Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1948)
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etc. As for uhere troposphere goes from here, he hinted strongly that report expected in January from Ad Hoc Committee, now meeting every Monday, might be hashed over in further engineering conference before being sent to commissioners for decision. (Engineers are smacking lips over lawyers' term "ad hoc," which means, in effect, "for this job only."). But some wonder how productive another such conference would be, since most major technical questions are inextricably involved with policy matters that only FCC can decide.
TV OUTPUT FIGURES STILL CLIKBING: November TV output should hit new record of 125,000
or so, based on RMA's advance report of 60,000 for first 2 weeks made public at board meeting Thursday. That would compare with 95,216 for October, 178,571 for all 1947. It would bring 11-month cumulative for 1948 above 700,000, would assure well over 1,000,000 TVs in U.S. homes and public places by end of this year (Vol. 4:47).
Any idea TV isn't cutting into radio volume is quickly dispelled in considering rest of what RMA reported; From 1947 peak output of 20,0000,000 receivers of all types, 1948 w-ill go down to 16,000,000. Dollar-wise, hov/ever, industry w'ill hold own because of higher unit value of TVs. Total 1948 radio factory output value is estimated at $700,000,000, about same as last year. TV will account for fully $200,000,000 of this.
Only hitch in prospect of again-predicted 2,000,000 TV output next year (Vol. 4:46), to say nothing of unpredictable radio output, is growing shortage of tin (Vol. 4:47). TV requires about 10 times amount of tin ordinary radios do for resistors, capacitators , solder, tubes, etc. Tin prices are skyrocketing. RMA board decided to set up committee to institute voluntary conservation, work out substitutions, administer allocations within industry if it comes to that.
NOTES ON UPCOMING NEW STATIONS: New Orleans* WDSU-TV, claiming exceptionally good
propagation in its flat delta area, enthused over signal tests, is poised for commercial debut next Saturday, Dec. 18, reports an imposing list of commercials signed (see item in Sight & Sound), joins NBC and DioMont as a "non-interconnected affiliate." That's the next starting station. No. 48, on the TV agenda. Memphis' WMCT, operating since Thanksgiving (Vol. 4:46), bows formally with big shindig today (Dec. 11), but w'e've already counted it. Owner Memphis Commercial Appeal is publishing big special Sunday section, manager Henry Slavick announces minimum daily except Thursday 7-10 p.m. schedule henceforth. News notes about other new TV stations;
FCC has approved CBS-KTTV deal (Vol. 4:18), whereby network for $367,500 acquires 49% interest in new Los Angeles Times station, due to start Jan. l...This week George Storer's Fort Industry Co. entered competitive bid for Louisville Courier-Journal ' s WHAS (AM-FM-TV grant) against Crosley's $1,925,000 (Vol. 4:40), offered to meet Avco price, said it might unload some of its other radio holdings if required (it owns 7 AMs, 2 TVs, 1 CP for TV, 2 TV applications). Opposition to Crosley bid may revolve around overlap of WHAS-WLW as well as their TVs.
NBC's Los Angeles KNBH, last of its fivesome, definitely will begin commercial operation "on or about Jan. 15" with Hal Bock running the show... ABC, whose technicians have usually met deadlines, promises Los Angeles KECA-TV and San Francisco KGO-TV tests around Jan. 1, commercial operation when programmers are ready... Looks like KPIX will beat KGO-TV on air in San Francisco, promising to go commercial by Xmas, but KGO-TV in operation shortly thereafter means lively competition soon.
Crosley's Bob Dunville reports transmitter construction of WLWC, Columbus, and WLWD, Dayton, will be completed in latter January, with Feb. 9 as present target date for tests, commercial debuts about 30 days thereafter. Plan is to link these up with its Cincinnati VvLWT via microwave. Temporary studios will be used in both places, Columbus eventually to have duplicate of WLWT setup. . .Edward Lamb reports his WICU. Erie, Pa., is aiming for latter January tests, Feb. 1 commercial start, has named Laymon Cameron as manager ... Manager G. P. Hamann, WBRC, Birmingham, reports July installation and tests of WBRC-TV, commercial operation by Aug. -Sept... CBS reports signing V.’FBM-TV, Indianapolis (aiming for March 15 start) and WKRC-TV, Cincinnat i (about April 1) as "full primary affiliates" of its TV network.