Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

EKPEBIMENTAL-AUXIUA?*! P.15LES: New Part 4 of FCC Rules and Regulations Governing Experimental and Auxiliary Broadcast Services, issued this week, amounts to little » more than a tightened up residue' of old Part 4. As constituted now. Part 4 codifies all rules pertaining to experimental TV, facsimile, developmental ,_ remote pickup, ST. Formerly in Part 4, but now in Part 3 as independent, regular services are commercial FM and TV rules (published by us as Supplements No. 7 and 17, with amendments), non-commercial educational FM, international broadcasting. Nev/ Part 4 v/ill be printed eventually by Government Printing Office ; until then, you can ask FCC for mimeograph copy (Public Notice 97659), or v/e will get it for you . KAJ. "Only exploratory” were discussions among group meeting in Maj . Armstrong's N.Y. apartment Tuesday, v/ho focused their attention primarily on how to promote FM rather than on FMBI problem (Vol. 2, No. 36). Consensus was FM's future depends on how fast stations get on air (with full powers) and how soon sets reach market (manufacturers reports optimistic). Said Maj. Armstrong, correcting possible'misapprehensions arising out of our story last week: "No invitation was issued by me for any meeting for any purpose. Mr. Leonard Asch (WCBA) gathered together a group of FM pioneers who met at my home for the purpose of discussing some of FM's problems. The principal topic of discussion was how to meet the new series of attacks that are being directed at FM, now that it is emerging from the near chaos caused by the shift in frequencies." 1 KlISQBDINS MOTES: Loew's Inc. , parent company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer , operating V/HN and WMGM (FM) , New York, and holder of CP for KMGM, Holly.vood, announced entry into phonograph record field this v;eek, using label "M-G-M Records," producing at former GE plant at Bloomfield, N.J. purchased from government for §1,000,000, using Zenith distributors; Frank Walker is general manager, C. Gordon Jones, chief recording engineer .... Technology Instrument Corp. , Waltham, Mass., reports a nev; noise suppressor that operates automatically on variable noise-to-signal basis (i.e., cuts off at low level when signal is low, high level when signal is high) ; FMers have been unhappy broadcasting high quality recordings strained through existing lov/pass filters which cut out background noises (needle scratching, etc.) by reducing the frequency range of the signal. .. .Ref erring to our story on German, magnetic recorder using plastic tape (Vol. 2, No. 31), S. J. Begun, Brush Development Co., Cleveland, tells us paper tape developed by his company is probably less expensive, as good, some ways better, than plastic. He also reports home recorders, using tape handling frequency range of 100-5000 cps, available "very soon." AHD SC3UHS: Same unnamed manufacturer who agreed to produce 20,000 table model AM-FM sets for International Ladies Garment Workers Union (Vol. 2, No. 30) is reported to have made commitment to Col. Harry Wilder (WSYR-FM, Syracuse, N.Y.) to deliver_7,500 sets to local dealers as result of his advertised plea. Deal won't cost Wilder cent; meanwhila he's plugging FM hard via AM. ...Philco denies it's even considering selling its pioneer TV outlet WPTZ, Philadelphia, to CBS, ABC or anyone else, as rumored; nor is big set maker contemplating production of uhf color TV receivers at instance of CBS, which Philco executive says v/ould be "foolish" unless and until FCC commercializes uhf, which in turn must await standards ... .Rivalled only by §5,000,000 Los Angeles Times TV-FM building project (Vol. 2, No. 13), Chicago Tribune's new structure will cost even more, current blueprints including multi-channel tower, vast studios and outdoor TV "theatre" or plaza to accommodate 40,000 persons. . . .N.Y. World-Telegram used Raytheon, mobile tv;o-way FM_equipment Thursday to link reporter with rewrite desk with flashy results, especially when slot man directed reporter to scene of fire and got story direct ; stunt got page 1 play with pictures, will be repeated Thursday with Boston Herald-Traveler.... Farnsworth gives October as date for appearance of its §250-§300 table model TV set v/ith x 8% screen, 22 tubes; TV-only console is next.... New Orleans TimesPicayune, holder of FM conditional, Friday v/as granted CP for new 1 kw 'daytime' station on 940 kc. . . . Westinghouse ' s KEX, Portland, Ore., only one of company's 6 AM stations without an FM adjunct, Friday was given power boost to 50 Iciv on 1190 kc....GE has just shipped its 50th Fli transmitter, all 250 watters, has orders cn ' hand Tor more than twice that many additional.