Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)
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F3LGBSMASE TO MECCA: Next scene in drama of duplication shifts to Jimmy Petrillo 's
domain, whither on Sept. 8 his supplicants will journey once again for audience. Networks will again seek to dissuade him from AM-FM duplication ban (Vol. 3, No.
34). Neither NAB nor FMA is in on confab, former being music czar’s bete noir, but they'll do lots of talking on subject at forthcoming conventions. Networks will try to argue Petrillo down on points that duplication doesn't enlarge total audience, FM should be given its head for sake of better radio, will bring benefits in long run to musicians as well as public.
Network bigwigs conferred Thursday with Dept, of Justice attorneys —
Frank White and Julius Brauner, for CBS; Frank Mullen and Henry Ladner, NBC; Robert Kintner and Joe McDonald, ABC; Robert Swezey, MBS. Results are best described as "indifferent." Government can't be expected to act unless and until AFM actually clamps down on someone, is deemed violating Lea or Taft-Hartley acts. FM cohorts, meanwhile, say Petrillo edict is no death blow. They admit duplication is desirable, but insist FM will go forward anyhow, though perhaps more slowly, with own improved programs, own networks.
TIMELIEST TV TIMETABLE: This fall and winter will bring season of TV openings.
Schedule, mainly based on RCA deliveries of new 5 kw transmitters, is about as follows: Philadelphia Inquirer's WFIL-TV, formal opening Sept. 13; Washington Star's
WTVW, September-October tests; Baltimore Sun's WMAR and Hearst's WBAL-TV, aiming for early November openings, probably with joint T-Day ; Milwaukee Journal's WTMJ-TV, Dec. 1; Westinghouse ' s WBZ-IV, Boston, December; Scripps-Howard ' s WEWS, Cleveland (DuMont equipment), possibly before Dec. 31. As of Aug. 25, RCA had delivered 8 TV transmitters , reports current deliveries at 3 per month. RCA's Ted Taylor estimates that by early next year 18 cities with about 23% of country's population will be served by TV stations.
RCA also predicted these stations (Supp. 18-C) will be in operation before year's end, but this doesn’t jibe with our information: WLWT, Cincinnati, which may test with football this fall from Crosley's experimental W8XCI but won't get going commercially before Feb. 1; WTCN-TV, Minneapolis; KFI-TV, Los Angeles; WTVT (WSPD) , Toledo; WPEN-TV (Bulletin), Philadelphia; WAAT-TV, Newark; NBC, Los Angeles;
WBAP-TV, Fort Worth; KSTP-TV, St. Paul. Foregoing should be among first to take ' air in early 1948, plus others like Buffalo News' WBEN-TV, Los Angeles Times' KTTV, NBC Cleveland, NBC Chicago, Bamberger's WOR-TV, New York, and WOIC, Washington.
WBAL-TV pulled coup by engaging N3C's Harold P. See, TV pioneer and one of best operations men, as its television manager. He reports Sept. 15. Next Monday, WBAL inaugurates its magnificent n ew studio building on Charles St. (7 radio and 2 TV studios), designed as showplace. In connection with planning for TV station, best prepared document we've yet seen is Milwaukee Journal's outline for its opening. Plans include radio relay from Chicago. Initial rates are $600 per hour (5 hours rehearsal time), $160 per hour for film, special rates for remotes. Write Walter Damm for a copy; it's well worth study.
HOLD THAT TV CHANNEL: Thinking of TBA committee named to formulate policy, plan
and tactics to oppose FCC proposal to take Channel No. 1 away from TV (Vcl. 3, No.
33, 34) seems to be along these lines: TV cannot afford to lose any frequencies
in fact, actually needs more. It's impossible to share TV channels with other services, governmental or non-governmental. There's plenty of space in oversupplied, unused government bands between Channels 6 and 7 (108-174 me) not only to take care of other services but also to permit two or three more channels for TV.
TBA is going to oppose giving Channel 1 to mobile services as means of doing away with channel-sharing interference. Board this week named this committee to carry the fight : WOR's Jack Poppele (president), Philco's J. F. Bingley, Washington counsel Thad Brown. They must file objections with FCC by Sept. 15. Board also elected CBS's Larry Lowman, TV v.p., to directorship to fill out term of Ernest Vogel, resigned from Farnsworth. Approved was WV/J-TV (Detroit News) application for membership, giving TBA third newspaper-owned member (others: St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s KSD-TV, Chicago Tribune's WGNA) .