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

Connt of TV Sels-in-Use by Giiies As of December 1, 1951 Estimates are sets within .1 Mv/m contours (60ml.)> excluding overlaps, as established by NBC Research. AFTER ADDING 620,100 for November, NBC Research’s monthly sets-in-use “census” as of Dec. 1 comes to 15,176,200 — indicating that, in view of heavy December sales, figure will be closer to 16,000,000 than 15,000,000 when New Year begins. Higher rate of increase again reflected such developments as transcontinental interconnections (San Francisco showing 30,000 gain in month, Los Angeles 20,000); third station in Atlanta (which gained 14,000 in month); extended fringe coverage. due to higher powers and more sensitive receivers (New York area gained 90,000, Chicago 40,000, Philadelphia 30,000, Boston 24,000, St. Louis 21,000). November over-all increase was best for year, comparing with 552,300 in October (Vol. 7:47), 447,500 in September (Vol. 7:43), 284,300 in August (Vol. 7:35). Following is the Dec. 1 count (consult individual stations for their estimates of number of families within respective services ranges) : No. No. .■Vrea Stations Sets Interconnected Cities Ames (Des Moines) 1 71,000 Atlanta — 3 148,000 Baltimore . 3 350,000 Binghamton — 1 47,200 Birmingham — 2 81,100 Bloomington, Ind. I 18,000 Boston 2 833,000 Buffalo 1 241,000 Charlotte . 1 106,000 Chicago 4 1,060,000 Cincinnati 3 300,000 Cleveland 3 548,000 Columbus 3 183,000 DavenportRock Island „ 2 80,500 Dayton 2 162,000 Detroit 3 575,000 Erie 1 57,000 Grand Rapids . 1 80,000 Greensboro 1 75,000 Huntington — 1 62,500 Indianapolis .... 1 182,000 Jacksonville 1 46,000 Johnstown 1 127,000 Kalamazoo 1 63,000 Kansas City — 1 170,000 Lancaster 1 123,000 Lansing 1 70,000 Los Angeles 7 1,065,000 Louisville 2 118,000 Memphis 1 109,000 Milwaukee 1 294,000 MinneapollsSt. Paul 2 289,000 Nashville 1 48,300 New Haven 1 212,000 New York . . 7 2,720,000 Norfolk 1 91,200 No. No. Area Stations Sets Interconnected Cities —(Cont’d) Omaha . 2 104,000 Philadelphia ... 3 970,000 Pittsburgh 1 350,000 Providence 1 180,000 Richmond 1 98,800 Rochester 1 98,100 Salt Lake City. 2 64,600 San Diego 1 110,000 San Francisco .. . 3 298,000 Schenectady . — 1 187,000 St. Louis 1 348,000 Syracuse . 2 153,000 Toledo 1 137,000 Utica 1 60,000 Washington 4 312,000 Wilmington 1 87,400 Total Inter connected . 95 14,363,700 N on-interconnected Cities Albuquerque ... . 1 12,100 Brownsville ( Matamoros, Mexico) 1* 10,200 /Dallas 2 145,000 /Fort Worth 1 Houston 1 108,000 Miami 1 80,000 New Orleans . 1 72,600 Oklahoma City 1 92,300 . Phoenix .... .. 1 38,900 San Antonio .. .. 2 58,900 Seattle 1 117,000 Tulsa .. 1 77,500 Total Non-Inter connected .... .. 14 812,500 Total Interconnected and Non Interconnected 109 15,176,200 ■f Preliminary estimate, U. S. sets only. Note: TV sets sold in Canada totaled 67,648 up to Oct. 31, 1951, according to Canadian RTMA (Vol. 7:48). Since Canada has no stations of its own and nearly ail of these sets are in border areas, they add appreciably to audiences of stations in nearby U.S. cities. Good filmed TV programs may eventually pay for themselves through re-use . . . and even “build up a resei-ve to pay for [sponsor’s] advertising in perpetuity,” says Dec. 5 Variety, citing these examples: (1) Procter & Gamble, which is paying $735,000 for 43 Fireside Theatre films, produced by Frank Wisbar, has received offer of $430,000 plus 40'/o of revenue for re-runs of the films. (2) Bing Crosby Enterprises, which produced Fireside series last year and sold 44 films to P&G for $350,000 but retained residual rights, is releasing series again this year under title of Royal Playhouse, has recouped all but $200,000 of its original $750,000 investment in the films. It’s pointed out end of FCC station freeze will open vast new territory to films produced especially for TV and already shown in present TV areas. 6 By election day, next November, there will be about 18,000,000 TV sets in use in the United States —reaching potential audience of more than 60,000,000 persons— “exceeding the total population when Grover Cleveland campaigned for the presidency in 1884.” Authority is RCA’s Gen. David Sarnoff. Already, more than 15,000,000 sets are in use, according to latest count (see next column) — and year-end statements of manufacturers thus far indicate they think 1952 output and sales should approximate if not equal this year’s. That means something like 5,000,000, so that end of 1952 may well show 20,000,000 sets in use in very nearly that many American homes. Another noteworthy estimate by the RCA-NBC topkick in year-end statement: “Based on the financial re sults of the first 10 months, the 1951 time billings of the 4 TV networks and 109 stations [including one on Mexican border] should reach at least $250,000,000. This year, for first time, TV surpassed network radio in revenues.” Radio moved forward, too — added some 12,000,000 new sets that were sold during 1951, its Golden Anniversary year if measured from time of Marconi’s first transatlantic wireless signal in 1901. Radios in use now total about 100,000,000; radio homes, about 43,000,000; autos with radios, 24,000,000 — these served by 2400 AM and 680 FM stations. And anomalous as it may seem, phono record business went up 15% in 1951. Pocket wireless microphone-transmitter, particularly useful for TV performers, has drawm interest of CBS-TV, and ABC-TV, according to inventor Robert Stephens who demonstrated device to FCC Dec. 18. Microphone and 2tube FM transmitter weigh 3 oz., fit into breast pocket; 5-oz. power supply fits into coat or trouser pocket, is good for 3 hours. Unit is FM, 50 me, has 125-ft. range. Temporary use of 50 me may be authorized by FCC, but rulemaking is necessary for permanent allocation. Units are being made by Stephens Mfg. Corp., 8538 Warner Dr., Culver City, Cal.; distributor is RYB Inc., 251 S. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills, Cal. RYB representative Eddie Yuhl reports that Signal Corps has tested 3 units in Korea for 6 months, ordered more. Company counsel is W. Ervin Janies, formerly assistant to ex-Comr. Clifford J. Durr. Helicopter measurements of W.IZ-TV's antenna pattern from Empire State Bldg. (Vol. 7:47) showed deviation from circularity, according to ABC engineering v.p. Frank Marx, so his engineers reoriented and rephased elements to correct distortion. Marx says theoretical calculations by RCA, antenna’s manufacturer, didn’t hold up in actual operation. Currently, engineers are trying to determine whether conventional on-the-ground measurements show better pattern than indicated by helicopter recordings and how the two may be correlated. Included in program are helicopter measurements of WSB-TV, Atlanta. Marx has passed his finding's and correction techniques along to RCA and other Empire State occupants: WABD, WCBS-TV, WPIX, WNBT. Bound and Indexed We’re planning to index and bind, between embossed book covers, in limited quantity, all 1951 issues of the Television Digest Newsletters plus the year’s Supplements and TV Faetbooks. This volume of 52 Newsletters, Supplements, Faetbooks and Index will provide a handy and handsome permanent reference. Orders will be taken only until Jan. 5. Price, $25 per volume.