Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

S3GHT AMD SOUND Nearly 400 small-print pages, including allocations up to 10,500,000 kc, signed by 78 nations, comprise International Telecommunications Agreements completed this week. Windup of Atlantic City parley Thursday brought FCC Comrs. Denny, Jett, Webster and FCC staffmen back to capital desks — but Webster goes next to London safety services conference Oct. 25; and Jett is U. S. delegate to Geneva Provisional Frequency Registration Board, which will keep him there for 6 months from next Jan. 15. TV won’t get pickup channels in 1295-1425 me band, as proposed by FCC last February (Vol. 3, No. 6). For the International Telecommunications Conference, winding up this week at Atlantic City, decided aviation should have almost solid 960-1700 me band. Otherwise, present TV frequencies in U. S. aren’t touched by Atlantic City Radio Convention allocations. Sidelight to new treaty is exception permitted USSR in use of 1215-1300 me, allotted world’s amateurs. In Russia, those frequencies can be used for TV relay (no amateurs!). Before 540 kc can be made part of U. S. standard broadcast band, proper clearances must be worked out at NARBA meeting this winter. CBC’s 50 kw station CBK, Watrous, Sask., is now using channel. After NARBA conferences, FCC will hold hearings to determine what use shall be made of 540 kc also reassignments of maritime, mobile and government services now using 415-535 kc band. New broadcast band, based on Atlantic City Radio Convention, runs from 535 kc to 1605 kc (actually 540-1600 kc, allowing 5 kc guard bands on either end). Dates and places of AM-FM-TV hearings, OctoberApril, released Friday by FCC, include Philadelphia TV hearing there March 11 (2 seeking city’s single remaining channel). Also these for FM: Knoxville, Oct. 20 (in Washington); Pittsburgh, Nov. 6 (there); Los Angeles, Jan. 21 (there); Minneapolis, Feb. 5 (Washington); Stockton, Cal., Feb. 20 (there); Coram, N. Y., Feb. 25 (there); Providence, March 1 (there). “Radio Daily” Friday front-paged oft-repeated story — but claimed definite knowledge of its own — that FCC Chairman Denny will shortly resign to become NBC v. p. and general counsel. But Denny repeats: “I have no plans for leaving the Commission”. NBC Friday promoted 2 more to v. p. status: able Charles P. Hammond, operational aide to exec v. p. Frank Mullen; popular Sydney H. Eiges, press relations. Oft-postponed hearing on WBAL renewal and PearsonAlien “Blue Book” application for its Baltimore facilities (scheduled for Oct. 6) got postponed again — to Nov. 3. Postponement was based on Hearst plea to FCC that station executives were too busy getting TV station on air, had just moved into new studios, etc., couldn’t be spared for appearances just yet. Hearst request for court stay order got turned down in U. S. Court of Appeals last Friday. Rumors Pearson-Alien will withdraw application are dubbed “unfounded” by both. RCA’s second TV engineering clinic, which ended week’s course the other day, had enrollment of 26, mostly from stations holding CPs for TV. Also attending, indicating their stations may be planning to apply for TV, were Dick Blackburn, WTHT, Hartford; Dick Evans, KSL, Salt Lake City; A. C. Anderson, KTAR, Phoeniz; A. F. Rckart, KXOK, St. Louis; Carl Menzer, WSUI, Iowa City. Add TV’ sponsors: On WCBS-TV, New York City — American Tobacco Co., 1-minute films, 3 times weekly for year; Better Cars, Inc. (“Trader Horn” used car salesroom), spots preceding each of 6 Columbia U home games. Paramount’s offer to waive voting rights in DuMont Class A stockholdings may be move FCC has been looking for. Commission would like to unlock 3 pending Paramount, 2 DuMont applications (Supp. 18-D), if it can do so without compromising its 5-limit rule. Paramount proposed Thursday, that it will put its 2.8 % Class A stock into trust, waive voting rights. Movie firm feels ownership of all Class B stock (560,000 shares) doesn’t give it control over DuMont. Decision of FCC should be made next week, since deadline on continuing applications in live file runs out Oct. 15 (Vol. 3, No. 32, 33). TV-promoting NBC and RCA, standing to lose still more trained TV personnel to new stations, regard this drain on their manpower resources as a sort of “welcome headache” — because it helps push TV. NBC’s new TV Dept, is being made flexible to fill gaps; it’s headed by Noran Kersta, reporting directly to exec v.p. Frank Mullen (Vol. 3, No. 39) and under whom, this week, Bob Shelby was made TV engineering director. Besides numerous technicians, these were some recent moves to stations: Harold See, to WBAL-TV, Baltimore (Vol. 3, No. 35) ; Bui-ke Crotty, to WMAL-TV, Washington; Robald C. Oxford, to KFI-TV, Los Angeles; Jack Hartley, to VVEWS, Cleveland. MBS refused, because WOR covers area, to grant permission to Elias Godofsky’s FM station WHNY, Hempstead, L. I., to carry World Series, causing that live-wire small AM-FM operator to do burnup over “setback to FM” in metropolitan New York. Some 500 U. S. stations, 64 Canadian, carried Series — including FM stations WASH, Washington; WBCA, Scenectady; WMHG, Hornell, N. Y.; KTRN, Wichita Falls, Tex. MBS said it allowed any affiliate to duplicate on FM, if it wished, even if separatelyowned, as in Washington, even furnished musical cue sheets to avoid Petrillo. First “fireside chat” via TV from White House — they’ll be commonplace from now on — was scheduled for Sunday night at 10:30, with President Truman, Secretary Anderson, Secretary Harriman, Food Chairman Charles Luckman, slated to be seen as well as heard. Hike in NAB dues, possibly 10%, is contemplated byr finance committee, which will offer expanded budget at November board meeting to handle such new or expanded activities as international broadcasting, FM, legislation, code, music licensing, union contracts, etc. During 11 months, Sept. 1, 1946-July 31, 1947, NAB’s income was $658,763, expenses $633,784 (Vol. 3, No. 38). “Report on FM Radio” in October Kiplinger Magazine predicts “monopoly so long enjoyed by the major networks will be smashed and genuine freedom of the air will become reality” with influx of FM stations. Similar report on TV in September issue took TV programming over the coals, calling it “limited in variety” with abundance of “ham acting” and commercials “even more repulsive than . . . ordinary radio.” RMA booklet on multiple TV antenna systems (for apartment houses, etc.) will be released next week for benefit of architects, builders, landlords, and others. Eight-page brochure is product of RMA engineering committee. Half (24) the pre-war FM licensees apparently feel they have enough low-band listeners to justify continuing on old frequency. They’re all that’s left, as shown in our new FM Directory (Supp. 55). DuMont’s TV transmitting equipment division (including sales, under II. E. Taylor Jr.) moved to new quarters Oct. 1: 42 Harding Ave., Clifton, N. J.