Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

ning to catch up, is now rendering decisions on AM hearings finished in April, wants to act chronologically on FM cases, too. Thus, Boston FM channels (8 seeking 7) would be parcelled out soon, were it not for fact Comr. Durr, who presided last April, is not expected back from Europe until Nov. 10. Period of gestation for Pittsburgh and Cleveland-Akron cases, which closed in May, would thus also appear to be about up, let alone June Chicago cases, July New York cases. (Not to foi'get May Los Angeles TV cases, June New York TV cases.) FM-CP grants are s^^eadily paring down backlog of conditionals, this week’s actions making totals 331 and 225, respectively (Supplement No. 44C herewith). FCC’s ultimate hope is to make CPs directly from applications, as in AM. Like Baltimore applicants (Vol. 2, No. 41), all 5 of Atlanta’s FM aspirants (for 3 channels) are anxious to avoid hearing (set for Atlanta Oct. 28) made necessary by channel scarcity and have dug up new chaimels, asked FCC to allocate them and make grants without hearing. Baltimore hearing, set for Oct. 21, has been continued without date. Of the unions, in strong for FM, first also applying for AM is UAW-CIO, which filed Monday for 250 watts daytime on 680 kc in Detroit. Philadelphia’s WCAU and WCAU-FM passed into hands of Philadelphia Record interests this week, FCC approving $6,000,000 deal (Vol. 2, No. 19) , with Comr. Walker alone voting against. Mounting AM grants (18 more this v/eek, 19 last, making more than 400 outstanding) is leading to inevitable merger of some grantees. This happened recently in Mayfield, Ky., was authorized Friday in. Pocatello, Idaho. In both towns, 2 of 3 CP holders joined interests. r0H£ FP;ls OM THE fl3H: Eighty-eight stations are now giving FM service. These include the prewar licensees and the pcst-war STAs. As w'e’ve said before (Vol. 2, No. 35), the figures on FM station growth that mean the most are not the number of CPs granted (331, so far) or even the number of CPs actually mailed (about 160, to date) but the number of new stations going on the air under STAs (special temporary authority) permitting broadcasting with less than full facilities. Forty-two post-war CP holders and conditional grantees have been authorized to go on the air, 15 of them just since Sept. 28. A few of the 42. however, have lapsed. Accelerating requests for, and grants of, STAs reflect growing availability of transmitters and associated equipment. A.dd to the 27 indicated in Supplement No. 44, the following newly issued STAs: KPOR, Riverside, Cal.; WKAT-FM, Miami Beach; WFJS. Freeport, 111.; WPICU-FM, Ithaca, N. Y.; WSYR-FM, Syracuse; WIBX-FM, Utica; KPRA, Portland Ore.; WSPA-FM, Spartanburg, S. C.; WTJS-FM/ Jackson, Tenn.; KERA, Dallas; KYFM, San Antonio; WSAP-FM, Portsmouth, Va.; KANY, Sacramento; ' KTOK-FM, Oklahoma City; KTHT-FM, Houston. BUSINESS: First RMA reports on transmitter equipment sales come a bit belatedly, covering the early — and lean — months of 1946 (January through June). Hereafter, however, quarterly reports will he forthcoming. Like RMA’s monthly receiver productio)’ statistics, these will be audited by independent accountants, who compile over-all totals while keeping individual figures confidential. FM transmitter orders during the period amounted to $1,931,446; TV, $1,176,022; AM, $4,565,850. Month’s actual billings, however, were: FM, $128,815; TV, $140,300; AM, $4.53,303. Orders for AM-FM studio equipment were $2,114,610; TV, $165,000. Billings for AM-FM equipment totaled $4.52,343, no figures being reported for TV. Reporting companies were: Collins, GE, RCA, REL, WE, Westinghouse, Raytheon. RULE THE ROOST: IJke it or not, the fact remains that AMers dominate FM better than 3 to 1. AM licensees, CP holders and applicants account for 76.7% of all FM licensees, CP holders and applicants. That was as of Oct. 5. Since then, the FCC has granted more AMs and FMs, received more applications, but the proportions remain about the same and the conclusions still hold. Some of the figures tell us that: Of the 49 existing FM licensees (Supplement No. 32), 42 are AM licensees. Of the 302 holders of CPs for new FMs (Supplement No. 44, 44A), 221 are AM licensees. Of the 245 holders of conditional grants for FM (Supplements No. 44, 44A), 151 are AM licensees. Of the 358 applicants for FM stations (Supplements No. 14-A to 14-0), 144 are AM licensees. Despite the encouragement of FCC Commissioner Durr, the Senate Small Business Committee and other FM well-wishers, it would seem that their welcome to newcomers to enter radio via FM has not borne much fruit (less than 250 out of 954) Even among the holders of CPs for new AM stations (377), only 18 hold FM-CPs, only 24 hold conditionals, only 28 are applying for FM. Even among the applicants seeking AM (674) , only 29 hold CPs for FM, 24 conditionals, 51 applying for FM. There are the statistical facts, borne out by oiu own thorough records of FM and by several week: of painstaking compilation of AM data, which w< now have in our files for the inspection of our sub scribers. Inquiry as to trends reveals: That people seeking to get into radio want AM: first, though knowing they will eventually becom* obsolete in favor of FM, because FM receivers sim