Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1948)

tiARTIH CODEL’s authoritative news service OF THE VISUAL BROADCASTING AND fllECUENCY MODULATION arts and INDUSTRY W..WASHIN3T0H 6.D.C. TELEPKCHE MiCHlSAJl 2020 • VOL 4, NO. 44 October 30, 1948 PUBliSHED WEEKLY BY w SM?E PROPOSES BUT MPA DISPOSES: Constant prodding by the men who make HollT^ood* s wheels go round, plus simple facts of TV life as they're unfolding daily, may soon impel movie tycoons to bestir themselves, do something about TV. Exactly what, isn't clear — but Society of Motion Picture Engineers, which in 1946 asked FCC for 6 me theatre TV channels in the 475-890 and 1,000-13,000 me regions, has repeatedly proposed combination technical-economic studies of TV. Now, Motion Picture Assn's ' Eric Johnston tells us TV is very importantly on the agenda of top film executives' I meeting sometime next month. Meanwhile, SMPE convention in Washington this week I again probed TV extensively after opening-day call by TV committee chairman Donald i E. Hyndman (Eastman Kodak) for action to secure theatre TV frequencies. Papers on TV were entirely technical, included statements by 20th Century's H. J. Schlafly that his company is working with RCA to increase large-screen, direct-projection picture brightness from present 3-4 foot lamberts ; by Paramount's Richard Hodgson that his company's intermediate or film storage method (Vol. 4:16) now can dry film within 1 second by dielectric heating process ; by RCA's Ralph V. Little that NBC i, uses 5-in. CR tube for its kinescope recordings because it gives higher resolution ' (Paramount uses 12-in.). Surprisingly good demonstrations of 35mm shorts of popular TV shows were projected, made by filming off face of kinescope; only real degradation in comparison with regular 35mm film was poorer black and white contrast. SMPE ;j chose as 1949 president Earl I. Sponable, research chief, 20th Century-Fox. | ABOUT 50 TV STATIONS BY JAN. 1: Though we've tried to keep you posted on upcoming .,1 new TV stations as fast as we received reports from their builders (Vol. 4:32-43), we're so often asked how many stations will be on the air by end of this year that a ,;l recapitulation may be in order. Once before, we guessed total will be nearer 50 |'| than 60 — and that's still our guess. With 42 stations operating commercially (including Cleveland's WNBK, starting Oct. 31; Baltimore's WAAM, now set for Nov. 2), here's the lineup of soon-to-start stations: ■' i: November or December commercial starts promised; WAVE-TV, Louisville; WAGA j! TV, Atlanta; KOB-TV, Albuquerque; WDSU-TV, New Orleans; WDTV, Pittsburgh; KRSC-TV, ;'jj Seattle; KPIX, San Francisco; WMCT, Memphis — possibly WJTV, Syracuse. Note that ' all but Atlanta will be new TV towns. January commercial starts promised: KNBH, KTTV and KECA-TV, Los Angeles; j KGO-TV, San Francisco; WOIC, Washington; WJAR-TV, Providence; KLEE-TV, Houston; j WICU, Erie, Pa. ; WTCN-TV, Minneapolis — and possibly, shortly thereafter, WOR-TV, New York; WHIO-TV, Dayton; WCPO-TV, Cincinnati; WOW-TV, Omaha. j. Indeterminate status; WUTV, Indianapolis (testing sporadically, but no > starting date set) ; WTTV, Bloomington, Ind. (oft-reporting itself ready to start, (i repeatedly postponing) ; WTVJ, Miami (built, but subject to revocation hearing held this week; see item this issue); ’WRTB, Waltham, Mass, (see item this issue about i proposed purchase by CBS) . Foregoing timetables are as reported to us, subject to change — so don't i count on all of them, for postponements and delays are more frequent than not. If all go on air per schedule, we should have at least 50 by Dec. 31. possibly 10 more ;i ii I:? Copyfl^’ht 1943 by Ridlo NcJi Bureau