Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

HEW TV DIRECTORY SOON: We're working on a revised edition of our TV Directory (Supp. 18-C), hope to have it for you soon. Meanwhile, 18-C for all practical purposes is up-to-date if you note: (1) NBC's Washington WNBW as a CP holder now and on the air. (2) WFIL-TV, Philadelphia, same, as of Sept. 13. (3) Newark and 3 New York City proposed grants as final grants of CPs. (4) These additional CPs (number in brackets refers to our issue of Vol. 3 with full details): Elm City Bcstg. Corp., for New Haven, Conn. [35] ; WDEL Inc., Wilmington, Dela. [35] ; Sarkes Tarzian, Bloomington, Ind. [19]. (6) These additional applications pending: Empire Coil Co., Hartford, Conn. [35]; A. Frank Katzentine, Miami Beach, Fla. [34]; CBS Inc., Chicago [31] ; Johnson-Kennedy Radio Corp., Chicago [26] ; Yankee Network, Boston [23] ; Penn Bcstg. Corp.-Gimbels' WIP [18]; Lacy-Potter Television Bcstg. Co. [32]. V/HO'S TO BLAME FOR FM’s FIX? If networks fail to beat down Jimmy Petrillo's AM-FM duplication ban at their Chicago parley next Monday, Sept. 8 (Vol. 3, No. 34-35), they'll probably become whipping boys for FMA and its more zealous cohorts, who make up in publicity effort what they lack in funds (viz., FMA's widespread distribution this week of New York Timesman Jack Gould's indictment of chains' attitude toward FM in Aug. 31 article). Fact is, their verbal understanding v/ith union czar to construe present contracts as applying to AM only, has already made networks the FM fraternity's bete noir — their repeated avowals of fealty to FM notwithstanding. FMA's hopes now rest mainly v/ith House Labor subcommittee, which has Petrillo under subpoena for reappearance when it reconvenes, in a few weeks. It also hopes to find someone now duplicating who's willing to go to bat in test case. No one expects anything to come of appeal to Justice Dept., not soon anyhow, but FMA is filing complaint statement there next week. Meanwhile, replies to its questionnaires to all FM grantees and applicants are coming in, most of them indicating (1) that most FMers v/ho are also in AM think their network agreemnts neither permit nor forbid duplication, (2) that some are actually duplicating live network shows, but without any to-do about it, (3) that virtually all think AM-FM duplication is a "must0 if FM is to progress. BATTLE OF THE FM SETS: Now comes Olympic Radio & Television Inc. , Long Island City, N. Y., which thinks it has the set FM has been waiting for. Momentarily, Olympic's Mr. Schoenen may be right — we say "momentarily" because intensity of FM set competition is slowly but surely driving down prices. Olympic's is a $39.95 table model AM-FM scheduled for delivery after Sept. 15. It's $17 under suggested retail price of Airadio's FM-only Combinette (Vol. 3, No. 33), only $10 more than Pilotuner (Vol. 3, No. 31), just double Meek tuner (Vol. 3, No. 33). Set is 14%x9x7%-in. , uses modified Hazeltine circuit, has 5 tubes and rectifier, 6-in. speaker, bakelite cabinet. Production is reported at 1,200-1,500 weekly, with potential of 1,000 daily. So it seems Bendix has been beaten to the draw: it had planned production of same sort of set at same price in January (Vol. 3, No. 35). Olympic is also said to have $30 set in works ; and a half dozen other small companies are supposed to be preparing to offer AM-FMs in that prie.e range in October. Copyright 1947 by Radio Xewa Bureau