Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

5 F n 'WINNERS' IN HEW YORK RACE: You haven't heard the end of Tuesday's proposed decisions on New York area FM cases, in v/hich FCC's choices of 5 winners in field of 17 are made known. Happy indeed were the victorious "quintuplets" — but as one attorney remarked: "The stakes are too high, particularly for the 4 rejected AMers who see the FM handwriting on the wall, to think there won't be a fight over this." Next step is filing of legal exceptions, then oral arguments, then final decision, then courts if anyone wants to appeal. FCC's choices were: WMCA Inc. ; ABC (WJZ) ; Unity (ILGWU) ; North Jersey (WPAT) ; New York News. Proposed for denials were: WBNX, WEVD, WLIB (N.Y. Post), WBYN (Newark News), present AMers ; and Frequency Broadcasting Corp. (Thos. Murray, nifgr) ; Bernard Fein (radio engineer) ; Peoples Radio Foundation (Communist-tinged) ; Metropolitan Broadcasting (Ohrbach Stores); National Maritime Union; Amalgamated Broadcasting (Clothing Workers Union) ; Radio Projects Inc. (Newhouse newspapers) ; Methodist Church. For further data on these applications, see FM Directory (Supplement No. 50). Just about every criterion the FCC employs was applied in 29-page decisi o n ~~ programming, experience, finances, staffing. Comrs. Walker (ill) and Webster (new) didn't participate. There were lots of dissents: Jett favoring WLIB instead of Unity, concurring on other 4; Durr favoring Amalgamated instead of N.Y. News; Denny concurring on ABC, WMCA and WPAT but favoring WLIB and another to New Jersey in lieu of Unity and N.Y. News. There's still chance for rejectees to go after the 5 New York channel s "frozen" until July I under reservation plan (Vol. 2, No. 29) inasmuch as veterans don't seem to be rushing for them. Also, there's a possible discrepancy in the decision, which legalists will surely make most of, in fact that old wartime CP of WAAW, Newark, held by Bremer Broadcasting Corp., expired March 1. According to FCC records, application for extension wasn't received until March 13. Rules provide expired CPs be surrendered, and FCC is manifesting increasing impatience with those who merely Squat on channels (see story in this issue). So another channel may be thrown in hat, and Bremer required to compete for it with everyone else. Comr. Durr's stern "Blue Book conscience" showed Strong recrudescence this week, too, when he issued his dissent in proposed decision on Chicago FM (Vol. 3, No. 11). He said he feels 3 more besides WAIT should be denied (WMAQ, WAAF, WGES) because of overcommercialization, etc. He Sharply admonishes his confreres: "It is pertinent to ask whether the statements which the Commission itself has made as to the part it proposes to play in the improvement of broadcast program services are likewise to remain in the realm of unfulfilled promises." N.Y. DECISION BRINGS TVs TO c4: Four TV grants proposed Tuesday for New York area c omplete channel quota there, assure it total of 7 stations, bring TV box-score for U.S. to date to: 6 commercial licensees now operating regularly in 4 cities; 4 CP. holders operating more or less regularly under STAs in 4 cities ; 50 CPs outstanding in 35 cities, plus this week's 3 more to New York and 1 to Newark; 9 applications pending, of which 5 are Stymied by Paramount -DuMont stock ownership (Vol. 3, No. 1, 3) and 2 Stymied pending decision on Don Lee's AM renewal case. Accordingly, we have revised our TV Directory, bringing it up to date herewith as Supplement No. 18-C. You can discard Supplement No. 18-B. New York "proposed decision" is virtually final, though may be fought by counsel for rejected Debs Memorial Foundation (WEVD) who have 20 days to file exceptions. Grants went to ABC (WJZ), Bamberger (WOR) , New York Daily Nev/s, Bremer of Newark (WAAT) . Comr. Durr voted for Debs Memorial instead of Patterson-McCormick Daily News, citing American Jewish Congress' charges of newspaper's editorial bias; but majority felt such charges didn't belong in case. AJC fuss actually had effect of holding up grants unusual length of time (hearings started last June), irked most bystanders including FCC members, probably militated in favor of Daily Nev/s (v/hich also won FM grant). Formal grounds for denying WEVD were given as (1) its financing arrangements with newspaper Jewish Daily Forward, and (2) alleged overcommercialization and lack of over-all program balance.