Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

growth. Plan does not affect Class A reservation plan, except that new frequencies are set aside. Class B reservation plan also remains in effect. Stations now on the air — licensed or operating under STAs — will, if plan is finalised, have to change frequencies (except in instances where their channel remains assigned to same city). Cost of change shouldn't be too great. Commission engineers said, since it will be mainly change of crystals and monitors. Most antennas are broad-band, they pointed out, thus won't require much revamping. Channel scarce cities, involved in hearings, which now will have exactly enough channels for all applicants are: Springfield, Mass. ; Indianapolis, Ind. ; Atlanta, Ga. ; Mansfield, 0. ; San Diego, Cal. ; Providence, JR. I. ; Dayton-Springf ield, 0. ; Wilmington, Del. Cities still tight are: Boston, Baltimore (one added, still not enough). New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Bridgeport. FEEHSDSNTS FOB FJfl-TV OVERLAPS: FCC quit fiddling around this week and sawed off biggest chunk of FM application backlog in months — 36 conditionals, 1 CP (Supplement No. 50-A herewith). More notable than number of grants, however, was fact that Commission made an exploratory dent in that knotty cord of hardwood — the overlap cases. Grants were accompanied by FCC expression of overlap policy (Comr. Durr excepted) very touch in line with multiple owners' logic (Vol. 3, Nos. 5 and 9) which asked individual, rather than blanket, consideration. Examination of grants Shows Commission's thinking. For example, grant in Binghamton, N.Y. , to Gannett interests involved quite substantial ownership and 1,000 uv/m overlap. But applications of Taft family in Seattle and Everett, Wash., were a little too strong for FCC taste; 1,000 uv/m contour of Everett falls entirely within 1,000 uv/m of Seattle. They were set for hearing, as was maze of Steinmans' Pennsylvania overlaps. Further contributing to number of grants this week, and more to come, is the way delinquent program analyses have come in after FCC's strong letter threatening dismissal (Vol. 3, No. 11). TV's only overlap question, Crosley in Dayton, was also ' resolved this week with grant of following facilities: Channel No. 5 (76-82 me); visual power, 50 kw ; aural, 25 kw ; antenna, 506 ft. HOT PI10T8SBAPHY FOB TV: Another step in bringing to TV audiences spot news in a hurry was demonstrated Tuesday by ABC in Philadelphia. Development, by Eastman Kodak, is special process that permits film to be developed at. rate of 45 seconds per frame (compared to normal 40 minutes). Speed is accomplished by raising development solutions to 125 degrees F, and using specially treated heat-resistant film. Project is outgrowth of Kodak's wartime high speed processing equipment and is still considered experimental. Newsmen saw 16 mm film on TV sets telecast over Philco's WPTZ about 1 hour after shots had been made from plane over Atlantic City. Potentials for large-screen, theater TV were apparent. FM's YEAH — 1948: Best summation of RMA-FMA meeting Tuesday on FM set production for this year (2,665,949) was pithy comment of WINX's Wayne Coy, "It isn't as good as I had hoped for, but it's better than I feared." All sides agreed meeting cleared air, set up working relation between FM broadcasters and set makers (committees will meet” again latter May or early June), indicated 1948 would be FM's year. FMerS generally expressed satisfaction with results. The 2,665,949 figure was based on poll of 72 RMA members (including all major set manufacturers) and breaks down as follows: table models — 43,000 to sell for less than §50, 810,720 to sell for more than §50; consoles — 1,595,729 with phonographs, 70,500 without phonographs. FM-only sets — 146,000. A more conservative estimate, preferred by RMA committee, was based on a 23^ increment each month over preceding month — taking increases from October 1946 through February 1947 as a guide. This would mean a total of 2,100,000 FM sets for 1947, which works out to 425,000 in December (35% of total production). At~t’ne December rate, that would mean 5,100,000 sets-with-FM for 1948 — a sizeable chunk! RMA President Cosgrove, (Crosley v.p. ) whose company is due to break FM promot ' on soon, pointed out that ratio of FM production to, total set production ^