Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

TY AND FAX IN PHILADELPHIA: Philadelphia comes up with first to ask for TV station Since color decision of March 18 — the re-application this week of Girabels (WIP and WIP-FM) after having dropped last year. Manager Ben Gimbel filed just in time to preclude expected grant-without-hearing of city's sole remaining channel to Daily News Television Co. Inc., recently formed with Harron-Kelly-WIBG backing (Vol. 3, No. 9) whose application is in FCC engineering dept, awaiting certain amendments. So it looks like hearing ahead, with these 2 (and any other possible late comers) fighting it out. Gimbels seeks Channel No. 12 (204-210 me), with 33.1 kw visual, 34.86 kw aural power, 555-ft antenna, transmitter in Gimbel Bldg. It proposes to spend §360,238 on plant, §25,000 per month on operation. (Higher cost-of-living note: In its earlier application, Gimbels proposed to Spend §211,250 on plant, §3,000§12,000 per month on operation.) Meanwhile, city's other 2 TV grantees. Bulletin's WPEN and Inquirer’s WFIL, both with FM adjuncts, leaped into facsimile. Bullet in displayed Alden 18-inch machine in operation in Gimbel window all this week, faxing newspapers, photos, etc. before big crowds. Inquirer begins similar promotion next week. Bulletin's TV plans are stymied pending radio-newspaper dispositions (Vol. 3, No. 5, 6). Inquirer is awaiting RCA equipment, meanwhile Setting up studio, hopes to get going this Summer. WFIL's new video chieftain, Kenneth Stowman, is chairman of newly formed Television Assn, of Philadelphia, which agency-advertiser-utility interests are boosting as in Chicago. Next TV grant probably will go to Sarkes Tarzian, Bloomington, Ind. (Supplement No. 18-C) ; application now being scrutinized by FCC lawyers is unopposed. There's still lots of talk about additional applications, 2 no w appearing in prospect for Chicago's 3 remaining channels. Note: For TV channels by cities see page 8 of TV Rules (Supplement No. 17). TECHNICAL HONEYHDON'S OYER: Eaay -going days of FM regulation, on the technical side, are about over. FCC engineers and fieldmen, who up to now have been overlooking bad operating techniques while the infant service was feeling its way, think it's time to tighten up, say they now intend doing so. Proper operation, they say, is to FM's advantage, too, for public must not be disappointed after all it has heard about FM's superiority. In fact. Chief Engineer George E. Sterling has letter from a major manufacturer, expressing disappointment with present technical operations, advancing that as reason for not going into high-fidelity receiver production. Some faults, besides the obvious ones created by weak signals permitted under STAs : overmodulation, hum on carrier, extraneous modulation (noise from needle scratch on recordings, rumble of turntable motor, etc.). To make sure technicians are up to date on modern techniques, FCC is revising operator's examination, hopes to ensure higher calibre operators in all services — AM, FM, TV especially. LAST WORD ON THE 'BLOOPER': Yes, that "blooper" devised by Pug Marquardt of WIBW, Topeka, tiny gadget attachable to an AM receiver to convert it to FM (Vol. 3, No. 11), is pretty much as disclosed, with diagram, by Frank Shopen of KOAD, Omaha (Vol. 3, No. 13). Nothing we've published in recent months has created quite so much interest, and many subscribers wrote us for copies of the diagram. So we asked Marquardt to remark on Shopen' s comments. Here's his reply: "The diagram of Frank's blooper is very similar to ours. Of course, we use only one tube.... and have several improvements. [But] the limitations pointed out by Frank hold true, in most cases. We have found that a special 300 ohm folded doublet antenna is a must when trying to use the blooper successfully....! made no claims of having invented anything, but stated we have taken an old principle and adopted it for use to receive FM on any AM receiver. ... I [still] feel the blooper can be used to good advantage by a lone STA operator to immediately increase his FM audience. It would naturally be antiquated as soon as FM Sets become plentiful."