Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1949)

wasn’t high, he said, but they're good augury for rest of year and for 1950, barring possible summer slump. They mean losses this year "won't be too heavy." Depreciation included? Yes, standard station bookkeeping methods. Sold on TV? Yes, indeed — only wish we had it in Pittsburgh (home of Westinghouse ’ s pioneer KDKA) . Other enterpriser reporting good news is V/KTV, Utica. N.Y. , owned by Kallett theatre chain. It opened Dec. 1 with 21 local accounts, 8 national, and manager Mike Fusco writes; "It looks as though our operation will get off to a break-even start; it might even be a black-ink operation from the start." Unlike many another new starter, WKTV luckily began with network service (Vol. 5:49). One of first to announce profitable operation (Vol. 5:42), Edward Lamb, publisher of Erie Dispatch and ov/ner of TV stations WICU, Erie, and WTVN, Columbus, makes categorical statement that he "can put every TV station in the country in the black. " He writes in his newspaper; "I insist that there is nothing mysterious about adequately utilizing this remarkable new educational and entertainment medium. We have a very simple formula. Although we have the national network shows, there is but one answer to community recognition. . .more and more local programming." Note ; Billboard quotes Dr. Allen Dul^ont as stating his Pittsburgh WDTV is now making "$8000 per week", which easily makes it TV's best earner (Vol. 5;47). And before the Chicago Television Council the other day, KSD-TV's David Pasternak divulged some interesting figures for St. Louis Post-Dispatch station (see also Vol. 5;36,48); Plant investment |350,000; operating losses thru September, $400,000; average revenues 9 October-November weeks, $8000; average profit, about $1500 weekly. Weekly costs of $6500 included $1100 depreciation, $540 rent, salaries of 30 TV-only employes, etc. KSD-TV's average of about 50 hours per week is 70% sponsored; 75% network, 25% local. INDEX AND TV-AM-FN LOGS CONING UP: In the works now, for distribution to our subscribers Jan. 1, 1950 or shortly thereafter are 3 important reference Supplements; 1. Index to 1949 Newsletter reports, so that you can refer back to articles or items or statistical tables we've published during the year. 2. TV Directory No. 10; Television Rates & Factbook, regular quarterly edition, revised and brought up-to-date, with several new features added. Volume of nearly 100 pages will include rate cards and data of the 4 TV networks, and of all 98 stations on the air at year's end. Also, other such reference material as our listings of TV manufacturers and receivers, program sources, channel allocations, receiver production figures, TV census by cities, etc. 3. AM-FM-D i r e c 1 0 ry — first time we've combined them into one handy volvune — logging all North American AM & FM stations in 7 parts, as follows; (a) AM & FM stations by States, with addresses, frequencies, network affiliations, if any, FM antenna heights, etc. (b) AM stations by frequencies. (c) FM stations by frequencies. (d) AM applications by States, with FCC reference file numbers. (e) AM ap£li cations by frequencies. (f) FM applications by States and by frequencies. (g) AM-FM call letter lists. This log, of course, can be kept up-to-date throughout 1950 with our weekly Addenda reporting current FCC decisions, applications, etc. Early in 1950, we'll also prepare new editions of our annual directories of the FCC, of consulting engineers and of attorneys. FCC QUESTIONS PAY-AS YOU-LOOK TV: Phonevision' s future, if any, now faces Washington legal-policy obstacles — to say nothing of intra-industry opposition. Delay is inevitable, and it looks like Zenith's Comdr. McDonald may not get much-publicized pay-as-you-see project into the public experimental stage very soon. This week; (1) FCC ordered hearing Jan. 16 before Comr. Hennock on request to run Chicago experiment (Vol. 5;32), listing many questions it wants answered (Public Notice 42131, Docket No. 9517). Comrs. Hennock, Jones, Webster demanded hearing. Coy and Sterling dissenting. Latter thought Zenith should have chance to run test, then answer questions when it sought commercial authorizations. (2) Illinois Bell's information chief W. J. Peake, in Dec. 1 letter to Chicago Daily News, reiterated company's position that it v;ill not participate in billing, collecting, switching, etc. for subscription-TV "either now... or in the future"