Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1948)

told distributors on Great Lakes* cruise convention last week it has 4 new IV models in works, including 16-in. ; Sloan inclined to bigger tubes rather than projection because of superior brightness, clarity, viewing angle ... .Ansley reports that by July 15 it will have 10-in. TV-only table model out at §375, 10-in. TV-FM-A)/-SWphono console at §725, 12-in. console §995, 15-in. credenza §1,295, initial production to total 25 daily. ... Technicians are acclaiming new circuit in Pilot's 3-in. Candid TV (Vol. 4, No. 24), odd number of IF stages (5) giving great interference rejection; they say circuit should prove valuable in other models, whatever one may think of 3-in. size, and Pilot is including it in its Protelgram projection set. FIRST TV 'LIKE' RATE SKIRI*iISH: Nobody was ready at Monday's FCC hearing on TV intercity "line" rates (Vol. 4, No. 18, 21), so after some legal skirmishing it was adjourned to Sept. 28. However, some significant facts and figures did go into I record, which may be more than mere straws in the wind. AT&T's preliminary ex I hibits, for example, showed it would cost Bell System estimated §29,763,000 to in { stall and operate first year the TV portion of "assumed" 77-station hookup, using * 75% microwave facilities, operating 12 hours per day, embracing 23 cities in area I boiinded roughly by Boston-Richmond, Milwaukee-St . Louis. Also, AT&T showed, net ! works January through April w'ould have spent these amounts for their off-again, oni again coxial hookups had May 1 tariff been in effect; NBC, §69,914; DuJ«^ont, i §59,110; CBS, §37,318; ABC, §5,063. Actually, during first month of line charges I (May), they spent; NBC, §10,602; DuMont, §7,513; CBS, §6,308; ABC, §6,217. Exhibit [also mentioned potential improved coaxial, capable of 4 me TV. On the TV operators' side, in addition to attack on rates as too high, these I; points were raised; (1) Need for greater flexibility in contractual rates since t, one telecaster could tie up only common carrier facility 8 hours per day on monthly contract ; (2) opposition to AT&T prohibition against interconnecting its equipment ' with other private or common carriers; (3) possibility of some sort of "basing point" rate system similar to transportation common carriers. I SIZE AND SHAPE OF TV DEMAND: Here are salient points of another ad agency survey of TV — this one by Federal Adv. for St romberg-Carlson, whose advertising manager Stanley H. Manson cited them to National Assn of Music Merchants convention in Chicago Thursday. Findings are based on personal interviews with 350 set owners, 306 non-owners in well-served New-York-Philadelphia TV areas. Stromberg feels sampling is large enough to lend weight to following statistics, which will be supplemented later by more surveys in same areas and other cities. Each item tells its own story: . (a) 99% of set owners would buy sets if they had it to do over again; (b) 35% are definitely interested in buying second set; (c) 96% of non-owners have seen TV, 84% want sets; (d) 51% of both owners and non-ov;ners want consoles with the works — TV-FM-AM-phono ; 49% want table models — although only 27% of owners now have consoles; (e) 35% of non-owners wanting sets are prepared to spend §400, 35% would spend §400-600, 30% would go over §600; (f) 30% of owners made decision to buy and bought immediately, 24% took 2-4 weeks, 24% took 2-6 months; (g) man of family made decision to buy in 75% of purchases, much higher than radio; (h) 49% of purchasers considered only one make of set, largely because of availabilities. As for reactions, habits, criticisms; (a) 31% of owners watch TV 25 or more hours weekly, 22% watch 20-25 hours, 11% watch less than 10 hours, balance presumably 10-20 hours; (b) viewers said 69% of viewing time was formerly spent listening to radio; (c) 89% said they favored TV even if their favorite AM and TV programs happened to be on at same time; (d) 48% want larger screen (75% now have 10-in., 11% have 7-in., balance have larger), 40% want clearer image, 24% want better cabinets, 18% want better sound, 15% want simpler operation, 17% want color; (e) 82% said picture good, 16% said fairly good, 2% said poor, 22% had difficulty in getting stations ; (f) 60% expressed "some disappointment" in TV, 19% complaining of poor programming, 15% specifically mentioning antique movies ; (g) most common complaint was delay in getting sets and delay in installation; (h) 68% said sets required some servicing, mostly minor, but 84% said final installation satisfactory. t