Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

(Hampshire), by some 25 dealers in metropolitan areas within range of New York's TV stations. Advertising campaign continues through month, first ads appearing Friday in World-Telegram, Sun and Newark News, Sunday in Times and Herald-Tribune. Hopes for large-scale deliveries are dim, production being hampered by cabinet shortage and now by coal strike. Despite bid for Xmas trade and apparently good cream market, it's questionable whether as many as 1,000 sets will be delivered by year's end. As for other markets, DuMont isn't ready for them yet, though it will Soon have some sample sets in hands of a few dealers in other cities. Entry into low-price field awaits well into 1947, or until carriage trade is plucked. ^ ^ Not so well-heeled as RCA, (whose line is described in Vol. 2, No. 44), nor quite so promotion-wise as DuMont, but concentrating in the lov/er price range, is Viewtone. Only model it now makes is called the "Adventurer," a TV-AM console with 7-inch tube (giving picture about 5x6). Set is v/ired to receive only 3 stations, maximum now operating in any city (New York), but provision is made for 6 channels and these can be added as ordered. It sells for $279.95, plus $45 installation charge, $30 for addition of circuits. Farnsworth's forthcoming set also is reported to be 6-channel affair, with .circuits tuned for individual city reception. GBAIITS, FEW HEABII'SSS: FCC is now converting FA*! conditionals into CPs, applications into conditionals, considerably faster than new applications are being filed. New requests are being received only in driblets, despite fact Chairman Denny urged AM recalcitrants to get on FM band-wagon during recent NAB convention (Vol, 2, No. 43). This \veek Commission announced 25 CPs, 11 conditionals (Supplement No. 44-H herewith), making totals 397 CPs, 210 conditionals. Commission Friday released new hearing schedule for broadcast applications, mostly AM, Starting Jan. 6, 1947, it fixes times and places for 116 hearings involving 206 applications. Comparative FM hearings in only 5 cities v/here there are more applicants than channels have been ordered as follows: Baltimore, Feb. 3; Springf ield-Chicopee, Mass., Feb. 5; San Diego, Feb. 6; Charlotte, March 5; Atlanta, April 7. A few other individual FM hearings are ordered for such other reasons as overlap, AM renewals, etc. You can get full hearing schedule from FCC by asking for Public Notice 1408. mXT 055 TV BUILD'O?: Next big promotion planned for TV will be televising of opening of 80th Congress in January, with NBC camera crew doing pickup and feeding into coaxial to Philadelphia and New York stations. As it did with prizefighting and football, NBC will doubtless continue cooperating with DuMont's Washington outlet (now WTTG) for local telecasts. Receiving sets will be placed in Capitol, in Senate k and House office buildings. National Press Club, etc. for group viewing. In addition to fev/ dozen private sets now in use in capital, Statler Hotel (like New York's M Pennsylvania and New Yorker) has purchased sets for guests. Three v/ere installed : in Veranda Room, one in manager's office, for recent Army-Navy game, more are ! , planned. Politicos, enthusiastic about TV after seeing Louis-Conn and other shov/s, i are talking already about availability of TV facilities dictating sites of presi i dential nominating conventions in 1943. City v/ithout TV, especially if not on I coaxial link v/ith other stations, may automatically find itself ruled out. j TV SIGHS UP KOBE SPCHTS : As J. V/alter Thompson agency, on behalf of Ford, casts an | eye on what baseball games it wants to sponsor on television next season, DuA<Iont this week signed exclusive rights to 77-game 1947 schedule of N.Y. Yankees. CBS • earlier had signed up Dodgers, and NBC's John Royal was reported in Los Angeles to make deal with President Stoneham for Giants. DuMont, in addition, signed up next season's 7 home games of N.Y. Yankee football club. Next big TV sportscasts will be basketball, and Chicago's V/BKB reports it has added Chicago Stags pro games to its schedule. Tactic of TV entrepreneurs seems to be: first get exclusive rights to sports (most popular thing on TV), then sponsors will follow as sets increase.