Television digest and FM reports (Feb-Dec 1947)

CLEANUP WEEKS FOR THE FCC: This wee k and next are " cleanup" periods at FCC, pre paratory to embarking on stiff new schedule of hearings Oct. 20 (Vol. 3, Ho. 40). V7ith all commissioners back in Washington, Monday was occupied with Budget Bureau appearances, rest of week with en banc oral arguments, so no regular Thursday meeting was held — presaging raft of actions next week. But in snatches, among other things. Commission ruled FM isn't an issue in clear channel hearings resuming Oct. 20, therefore denied CCBS petition for data on FM coverage and receiver tests. It made final all proposed Cleveland-Akron FM grants, except WGAR (Supp. 55, 55-B) , heard WGAR's request for higher FM power, gave Elyria-Lorain Bcstg. Co. Class B instead of A originally proposed, getting channel from reserved B's. Early disposal of Bridgeport FM cases (Yankee and Travelers), involving Hartford overlap, was indicated as hearing concluded. And final decision on proposed New York City FM grants may be expected next week. ----- SIGHT AND SOUND . .. - First official look-see into NARBA revisions takes place Oct. 17 when industry-FCC-State Dept, officials meet in Washington to consider radical Mexican proposals (that all channels from 540 kc to 1140 kc be made clear channels, with 100 kw minimum for powers). There’s feeling among industry engineers that any compromises will be to detriment of U. S. standard broadcast allocation, making necessary radical revisions in U. S. station assignments. Preparatory NARBA conference will be in Havana Nov. 3, official meeting in Montreal, Aug. 3, 1948. TV radio relay systems will be given the once over by FCC Chief Engineer George Sterling and staff during coming weeks. First inspection trip will be to Schenectady Oct. 21 to look over GE’s microwave relay (Vol. 3, No. 40), party including Engineers Curtis Plummer, Louis De La Fleur, Virgil Simpson, General Counsel Ben Cottone. On Oct. 29, AT&T New York-Boston system will be inspected by Sterling, Plummer, Simpson, William Boese and William Grenfell, all Engineering Dept. Subsequent trips are planned to inspect Philco New York-Philadelphia system, Western Union’s New York-Philadelphia-Washington link. Cel. Harry Wilder’s WSYR-FM, Syracuse, has quit FMA — first to do so — in protest against its alleged “unofficial policy line of antagonism toward AM,” also objecting to FMA’s claim of credit for cleanup of 400 kc separation problem first arising in Syracuse (Vol. 3, No. 11-13) which resulted in new allocations separating Class Bs by 800 kc. FMA’s current drive has raised membership to 209, goal being 300 by year’s end. Indicating experimental intent, possible future activity in TV, these companies not now identified with TV grants or applications have ordered field pickup equipment from RCA : American Television Laboratories, Chicago (school); Warner Brothers; 20th Century-Fox; Bell Laboratories; RCA Canada; WOW, Omaha. Altogether, RCA has sold about 75 field camera chains thus far. H. K. Carpenter, chief of Cleveland Plain Dealer radio (United Broadcasting Co.) is completing tour of TV operations, manufacturing plants, etc., preparatory to board meeting to decide whether to reapply for TV. Before color TV decision, United had applications for Cleveland, Dayton, Columbus (Supp. 18). Using Kansas City’s KOZY (FM) not only as outlet but as relay link, Capper stations KCKN, Kansas City, Kan. (AM) and WIBW-FM, Topeka, are operating as 3station hookup to carry Missouri and Kansas U grid games. Both ABC and Marshall Field, former owning timesharing WENR and latter WJJD, are reported angling for purchase of Chicago’s WLS. Kudos to DuMont’s WTTG, Washington, for excellent handling of delicate first medical operation telecast to public. At invitation of District of Columbia Medicai Society, WTTG broadcast two operations early this week during Society’s annual convention, received commendations from physicians on educational value of presentation not a single objection from viewers. TV seems to haw been taken up by doctors wholeheartedly. First telecasl of surgery took place over closed wire circuit last February at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Hospital, second ovei microwave link last month at American College of Sur geons Congress in New York (Vol. 3, No. 37). First test of repeater-type TV operation was con ducted successfully last week by Hartford Times' WTHT when NBC telecasts of World Series were picked up an< amplified at elevated location near Hartford, relayed b; RCA microwave equipment to TV receivers in auditoriun of Times' Radio Center. WERE, Wilkes-Bari-e, picking u] New York, did same thing (Vol. 3, No. 39). More changes in NBC engineering setup, announcei by v.p. O. B. Hanson; Jarrett L. Hathaway named assl mgr. of engineering development in place of George Nixor now manager of engineering, who succeeded Robert Shelbj now TV engineering director; Ray Guy, now mgr. of radi and allocations engineering; Chester A. Rackey, now mgi of audio and video engineering. Add TV sponsors: On WBKB, Chicago, “Jane Foste Comes to Call” Tuesdays, 3-3:30 p.m., for Commonwealt Edison Co., which allots tickets to local appliance dealer for audience which can watch both studio and televise show. On WABD, New York City, “Know Your Nei York,” Wednesday nights, for Bonded Auto Sales. 0 WCBS-TV, New York City, Columbia U home grid game: Saturdays for Knox, The Hatter. NAB’s code of fair practices gets looked over b its FM executive committee Oct. 24, with special committe representing non-network stations scheduled to meet Oc 23 on same subject. Some FMers aren’t too keen aboi coming under Code’s commercial time provisions (Vol. I No. 38), feel more time should be permitted for FM sR tions to get along. TBA, with about 50 members, has issued new (lowered schedule of membership dues, reports adding as activ members TV grantees WMBG, Richmond, and WSMB, Ne' Orleans, and as affiliate member Stromberg-Carlson G RCA installed 6x8-ft. TV projection unit (Vol. 3, N 38, 39) at Valley General Hospital outside Philadelphi: so 300 vetei’an patients could watch World Series in po: theater. . .