Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1952)

2 in Spokane starting Nov. 1 to feed programs to hotels, bars, ice cream parlors, dealer stores as sort of preliminary to on-the-air operation. * * * * Among uhf grantees, York’s WSBA-TV got its RCA antenna this week end while RCA's first 3 low-power transmitters were being tested at Camden. WSBA-TV' s Louis Appel won't make definite commitment, but plant is far enough along so that dealers and distributors are gearing for sometime in November — possibly by second week. WHUM-1V, Reading, reports meanwhile that it will definitely be ready "prior to Dec, 10" — despite rumors to contrary. And, adds manager Humboldt Greig, "We'll start in the black." It will also be a CBS-TV outlet, will operate 8 a.m. to midnight daily, has also booked NBC-TV's Colgate Comedy Hour via kinescope. The 1000-ft. WHUM-TV tower atop 1650-ft. Summit Station is due to be up by Nov. 15. The 12-kw GE transmitter can be delivered and hooked up within 48 hours, said Greig. GE's Sabcho Sabsff is on job in Reading to make this GE's showcase. Also high on RCA's uhf priority list are WSBT-TV, South Bend, and WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre , though latter seems to be competing for third of only 3 transmitters to be available rest of this year with not-yet-granted but early-orderer WFPG, Atlantic City, which has an installation that could put its TV on air within days. * * * From Bridgeport., getting ready with first Federal uhf installation, comes renewed assurance of president Phil Merryman that "WICC-TV will be commercially telecasting as of Jan. 1". And from E. Lansing, Mich., where Michigan State College got commercial uhf grant for WKAR-TV, we have report of director Armand L. Hunter that orders for transmitter and tower are about to be placed ; that studio installation is already complete with 3 camera chains operating closed-circuit, that station ought to be ready "either July or Sept. 1955." Mr. Hunter also offers this interesting note: "We have not selected any national sales representative because we plan to operate the station as an educational non-commercial station, even though our license is not for a reserved educational station but for an unrestricted channel." Only ether uhf report we have this week comes from WILK-TV, Wilkes-Barre, whose manager Tom Shelburne says it's due to get GE equipment in January, says construction of building is completed (extension of FM plant) and adds: "We believe we can get on the air sometime late in January or by Feb. 1." $ * * * From NBC-TV came press release this week announcing affiliations of WSLS-TV, Roanoke (Channel 10) as of Dec. 1 and WBRE-TV, Wilkes-Barre (uhf) "on or about Dec. 15." While earlier direct reports (Vol. 8:37 & 42) did not put them on the air that early, network affiliations would indicate intentions of speeding up. WSLS-TV, in fact, reports to us that "Dec. 1 is our objective [but] there may be unforeseen circumstances which can cause some delay." ONLY 4 CPs GRAFTED— SPEEDUP IS PROMISED: FCC's hoped-for speedup in granting CPs , t o result from bypassing contested applications (Vol. 8:38), hasn't yet materialized — only 4 CPs being granted this week (2 vhf, 2 uhf), making total 82. But FCC opinion is that rate of grants should run close to 10 weekly before long. Taking time out from en banc theatre-TV hearing. Commission awarded these CPs: Honolulu, T.H. , Radio Honolulu, No. 11; El Paso , Tex. , KEPO, No. 13; Duluth, Minn. , Great Plains TV Properties, No. 38; Frederick, Md. , WFMD, No. 62. Honolulu grant went to group of non-radio businessmen, except for exec. v.p. H.M. Richards, who is required to divest himself of interest in the Honolulu StarBulletin, part-owner of XGMB-TV, due on air Nov. 15 (Vol. 8:42). El Paso CP is third for city, and it can be assumed KEPO-TV will strain to get on air quickly, since competitors are making beautiful progress (see p. 1). Behind the Duluth grant are Chicago theatremen Herbert Scheftel and Alfred Burger who are now in position to build while city's 2 commercial vhf channels are tied up in competitive hearings. A third vhf channel is reserved for educators.