Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

more (Chicago), isn't in good position to profit from TV. Nor is ABC, planning 5 TV outlets, reported in current Tide Magazine to be considering reviving last year's shelved plan for public sale of stock (probably to pay for huge TV plant outlays). Most significant fact about CBS's recent financial reports is increasing take from recording business, decreasing from broadcast operations (Vol. 3, No. 13, 32). — ■■ SIGHT AND SOUND Most reports about resignations from FCC are likely to come true sooner or later — but meanwhile the same rather equivocal denials. From Atlantic City, Chairman Denny writes again this week: “I have made no plans for leaving the Commission.” He made no comment on trade report he’s been offered NBC general counselship, to which Henry Ladner succeeded (on Judge Ashby’s resignation) with title of acting general counsel. Who gets WQQW, Washington (Vol. 3, No. 29, 30, 32) will be decided next week, or after Aug. 18 stockholders meeting. Best purchaser prospect seems to be “large cosmetic firm not now in radio.” Others in running: Drew Pearson, columnist; Lawrence Heller, ex-owner, WINX, Washington; Ohio Farm Bureau (Murray Lincoln, president), seeking capital “feeder” for its WRFD, Worthington, 0. (AM Directory No. 1). FCC has given Paramount-DuMont TV applications 60 more days grace, or until Oct. 15, so they still pend — until decision can be reached whether and when film company will dispose of its DuMont stockholdings (Vol. 3, No. 32). Continental FM Network has sponsor on hook, will announce details shortly. Twenty-station hookup (Vol. 3, No. 32) this week added WNLC-FM, New London, Conn., taking shows off air from WGTR, Paxton, Mass. [Note to subscribers: We have supply of CN maps we published last week, will be glad to send you a few extra copies without cost.] FCC Blue Book may not have been bleached, but it sure got Clorox treatment this week when license renewal of WTOL, Toledo, was okayed on grounds operation had improved tremendously since it was cited as one of 5 “horrible” examples in March, 1946 report. Only station criticised in Blue Book still not renewed is Hearst’s WBAL in Baltimore, due to be heard Oct. 6 in conjunction with Pearson-Alien application. TV power in megawatts may be solution to adequate coverage in uhf band. Suggestion is advanced by Electronics Magazine's editor and color TV expert, Don Fink. Saying 480-920 me band (now 500-890 me) may be TV’s last frontier, he suggested more field testing before decision on band’s adequacy. He’s worried, too, lest definition be frozen at 625 lines, emphasizing that he is thinking in terms of next 25 years’ development. To convert auto radios to FM, Pilotuners (Vol. 3, No. 29, 30) have been installed in their cars by Robert Lincoln O'Brien, publisher-operator of independent FM station WLOB, Claremont, N. II., and L. J. Duncan, owner of WRLD-FM, West Point, Ga. Howard Hughes’ plans for TV (he once had applications in for Los Angeles and San Francisco, which he dropped) won’t be revived, he told us while here for Senate hearing. Reason: too many other irons in fire. NBC affiliates, holding own pre-NAB convention Sept. 12-13 at Atlantic City’s Claridge Hotel, will get earful on TV second day, with RCA’s Gen. Sarnoff as main speaker. Perennial Clear Channel hearing is again postponed by FCC, this time to Oct. 14. Westinghouse Stratovision expert C. E. “Chile” Nobles says he knows about problem of pitching and turning in airborne reception and transmission, and that means have been developed to overcome it. He didn’t want to say more until he’d had a chance to read and study report last week by DuMont’s T. T. Goldsmith, which questioned feasibility of skyhook system of relays and transmitters. Goldsmith’s report was based on flights between New YorkBoston-Washington with planeload of measuring devices. GE’s new biconical TV antenna for microwave relay reception picks up uhf beams from any direction, doesn’t have to be “aimed” for each remote. Called “chicken brooder” because that’s what its three sections look like when assembled, first unit goes to Washington Star's WTVW, due on air early this fall. Developed for 12951425 me TV relay band, company says antenna can be modified to work on any uhf frequency. GE also claims it’s almost 16 times more sensitive than simple vertical. First serious attempt to buck FCC’s interference standards for FM is running into difficulty. Suffolk Broadcasting Corp., holder of CP for Class A at Coram, N. Y., (Long Island), has dredged up a Class B channel and wants to convert, but FCC set it for hearing, questioning whether another Class B can be squeezed into New York City area. DuMont’s guide on TV commercial time, established in new rate card that goes into effect Sept. 1 (Vol. 3, No. 32), ranges from 1 minute, 30 seconds for a 5-minute show to 9 minutes for a 60-minute show during daytime hours (before 6 p. m.), and from 1 minute, 15 seconds for a 5minute show to 6 minutes for a 60-minute show night time (after 6 p. m.). This is first listing of ratio of commercials to program time we’ve seen for TV. Industrial Television Inc., Nutley, N. J., organized 5 months ago to manufacture bar and restaurant largescreen, direct-view TV sets, is now marketing in Washington and Baltimore. Specializing in multiple units worked from a single master control, company reports over 100 installations in New York area already, production now 50 per month. Home models are due in late fall, says President Horace Atwood Jr. Reason why J. Arthur Rank film interests ordered DuMont image orthicon chain shipped to London last month (Vol. 3, No. 30) became apparent with issuance of experimental TV license permitting British firm to beam programs from Baird labs to 6 London theaters, also to pick up news events for projection on theater screens. It’s England’s first private license of kind. London report also has it that Scophony Ltd. plans production soon of set with 18x24-in. screen. St. Louis plans big TV show, Nov. 19-23, wants to make it nation-wide in scope with exhibits by all manufacturers; but Chicago exposition planned for autumn probably won’t be held until early next year, if at all. Radio Consultants Inc. plans third of its FM symposiums in Washington’s Statler Hotel, Oct. 23-25, charging $15 registration plus $100 fee for course. Another newsletter in TV field started this week, called United Video, published at 516 Fifth Ave., New York City, Irving Yorke, secretary.