Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

088118 CDBEL’s j(| AUTHORITATIVE NEWS SERVICE OF THE VISUAL BROADCASTING AND FREQUENCY MODULATION ARTS AND INDUSTRY mum WEEKLY BY jj um HEWS B88AU, 1019 SQ^CTiCliT &VL JLW, MlSaiOS 5, D.S. TELEPHONE mSM 2029 • VOL 3, NO. 12 March 22, 3.947 NUCLEUS OF FM NETWORK? First land-line hookup of FM stations, set up to carry 1%hour concert Wednesday nights by Army Air Forces Band from Washington, starts March 26 with 3 pioneer FMers taking part. They emphasise they're not trying to start a commercial network, say they're doing it largely to refuta criticisms of poor FM programs (Vol. 3, Wo. 10). Comprising the setup (Continental Network, they call it) are WASH-FM, Washington (Dillard) ; WITH-FM, Baltimore (Tinsley) ; W2XMN, Alpine, N.J. (Armstrong). They are shelling out some Si ,800 in line charges for series to run until May 7. They wanted more than 8,000 cycles, of course — 15,000 cps. if they could get it. But terminal equipment to achieve 15,000 won't be available until next year, AT&T told them. However, AT&T says 8,000 is now generally available. Thus, shown hookup can work, other FMers may ask to plug in; it would be simple and and not very expensive matter to add New York, Philadelphia, Schenectady, Utica, Harrisburg, Allentown, Winchester, etc. FD1 AND TV SET PRODOCTION UP: Trend is still upward, at slow but steady pace, in both FM and TV production. February short month, according to RMA auditors, showed total of 55,594 AM-FM receivers, highest to date (previous record: January, 51,318; overall 1946 total, 181,485; pre-war total, 395,000). Out of February total, table models numbered 7,968; consoles, 45,626. Interesting item in RMA report: Table models included what should prove to be popular package — 768 AM-FMs with record player, produced by unnamed private brand manufacturer. February TV set production was 6,243 plus 10 converters (compared to 5,437 in January, 6,476 during whole of 1946, estimated 10,000 pre-war). February count included 5,362 table models, 786 direct-view consoles, 95 projection consoles. Total radio set production for February was 1,379,966, down from 1,564,171 January total, with consoles climbing to about 11%. This week RMA Excise Committee appealed to FMers to support industry move to get 10% excise tax on radios removed or reduced. Said Sonora's Joe Gerl, chairman: "Excise tax, combined with production difficulties, has worked to hold FM set prices high. Removal of tax should be a boon to FM broadcasters as well as AM stations." MEANING OF COLOR TV EDfST: Those who gambled on status quo in TV, obtained licenses or CPs, tooled up for low-band receiver production, were vindicated by FCC's decission Tuesday (full text in Supplement No. 49 herewith). Rejected flatly, finally and unanimously was CBS's hotly contested petition for commercialization of the uhf for Dr. Peter Goldmark's system of color TV. So, officially, the brakes are off; the excuse most often given for holding back — threat of overnight obsolescence — is removed. TV's 13 low-band channels for black-and-white transmission and reception are safe, it would seem, from abandonment or radical upheaval for the next half dozen years, at least. That's the essential meaning of the decision — clear sailing now for monochrome. It remains to be seen whether those who pulled out to await color will rejoin the blue chip game that is TV. As things stand now (Supplement No. 18-B) , Copyright 1947 by Radio News Bureau