Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

there are 11 TV stations actually on the air (including Don Lee’s experimental V/SXAO in Los Angeles, St. Louis Post-Dispatch's KSD-TV, Detroit News' -WWDT); plus 49 CPs outstanding, 15 applications pending — including 5 for New York's 4 remaining channels. There are 7 companies now delivering TV receivers — DuMont, General Electric, RCA, St ev/art -Warner , Telicon, U.S. Television, Viewtone — and at least a score more with definite plans to produce TV sets this year (Vol. 3, No. 7). Such companies as Philco, Farnsworth and Emerson are due out with models any day now. And with the "color clouds" lifted, you can expect many more manufacturers to go into TV set production. Discreetly silent since decision came out, CBS may be expected to throw its energies now into black-and-white. It never did give up its low-band WCBS-TV ; indeed, has been developing that New York station all along — only recently signing Ford and General Foods to joint sponsorship of all Brooklyn Dodgers home games this season (Vol. 3, No. 9). At recent FCC hearing, CBS president Frank Stanton said his company has spent $2 million in developing color TV but added: "We are not prepared to expend further substantial corporate energies in this direction should the Commission rule adversely upon our petition." Presumably, CBS will now cast about for ways and means of extending its lowband operations to keep pace with competitors. Washington's 5 allotted channels are all Spoken for, as are Los Angeles' 7. But in other cities where CBS has AM stations (Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis) and in San Francisco channels are still available. It won't be surprising? if CBS undertakes to buy out or1 buy into one of the Washington or Hollywood stations in view of extreme importance of those key cities. FCC's report is largely the literary handiwork of Asst. Gen. Counsel Harry Plotkin, and an unusually well-written and lucid job for a Government document. Its thesis is pretty much that of the preponderant industry forces who opposed CBS at the hearings; it praises the CBS research effort, but says flatly that its color system "does not represent the optimum performance which may be expected of color television within a reasonable time." ANOTHER TV FOB BETBQ1T: Detroit's third TV grant (5 channels allocated) went Thursday to George B. Storer's Fort Industry Co., already holder of CP for video outlet in Toledo (Vol. 2, No. 49). Channel No. 2 (54-60 me) was assigned, with 14.26 kw visual, 7.51 kw aural’ power, 500 ft antenna; proposed studio-transmitter building is at northwest corner of Woodward & Kirby Sts., proposed expenditure on plant §229,000 exclusive of land and building. Earlier Detroit grantees were Detroit News, whose WWDT is now undergoing on-the-air tests with low power, and AJ3C which hasn't yet started to build its projected WDLT (Supplement NO. 18-B). Only other Detroit applicant is Paramount's United Detroit Theatres, awaiting clearing up of Paramount-DuMont situation (Vol. 3, No. 1). Of the mere 15 applications remaining, 5 are involved in New York case (4 to be chosen, probably next werek) ; one other should be granted shortly, that of Daily News Television Inc. for Philadelphia (Vol. 3, No. 9), thus filling up that city's quota of 4 channels. Besides Detroit grant, FCC formalized grant to DuMont's WABD, New York, off air for about 6 weeks, which returned with new equipment; it's now operating with 14.25 kw visual, 9.45 kw aural power, 640 ft antenna. "COMES THE REVOLUTION!" NAB integrates its executive setup, should function much more effectively with this week's appointments: Robert K. Richards, ex-Broadcast ing Magazine, to be director of public relations; Royal V. (Doc) Howard, ex-KSFO, San Francisco, director of engineering; Harold Fair, ex-WHO, Des Moines, director of programs. All are top-flight men. NAB, incidentally, next weekend moves into its sumptuous new Washington quarters — old Canadian Legation Annex, 1771 N St. N.W. Public relations post is particularly important at moment, for belligerent industry-can-do-no-wrong policy isn't sitting too well with FCC — quite aside from