Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

of its class yet. Washington gets next consignments, other TV cities to follow on indefinite schedule which President E. A. Nicholas tells us he hopes will include all TV cities by year's end. Next Farnsworth model, including AM-FM with 10-in. tube, is due in mid-November, priced at §497.50. Another with phono is due later. RCA's first projection model (648PTK), now on production line at Indianapolis plant, is being shown dealers by New York, Philadelphia, Washington distributors, will soon be available to public. It frames 15x20-in. images, contains 41 tubes plus 7 rectifiers, includes push-button AM-FM and shortwave. Suggested retail price is §1,195 plus §95. To our lists of companies reporting actual or prospective TV set manufacture (Vol. 3, No. 30, 35), add Preston Television Mfg. Co., 38-25 Bell Blvd. , Bayside, N. Y. It reports 12-in. table model now in production, to sell for $375 and to make New York debut Sept. 12. ... • .. SIGHT AMO SOUND -.■■■■■■■■■■■ This was first grantless week in FM for 3 months, hence none reported in Supp. 53-J herewith. On the other hand, and more important, is fact that 8 stations were told they can start programming with STAs. Only other FM action from FCC involved Paul Porter’s first appearance before Commission since he left. Ex-chairman picked complicated FM overlap case of Steinman brothers who’ve been granted Lancaster, Bethlehem, Wilmington, and want York, Harrisburg, Reading. Results, since Attorney George Sutton called him in on case: petition for grants without hearing denied, but continuance to Oct. 13 obtained. Fate of Washington’s WQQW (Vol. 3, No. 34) was still undecided as we went to press Friday, just before third meeting of stockholders was to be held. Tuesday meeting brought forth resignation of Manager Brec’ner and other top men; vague offer but not in writing from “an official of Lofts Inc.” of $126,000; offer of $25,000 cash, $37,500 long-term notes, $37,500 preferred stock from local cooperative; offer from one director of $75,000 for controlling interest; solicitation among stockholders for 25 9o increase in stock purchases, resulting in $5,000 pledged (enough with money on hand to keep going perhaps 2 more months) ; insistence by some that $10 subscription fees solicited from audience can support station. Meanwhile, FCC this week granted Washington area’s 14th AM (1220 kc, 250-watts daytime) in Falls Church, Va., to ex-FCC field engineer Lamar A. Newcomb. True, New York area TV sets number about 40,000 — but that’s no justification for outlandish $100,000 fee demanded by “Happy” Chandler office for World Series TV rights. Up to press time, there were no sponsor takers. CBS, DuMont, NBC had agreed to pool station resources for telecasts. MBS as vehicle for Gillette sponsorship of regular broadcasts is entirely agreeable to telecasts but says Gillette won’t pay such price, goes along with others that it’s too high, sets bad precedent. FM’s Continental Network is growing nicely (Vol. 3, No. 32, 33, 35), this week adding WABX, Harrisburg, Pa., and WXNJ, Greenbrook Twp., N. J. (Plainfield). This makes 26 stations to date. CN’s heads continue to protest heatedly over fact telephone company won’t provide 15,000 cycle lines on same no-charge, experimental basis that TV gets coaxial. They complain, too, that they wouldn’t get sei-vice in less than a year even if they ordered it. FM tuner business continues to attract more manufacturers. Latest units are an 8-tube, $52.50 tuner of Peerless Radio Distributors Inc., 92 Merrick Rd., Jamaica, N. Y., and an 11-tube (price undisclosed) unit of Collins Audio Products Co. Inc., 126 Park St., Westfield, N. J. In the “build your own” field, Brooks Radio Distributing Corp., 80 Vesey St., New York City, offers tuner nucleus of FM variable condenser and set of matched coils for $4.95. Radio in politics this week: Robert Franklin Jones, Ohio Republican, resigned Congress seat Thursday, was sworn in as seventh FCC member by Supreme Court Justice Burton Friday in presence of all FCC members except Hyde who is out west. Comr. Jones is GOP’s hope for FCC chairmanship should next elections go that way (Vol. 3, No. 25, 28) . . . Washington radio lawyer Paul D. P. Spearman, one-time candidate for lieut gov. of his native Mississippi, is considering running against Rep. Rankin for U. S. Senate seat vacated by death of Senator Bilbo . . . Both Time and Variety report (with certain justification, our information indicates) that presidential radio advisor Leonard Reinsch is in White House doghouse because of press stories that he’ll be next FCC chairman. Mr. Truman said to believe he planted stories himself, so scratched him from Rio entourage. First objection to FCC’s TV plan to overcome interference to TV from mobile services sharing frequencies, by eliminating Channel 1 and abolishing sharing (Vol. 3, No. 33, 34, 35), comes from Fred M. Link Co., communications equipment manufacturers. In long telegram to FCC Thursday, Link Co. objects strenuously to proposed tightening up of fixed engineering circuits, elimination of mobile services in 72-76 me band (between TV Channels 4 & 5). TBA attorneys this week were drawing up objections for submission to Commission along lines agreed upon at special committee meeting (Vol. 3, No. 35). RCA-NBC will also object, partially on plea TV receiver industry must have stability. FM studio-transmitter links, frequently vital for mountain-top installations, have been slow in coming from manufacturers. However, RCA is now testing a 950 me setup with 5-watt transmitter. Others understood working on STLs are Bendix, Federal, GE, Collins. In absence of uhf equipment, FCC has given some stations temporary authority to use lower TV bands for STLs. FCC Chairman Denny, scheduled to speak at Sept. 17 NAB convention luncheon, begged off from similar chore at FMA convention banquet coming Friday night, pleading tieup in plenary sessions of Atlantic City International Telecommunications Conference. Comr. Walker, instead, will handle FMA job, talking on “FM — A New Deal for the Radio Listener.” Collins goes into FM antenna business with a “ring” antenna somewhat reminiscent of GE’s “doughnut.” Claims: simplicity, high gain (8.5 for 8 bays), ease of impedance matching, wide tuning range (10-15 me for any antenna). Actual measurements of GE’s 2 Vis watt FM transmitter at Syracuse U (Vol. 3, No. 19) shows adequate, if highly variable, coverage to calculated 50 uv/m contour 7 miles out. Antenna is 100 ft. above ground, ERP is merely one watt.