Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

5 (4) Of the 14 losers, 9 (1 more than in 1951) were in the 7-station cities. New York and Los Angeles. Average loss of the 9 was $296 , 000 vs. $538,000 in 1951. The 5 profit-makers in those cities averaged $1,703,000 net on $5,009,000 average revenues. There were no losers in any of the 40 one-station markets. There was one loser in the 2 station markets, 2 in the 3-station, 2 in the 4-station. II MORE CPs, POST-FREEZE TOTAL NOW 325: FCC wasn't as close to bottom of the barrel as some thought, for it scooped out 11 more CPs this week ( 4 vhf , 7 uhf ) to boost its post-freeze grants to 325. Three CPs resulted from amalgamations formed by competitors last week. Two more came as result of recent amendment in Indianapolis which left 2 channels clear for immediate grants. But all of the new CP holders will have to wait 50 days before they feel really secure in their grants. Ruling on controversial new "protest" section of the Communications Act this week, FCC reversed itself and greatly widened doors to those who claim to be aggrieved and can supply good reasons why any grant should not have been made without a hearing (for details, see below). This week's vhf grants: Yuma, Ariz. , Valley Telecasting Co., Ch. 11 ; Grand Junction, Col. , KFXJ, Ch. 5 ; Austin, Minn. , KAUS, Ch. 6 ; Salt Lake City, KUTA, Ch. 2. The uhf grants: Indianapolis, Empire Coil Co., Ch. 67, and Marion Radio Corp. (WBAT, Marion, Ind. ) , Ch. 26 ; Des Moines, Rib Mountain Radio Inc., Ch. 17 ; Boston, E. Anthony & Sons Inc., Ch.50; Victoria, Tex. , KNAL, Ch. 19; San Antonio, Alamo TV Co., Ch. 35; Knoxville, Tenn. , Television Services of Knoxville, Ch. 26. # * * * Sidelights on grantees: Indianapolis grant to Empire Coil Co. is its 5th; for progress plans, see p. 7. Des Moines grant is second to Morgan Murphy-Waiter Bridges radio-newspaper team, first having been in Eau Claire. Boston grantee is New Bedford Standard-Times publisher Basil Brewer, who also holds uhf CP for WNBH-TV, New Bedford. San Antonio grantee, W.W. Lechner, of Ft. Worth, is also applicant for vhf in Ft. Worth & Houston. Salt Lake grant was 5th involving Carman-Wrathall team. The 3 grants stemming from consolidations were in Austin, Minn. , Salt Lake City and Knoxville (Vol. 9:12). Not all the grants breezed through FCC. Vote on Boston was 4-3, Comrs. Walker, Hennock & Merrill dissenting because of overlap between Boston and New Bedford. Said Comr. Merrill: "I foresee, if the trend continues of permitting overconcentration of limited TV facilities in the same area being under common control, a degree of regulation [of TV] that would not otherwise be necessary. " Comr. Hennock dissented to Salt Lake City and Knoxville grants for same reason. [For further details about grantees, see TV Factbook No. 16 with Addenda.] FCC 'PROTEST' PROCEDURE-WHAT IT MEANS: That "protest" decision in Grand RapidsMuskegon case (above) is important. What it means is that henceforth applicants awarded CPs without hearing must hold their breath for 30 days and hope no one challenges their right to grants. CPs more than 30 days old are now "safe", however. Reversing itself on the case, FCC voted 6-1 (Bartley dissenting) and held that new Sec. 309(c) of Communications Act makes a "party in interest" out of anyone who can show he's substantially affected by new CP — economically or through electrical interference. Then, as party in interest, he's entitled to give his reasons why CP shouldn't have been granted. If reasons aren't frivolous, FCC must stay effectiveness of the CP, hold hearing on the allegations. This week's decision (Notice 53-314) involved charges by AM station WGRD, Grand Rapids, that Leonard A. Versluis isn't entitled to CP for Ch. 35 in Muskegon, granted Dec. 23 because (a) his site is too close to Grand Rapids and violates the purpose of allocation plan, (b) he falsified balance sheet, (c) he trafficked in licenses when he sold pre-freeze WLAV-TV (now WOOD-TV), Grand Rapids, for $1,382,086 (Vol. 7 :19, 38) . Hearing on the issues was set for April 22. To get its charges before Commission, WGRD said it was affected economically by Versluis' CP, was therefore entitled to protest. FCC turned WGRD down the first time, saying AM and TV are two different services, therefore the impact of TV on AM doesn't count (Vol. 9:6). WGRD then appealed to courts (Vol. 9:9), surprisingly ac