Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

pro-quo from the nets for ending edict. In either event, it looks pretty good for FM. Rep. Kearns, chairman of House Labor subcommittee, v/ired us Friday: "Things are looking up for FM." Meanwhile, FMA's Bill Bailey in open letter to Broadcasting Magazine, revealed reason for much edited NAB news release on subject last week. Nets said prohibition was in their contracts, reports Bailey, thus they couldn't take any action until Petrillo modified terms to permit duplication. Bailey says he called this by citing contract provisions which made no mention of ban, forced networks to revise their story. STILL MORS TV SETS: If manufacturers continue coming out, almost weekly, with TV sets, looks like it won't be long before force of competition will begin driving prices down — even though Philco's James H. Carmine told distributors this week there was little hope of price reductions in 1948. At the moment, set-makers are going like sixty to get their video instruments on the market at prevailing prices. Most recent TV sets are Garod Radio Corp's AM-FM-phono console and Sonora's TV-only table model. Both have 10-inch, direct view tubes. Garod combination, unveiled this week at New York's Park Central Hotel, will retail for S695, be ready for market late in September. RCA installers will make Garod installations, charge same as for RCA sets. Hard on heels of console, Garod will initiate production of TV-only console, to sell for S450. Equipped with casters, latter set will be touted as movable — it will be possible to change its position easily for best viewing. Sonora set to sell for $550 was shown at Chicago distributor conference at Drake Hotel, with production scheduled to begin Oct. 1. Company said it hoped to put out 1,000 sets during rest of year — 200 in October, 300 in November, 500 in December. Installation policy has not yet been formulated. New Transvision 12-inch kit, shown at New York's Waldorf-Astoria, sells for 5289.50; with FM price is $359.50. Kit includes folded dipole antenna and 60 feet of lead-in cable. Cabinets can be bought separately, prices ranging from $29.91 to $39.95. Plastic lens that blows up smaller pictures to 12-inch size was also shown, priced at $44.95. New Rochelle, N.Y., company said it sold 10,000 kits (7inch screen at $159.50) during past 12 months. Newest TV-kit maker we've just heard about is Electro-Technical Products Inc. of Philadelphia. Its "Telekit" sells for lowest yet, $77.50, has 7-inch tube. U.S. Television reported this week that its 1,000th projection set had been produced July 24, that it plans to bring out its new big-screen (19x25 inches) set this month (Vol. 3, No. 28). FMe?S SHIPS ABOUT LIME HATES: Long simmering resentment on part of FMers against AT&T — on question of intercity line rates — is threatening to break out into open. FM broadcasters (particularly Continental Network group) feel "if TV can't afford to pay cable rates AT&T proposed and then withdrew (Vol. 3, No. 29) because it's still experimental, then FM should be considered in same light." Adding fuel to fire is present unavailability of 15 kc lines (necessary to handle FM's full fidelity range) . What hurts CN operators is that nationally sponsored TV programs are being sent down from New York to Washington without cable costs, while non-commercial FM programs originating in Washington and sent up to New York must pay line charges — about 22 cents per hour per mile plus connection charges for what they consider "substandard" Class AA lines (8,000 cps). Regardless of reasons, that's a subsidy, FMers aver. In fact, it's discrimination, they say. TV sponsors, of course, do not yet pay extra for telecasts in more than one city. All that's needed for 15 kc lines is terminal equipment, telephone company says. Equipment can be available 8 months after it is ordered. But, FMers say, nothing has been done. Telephone company, on the other hand, says none has ordered