Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

TV sets at NAB convention included GE’s new Model 901, with 15x20-in. screen, plus 2 FM bands, AM-SW-phono, to sell for about $2,200. Other display set was Stewai'tWarner’s console with 10-in. direct view tube, plus AMFM-SW-phono. Outside convention hall, Bowers Battery Co., Reading, Pa., in own permanent exhibition quarters showed 2 massive breakfronts with 10-in. direct view TV and AM-FM-SW-phono. One sells for $3,000, other $2,500. Also on display was Bowers table model TV-only (with 10-in. picture), $375. Significant sidelight on TV portion of FCC Chairman Denny’s convention speech: National advertising and publicity is giving TV so much attention that “soon the good people of Memphis, Birmingham, Kansas City, Denver, Atlantic City and a hundred other cities are going to start asking — ‘When do we get television?’” Note that these cities, though cited merely as examples, are among quite a few big ones which so far haven’t any takers for their wide-open TV channels (see Allocation Table, Supp. 18-D). TV and FM awards for 1917 promotion by Billboard went respectively to NBC’s WNBW, Washington, and New Bedford (Mass.) Standard-Times' WFMR. Second and third place for FM went to WIZZ, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. and WKNB, New Britain, Conn. FMA awards at convention last week went to Rep. Kearns, for arbitration in music situation; New York Times' Jack Gould, for consistent and accurate reporting of FM; U of Wisconsin, for establishing first educational FM network; Everett L. Dillard, for establishing first commercial FM network; FCC’s Cy Braum, for fast settlement of New York ILS-FM interfei'ence problem last March. RKO Television Corp., part of RKO Pathe Inc., says it will carry on “exactly as planned when formed in 1944 . . . policy then, as now, is to create package film shows for TV stations and for advertisers.” Ralph B. Austrian, resigned president, now v.p. of Foote, Cone & Belding, has been retained as TV consultant. Paramount’s TV chief Paul Raibourn told Theater Owners of America (formerly Motion Picture Theater Owners Assn) at Washington convention Friday that New York’s Paramount Theater would soon demonstrate its , film-for-TV system whereby movies can be shot and within one minute after development can be run off on TV or theater projector. Add new TV sponsors: BVD Corp., on WNBT, New York, additional weather reports prior to 9 N. Y. Giants pro grid games; Canadian Ace Brewing Co., on WBKB, Chicago, Sept. 20-27 horse races, Chicago Bears home games; Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co., on WBKB, Northwestern and DePaul home games, starting Dec. 13; St. Louis Shoe Manufacturers Assn., on KSD-TV, St. Louis, shoe style show. Stewart-Warner’s TV production for next year will be “maximum” of 5,000 sets, according to radio division manager Samuel Insull Jr. Included is new TV-FM-AM-SWphono for $785 plus $75 installation scheduled for market Oct. 15. New firm called Clear-Vu Television Corp. was announced in New York Friday as producer of 10-in. screen models at $399.50, 15-in. at $750. President and general manager is Irving Kane, who has quit presidency of Viewtone. Full theatre-size screen for TV (20 ft.) should be ready for demonstration “soon,” is latest report from RCA — presumably referring to Warner Bros, and 20th CenturyFox experiments (Vol. 3, No. 29, 36, 37). Signs of the TV times: Philco’s WPTZ, Philadelphia, claims it’s carrying “far moi-e hours each week than any other [TV] station in the country and that the hours we do broadcast show a respectable percentage of commercial sponsors” . . . citing Aug. 18-24 week’s 38 hours, of which 26 hours 7 minutes (68%) were sponsored (18 hours 38 minutes being baseball games). NBC’s WNBT, New York, claims some sort of record for 11 days from Aug. 22-Sept. 1 when it was on air 83 hours, which included 30 hours of telecasting American Legion events (for which Petrillo gave musical dispensation) plus Giants games, Davis Cup matches, Madison Square Garden boxing, trotting races. WNBT claimed week-long TV record for Aug. 26-Sept. 1 (60 hours). Venezuelan Embassy in Washington reports Maracaibo will get South America’s first TV station, using U. S. equipment and technicians— but no company here has yet reported receiving order. Among RCA orders for full TV station setup is one from U. S. Army Signal Corps, Fort Monmouth, N. J. RCA also is dickering with India Govt, for TV setup. Loew’s WHN and WMGM (FM adjunct named after Metro-Goldxvyn-Mayer) assume occupancy of 3 floors soon after next Jan. 1 of New York’s famed 711 Fifth Ave., original home of NBC, space now occupied by World Broadcasting System. Ten-year lease entails rental of $1,000,000, and $500,000 will be spent for new equipment, alterations, etc. Symptomatic of future in higher education: American U, Washington, D. C., now offers courses in radio and TV, in cooperation with Washington Star and its WMAL and WTVW, under four-year plan for majoring in radio and winning degree of B. S. in Communications. Farnsworth’s E. A. Nicholas, introducing new TV table model to New York dealers recently (Vol. 3, No. 36), said company’s goal is 50,000 production of 3 types of sets in 1948, predicted industry’s September TV production at 30,000. He predicated latter figure, apparently, on rolling production lines at RCA, Philco. Smart positioning puts new WPTZ 552-ft TV antenna tower (at Wyndmoor) with one side facing Philadelphia, other Mt. Rose, N. J., where New York TV signals are relayed. RCA is making heavy pitch for order for new transmitter for authorized higher power. Philco forecasts quadrupled coverage. Says consumer-conscious Household Finance Corp.: “A [radio] model costing more han $150 would not be a good buy . . . unless it is adapted for FM reception.” Statement is made in latest, revised Better Buymanship booklet on “Radios.” Booklet discusses TV as well as FM, has excellent advice for prospective radio buyers. RCA had 300 lew of FM for post-convention demonstration at Camden Friday. Power, highest yet, is achieved by 50 kw transmitter and 4-section Pylon antenna. Next in line is Eitel-McCullough’s 250 kw ICSBR, San Bruno, Cal. DuMont has sold first “Acorn” TV package to Elm City Bcstg. Corp., New Haven, Conn. (WNHC), recent CP grantee (Supp. 18-D). Collins has a 5 kw FM transmitter in the works; FCC has given everyone 6 months notice of fact, as required by FCC engineering standards, since 5 kw is maverick size. Possibilities of better, cheaper mirrors for projection sets are seen in new machine, developed by National Research Corp., Cambridge, Mass., which coats 2-ft. square surface in one minute. Old processes took 15 to 60 minutes.