Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

3 HEAVY FLOW OF APPLICATIONS BEGINS: Full flood of TV applications hasn't broken yet — but it's starting. This week saw 10 filed for new stations, 5 old applications amended (see item on p. 10 and detailed data in TV Addenda 14-N). These were more than have been filed in any single week during 3% years of the freeze. Who was "first" is hard to determine. WTSP, St. Petersburg, was first to amend, filed Tuesday, April 15, day after release of Allocation Report ; it thereby won big publicity play via press associations, including AP wirephoto of manager Joe Kelley and counsel Neville Miller which got 2-column play in New York Times. Johnstown (Pa.) group was first to file on new 301 form, among those who had never previously filed. First from territories was WAPA, San Juan, Puerto Rico. New applications and amendments of old will pour into FCC from here on in, against July 1 date when Commission will begin making grants of uncontested applications and setting contestants for hearing. This isn't to be a "cutoff date" by any means, for applications will be accepted at any time, though for a particular hearing they must be filed at least 20 days before hearing date. *r *r *r t "Strategy" was order of the day, as applicants huddled with counsel. The channel-by-channel procedure - which most attorneys still deplore — is encouraging some applicants to stake claims quickly, trying to scare off opposition. Others are preparing forms for each channel in town, ready to jump in any direction, depending on moves of opposition. Demand for uhf in big, well-served vhf cities may prove surprising. In New York, city-owned WNYC announced plans to file for commercial uhf. Uhf enthusiast John Poole is ready to apply in Los Angeles. Westinghouse has long been on file for Philadelphia, and Chicago's WHFC put in its claim for uhf in that city last week. Some commissioners doubt whether quick vhf grants will be achieved in any big cities, but they expect fast action in uhf and in smaller communities. One technique for speeding grants — AM stations joining forces, in the same city, thus reducing number of applicants and pooling resources — still awaits FCC action. Sen. Johnson this week released exchange of letters with FCC Chairman Walker, in which Johnson requested "positive clear-cut answer" to the question. Walker gave him no satisfaction, saying: "I do not even have these answers myself. This problem has not yet been considered by the Commission itself... I am for getting TV going as quickly as possible. On the other hand, during my 18 years on the Commission, I have been particularly concerned with the protection of the public against the dangers of excessive concentration of control over the mediums of mass communication. I would want to study that angle most carefully. " NPA BREWS YES&-N0 COLOR TV ORDER: New color dispute may be in making, possibly setting off another wave of wait-f or-color recalcitrance among consumers. It could arise from NPA's attempts to please everybody — the Defense Dept . , Senator Johnson, Paramount's Chromatic TV Laboratories, the TV industry — in its revision of Order M-90 now banning color TV production (Vol. 7:47). If revised order, as currently drafted, comes out next week-end as planned, it probably will please no one — because it will leave unanswered the important question whether color set production is permitted or banned. Widespread publicity of order as a "relaxation" of present ban could again create antipathy among customers against buying now, albeit nobody in the industry really believes non-compatible system approved by FCC can be resurrected or will stand up against new all-electronic and compatible systems now being perfected. Nor is anybody — not even CBS-Columbia or Paramount — in position to massproduce color tubes or sets, let alone telecast in color on substantial enough scale to create enough demand to make color production pay off. Ban won't exactly be lifted, but it won't be retained, either. Said NPA asst, administrator Horace B. McCoy, captain of team that drafted new order: The opportunity will be provided for the production of home color TV sets