Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

cogitating. RMA pays auditing firm to gather confidential production statistics from some 95% of manufacturing industry, announces monthly totals. In response to membership demand, it now has market research firm quietly testing methods for counting radio sets in certain New England cities, hopes results can provide basis far calculating TVs and FMs by markets. NAB's EM Dept, is contemplating FM set survey system it can recommend to individual FMers, to be operated by themselves locally. We should be hearing more about both soon. With World Series (first ever televised) hopping up interest in TV, statistical guessing games were in order in the trade. TBA President Jack Poppele calculated 600,000-700,000 persons watched first game in New York, Schenectady, Philadelphia, Washington areas, which alone were within reception range. That's pretty conservative, considering Sept. -Oct. Televiser Magazine's breakdown of TV set ownership by metropolitan areas (also guesswork) : New York, 51,500; Philadelphia, 11,000; Los Angeles, 7,000; Chicago, 6,050; Detroit, 3,300; Washington, 3,000; St. Louis, 1,900; Schenectady, 1,050; Baltimore 100; Cincinnati, 100 — total 85,000, of which it figures close to 10,000 in bars, grills, etc. RMA production figures show 75,054 TV sets made since postwar manufacture began, up to Sept. 1, to which should be added about 10,000 pre-war sets (most still usable), 10,000 kits and home-made sets (conservative estimate, judging from kitmakers' claims), 5,000 made by non-RMA members (now bankrupt Viewtone alone accounted for more than 4,000). In round figures, that makes 100,000 TV sets as of Sept. 1, which we believe is a pretty good guess. And RMA report on September output should hike this figure by at least 15,000. CAN ?:i SETS GET TOO CHEAP? There's an uneasiness growing in minds of even the most ardent, set-hungry FM broadcasters as they hear reports of cheaper and cheaper FM sets. They're beginning to find themselves torn between desperate need for sets and fear of shoddy performance by inexpensive sets. Some such units have finally hit the market and, frankly, some we've heard just won't do FM any good. True, manufacturers don't make extravagant claims for them. But still, they're being sold as FM, and the public isn't being told the limitations. Some are bad radiators, interfering with even the best sets. Others are poor all the way — sensitivity, selectivity, noise rejection — let alone fidelity, which, however, no one has a right to expect in a small set. What's the future, then? Is FM inherently an expensive affair? FMA's President Everett Dillard takes the long view, drawing parallel with AM in the 20's. "The crystal set," he says, "wasn't much to begin with, either." But he thinks FMA should set up an engineering committee to define minimum standards. It's also pointed out that when more F M stations go on full power (in lieu of today's widespread weak-signaled STAs) better performance may be expected. Meanwhile, the least expensive FM-AM set yet is S32.50 table model reported due soon from littleknown Concord Radio Corp., Chicago. Pilotuner continues to get stamps of approval, latest from Consumers Union which makes tuner subject of lead article in September "Consumer Reports" and blames slow FM growth on networks, big AMs, leading set makers. GE's MICROWAVE WORKING WELL: GE's pioneer TV outlet in Schenectady, WRG3, which has been giving it away since it began operating in September, 1939, will shortly start selling its time — now that its modernised microwave (1850-2110 me band) relay link with New York is working, and working well. Old, erratic, single-hop radio hookup with WNBT has been superseded by one which, using "dish" that can be oriented to receive any of New York's stations, picks up signals atop GE Bldg., 570 Lexington Ave., relays them 55 mi. to Beacon, N. Y. , 55 mi. to Round Top, N. Y. , 29 mi. to Helderberg Mt., 15 mi. to Schenectady studios, then back to Helderberg for local coverage. Signal throughout World Series was reported so superb that system augurs well for more intercity microwave hookups. Meanwhile, AT&T has opened second coaxial cable between New York-Philadelphia, to be available for TV when repeaters are installed next spring; it makes simultaneous 2-way transmissions possible, will soon be extended to Washington.