Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

3 9 CPs, FCC SOCKS 'STRIKE' APPLICANT: FCC spewed out grants and, decisions of all kinds this week, most of them made possible by dropouts and deals. Nine CPs and 4 initial decisions were produced. Commission got tougher, too . It dismissed a "strike" application and granted its opponent, and it openly questioned one grantee's intentions to build (see below). Commission also got another CP returned to it — KRIO-TV, McAllen, Tex. (Ch. 20), which is worried over vhf competition. Week's actions: Vhf grants: Little Rock, Ark., KARK, Ch. 4; Pine Bluff, Ark., CentralSouth Sales Co., Ch. 7; Bakersfield, Cal., KERO, Ch. 10; Quincy, 111., WGEM, Ch. 10; Albuquerque, N.M. , Ch. 7. Uhf CPs : San Jose , Cal . , John A. Vietor Jr., Ch. 48; Worcester, Mass. , Salisbury Bcstg. Corp. , Ch. 65; Cleveland, WERE, Ch. 65; Houston, KXYZ, Ch. 29. Little Rock grant became possible when Arkansas TV Co. amended to Ch. 11. Pine Bluff CP resulted from dismissal of strike application (see below). All other grants, except San Jose, came when opposition dismissed voluntarily. In Worcester case, it came via final decision made possible by dropout. Initial decisions: •r *r* | (1) One of, week's initial decisions came "easy" way; KOIN, Portland, Ore., got Examiner Elizabeth Smith's nod for Ch. 6 after KGW agreed to drop its application and join KOIN. Other 3 initial decisions came the hard way, after examiners weighed qualifications of competitors. (2) One of hottest cases was fight between KOA & KMYR for Denver's Ch. 7. Examiner Cunningham favored KOA, with condition that the station furnish "concrete proof of the removal of all presently existing conditions under which NBC has an ownership interest and a controlling status therein." When actor Bob Hope and a Denver group (including Mayor Quigg Newton) bought KOA from NBC for $2,250,000 last year, it paid $1,000,000, gave NBC 5-year note for $1,250,000 (Vol.8:26). Cunningham said this gives NBC control. However, he said, KOA made it clear from the start it was ready to settle ownership problem to FCC's satisfaction if Commission finally decided NBC really controls station. Ownership question aside, Cunningham said KOA looked as if it could do a better job of programming — having record of greater community activity, assurance of NBC-TV affiliation, superior studio facilities, etc. (3) In Portland-Vancouver fight for Ch. 21, Examiner Smith decided Vancouver needed a local station more than Portland needed another, therefore favored Vancouver's KVAN over KGON, Oregon City, which proposed Portland station. Examiner Smith rejected contention of KGON that KVAN is kidding Commission, really intends to put main studios in Portland. (4) In Harrisburg case. Examiner Butts chose WCMB over WHGB for Ch. 27. Reasons were WCMB's 100% local ownership (vs. 50% ownership of WHGB by Philadelphia Inquirer), local management, diversified local interests, integration of ownership and management, "diversification of media of mass communications," etc. fFor details about grantees, see TV Factbook No. 16 with Addenda to date.] WEEDING OUT STRIKE FILINGS, LAGGARDS: One unusually clumsy "strike" applicant got it in the neck from FCC this week — Gaylord Shaw, tr/as Arkansas TV Co., applying for Ch. 7 in Pine Bluff, Ark. In another clampdown case, FCC pointblank asked KIRV, Denver (Ch. 20), whether it really intends to build. In Pine Bluff case, first of its kind, Commission wrote Shaw long letter, telling him bluntly that it thought his application was phoney, got no response in 10 days, dismissed application, granted Ch. 7 to Central-South Sales. Following are the principal allegations of letter to Shaw: (1) Central-South filed on Dec. 9, 1952. Dallas contractor Burnett Estes filed on Dec. 29, using engineering data obtained by Dallas attorney Ross Prescott via Ft. Smith broadcaster Donald Reynolds, whose associate R. C. Butz obtained site by "casual inspection" of area, didn't even talk to site owners. (2) Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce asked Estes to drop out, so as to give