Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

MO TV ON AGENDA: Conspicuous by its absence from the crowded agenda of the NAB convention in Chicago Monday to Thursday, Oct. 2124, is the subject of Television. Unless TV is mentioned incidentally — as it may be in Tuesday’s talk by FCC Commissioner E. K. Jett or Wednesday’s talk by FCC Acting Chairman Charles R. Denny — it is slated to have no part in the topical discussions. There will be exhibits pertaining to TV, and RCA will televise open sessions in the Palmer House so that those in the exhibition hall and in other places may view the proceedings. But otherwise nothing is scheduled relating to the subject itself. One reason for eschewing TV is that NAB necessarily can take no sides in the color vs. monochrome controversy. Another is that last week’s TBA conference and exhibits told the TV story adequately enough. Moreover, relatively few broadcasters are in TV, or at present intend to go into it (Supplements No. 18, 18A). Big subject of convention’s general session will be “freedom” issue on which NAB President Justin Miller has lashed out so vehemently (Vol. 2, No. 41) , and probably will again in his keynote address Tuesday. It’s unlikely that Denny will undertake to reply directly to Miller, but there is no secret that FCC members are burned up about implications of Miller’s series of attacks on Blue Book, etc., and Denny can hardly ignore them entirely. Indeed, ' Commission hierarchy insist they have information that Miller tack does not have support of all NAB boardmen, not to mention rank and file members. How intent NAB management is on freedom issue, is manifested by scheduling of a panel discussion at Wednesday evening session, “Do We JCave Freedom of Speech in the United States?” With MBS President Edgar Kobak as moderator, panelmen will be Byron Price, v.p. of the Motion Picture Assn, of America; Jack Knight, president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors; A. D. Willard Jr., NAB executive v.p. Panel is particularly significant in that Miller has repeatedly put newspapers and movies in same boat with broadcasters so far as danger from encroachment by government is concerned. TELEVISION NOTES: Detroit News, now installing DuMont equipment, is racing to be first post-war commercial TV licensee, has scheduled opening for about Dec. 15 (which probably means sometime in January), already has contracts for time (at $250 per hour) from big J. L. Hudson Co. dept, store and from Campbell-Ewald agency, v/hich bought time on its own but handles TV-interested Chevrolet accormt . . . Desiring to get some distinguishing television indication into their TV call letters, CP holders Detroit News and St. Louis PostDispatch got their calls changed — from WECP to WWDT and KCBG to Kir.D-TV, respectively. Ad ditional recent call assignments are: WPEN-TV, Philadelphia; WCTN-TV, Minneapolis. Note these in Supplement No. 18A . . . RCA is recommending its field camera equipment ($29,000) for studio as well as remote use, has delivered quite a few orders to non-TV licensees or CP holders, using them for demonstration purposes . . . DuMont remote equipment ($28,000) is in production. DuMont has ceased iconoscope production and is preparing othicons ... Farnsworth’s so-called “window” TV receiver, a demonstration model with transparent Incite cabinet that permitted seeing its inner workings, was cynosure of TBA exhibit, and New York Times has asked to display it in Times Square windows. Set is only I4I/2” wide, 17” high in front tapering to 11” high at back, 20” deep, contains 22 tubes, has 10” direct viewing tube. It will sell between $250 and $300 in both wooden and metal cabinets . . . FCC has waived its 28-hours-per-week TV Rule 3.661(a) imtii December 31, 1946, on plea of TBA. SIGHT AND SOUND: Looks like OPA price con trols on receivers, components and tubes are on the way out, in light of new administration policy. Elated OPA radio set advisory committee, meeting V/ednesday, decided to petition for decontrol by Nov. 1, supported only by spot checks proving supply exceeds demand; OPA advisors suggested matter be handled informally, without the usual mountain of documents . . . Consumers Union subscribers got report on FM radios this week, were told Zenith AM-FM-phonograph console (Model No. 12H090) and Stromberg-Carlson AM-FM console (No. 1121-W) were “acceptable.” Report lauds FM, says to get full advantage consumer must buy high-quality receiver, not merely the firet set with FM he may find. As to TV, it says don’t buy until better black-and-white sets reach market; opines color may obsolete low-band receivers in few years ... In Washington to discuss matters with his lawyers and engineers, C. r*Ierwin Dohyns, owner of KGER, Long Beach, Cal and head of a big shoe distributing firm there, died in his hotel room Tuesday, apparently of heart failure; his wife, prominent in California educational circles, presumably will carry on the business, including participation in Nov. 18 FM hearing . . . Although FCC reports “hundreds of letters” and lengthy testimony at hearings indicating educational instititions have extensive FM plans, figures show only 6 licensees, 20 CP-hclders, 20 applicants (with CP to Fordham U this week) — net gain of 6 since we issued educational FM log (Supplement No. 32, Part HI) March 16. State legislatures don’t match educators' enthusiasm with appropriations . . . Gates Radio received tentative FCC approval this week for its 250-w FM transmitter (No. BF-250A), joining other manufacturers who have thus far gotten approvals (Vol. 2, No. 35).