Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

MARTIN COREL’S AUTHORITATIVE NEWS SERVICE FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE VISUAL BROADCASTING AND ALLIED ELECTRONICS ARTS AND INDUSTRY with Electronics ; 1/ Reports PUBLISHED eWJEEKLY ,BT_JIAIIIO NEWS BUREAU • WYATT BLDG. • WASHINGTON 5, D.C. • TELEPHONE STERLING 3 1755 • VOL. 9: No. 22 ilil HY JUN 1 1953 May 30, 1953 EDITOR’S NOTE: Strike of Washington commercial printers in still on. and we continue to publish under unaccustomed circumstances, utilizing offset process. V/e’d be interested in your reaction to the new type faces. DR. BAKER’S STATUS REPORT ON COLOR: Since interest in color TV and confusion about it are certain to mount in intensity in months immediately ahead, we urge you to read and retain in your files the Special Report included herewith. It's the full text, including important last-minute interpolations, of this week’s address by Dr. W. R. G. Baker, chairman of National TV System Committee (NTSC), before the National Assn, of Electrical Distributors in Chicago. In its 2 years of work on compatible color, NTSC has generally chosen to confine its discussions of color to purely technical problems. Dr. Baker's address is first full-scale discussion, in layman's terms, of color status as he sees it. His difference of opinion, with RCA chairman David Samoff (see our Special Report of May 2, 1953), over readiness of system for submission to FCC is of particular importance (see below). Also of vital interest are his views on probable cost of color sets, status of tri-color tube development, growth of color networking and local originations, impact on the sale of black-&-white sets, etc. RCA AND NTSC DISAGREE ON COLOR TIMING: Question of color TV timing became clear-cut controversy this week. At the moment, there's no intimation of any major industry split on the much more important matter of technical standards themselves — except for Dr. Allen DuMont's feeling that system is still too complex (Vol. 9:19). But there's 3-4 months difference between estimates of RCA and NTSC chairman Dr. W. R. G. Baker as to when system should be presented to FCC for approval. RCA says "on or about July 1"; Dr. Baker says "October or early November." These few months wouldn't seem like much if it weren't for impatience in Congress (Vol. 9:13). For example, Rep. Wolverton (R-N.J.), chairman of House Commerce Committee, has told us he is looking for action by July 1 (Vol. 9:16). Most important is what FCC will do, once it has petition before it. FCC, in turn, will be guided considerably by Congressional opinion. Also bearing on the time element is nature of hearing to be held. There's considerable impetus behind written hearing in lieu of oral presentation such as was employed in last color go-around at FCC. Commission is very satisfied with time saved in conducting end-of-freeze hearing on paper, feels it probably cut out years of delay. Furthermore, commissioners remember last color hearing, how they listened to testimony for almost a year — while other work was neglected. But freeze was on then, so they didn't have to take time from TV application processing. An oral hearing now would undoubtedly divert Commission from job of expanding growth of TV across the nation — something no one would like. Staunch protagonist of written presentation is Arthur Scheiner, chief of rules and standards div., who'll handle case. But even this speeded-up method may take up to 6 months before final decision is rendered. * * * •* Cost of first color sets, their limited initial production rate, the meaning of compatibility — all are being stressed by more and more TV manufacturers. COPYRIGHT 1853 BY RADIO NKWI BUREAU