Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

vertising (Don’t Buy a New Radio Without FM), told dealers they would be stuck with 12 million sets (mostly AM) produced this year. He decried today’s “profitless prosperity,” warned dealers to watch inventories. RMA is now engaged in drive to free radio industry from OPA price controls on ground that current production is well ahead of pre-war. August figures bear this out, setting new record of 1,442,757 sets— about 400,000 ahead of July. Consoles rose to 101,744 units compared to 71,500 in July. Only 3 TV sets were reported, though figure is regarded misleading since production lines are known to be under way for fall output to meet demands in cities where TV service is available. TELEVISIOH HOTES: The Louis-Mauriello prizefight may have been fiasco from the sporting viewpoint —but not so the telecast. It went off just as well as momentous Louis-Conn affair, indeed was better handled with 2 Image Orthicons than with the 5 cameras used on Louis-Conn. Gillette again sponsored, with vastly improved commercials, both visual and aural Washington bigwigs watched fight in NBC studios as received via coaxial, again asked “When can we buy sets?” NBC’s Washington TV manager Carleton Smith announced station in Wardman Park Hotel (to be called WNBW) will be on air about Jan. 1, meanwhile extended invitations to WRC studios for regular viewings of New' York shows, piped to capital on coaxial, the first “invitation affair” being Friday’s New YorkGreen Bay pro football game .... John Donnelly & Sons, New England outdoor advertising firm with headquarters at 3134 Washington St., Boston, is reported planning so-called “dynamic billboards” carrying images received via TV, presumably blown up to sizes not yet accomplished very successfully in TV; got idea from success of drive-in open air movies in Boston area, is talking about a series of such “panels” along Worcester Turnpike .... Television Productions Inc. (Paramount) dropped its old New York-Los Angeles TV relay plans when it withdrew applications for 16 relay stations in 8 cities .... DuMont is all set to put new transmitters and antenna up for WABD, New York, has asked FCC for okay to install 5 kw visual and 2.5 kw aural transmitters with antenna 640 ft. above average terrain .... Bamberger (WOR) has asked FCC for extension of commencement and completion dates for construction of projected Washington TV station (V/WBR). Reason is lack of building materials .... A mortgage loan for $350,000 has been obtained by Television Center Inc. from Berkshire Life Insurance Co. on two buildings in New York’s Bronx (old Biograph studios), which now house Pathe research and production but are expected to be turned into TV facilities (Vol. 2, No. 34). SIGHT MB SOUND: It’s our guess— but a guess only, for he refuses to confirm the rash of speculative stories — that OPA Administrator Paul Porter is putting bee on Democratic Chairman Hannegan (Porter also saw President Truman Friday) to take him off the OPA hot spot, return him to the FCC chairmanship. Meanwhile, the vacancy remains, with Denny still “acting chairman” while Porter, ever popular with newspaper reporters, is being “mentioned” as possible successor to Henry Wallace as Secretary of Commerce .... RMA and NAB officials met in New York Thursday, picked week of Nov. 24-30 for National Radio Week. Advertising committee of bot’n organizations, plus representatives of furniture, music and department store field, meet soon to draw up promotion campaign .... Both N. Y. Times’ WQXQ and Bamberger’s WBAM wall be on air with regular facsimile programming shortly after first of year. Radio Inventions Inc.’s John V. L. Hogan told members of New York Advertising Club Wednesday. His fax demonstration intrigued ad men with advertising potentials .... Full 60-day period having elapsed, with advertising for bids bringing no rival offers, $6,000,000 deal for transfer of WCAU and WCAUFM to Philadelphia Record interests (Vol. 2, No. 19) is due to get FCC nod any day now; newspaper has big plans for mutual promotion the instant shift is approved .... OPA this week approved adjustable pricing formula for shipment of radio receiver tubes to equipment manufacturers; tube makers will be permitted to deliver tubes but can bill buyers after OPA comes out with new iDrice increases. Buyers, however, are assured that costs will not be more than 12% above present levels, even should pricing agency grant higher price .... Philip M. Baker, Washington radio attorney associated with Andrew G. Haley, on Oct. 1 opens his own offices at 1101 Earle Bldg L. L. Thompson has resigned as engineering chief, operations manager of Ira Hirschmann’s FM independent, WABF, New York .... FCC announced Friday proposed rules governing medical diathermy and industrial hearing equipment, essence of which is to control frequency emanations which cause dismaying amount of interference to broadcast reception (both FM and AM, as well as TV). Oral argument is scheduled for Nov. 6, with briefs for or against proposals accepted by FCC up to Oct. 25 ... . Manufacturer of those telescopic Geiger-Muller counters, used by cosmic ray physicists in warhead of German V-2 rocket, boosted July 30 to 100-mile altitude, was Wilmotte Mfg. Co. (Raymond M. Wilmette, who with associate Paul deMars is consulting radio engineer in Washmgton). Announcement of upper atmosphere findings was made Thursday before American Physical Society in New York.