Television digest with AM-FM reports (Jan-Dec 1951)

14 Texas oilmen W. L. Pickens of Dallas, R. L. Wheelock of Corsicana and H. H. Coffield of Rockland, who hit jackpot with their KEYL, San Antonio, recently sold to George Storer interests for $1,050,000 (Vol. 7:30), are applying now for uhf outlets in Dallas (Channel No. 23), Houston (No. 23), San Antonio (No. 35) in name of UHF Television Co. Same group also were principals in KPHO-TV, Phoenix (Vol. 5:26) but pulled out before it was built and sold. They’re also associated in pre-freeze vhf applications for Corpus Christi and New Orleans — represented by Dallas law firm of Johnson, Bohannon, Prescott & Abney, whose Ross Bohannon, onetime G-man who won fame in Dillinger capture, handled past successful applications and grants. This week’s batch of applications included another for Texas — from KGNC, Amarillo, seeking Channel 4. And Oklahoma City application for Channel 9, specifying 200 kw and 1551-ft. tower, plant to cost $1,350,000 was filed by Oklahoma Television Corp. (Vol. 7:35). Total application now on file: 441. [For details about this week’s applications, see TV Addenda 13-1 herewith; for list of all applicants to date, see TV Factbook No, 13 plus Addenda 13-A to 13-1.1 Progress toward TV code of program standards (Vol. 7:25) was I’eported at Virginia Beach NARTB-TV board meeting Sept. 6-7, and program standards committee has called full NARTB-TV membership meeting in Chicago Oct. 19 to act on recommendations. Chairman Robert D. Swezey, WDSU-TV, i-eported that subcommittee on education, culture, children’s programs and decency & decorum in pi’oduction has prepared proposals under chairmanship of Davidson Taylor, NBC-TV; also that subcommittee on news, public events, religion and controversial issues under Harold Hough, WBAP-TV, is ready to report. First draft of advertising practices standards is about ready to be submitted by chairman Walter J. Damm, WTMJ-TV. The 3 subcommittees meet in Washington Oct. 2 to report to full program standards committee. Fourth subcommittee under Paul Raibourn, KTLA, is working on methods of securing standards obseiwance. NARTB now counts 68 of the 107 TV stations, plus 2 networks (DuMont & NBC) as members, these having joined in recent weeks: WABD, WDTV, WOR-TV, WEWS, WCPO-TV, WJIM-TV, WHBF-TV, KING-TV, KFMB-TV. Chicago Tribune’s WGN & WGN-TV have also decided to join, WGN having pulled out of old NAB in 1941. At NARTB-TV board meeting this week, director Thad Brown Jr. was authorized to hire executive asst. TV group’s income was reported within 95% of budget. Applications for station construction in first quarter 1952 under NPA building control regulations are due Sept. 20 on form CMP-4C. NPA says it has issued all fourth quarter authorizations and allotments of materials, but hasn’t yet released list of approved projects. Only 11% of the steel required by commercial construction applicants— including TV-radio — will be available in fourth quarter. However, those whose fourth quarter applications were rejected were urged to i*eapply for first quarter authorizations and allotments. Filings in FCC’s TV allocations proceedings have reached total of 252, with 128 of them covering Groups A-F (Maine to Maryland), balance on DuMont plan (Vol. 7:35). Statements, supporting FCC’s allocation or offering alternatives, range from perfunctory to exhaustive. Commission staftmen maintain that “every scrap of paper is getting a thorough going over.” Said one FCC attorney: “Personally, if I were on the ‘outside’ and I knew how this is being handled, I’d be satisfied that my client is getting a fairer shake then he would in an oral hearing. This thing has absolute priority.” New XELD-TV, Matamoros, Mexico, opposite Brownsville, Tex. (Vol. 7:31-34) got on air with 6-hour daily test patterns Sept. 4, mostly sponsored by TV distributorsdealers, plans by Sept. 15 to operate minimum of 2 evening & 2 daytime hours plus 2 hours test pattern daily. Manager Monte Kleban reports station’s 536-ft. tower (700 ft. above average terrain) on Channel 7 is putting well over 7.5 mv/m into Brownsville, is being seen good 35-mi. radius. FCC has approved its affiliation (for kinerecording service) with CBS-TV, and it’s adhering to U. S. standards entirely — ^for example, won’t carry bullfights (“because they are banned in U. S.”), hard liquor ads, religious solicitations or pei’-inquiry accounts. All shows are bi-lingual — none straight English or Spanish. Staff includes Bert Metcalf, program mgr.; Sherrill Edwards, commercial mgr.; Francisco Maza, chief engineer; Hinelda Garcia, traffic mgr. Buenos Aires’ LR3-TV, as fii’st TV station in Argentina will be known, starts Oct. 17, operating on Channel 7 with 5-kw Federal transmitter having 45 kw ERP. Its licensee is Radio Belgrano y Primera Cadena, Argentine de Broadcasting, S.A. The installation was sold by International Standard Electric Corp. (IT&T), which also sold 5-kw installation to Sao Paulo Radio Televisao, big Brazilian city’s second outlet, due to start around Oct. 15 on Channel 5, call letters not yet issued. To participate in opening of Sao Paulo station, DuMont last week shipped its Telecruiser, TV studio on wheels. Release of recent feature films to TV by Lippert Productions (Vol. 7:17) has prompted Screen Actors Guild to cancel its contract with producer Robert L. Lippert as of Nov. 3. Union charged that Lippert violated pact when he “sold for TV several theatrical feature pictures made after Aug. 1, 1948 without negotiating an agreement with the Guild for additional payment to actors for their TV rights.” In pending negotiations for new conrtact with film industry, Guild is seeking outright ban on release to TV of films made after Aug. 1, 1948 until producers agree to negotiate formula to reimburse employes. Lippert made deal with Petrillo to pay 5% of his gross from TV into AFM royalty fund and to re-record music track on old films for TV. He sold 26 feature films to KTLA last June. Educators planning State networks are making all-out pitch in effort to get more reserved channels out of FCC. New York was first with 11-station proposal, then Connecticut asked for 4. Now New Jersey is up in arms about fact FCC proposed to reserve no channels in State, says it wants to build 6 stations, is ready to construct “immediately” in New Brunswick. Similar proposals are under consideration in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan. No proposal shows that money for construction is available now, though all indicate high hopes based on governors’ assurances, etc. Inspection of uhf station at Bridgeport and luncheon talk by FCC Chairman Coy Sept. 12, are part of Sept. 10-14 TV seminar RCA is conducting for more than 100 station engineers, plus consultants and attorneys; rest of sessions will be at Camden. Engineers will see new 850-856 me setup for first time (Vol. 7:29). They’ll also get special showing of RCA color in New York that evening. More Sept. 1 sets-in-use reported since NBC Research’s “census” of Aug. 1 (Vol. 7:35): Memphis 93,160, up 4160; Dallas-Foit Worth 129,564, up 3564; Omaha 83,928, up .3028; Utica 50,000, up 3000; Norfolk 75,312, up 2512; Greensboro 73,911, up 2211. TV will be major topic, along with high-speed and color photography, at 70th semi-annual convention of Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers, HollywoodRoosevelt Hotel, Oct. 16-19.