Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

clarity of reception was top flight (REL tuner used with Altec-Lansing big speaker). Other highlights of meeting : Zenith's H. C. Bonfig, whose company made one-third of all EM sets in 1946 (year's total reported by RMA, 184,485), said FM consoles will dominate market rest of this year at least, which means stress should be laid on high quality market. Even a business recession, he said, while meaning tighter buying, might work to advantage of FM in that it would offer the plus-value needed to attract had-to-sell purchasers. And Jack Gould, New York Times' radio editor, called FM "broadcasting's second generation," said second generation is always more progressive than first. SIGHT AND SOUND v: This is itinerary of “TV Caravan” (described in story on page 1), with stores and stopover dates: Reading, I’a., Pomeroy’s, May 20-24; Easton, Pa., Laubach’s, May 27-29; Jamaica, N. Y., Gertz, June 3-7; Boston, Jordan Marsh, June 10-14; Syracuse, Dey Bros., June 18-21; Paterson, N. J., Quackenbush, June 25-28; Harrisburg, Pomeroy’s July 1-3; Grand Rapids, Mich., Herpolsheimers, July 8-12; Columbus, Morehouse Martens, July 16-19; Cincinnati, Rollman’s July 22-24; Tampa, Maas Bros., July 31Aug'. 2; Lake Charles, La., Mullers, Aug. 7-9; San Antonio, Joske’s, Aug. 13-16; Dallas, Titche-Goettinger, Aug. 19-22; Waterloo, la., Black’s, Aug. 28-30; St. Paul, Golden Rule, Sept. 2-5; Boise, Idaho, Anderson’s, Sept. 11-13; Seattle, Bon Marche, Sept. 17-20; Spokane, Andei-son’s, Sept. 23-26; Great Falls, Mont., The Paris, Sept. 29-Oct. 1; Minneapolis, Donaldson’s, Oct. 8-11; Akron, Polsky’s, Oct. 15-18. Into new jobs: Ex-Secy of State Jimmy Byrnes joins old-line Washington law firm of Hogan & Hartson, very active in radio (Duke Patrick, Karl Smith, Lester Cohen) ; Lawrence Phillips, executive v.p. of USO Camp Shows, expresident of Valspar Corp., joins DuMont as management consultant; Wayne Coy, assistant publisher, Washington Post, and an NAB board member, drops newspaper duties to devote full time to its WINX and WINX-FM; Ken Stowman, Manager Roger Clipp’s aide at WFIL and WFILFM ( Philadelphia Inquirer), takes over fulltime duties as its television director, says construction of TV station starts this summer; Virgil E. Trouant, upped to manager, broadcast and industrial section, RCA Engineering Products Dept., Camden. Subpoena for Petrillo, issued this week by House Labor Committee, has no date since Committee chairman Fred A. Hartley Jr. (Rep., N. J.) doesn’t want music czar until after Supreme Court rules on Lea Act (Vol. 3, No. 10). Subpoena was issued, it’s said, to keep James Caesar in this country (he was reported getting ready to take boat trip). Meanwhile, some relaxation of duplication ban is occuring — Elliott Sanger, WQXR-WQXQ, New York, reporting this week he was duplicating live music without payment of second fee. It’s also reported Tom Tinsley’s WITH-FM, Baltimore, is carrying live AM musical programs with no extra levy. All-day FCC meetings begin April 28 to pass on Processing Line 2 AM cases before May 1 deadline. Commission feels all will be decided (either granted or set for hearings) by May 1. Line 1 cases — those involving less complex engineering study — are expected to be cleared by June, although May 1 will see FCC action on cases filed as of midJanuary. Commission staff is braced for avalanche of amendments — by applicants seeking to avoid hearings— and also expects number of new applications by local groups who missed out filing before Feb. 7 cutoff date. Highest powered FM in land is now KSTP-FM, St. Paul, which this week got FCC okay for 545 kw. Highest previously was WMC-FM. Memphis, with 515 kw (Vol. 3, No. 9). St. Paul station previously had 320 kw. Proposed new FM allocations (Supplement No. 51) look like they’ll render obsolete our sets of FM Channel Maps (Supplement No. 21 A) published just a year ago. because they’re so expensive and demand limited, we don’t propose to reissue these maps. We still have supply of old sets (60 channel maps, 16x10 inches, plus 10 blanks) which we’ll furnish you at about cost of handling and mailing — $1.50 per set. Philco’s agency, Hutchins Advertising Co., calls us to task — quite justifiably — for our inadvertent failure to include WPTZ’s schedule of Phillies and Athletics home games (“by far the largest continuous schedule of ball games of any TV station”) in our item last week about TV’s baseball coverage. What’s more, WPTZ has the games sponsored — on alternate days by Atlantic Refining Co. and Philco Distributors, Inc. Results of Washington’s T-day (Vol. 3, No. 14): RCA 5C0-plus sets sold; GE, whose Model No. 801 has already gone up in price to $625 (from $549.50), most of local quota of 100 sets ordered; DuMont, half dozen sets sold. RCA will do repeat in Washington when NBC’s WNBW goes on air in early June. • TV set’census by cities was prime interest at New York Television Institute (sponsored by Televiser Magazine) this week. WBKB’s Bill Eddy reported 2,071 in Chicago; WPTZ’s Ernest Walling, 4,000 in Philadelphia; WWDT’s Harry Bannister, 2,000 in Detroit. They were only speakers to report on number of sets in their areas. Attendants at 2-day meet heard generally optimistic reports on status and future of TV, were warned (by RCA’s Joseph B. Elliott, RKO’s Ralph Austrian, Caples Co.’s David P. Lews) programs must improve or TV will never really click. How record business bolsters CBS income level (Vol. 3, No. 13), is further disclosed in 1947 first-quarter income statement. For 13 weeks ending March 29, gross income was $26,334,922, net income after taxes $1,498,151. This compares with $23,276,004 and $1,462,229 during same period 1946. Of 1947 net income, $934,595 (54c per share) was realized from broadcasting operations, $563,556 (33c per share) from record manufacturing. These compare with $1,214,075 (71c per share) from broadcasting, $248,154 (14c per share) from record manufacturing, during same 1946 period. So, actually, broadcasting net income was down considerably. GE’s Russ David, FM transmitter sales, reported at FMA Albany meeting Monday his company has already shipped 122 FM transmitters — 52 of 250 watts, 15 of 1 kw, 55 of 3 kw. This summer first 10 kw’s will be delivered, but new customers must wait 4-6 months. Still a major project, he said, is 50 kw; first GE model is due in about 2 months, regular shipments in late 1947, early 1948. Studio equipment (microphones, speech input, turntables) is 3-4 months away. -Ringling-Barnum & Bailey Circus bowed to TV, authorized April 19 telecast by WCBS-TV from Madison Square Garden as part of Ford sports sponsorship.