Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

y HOW TO FOOT TV Bill: Zenith’s pioneer radioman Gene McDonald may be firmly convinced that the TV-now advocates are “televisionaries,” that advertising can never be made to pay the TV bill, that some form of wired radio by transcription is the answer — but not so Paul E. Chamberlain, GE’s manager of receiver sales. Even as McDonald was reiterating his doubts in the Oct. 14 Broadcasting, repeating what he wrote in the June 29 Colliers (Vol. 2, No. 25), Chamberlain was taking diametrically opposite viewpoints in the Oct. 11 Printers Ink — asserting that “television is here now,” that within two years there m.ay be 90 to 100 TV stations, within five years 150, within 10 or 15 years 500. Chamberlain firmly believes advertising will pay the bill — and for expensive programs, too. He omits even to m.ention the coaxial (cost too high?), goes into some length about microwave relays which he believes will make networks feasible, and hence justify expensive sponsored programs with mass audience and potent pulling power. Even with only New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Schenectady and Los Angeles covered, as now, and with three more stations which he says will begin operation within a few months (presumably in Detroit and Washington), Chamberlain says that together they will reach a potential audience of 25,000,000, or more than one-sixth our population, when receivers become available. On the subject on which he should be particularly expert— when TV receivers will be available in quantity — he ventures nothing. C^HCULAH P01AI?IZATS0?*3: Known to be getting unusually favorable consideration from FCC’s usually hard-to-convince engineers are recommendations on rotating, or circular, polarization for EM (Vol. 2, No. 9). System would add to complexities of transmitting, antennas but, it is claimed, would relieve to great extent the frequently irksome receiver antenna problem. Recommendations come in a report from Carl E. Smith, engineering v.p. of Cleveland Plain Dealers United Broadcasting Co. (WHK, WHKC, etc.) who has been experimenting with the system on developmental EM station W8XUB, Cleveland, since early spring. If they are adopted, it means amendments to EM Engineering Standards (Supplement No. 9) to permit circular polarization in addition to present horizontal. So far as TV is concerned, system is said to raise additional problems which might overbalance the advantages. Net effect of system is this: since both horizontal and vertical waves will be transmitted, receiver antenna, regardless where situated, is virtually certain to get satisfactory signal from one wave or the other. As situation is now (with horizontal polarization), antenna frequently has to be joc keyed around considerably — and even then, maximum signal from all stations in area cannot be obtained. Principal disadvantages are: cost of adding vertical component to transmitting antenna and probable need for more power, since power is divided between components. Smith says he has limited number of copies of his report for those interested; write to him at WHK, Terminal Tower, Cleveland. SIGHT AfID SOUND; What may be the answer to the FM converter impasse — and also answer to statements there are no good converters selling for less than $50 — is reported by Waterproof Electrical Co., Burbank, Cal. Company says it is manufacturing converters in triplet form (Type A, 88-96 me; Type B, 96-104 me; Type C, 100-108 me), any one of which could be used in particular cities. Units will retail for $15 .... Peoples Broadcasting Corp., farmers’ cooperative holding an AM-CP for Worthington, O. (WEED), this week applied for rural FM to cover virtually all of Ohio from site just north of Columbus. Its engineers say 629-ft. height and 340-kw power should give almost exact equivalent of 880 kc, 5 kw, daytime AM coverage .... Insiders discerned the fine hand of Paul Kesten, now back in New York, and still close to CBS operation, in literary quality of Chairman Paley’s Chicago speech; inquiry disclosed Kesten and others did advise on it, though speech was actually Paley’s own when he finished — ^putting best foot forward for first major utterance since leaving Army .... Retailing at about $25 (mounting extra) is new multi-fingered, broadband, TV-FM receiving antenna just brought out by Andrew Co., Chicago, which estimates on-market date as before Christmas .... FCC, hard up for AM engineers, is broadcasting urgent appeal for men with EE degrees plus 2 or more years non-operating broadcasting engineering experience or the equivalent. Pay: $4,150-$5,905. TV and FM divisions are adequately staffed; in fact, some men have been drafted from them for AM .... When WGAY-FM, Silver Spring, Md., goes on air late this year or early next, FCC Comr. Jett will have a chance to check his predictions of metropolitan coverage from a suburban Class A station. Mr. Jett used this Washington, D. C., suburb as an example in his article in March issue of FM Business . . . Promotion-wise WSYR-FM had dropped plan to get FM sets into Syracuse through purchase of 5,000 from private manufacturers, after dealers refused to handle marketing because of fear regular suppliers might not like proposition. However, dealers told Manager Lansing B. Lindquist that big manufacturers promise them FM sets in quantity soon . . . Harold B. Donley, Westinghouse manager of Home Receiver Division, Sunbury, Pa., is iqcovering nicely at Mansfield (O.) Hospital from serious injuries suffered in an auto accident.