Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

14 Telecasling Notes: Acrimonious aftermath of June 2 Coronation found BBC ready to crown CBS & NBC, and vice versa, BBC charging its films were “marred” in U. S. by too many interruptions for commercials. CBS & NBC promptly retorted they had lived up to pre-Coronation agreement to use commercials on any part of 2-hour spectacle except Abbey ceremony . . . Many newspapers on both sides of ocean were sharp in their criticism of networks’ policy, exemplified perhaps by June 10 New York Herald Tribune editorial, which commented: “One hopes that the British will make allowances, as most Americans do, for TV’s youth, and share the hope that its manners will improve as it grows up” . . . Praise for BBC coverage, by contrast, was plentiful, June 15 Time Magazine calling it “a triumph of taste as well as technique” . . . Sequel to the Great Coronation Film Race: Kelly Maddox, program mgr. of Amarillo’s KGNC-TV, and 2 deputy sheriffs, injured June 4 in auto accident as deputy’s car sped coronation films from Amarillo airport to TV station; despite shock and chest injury, Maddox got films to station on time . . . Mountain climbing via TV: NBC-TV has signed contract with American group which will attempt to climb world’s second highest mountain, “K-2” in Pakistan’s Karakoran x-ange (28,250 ft.); group will record expedition on film and tape, to be presented as series on NBC-TV next fall . . . Originator of NARTB’s highly successful “register and vote” crusade of last autumn, pres. Joseph P. Wilkins, KFBB, Great Falls, Mont., this week was given “outstanding performance” award by the assn. . . . Unity Television Corp. reports acquiring new package of 80 name-star feature films never before available to TV . . . “Eins Zwei Drei” is title of new 6-week experimental course begun this week by Iowa State College’s commercial WUI-TV, Ames, to teach German to children, primarily in 10-12 age group, by means of rhymes, jingles & demonstrations . . . Alan Young, the comedian, quitting CBS-TV, will reactivate his own Alan Young Productions with Alan Dinehart as film director. Baseball TV-radio restrictions may get Senate approval this session after Commerce Committee reported favorably June 10 on Sen. Johnson’s bill (S. 1396) permitting major leagues to ban TV-radio coverage of their games in minor league territory. Only major opposition during hearings was letter from NARTB pres. Harold Fellows warning that bill would set dmxgerous precedent in exempting baseball from anti-trust laws (Vol. 9:19). But even if it gets by Senate, bill will have tough going in House where Rep. Celler (D-N. Y.), former Judiciary Committee chairman, has urged baseball in past to “clean its own house” if it expects legislative help from Congress. Birmingham’s WAFM-TV (Ch. 13) this week was approved by FCC for transfer, along with leasehold on 10-kw WAPI (CBS), from Edward L. Norton (75%) and Thad Holt (25%) to purchaser Birmingham News Co., conditional on newspaper’s divestment of its WSGN (ABC). Comrs. Walker and Hennock dissented. Deal involved payment of $2,400,000 (Vol. 9:15) — same price paid by Storer Broadcasting Co. for WBRC-TV (Ch. 4) with WBRC, Birmingham, for which FCC approval was also granted (Vol. 9:13,21). Henry P. Johnston, exec. v.p. of publishing firm, will manage its new TV-radio operations. “Up to now no greatly talented demagogue in the U. S. has had access to TV,” said Christian Science Monitor’s editor Erwin D. Canham to Congress of International Federation of Newspaper Publishers meeting in Paris. Referring to Senator McCarthy, Canham stated his “skills and tactics do not televise particularly well, but one can readily imagine that a person with a hypnotic voice and personality could 'play tricks with the whole nation.” Five applications for new TV stations were filed with FCC this week, bringing total pending to 619 (209 of them uhf) as 7 more were dismissed. Applications were for Modesto, Cal., Ch. 14, by KRTB; Evanston, 111., Ch. 32, by WNMP owner Angus Pfaff and scientific glassware manufacturer Howard S. Martin; Cincinnati, Ch. 74, by company headed by Sherwood R. Gordon, New York laundry and real estate man; Toledo, Ch. 11, by Willys-Overland unit of UAW-CIO v/ith other union interests; Houston, Ch. 13, by company with 15 business men as stockholders headed by adman Lloyd J. Gregory. [For further details about these applications, see TV Addenda 16-W herewith; for complete listings of all post-freeze grants, new stations, applications, deletions, hearings, etc., see TV Factbook No. 16 with Addenda to date.] Three-way fight over allocation of Ch. 10 to Parma or Onondaga, Mich, or Logansport, Ind., requested in petitions filed last week (Vol. 9:23), is free of Canadian complications; Canadians have agreed to permit use of Ch. 10 in Parma or Onondaga even though they’re less than 250 mi. from London, Cnt., which has Ch. 10. Logansport, of course, is well beyond 250 mi. There are very few crossthe-border co-channel allocations under 250 mi., in deference to Canada’s plans for much greater spacing than ours. Four additional petitions for channel changes were filed this week: (1) Add Ch. 5 to Weston, W. Va., shift Ch. 32 from Weston to Glenville, filed by WCYB, Bristol, Va. (2) Delete Ch. 36 from Harlan, Ky., to be replaced by Ch. 22, 73, 75, 76, 79, 81, 82 or 83, by WAYS-TV, Charlotte, N. C. (3) Delete Ch. 26 from Springfield, 111., to be replaced by Ch. 66, 72 or 78, by WTVH-TV, Peoria. (4) Add Ch. 6 to Bluefield, substitute Ch. 4 for 6 in Beckley, include all of West Virginia in Zone I, by WHIS, Bluefield. Ch. 13 grant to Eugene TV Inc., Eugene, Ore., was protested this week by KTVF, Eugene (Ch. 20). KTVF assex-ts that C. LI. Fisher, 30% owner of Eugene TV Inc., failed to comply with terms of his grant, which required that he sell interest in KUGN, when he sold it to his son, C. O. Fisher. KTVF claims that the two are so closely associated in various businesses that the tx-ansfer of contx’ol is meaningless. TV is no rival of reading for children’s attention — and parents shouldn’t try to keep youngsters away from TV receivers in hope they’ll read more books. That opinion was expressed recently by Mrs. Fx’anees Lander Spain, new supt. of children’s activities, New Yox-k Public Library, who said her policy at home was to place 2 or 3 books alongside TV set. “Children will find there are many things in books they do not get from TV,” she said. “It’s a marvelous thing and it’s here to stay — but so are books.” Next TV Factbook — Pre-Print Orders Our semi-annual TV Factbook No. 17 will be off the presses shoi’tly after July 15, 1953 — containing basic data on all U. S., Canadian and Mexican border stations & networks (ixxcluding rates) ; complete tabulation of applications for new stations, detailing principals involved, facilities x-equested, etc. (and starting new series of weekly Addenda); list of all new-station grantees (with x-epox-ted starting dates); directories of TV set & tube manufactures, transmitter & studio equipment makers, film & live program suppliers, community antenna systems, theatres equipped for TV, FCC personnel, legal & engineering consultants; and many other reference featux'es. One copy goes to each full-service subscriber. Extra copies, if px-e-print orders for 20 or more are placed by July 3, cost $1.50 each; single copies, $3.