Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

rather obscure. There were no stations 16 months ago in Havre, Wont. (pop. 6,427) and Odessa, Tex. (pop. 9,573) ; now they have 3 and 4 respectively. Great Falls, Mont. (pop. 29,928) and Durham, N.C. (pop. 69,683) both burgeoned from 1 to 5. Formerly one-station towns, these now get 4: Gadsden, Ala. (pop. 36,975) ; Fort Smith, Ark. (pop. 36,584); Utica, N.Y. (pop. 197,128). Altoona, Pa. (pop. 114,094). These are but a few cases that can be cited by those who view with alarm "uneconomic" grants by FCC, and prophesy inevitable mortalities. On the other hand, Detroit proper had 6 stations on Jan. 1, 1946, has 6 now — but 5 applicants are knocking on the door. Cleveland had 4, now has 7 plus 5 applications. Baltimore had 5, now has 6 and 5 more want in. And consider these big-city "clusters" of stations: Havana, 30; Mexico City, 29; New York City area, 25; Los Angeles area, 18. NOTE — Extra copies of AM Directory No. 1 are available, to subscribers only, at §10 each. You get your addenda supplement (AM Directory No. 1-A) with this week's newsletter; extra copies of these weekly addenda will be mailed to subscribers at §1 each. Binders are available at §2.10. GO-AHEAD FOB !3SW YORK TVs: No opposition from rejected WEVD, so New York's 4 TV grants (Vol. 3, No. 16) were finalized this wee k — leaving no more channels available there. As expected, FCC also ordered hearing, date not yet fixed, on applications of Daily News Television Inc. (WIBG) and Gimbels (VVIP) for Philadelphia's sole remaining channel (Vol. 2, No. 18). It also granted 90-day extension from May 18 of 3 Paramount, 2 DuMont pending applications (Vol . 3, No. 19). Your file copy of our TV Directory (Supplement No. 18-C) should now include these assignments for New York area grantees: In Newark, N.J. , Bremer Broadcasting Corp. , • Channel No. 13, 17 kw visual power, 8.3 kw aural power, 575 ft. antenna height. In New York City, American Broadcasting Co., Channel No. 7, 16.5 kw visual, . 8-25 kw aural, 485 ft. antenna; Bamberger Broadcasting Service Inc., Channel No. 9, 30.25 kw visual, 24.5 kw aural, 600 ft. antenna; News Syndicate Co. Inc., Channel No. 11, 16.3 kw visual, 8.17 kw aural, 575 ft. antenna. New York News, incidentally, plans antenna atop its big building on E. 42nd St., Clifford Denton manager. PUTTING 11 ON THE LINE: The where and wherefore of coaxials, microwave relays, or both, to link cities for TV networking, should be resolved at an engineering conference scheduled by FCC June 9. As FCC notice puts it, purpose is "to formulate a schedule which will set forth the expected installation dates of common carrier facilities for the relaying of television programs between cities." FCC lists 64 licenses or grantees in 36 cities (it's 65 now, with last week's grant; see Vol. 3, No. 19). These common carriers, experimenters in microwave relay, are expected to report: AT&T, GE, Philco, Raytheon, Western Union. TV licensees and CP holders are asked to tell (1) their immediate inter-city needs, (2) when they expect to get on air. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington and San Francisco, says Commission notice, "might be assumed as initial program orgination points, and cities having 3 or more television broadcast stations might be assumed to require at least 3 or more network programs available simultaneously." Information is also needed, it says, so that allocations between 1,000 and 13,000 me (Vol. 3, No. 6) can be made after current International Telecommunications Conference adjourns. Meanwhile, hard on heels of Philco request for intercity TV relays (Vol. 3, No. 17), GE this week asked permission to transform its New York-Schenectady experimental links into a TV net. System starts in New York City, jumps 40 miles to Mt. Beacon, N.Y. , then 45 miles to Round Top Mountain near Cairo, N.Y. , then 20 miles to N ew Scotland, N.Y. , site of WRGB transmitter. At present GE picks up New York's WNBT at Hillsdale, N.Y. , about 85 miles away, then relays to New Scotland. Possibly in intercity class, though now it's considered a remote relay, is Capt. Bill Eddy's recently announced WBKB link from South Bend to Chicago. This