concern of broadcasters in many cities where new stations ai’e being added. Existing I owners claim community can't support so many new outlets, hence they are neither in public interest nor a necessity.