Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

$SCfl MILLISil BUSSI^ESS: Official FCC accounting figures for 1945, released Friday, put American broadcasting revenues at $299,338,133, income' befora Federal taxes at $83,584,288. Revenue figure compares with $289,104,643 in 1944. As FCC's account-, ing dept, breaks down the 1945 figures for 4 nation-wide networks, 6 regional netv/orks, 901 standard stations, they took in this much money: networks (including 10 key stations of nation-wide networks), $86,994,253; 18 other managed and operated stations (national and regional networks), $14,004,265; 873 other commercial stations, $198,339,614. All but a handful of stations made money, says accounting dept.,’ in issuing its annual statistical tabulations for last year. GFilB TEL&SMTS CLICK: Overheard on leaving NBC's Washington studios, after viewing first-rate telecast of Penn-Cornell game Thursday (Atlantic Gas, sponsor): "Boy, oh boy, that's the way to watch a football game I" Buddies of the young veteran, one of the contingent from Walter Reed Hospital, nodded or grunted their agreement. Throughout the shov/, they had sat as enthralled and excited as if they were in the grandstand. In fact, most eagerly sought tickets in capital today are to grid game telecasts, which NBC is taking off the coaxial pending completion (probably in Feb. or March) of its own station, nov; being constructed in Wardman Park Hotel. This Saturday, it is accommodating 250 guests, including ranking military and nev/smen, at Army-Navy game (Goodyear, sponsor), using 9 receivers. As merchandising tie-in, in New York and Philadelphia, RCA issued simulated stadium tickets "reserving" seat for recipient in dealer viewing rooms. SLOW WEiK FOR TE: Lean meat of Thanksgiving week was FM, FCC granting only one conditional — a Class A to Brookl^m Broadcasting Service Inc., New Rochelle, N.Y. (Supplement 14-L) , which v/as disappointed by FCC ruling some time back that no Class A's were permissible in Brooklyn. (Grant will be included in next Supplement.) UAW-CIO, FM conditional holder in Detroit, ran into competition when it applied for AM there. In hearing Monday, with 3 others applying for same facilities (680 kc, 250 w, daytime), union heard charges by competitor that UAW's charter didn't specifically permit engaging in broadcasting business and that it didn't have enough funds to start station. Union asserted that charter was broad enough to cover broadcasting, that it had enough money and could get more by membership assessment. It's also seeking FMs in Cleveland, Flint, Chicago, Newark. Meanwhile, it appeared FM Legal Section of FCC, without chief since Charles Hubert was named New York office head, might get genial, able Sam Miller back. Possibility is that Miller, now bossing Hearing Section, may take on old FM .job in addition, now that Hearing Section work load is due to decrease as new Administrative Procedures Act is implemented. In interim, FCC's trio of FM attorneys — Hall, Mallyck, Stevens — continue competent job of processing applications.’ Score so far this year: 709 processed, 198 pending. 'PH0TO7IS20S<' BY DaMSHT: This is the significance claimed for DuMont's "Photovision" for TV relays, as disclosed Wednesday by its youthful research chief. Dr. Thomas T. Goldsmith, before exceptionally large turnout (over 400) of Washington members of American Institute of Electrical Engineers: (1) Using light frequencies for transmission, it takes advantage of plentitude of channels in light spectrum, thus overcoming Scarcities in radio frequencies. (2) Cost of relays can be cut to fraction of coaxial cable cost. Goldsmith estimated New York-Washington link, with relays every 5 miles, would cost only about $30,000. (3) For studio-transmitter links (STLs) where distances are Short, system could be utilized to beam video from remote point to telecast transmitter, or from central transmitter to theatres for large-screen showings. (4) It eliminates ghosts, due to sharply defined beam, and maintains resolution of picture. Goldsmith said coaxial pictures lose 40,% of definition. (5) It cein be used for color. These are potentials of "Photovision." Drawback, admitted by Goldsmith, is that system won't work in fog, though he added this is being overcome. Demonstration took place over 10-foot space. Five-mile demonstration, with both video and