Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1949)

SIGHT AND SOUND Gear shift for phonographs? Fat’s in the fire for keeps now, with RCA due to break details of its 45 rpm record player next week — and CBS, this week end, putting out its 7-in. LP record. Three-cornered record player race (standard 78, CBS’s 33%, RCA’s 45 rpm) adds up to one obvious conclusion: Manufacturers can’t very well combine all speeds in one changer. There’s already talk about dual speed player for 78 and 33%, with separate unit for 45. Big question is why RCA chose speed different from CBS’s heavily plugged and fairly well-established 12-in. 33% ? RC.A claims 45 rpm better all around technically, says that’s that — and offers to prove it when it discloses technical details next week. Meanwhile, Columbia Record Inc. president Frank K. White lists as present users of CBS’s LP: Admiral, Crosley, Farnsworth, GE, Majestic, Magnavox, Philco, StewartWarner, Stromberg, V-M Corp., Webster-Chicago, Westinghouse, Wilcox-Gay, Zenith. Stratovision is technically ripe for commercialization, Westinghouse announced this week. Experiments will continue, but company is satisfied that major thesis is proved — system’s practicality. What Westinghouse really wants and needs now is demand from public and encouragement from FCC to justify continued heavy development costs and tied-up manpower. The rural coverage Westinghouse claims it can achieve has been, and will be, powerful argument before FCC during uhf proceedings. Stratocasts on Channel No. 6 originated from camera and slides right in plane Thursday as it flew over Baltimore, Washington, northern Virginia. Reports of Washington reception weren’t too favorable, but FCC monitoring station at Laurel, Md., in open country, received good picture. FCC clamped down on FM stations it deems halfhearted, denying requests of 3 that they be allowed to operate with fewer than minimum 6 hours daily: KWKFM, St. Louis; WENY-FM, Elmira, N. Y.; WDHL-FM, Clean, N. Y. It called particular attention to those which have profitable AM operations and duplicate all the way, seeing no financial hardship there. Stations having a rough fiscal time will get more sympathetic FCC ear. Philco did $270,000,000 business in 1948, up $44,000,000 from previous high in 1947 and thrice greater than best prewar year. As 1949 began, company’s net worth rose to $51,000,000, as compared to $15,800,000 in 1940. In TV alone, Philco this year expects to turn out 600,000 units, do $100,000,000 business. These were highlights of president Wm. Balderston’s talk to 1,200 eastern distributors at Palm Beach convention this week, TV transmitting apparatus sales had become very nice business before freeze hit Sept. 30; RMA reports 1948 third quarter sales of $5,256,465, compared with $4,959,922 for all first half. Third quarter AM and FM equipment sold for $2,694,845. But government remains biggest customer — spending $21,936,129, or 64% of RMA sales. Total sales for 9 months was $111,228,411. First changes in top RCA assignments resulting from elevation of Frank Folsom to RCA presidency include election of Rear Admiral Walter A. Buck, U.S.N. (retired) as RCA Victor operating v.p. under executive v.p. Joe Wilson; Joseph H. McConnell moved from v.p. and general attorney at Camden to RCA v.p. in charge of finance in New York; Charles R. Denny, NBC executive v.p., named to NBC board. TV synchronization tieup of Detroit’s WWJ-TV and Cleveland’s WNBK ( Vol. 4 :46-52) is expected next week. When hookup is operating and WWJ-TV is on full power with new antenna (hoped for in week or so), synchrolinking will be tested to its limit since cities are only 90 mi. apart and system’s proponents recommend 150-mi. co-channel spacing be minimum. Here’s a good deal for someone planning new AM, FM or TV construction: Detroit News’ WWJ recently bought three 400-ft. Blaw-Knox SGN towers for new antenna array, then abandoned projected $300,000 directional AM project in order to concentrate on WWJ-TV for which it already has entirely suitable site and tower. Since buying the 3 towers, which are still in packing cases, their list has gone up 10%. Chance for a good bargain here; write WWJ manager Harry Bannister. Transcripts of Dick Hubbell’s TV seminar, “Straight Facts from Top Brass,” conducted before Radio Executives Club of New York last week, are available, in limited quantity — and well worth reading. Talks include those by Baltimore Sun’s E, K. Jett, NBC’s Carleton Smith, 20th Century-Fox’s Spyros Skouras, Write Richard W. Hubbell, 118 East 40th St., New York 16, N. Y. Note: In our Vol. 5:1 digest of the meeting, we inadvertently referred to “Hubbell Robinson” as moderator of the seminar; that well-known radio gent was in Las Vegas getting married at that particular time, so our apologies are due both Dick Hubbell and CBS’s Hub Robinson. DuMont is seeking to line up network outlets on East Coast as well as in Midwest for its daytime programs — East-Midwest link being readily available during daylight hours. Plans are to feed daytime affiliates at periods from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on cooperative basis. DuMont feels many stations are spending considerable sums merely putting daytime test patterns on, and this plan can result in income for such stations. Warner Brothers, reasonably confident now of getting KLAC-TV, Los Angeles (Vol. 4:52), through president Harry M. Warner tells trade press this week it will enter TV film production field, stressing educational, novelty and vaudeville subjects. Details of new syndicate setup not disclosed yet — but it’s significant Warners follows lead of 20th Century-Fox, which has no TV stations of own yet, in accepting TV stations as film customers; that Paramount, with 2 stations, doesn’t yet release to TV, Lay public heard about “polycasting” (Vol. 4:49) for first time Tuesday when sponsor consulting engineer Raymond A. Wilmotte told New York Society of Security Analysts it might prove the answer to national, competitive TV service. System is method of covering metropolitan market with number of low-powered uhf stations (using FM to overcome co-channel and adjacent channel interference) instead of single big, high-powered outlet. Katz Agency appointed rep for new WHIO-TV, Dayton (see story this issue) ; its AM rep continues Hollingbery. In our recent recapitulation of TV station reps, we inadvertantly omitted Adam Young Jr. Co. for KLAC-TV, Los Angeles. Democratic members of reorganized Senate Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee, in charge of radio legislation: Johnson, Colo., chairman; McFarland, Ariz. ; Magnuson, Wash.; Myei-s, Pa.; McMahon, Conn.; and new members O’Conor, Md.; Johnson, Tex.; Kefauver, Tenn. All FM low-band (44-50 me) emissions ceased Dec. 31, per FCC order, except those of Maj. Armstrong’s Alpine (N. J.) station. He appealed to U. S. Court of Appeals at last minute, got stay order pei-mitting continued operation until appeal is considered during February session. Trans-Lux theaters’ switch from newsreels to feature pictures in Washington and Philadelphia is attributed to fear of TV, ventures Variety. Along that line, you may recall our “Every Home a Newsreel Theater” (Vol. 3:44). Biggest foregathering of the technical radio clan, annual convention of IRE, has been set for March 7-10 in New York’s Hotel Commodore and Grand Central Palace.