Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY RABID NEWS BUREAU * WYATT ^ WASHINGTON 5, D.C. iMWM 1 0CT 2 7 1552 ill'll Li 1 l • TELEPHONE STERLING 1755 • VOL. 8, No. 43 October 25, 1952 {Lubbock & Austin Next VHF Starters, page 1 Only 4 CPs Granted — Speedup Is Promised, page 2 FCC's 'Show Me' Attitude on Theatre TV, page 3 Underwriters' Rules for l!HF Conversion, page 5 Eimac Reports Progress on S-kw Klystron, page 8 OPS Upsets RTMA, Keeps Parts Controls, page 9 Signs Favorable for Next Year, Too, page 9 Network TV-Radio Billings Up in September, page 14 LUBBOCK & AUSTIN NEXT VHF STARTERS: Real sleeper among the new-station grantees is W.D. (Dub) Rogers’ KDTJB-TV, Lubbock, Tex. , which has already taken delivery of 5-kw DuMont transmitter, promises to be on air not later than Nov. 15, possibly earlier. Actually, he got STA from FCC this week permitting start Oct. 51 at 3 a.m. , which indicates he's aiming to have at least some test signals on Election Day. Vhf Channel 13 outlet has interim location atop Lubbock National Bank Bldg. , giving its 6-bay RCA antenna an elevation of 197% ft. Within 5 months, says Rogers, it will be moved to new studio-transmitter-office building on nearby 80-acre tract where 1000-ft. tower will be erected. This apparently is next station definitely slated to take the air, though Austin's KTBC-TV (Channel 7) this week got STA from FCC permitting it to commence commercial operation from Nov. 15. KTBC-TV is slated to join CBS-TV as of Dec. 1. Lubbock outlet, according to Rogers, who founded and managed KEYL, San Antonio, until its sale to George Storer last year (Vol. 7:30,41), will also become CBS affiliate, hooking into the coaxial via an 85-mi. relay. Speed with which first of Lubbock's 2 grantees is getting going apparently has impelled other CP holder, KCBD-TV (Channel 11), to seek to move faster — and its equipment deal with RCA this week could possibly get it on the air by Jan . 1 instead of April start previously announced (Vol. 8:42). £ * * # Moving higher up on the vhf calendar, too, are the 2 El Paso grantees — and prospects for start of either or both by Jan. 1 are good. New KROD-TV (Channel 4) ' reports "rapid progress" on studios, road to top of Mt. Franklin for transmitter more than half finished, no delays so far — so that, in words of chief engineer Edward P. Talbot, "we fully expect to be on the air by Jan>. 1." El Paso's KTSM-TV (Channel 9) reports studios coming along, "rehearsals" by mid-November, good chance to get on air by Jan. 1 or even earlier. Other late reports from vhf grantees, in our continuing survey of upcoming stations, include one this week from KFOR-TV, Lincoln, Neb. (Channel 10) whose mgr. George X. Smith says RCA equipment was ordered this week, new building to house all TV-radio operations due for completion by Jan. 1, and the TV "should be on the air in about 6 months." Last week, KOLN-TV. Lincoln (Channel 12) reported it has ordered DuMont equipment, should be on air Feb. 1 (Vol. 8:42). Trade report from St. Joseph, Mo, indicates KFEQ.-TV (Channel 2) may require 9 months before it can get on the air. Only other new report this week on vhf prospects is indefinite one indicating that Ed Craney's KXLY-TV, Spokane (Channel 4) seems to be moving faster and he's apparently now aiming to equal if not beat strenuous efforts of KHQ-TV (Channel 6) to get going shortly after New Year or earlier (Vol. 8:42-43). He now reports he's still trying to make Xmas start, is building atop Mt. Spokane, plans closed-circuit COPYRIGHT 1952 BY RADIO NEWS BUREAU