Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

MARTIN COREL’S AUTHORITATIVE NEWS SERVICE FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE VISUAL BROADCASTING AND ALLIED ELECTRONICS ARTS AND INDUSTRY PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY RADIO HEWS BUREAU • WYATT BLDG. • WASHINGTON 5. D.G. • TELEPHONE STERLING 3-1755 * VOL. 9: No. 2 5 1SSTB UiSARl JUK 22 ml June 20, 1953 In this Issues TV Forcing Changes in Old Radio Order, page I Full Steam Ahead for UHF in Norfolk, page 1 New Markets Open as 3 More Start, page 2 9 CPs, FCC Socks 'Strike' Applicant, page 3 Weeding Out Strike Filings, Laggards, page 3 Stepped-Up Pace of Color Preparations, page 4 Transmitter Shipments and Upcoming Stations, page 5 Reports From New UHF Areas Favorable, page 8 Price Conscious Trade Goes to Market, page 9 McDaniel Again Temporary RTMA President, page 10 TV FORCING CHANGES IN OLD RADIO ORDER: Changes in the U.S. broadcasting structure being wrought by TV, oft predicted or otherwise remarked upon in these columns over last half dozen years, are epitomized not only by Norfolk developments (see below) but by 2 unusual deals revealed this week. Both involve acquisitions of AM stations by TV enterprisers — somewhat unusual in light of fact that of the 189 TV stations now on air, all but 15 are owned by AM enterprisers, local or otherwise. This week: (1) Storer Broadcasting Co., which in 1951 bought KEYL, San Antonio (Ch. 5) for $1,050,000, concluded deal with Texas State Network to buy its KABC there (ABC) for $700,000 — so that it can have companion radio outlet to TV. Incidentally, TSN group headed by Gene Cagle and Charles Jordon, angeled by oilman Sid Richardson, now reports projected deal for acquisition of Wm. Pape's WALA-TV, Mobile, Ala. (Ch. 10), along with WALA, for $2,000,000 (Vol. 9:23), has been called off. (2) Holder of CP for KGBS-TV, Harlingen, Tex. (Ch. 4), which is destined to become Rio Grande Valley's first competition for Mexican-licensed border outlet XETV (Ch. 6), this week concluded deal with Roy Hofheinz, now mayor of Houston and onetime ardent tub-thumper for FM, whereby TV operator will purchase Hofheinz 's KSOX, Harlingen (10-kw N, 50-kw D on 1530-kc) for $225,000. KGBS's 250-w on 1240-kc would be abandoned, as would its application for 5-kw on 850-kc ; one of KGBS-TV owners, who operates KURV in nearby Edinburg, Tex. (250-w D on 710-kc) would also turn in his license. The new TV owners simply want a more powerful AM counterpart. These are only a few of the "parlays11 in process, involving AMs along with TVs, which over the next few years will change the whole face of the broadcasting industry. Noteworthy, too, is the way national rep lineups are changing with advent of more TV — to such extent that the Directory of National Sales Representatives of TV Stations being prepared for our July Factbook will reveal some new top runners. FULL HEAD OF STEAM FOR UHF IN NORFOLK: Uhf enterprisers everywhere will watch, with undoubted relish, the terrific drive that NBC-TV intends to put behind its affiliation, as of next Sept. 1, with new uhf station WVEC-TV (Ch. 15), chosen this week as the basic outlet for Norfolk area to replace WTAR-TV (Ch. 4) when it "secedes" to join CBS (Vol. 9:20-21). Not since Portland's KPTV (Ch. 27) went on the air last autumn as the country's first uhf station — first to prove the efficacy of the new channels, in fact — has uhf won such strong support. Fact that an obscure AM independent, holding CP for uhf in one-station vhf territory, is zoomed into big-league company lends flavor to the situation. Resources of whole RCA family are behind drive to convert area's 170.000-odd vhf sets to uhf, promising accustomed NBC-TV programs as competitive bait. It's axiomatic in the trade that second and third stations in any market stimulate sales, and support of all manufacturers, distributors and dealers is foregone certainty. No matter that it's making a virtue of necessity, fact is that NBC topside orders are that the heavily populated naval area, though already 70% "saturated" COPYRIGHT 1953 RADIO NEWS BUREAU