Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

15 COLOR field tests of NSTC are nearing completion, and field test panel chairmen hope to have work done by time of next full NTSC meeting June 24. Compatibility panel, under Admiral’s Rinaldo DeCola, has one test to go; networking group, under NBC’s R. E. Shelby, plans last test June 10; receiver panel, under Hazeltine’s Knox Mcllwain, has two minor problems left — hum and amateur interference to color subcarrier. As of now, no major change in present NTSC field test specifications is in prospect (for technical details, see Supplement No. 75-A). As one NTSC member joked: “I really knew we had a system during our tests with Ch. 4 & 5 in New York. When everyone switched his set from Ch. 5 to 4, and the sets worked right without any monkeying, that was it.” It’s anyone’s guess how long it will take to write up reports, get agreement from NTSC on final package to present to FCC. CBS is now hell-bent to catch up with rest, as it must to keep its affiliates in the color swim. It’s purchasing color gear from RCA, is rushing to get WCBS-TV transmitter on air with color by July 1, will get it checked out by NTSC to see that it complies with specifications. TV-radio columnist John Crosby got off one of his usual sane comments on color this week. “There is strong sentiment in Congress to get on with color TV right now,” he wrote. “This impatience, I feel strongly, is not shared by the public. The principal public reaction is one of uncertainty; non-set owners, who were on the verge of buying a black-&-white set, are hesitating a little longer under the mistaken notion that color TV is right around the corner. It isn’t.” Crosby sides with Dr. W. R. G. Baker, chairman of NTSC, in disagreement with RCA over timing of presentation of system to FCC (Vol. 9:22). “In one of the most sensible speeches on the subject,” Crosby said, “[Dr. Baker] argues that nothing but the highest possible standards are good enough for the American people. A few months delay are unimportant next to that goal. I think he’s right.” ■ TV films may bring Hollywood greater prosperity than movies ever did. Survey published in Daily Variety shows that $50,000,000 will be spent in making 48 series of TV films in next 6 months — with 32 of the programs being financed by sponsors. The 48 series will comprise total of 1066 half-hour films, equivalent to about 400 featurelength films in next 6 months. In the pre-TV heyday of the movies, 400 features would have been an unusually large volume for an entire year’s output. Last year, Hollywood’s 8 biggest studios turned out 242 theatrical features. So far this year they’ve made 78, as movie companies hesitate to start new pictures while new technical developments are in state of flux. On other hand, president Roy M. Brewer of Hollywood AFL Film Council, says TV is taking up only about half the slack caused by sudden drop-off of movie making. Employment of Hollywood technical workers, he says, now stands at about 50 %■ (without TV films it would be 25%), at a time of year when unemployment had never before risen above 10%. He blames film production abroad for big slump, predicts Hollywood will become “ghost town” if producers continue making movies out of the country to secure tax advantages. This “third dimentia” business — want to know what it’s all about, the different systems, critical reactions, relative prospects, respective promotions, etc.? Then read cover story in June 8 Time Magazine, which does excellent job of relating the facts about Hollywood’s “telling reply to TV.” Austin Co., builders, out with 8-p. brochure pictorializing and describing the 20 TV-radio plants it has built. JOINT COMMITTEE on Educational TV this week adopted resolution of appreciation and wrote NARTB president Harold Fellows thanking him for commercial telecasters’ assistance to educational TV. Letter signed by JCET exec, director Ralph Steetle particularly praised Storer Broadcasting Co. for donating 5-kw DuMont transmitter and antenna atop 150-ft. tower of WBRC-TV, Birmingham, to Jefferson County Radio & Television Council (Vol. 9:20), and added: “It is impossible, of course, for us to thank individually all of the commercial interests in this country that have contributed and will contribute to the development of educational TV. By continued cooperation between educators and commercial interests such as has been exhibited the past year, we can be assured that the American people will receive the finest TV service possible.” Educational TV applications will trickle off until fall, after 9 more, including one from Puerto Rico, were filed this week in headlong rush to meet June 2 target date many set for themselves (see TV Addenda 16-V herewith). Educators’ one-year record: one station on air (KUHT, Houston, Ch. 8) ; one imminent (KUSC-TV, Los Angeles, Ch. 28) ; 17 CPs, 28 applications pending. Educators next will concentrate on getting stations on air, on making good record so other applicants and prospective applicants can profit from their experience, according to Steetle. His prediction of up to 20 applications between May 10 and June 2 (Vol. 9:19) was right on the button, so this week he took another crack at prognostication and forecast 10 stations on air by year’s end in these localities: San Francisco, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Birmingham, Columbus, Seattle, East Lansing, Mich, and either Oklahoma City or New Brunswick, N. J., in addition to Houston and Los Angeles. SKIATRON subscription-TV system, which uses coded IBM card as “ticket,” will hold first public demonstration at New York’s Hotel Belmont Plaza, June 9-17. Showings will be staged hourly 11 a.m.-8 p.m. In preparation, Skiatron suffered 2 setbacks: (1) FCC refused to permit WOR-TV to transmit scrambled programs for demonstration during regular program hours; (2) big film producers refused to contribute first-run films. First demonstration daily, at 11 a.m., will be taken off air from WOR-TV, which doesn’t begin regular progi’amming until noon. Skiatron pres. Arthur Levey says he will file application with FCC “later this year” for commercialization of Subscriber-Vision, hopes to go into programming business by buying time on TV stations to transmit scrambled subscription-TV programs. In another subscription-TV development, Smith, Kline & French Laboratories, pioneer in medical use of closedcircuit color TV, announced this week it hopes to inaugurate special medical subscription-TV service in black-&white to homes and offices of doctors. Pharmaceutical house’s TV director G. Frederick Roll said his firm is negotiating with pay-as-you-see firms, hopes to stage closedcircuit test next fall, but that actual service will depend on FCC approval. Announcement was made at press demonstration of CBS color projection unit in New York, at which closed-circuit pictures of delicate eye operation were thrown onto 6-ft. screen. Zenith has refused to cooperate with NARTB study of subscription TV because of presence on 3-man committee of Henry W. Slavick, gen. mgr. of WMCT, Memphis. In refusing to supply information on Phonevision, Zenith’s Pieter Van Beek wrote that “Mr. Slavick’s openly expressed opposition to subscription TV would make it impossible for him to participate objectively in this study.” Other committee members are Paul Raibourn, KTLA, Los Angeles, and Clair McCollough, WGAL-TV, Lancaster'.