Television digest and FM reports (Jan-Dec 1949)

Trade personals: Fred D, Wilson, ex-RCA Victor, recently executive v.p. of Bendix Home Appliances Inc., elected Nov. 15 president of Capehart-Farnsworth Corp., succeeding Ellery W. Stone ... Sir Ernest Fisk, managing director of EMI, London, due on Queen Elizabeth next week; coming here to size up potential market for British radios and TVs . . . Carl J. Hollatz, ex-Belmont v.p., retained by RCA tube dept, as sales consultant . . . Dr. Alexander Ellett, research chief since 1946, elected Zenith v.p.; Karl Hassell elected secretary . . . James D. Shouse, president of Crosley Broadcasting Corp., elected to Avco executive committee in place of Raymond C. Cosgrove, resigned (Vol. 5:43); William M. Werner, gen. mgr. of Avco’s New Idea Division, elected v.p. . . . Charles T. Lawson, Kelvinator sales v.p., elected president of National Electrical Manufacturers Assn. . . . Correction: R. T. Capodanno, exPhilco, is new Emerson director of engineering under executive v.p. Dorman D. Israel, with chief engineer William Vassar reporting to Capodanno; we regret our error. IRE has elected NBC’s Raymond F. Guy as 1950 president, Sir Robert Watson-Watt of London as v.p. New directors-at-large are William R. Hewlett, Hewlett Packard Co., and James W. McRae, Bell Labs. Regional directors elected: Prof. Herbert J. Reich, Yale; Prof. Ferdinand Hamburger Jr., Johns Hopkins; John D. Reid, Crosley Div., Cincinnati; Prof. Austin Eastman, Washington U. Phono and record business is reported going well, and RCA this week began offering 14-record 45rpm package ($10 value) free with each $39.50 player. Rumor won’t down — and denials sound rather guarded — that RCA will make 33%rpm records after Jan. 1. Meanwhile, its big 45rpm promotion includes page ads signed by president Frank Folsom stating, “RCA Victor ‘45’ is here . . . and here to stay.” Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, which operates on basis of 13 four-week cycles, reports that first 40 weeks of 1949 to Oct. 9 showed net sales of $29,507,000 compared with $17,374,000 for same 1948 period. Unaudited net profit was $1,676,000 (75^ a common share) vs. $1,421,000 (70^). Dividend payment Dec. 22 will be 50(1 per common share, payable to stockholders of record Dec. 1, compared to 25(1 last December. Bullish 5-page analysis of TV by investment brokers Bache & Co., 36 Wall St., New York, reports set-makers going great guns now and networks good for the long run. Company favors these stocks: ABC, Admiral, CBS, DuMont, Emerson, Motorola, Philco, RCA, Zenith. Potential for TV set sales in markets not now TVserved will be surveyed by RMA statistics committee headed by Sylvania’s Frank Mansfield, authorized at this week’s board meeting. Though running at capacity now, set makers want some kind of gauge of markets that will exist when freeze is lifted and new stations authorized. Assn of Electronic Parts & Equipment Manufacturers suggests series of meetings in key cities, to permit local manufacturers’ representatives and distributors to meet together, as means of relieving manufacturers from exhibiting at many small conferences. AEPEM would reserve May Parts Show in Chicago as sole big convention. Flying spot scanner that takes opaques as well as transparencies, has automatic feed feature, will be offered TV set manufacturers and broadcasters in spring by Philco Industrial Div. (James McLean, mgr.). To be priced about $5000, scanner is said to permit set-makers to test receivers in factory, obviating need for field tests. Headline of the Week (from Nov. 15 Radio Daily): Sen. Johnson Clarifies Stand on Color-Tele and ‘Freeze’. How touchy are the color TV protagonists is shown by this little press release battle: Last week, CBS’s Peter Goldmark returned from London, reported that BBC planned to experiment with CBS’s color system and that BBC’s engineers were favorably impressed with it (Vol. 5:46). This week, RCA produced statement from Sir Noel Ashbridge, director of BBC technical services, saying, “The only work in color TV by BBC consists purely of research experiments. Naturally, all existing and proposed systems are under review. The BBC is equally interested in RCA and other promising systems. No arrangements have been entered into with any British or American firm so far.” Goldmark’s reply to that: “RCA has rushed in after CBS, as it has done in the past in this country, to block the CBS system and keep color TV from the public.” People claiming to have color TV systems are making moi’e and more inquiries at FCC as color hearing publicity spreads. Latest filing petition to participate in hearing is Prismacolor Pictures Inc., 1902 S. Western Ave., Chicago (F. E. Oakhill, president). Company says its system, used for color film, is good for color TV. Engineers who’ve read description of system tell us it may be okay optically but looks far-fetched electronically. Banning of football telecasts by some Western colleges impelled RMA to name special committee this week to look into charges TV causes attendance drop, seek to work out some agreement to keep colleges happy. Committee to work with telecasters is headed by H. L. Hoffman, Hoffman Radio; includes Leonard F. Cramer, DuMont; A. A. Brandt, GE; Joseph B. Elliott, RCA. Meanwhile, Saturday’s Stanford-U of California game, with seats sold out, was scheduled to be seen by ticketless alumni via TV on Stanford campus. Increased FM station hours, much along lines of FMA’s petition (Vol. 5:32), were proposed by FCC this week. New rules, on which Commission will accept comments until Dec. 19, propose these minimum requirements: (a) For FM-only stations, 6 hours during first year, 8 during second, 12 thereafter, (b) FM station with AM affiliate to operate same number of hours from 6 a.m. to midnight as AM station, in addition to meeting same requirements as those for FM-only stations. FCC is still mulling suggestion of Chairman Coy, who had suggested FM stations duplicate programs, as well as hours, of AM affiliates (Vol. 5:19). Philadelphia would lose 3 unoccupied FM channels and 3 stations in other cities would have to shift frequencies under proposal issued by FCC this week (Docket 9502, FCC Notice 49-1517). Those would be principal effects of reallocation, covering 21 cities (mostly small), designed to afford greater protection to stations 400 kc and 600 kc apart. Stations which would switch: WAMS-FM & WDEL-FM, Wilmington, Del.; WRFL, Winchester, Va. Comments on proposal may be submitted until Dec. 19. Telecast of Barklcy-Hadley wedding-of-the-year properly thrilled housewives who remembered to tune in NBCTV at noon Friday. St. Louis’ KSD-TV originated program for 29-station network from cameras in front of church and at luncheon in home of bride’s friend, Mrs. T. M. Saynian. Camera wasn’t permitted in church. New AT&T long lines v.p. is Henry T. Killingsworth, succeeding Fred R. Kappel, now v.p. in charge of operations and engineering. Charles E. Wampler succeeds Killingsworth as long lines general manager. Dr. Frank B. Jewett, 70, former chief of Bell Labs and pioneer in electronics and communications, died Nov. 18. He retired in 1944.