Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

changes in radio law and reforms in TCG regulation NAB will seek from new Congress — if it gets chance. Meanwhile, he and top staff have been continuing "love feasts" with FCC Chairman Denny and aides. Both are taking cooler legalistic stock of situation (and, like lawyers, are far from mutual agreement) ; Miller is using, less explosive verbiage in his criticisms ; and both seem to recognize all v/ill not be beer and skittles for either FCC or industry when and if they are called before Congressional committees. In a nutshell. Miller wants FCC powers limited largely to technical fields ; wants law to make plain broadcaster has same privilege to editorialize as newspapers ; wants property rights in spectrum (as with homesteaders in old days) to accrue to radio entrepreneurs who develop new spaces; wants automatic license renev/als, with FCC taking any complaints to Federal court rather than itself acting as both prosecutor and judge; denies "scarcity of wavelengths" theory, using FM and uhf as examples. These and his other proposals will inevitably arouse keen debate, academic and political, with new Republican regime by no means assuring any clearer sailing for industry proposals than prevailed during halcyon days of Hoover. SIGHT AND SOUND; Comr. Jett said “nothing to it” when queried on rumor in Leonard Lyons’ column, Dec. 19, that he had had “attractive offers from private industry which might lead to his resignation from FCC.” Lyons, who has been running spate of FCC items recently, also said Paul Goldsborough, TWA v.p. in charge of radio, is being boomed for FCC vacancy on plea aviation problems need representation. Goldsborough was unavailable for comment. FCC Chairman Denny said Dec. 21 that Mayflower decision (against editorializing on air)' “should not apply to facsimile” — topic of hot debate, particularly among newspaper FMers. Denny’s remark was in denial of statement by NAB attorney Bryce Rea Jr, (in Dec. 21 letter to Washington Post objecting to favorable editorial on Blue Book) that Denny had said Mayflower decision applies to FX. California got 7 more TV grants this week (see story this issue) at about same time FCC authorized Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. to construct coaxial between Marysville, Cal. and Portland, Ore. Bell System says cable should be ready by^ spring 1948, is part of Los Angeles-Seattle hookup projected for Coast link into transcontinental. Company as general rule expects to have cables available for TV when stations are built and ready for networks. TBA has asked FCC again to waive putting into effect 28-hours-per-week rule for TV broadcasters — this time to June 30. Plea is based on shortage of equipment, construction difficulties, Petrillo ban, lack of coaxial network links. This is third postponement requested. NAB’s Robert T. Bartley, who has been doubling in brass as head of its FM Dept, and as director of government relations, drops latter duties and confines himself henceforth solely to FM. Latter title had lobbying implications, might have required registering under new lobbyist law. Los Angeles Times, in for both TV and FM, has been forced to defer ambitious $5,000,000 Hollywood radio building pi'oject (Vol. 2, No. 13) due to building conditions; instead, according to its radio chief, R. A. Montfort, it will occupy smaller building at Pasadena Community Playhouse, where construction for TV wll start soon. Mrs. Andrew D. Ring, 41, wife of the Washington consulting engineer, died of cerebral hemorrhage Friday night at Bethesda (Md.) Hospital. ILGWU signed $300,000 contract Friday with Raymond M. Wilmotte Inc. (Paul A. deMars) to supply equipment as well as engineei'ing services for FM stations projected by union’s subsidiary. Unity Broadcasting Corp. — holding CP for Chattanooga, conditionals for St. Louis, LOs Angeles; applicant also for New York, Boston, Philadelphia. Three authorized stations will be built simultaneously, completion date planned next June. Experimental TV relay CP, granted KSD-TV last week, means St. Louis Post-Dispatch station probably will be first to get new RCA microwave TV relay system, maybe in .lanuary. RCA unit sells for $8,000 and consists of transmitter and receiver on 7,000 me. Transmitter operates at .1 watt, but 5,000 gain for antenna (4-ft parabolic reflector fed via waveguide from transmitter housed on rear of “dish”) gives output of 500 watts. War Assets Administration says it has millions of tubes for sale, some commercially useful immediately, others not designed for present commercial equipment but available in such numbers as to raise possibility of designing equipment around them. Inquiries should be addressed to: WAA, Office of Aircraft Disposal, Electronics Division, 425 Second St. N.W., Washington, D. C. Add radioddities: AP story Dec. 19 telling how Johns Hopkins chemistry professor. Dr. Donald H. Andrews, accidentally found that a pin-sized piece of columbium nitride, cooled to about —435 degrees, picked up and fed WBAL and other stations’ signals through speaker. Story quoted “unofficial” sources as saying discovery may have great value for long-distance communications, but not for home receivei’s, since elaborate refrigeration is needed. TV hypnotism experiment tried on its staff by BBC scared hell out of all hands. Because it woi'ked. AP story quotes BBC official as saying, “My goodness, think what would happen if everybody had a television set and a Hitler-sort of fellow started working on them alt!” Never again, said BBC. Paramount has ordered 2 RCA Image Orthicons for delivery to Television Pi'oductions’ V/GXYZ (TV experimental, which now goes commercial under FCC grant this week), and on their delivery shortly Director Klaus Landsberg plans to expand schedule to 6 nights weekly. Dixie B. McKey has purchased interest of Robert C. Shaw in Washington consulting engineering firm of McKey & Shaw, and is continuing business under his own name. Shaw’s plans have not been announced.