Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

o ceive uhf. Another 25 cities have less than 50% conversion, and all of these can get good reception from at least one vhf station; nearly all had high vhf saturation before uhf came to town; 11 of them didn’t get uhf until July 1 or later. At very bottom of ladder, the 3 cities with less than 10% conversion include 4 which got uhf after July 1. Residents of 3 of these 8 cities get good reception from at least 3 vhf stations. But all uhf markets are moving forward. In every city measured in July survey and remeasured in latest one, there was increase in ratio of uhf sets to vhf-only sets. Total of 23 cities were remeasured, those with 85% conversion or more in July survey eliminated. Increase varied widely — from . 1% to 28% — but average rise was more than 10 percentage points. At same time, average increase in total TV saturation in same cities was less than 3% — proving that even in "older" uhf markets viewers are converting existing sets to uhf and trading in old vhf-only sets much faster than brand-new viewers are buying their first sets. Demand for conversions and new sets in big-city markets apparently is still outstripping servicemen's ability to install them. In one of larger cities, ARB's researchers found that for every home in which uhf signal could actually be received there was another which had uhf receiver or converter on hand awaiting installation, or being installed. Same pattern may hold true for other cities which got first uhf stations this summer. NEW STARTERS MAINTAIN ONEA-DAY PAGE: Seven more stations reported test patterns on air this week — 4 in new TV cities — bringing total TV stations on air at week's end to 284. Of post-freeze stations on air, there are now 88 vhf , 88 uhf. Exactly 75 stations have gone on air in the 70 days since Aug. 1, a little better than the one-a-day we predicted for rest of year (Vol. 9:36). Our "upcoming" file indicates plenty more starters are imminent. This week's new stations: KIEM-TV, Eureka, Cal. (Ch. 3), in extreme northern part of state, began test patterns Oct. 9 from GE transmitter, using temporary antenna atop transmitter house while awaiting 3-bay GE. Station is owned by veteran broadcaster Wm. B. Smullin. who owns 50% of KBES-TV, Medford, Ore. (Ch. 5), which made its debut July 14. A noninterconnected affiliate of all 4 networks, it has base hour rate of $150. Gen. mgr. is John G. Bauriedel. Rep is Blair. WSVA-TV, Harrisonburg, Va. (Ch. 3) brought first local signal to Virginia's Shenandoah Valley when it began tests at 4 p.m. Oct. 9. It goes commercial next week with CBS & DuMont programming, at $200 base hour rate. GE 5-kw transmitter and antenna on 300-ft. Stainless tower are located atop 5000-ft. Big Mt., near Endless Caverns in center of valley. Antenna is 2131 ft. above average terrain, which ownergen. mgr. Frederick L. Allman says is "highest antenna above average terrain in the state." Power output is 8.3 kw, maximum permitted by FCC at that height. Allman says station's main service area extends from Winchester to Lexington, Va. , his site being about 100 air miles from stations in Washington, Richmond and Roanoke. Robert Harrington is commercial mgr. ; Warren Braun, chief engineer. Rep is Devney & Co. KIVA, Yuma, Ariz. , (Ch. 11), turned on test juice at 6:05 p.m. Oct. 8, goes commercial about Oct. 15, opening new area extending into California's Imperial Valley and Mexicali section of Mexico. Studio, 5-kw DuMont transmitter and RCA antenna are in Kiva, Cal., 7 miles west of Yuma. Arizona's fifth station, it's affiliated with DuMont, has $200 base rate. Principal owner is G. Park Dunford, fertilizer manufacturer, who is station's operations v.p. Gen. mgr. is Walter Styles, who built Phoenix's KPHO-TV and Tucson's KOPO-TV, program mgr. is Robin Adair, chief engineer is J.H. Fleet. Rep is W.S. Grant Co. WACH, Newport News, Va. (Ch. 33) became third station and second uhf in the Norf olk-Portsmouth area when it began tests at 1 p.m. Oct. 6, programming at 6 p.m. same day from Federal transmitter and Workshop antenna located at downtown studio site. "Dealers, distributors, viewers universally raving over strength, quality and clarity of our signal; deluged with phone calls and mail saying same," wires gen. mgr. -chief engineer Frederick Clair. Area's other uhf, WVEC-TV (Ch. 15) began tests Aug. 15, started programming Sept. 19 as basic NBC outlet, same day that pre-freeze