Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1949)

PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY RADIO NEWS BUREAU, 1519 CONNECTICUT AVE. N.W., WASHINGTON 6, D.C. TELEPHONE MICHIGAN 2020 • VOL 5, NO. 53 December 31, 1949 TV FAGTBOOK & 1950 AN-FN LOG ON WAY; We're purposely holding up, for about week, publication of our TV Directory No. 10; Television Rates & Factbook — solely because we want to include therein all TV set manufacturers and their full new 1950 receiver lines, as well as several delayed station rate cards. Certain leading set makers won't disclose new lines and prices until next week; and several rate card revisions have been delayed because of year-end complications. Thus, full-service subscribers will get their next quarterly TV Factbooks sometime during week of Jan. 9. This edition will list more than 100 companies engaged in TV manufacture, with current lines and prices ; rate cards and personnel of the 4 networks and 98 operating stations; lists of 15 outstanding CPs and 551 applications ; directory of 400-plus TV program firms ; tables of current and proposed vhf-uhf allocations ; latest figures on TV production, sets-in-use , etc. ; and various other features of permanent reference value. Extra copies will cost Digest subscribers $2.50, non-subscribers $5. Note ; Our combined AM-FM Directory of Jan. 1, 1950 is now in hands of printer, will be mailed next week. It lists licensees, addresses, facilities of all North American AM & FM broadcasting stations by countries, states, cities; and separately, too, by frequencies and call letters. Also all U.S. applications pending to Dec. 31, 1950 separately by states and by frequencies, with FCC reference file numbers. The 125-page loose-leaf volume, with opposite pages in blank for writing in additions and changes, will be followed by new series of weekly Addenda based on current FCC decisions, applications, etc. Extra copies of 1950 AM-FM Directory are $7.50 each to subscribers, $10 to non-subscribers. TV IN 1950-SIZEUP AND FORECASTS; Let's look ahead to 1950, rather than rehash 1949, and recapitulate what may be expected from TV these next 12 months. Knowing full well we can be called to account if wrong, nevertheless we herewith stick our necks out with this thumb-nail sizeup of basic trends and developments that may be expected — plus a few predictions and conjectures; (a) Not less than 4,000,000 receivers, probably more, to be produced and sold — meaning at least 8,000,000 in use by end of year. Dollar volume of TV trade well over this year's $1 billion, of TV-plus-radio well over this year's $1.5 billion (Vol. 5:52). (b) Not more than a dozen new vhf stations to be built during year, out of 13 CPs still on the books. Only new market areas these will open up: Ames, Iowa (Des Moines) ; Kalamazoo & Lansing, Mich. ; Nashville, Tenn. ; Norfolk, Va. (see TV Addenda 9-M herewith for full list of still-pending CP holders). (c) End of freeze in autumn or early winter of 1950 — after lengthy vhfuhf allocation hearings during spring-summer that will be even more complex than color issue. Possibly a few non-competitive new station grants in 1950, but little or no new construction until 1951, either vhf or uhf. (d) Lots more talk-talk about color, maybe spelling some headaches for the trade — with FCC Comr. Jones continuing to spearhead color-in-a-hurry , CBS carrying case "to the people" via publicity and public demonstrations, but Senator Johnson remaining (for him) relatively mum until Condon committee reports. Copyright 1949 by Radio News Bureau