Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

12 All-industry TV set census plan being prepared by NARTB probably won’t be ready for many months. Topsecret project, being studied by special committee working with researcher Dr. Franklin Cawl, is still in preliminary stages, requiring plenty of work on technical level, but it’s understood current proposal envisions measuring not only sets-in-use by area but sets covered by each individual station. NARTB committee met in New York Oct. 8 in all-day session to give network researchers first look at initial proposals for survey (Vol. 9:40). Network representatives will meet for further study and report back their suggestions and recommendations in near future. “Following subsequent conferences,” says NARTB, “it is anticipated that the study will be in form for general presentation,” but no timetable has been set up for the project. Robert D. Swezey, WDSU-TV, New Orleans — who also is chairman of NARTB TV board — was elected chairman of TV circulation study group at N. Y. meeting. TV sets-in-use passed 25,000,000 mark during August, reaching total of 25,233,000 as of Sept. 1 — increase of 338.000 over 24,895,000 sets-in-use on Aug. 1 and 6,521,000 over Sept. 1, 1952 figure. Figures are latest estimate by NBC research director Hugh M. Beville Jr. They indicate moi-e than 55% of U. S. homes now have TV. “Converting to vhf” is unique problem in Portland, Ore. where vhf KOIN-TV (Ch. 6) began test patterns last week just as ICPTV (Ch. 27), the rather young granddaddy of all uhf stations, was celebrating its first birthday. Portland servicemen are busy making vhf “conversions” — adding vhf antennas to present installations and “touching up” Ch. 6 tuning strips. Some sets which were improperly converted to Ch. 27, or which feed uhf signal through Ch. G strip, must also be altered by servicemen. Summing up year of uhf TV, Portland Oregonian staff writer Wallace Turner estimated that city is at least 86,000,000 richer as result of profits from sales and maintenance cf TV sets, and that “there are probably 12001500 persons making a living off TV [sales and servicing] that were in other lines of work a year ago.” Three new TV applications were filed this week, 2 for channels newly allocated by FCC. With 5 dismissals this week, total applications pending dropped to 460. The applications: Hatfield, Ind., Ch. 9, WOMI, Owensboro, Ky., publisher of Owensboro Messenger and Inquirer; Bloomingdale, N. Y., Ch. 5 (allocated to nearby Lake Placid), by principal stockholders of WIRY, Plattsburg, N. Y. ; Asheville, N. C., Ch. 13, by insurance dealer-accountant Wm. W. Orr. [For further details about these applications, see TV Addenda 17-N herewith; for complete listings of all grants, new stations, applications, deletions, hearings, etc., see TV Factbook No. 17 with Addenda to date.] Power increases: WGN-TV, Chicago (Ch. 9), Oct. 3, from 11.2 kw to 115 kw; KTVH, Hutchinson, Kan. (Ch. 12), Oct. 5, from 20 to 240 kw. RCA Oct. 6 shipped 50-kw unit to WOOD-TV, Grand Rapids (Ch. 8), and 10-kw to WTVR, Richmond (Ch. 6). On Oct. 9, GE shipped 35-kw amplifier to WTVJ, Miami (Ch. 4), and reports order from KJEO, Fresno, Cal. (Ch. 47), for 12-lcw amplifier, for Dec. delivery. It’s first GE 12-kw ordered by station operating with lower-power transmitter of another make (Vol. 9:39). DuMont 25-kw amplifier is slated for delivery to WDTV, Pittsburgh (Ch. 2) within 2 weeks. Three more TV stations have been interconnected for live network service, AT&T announced this week. They are WBAY-TV, Green Bay, Wis. (Ch. 2), connected by 110-mile microwave link between Milwaukee and Green Bay; KJEO, Fresno, Cal. (Ch. 47); KAFY-TV, Bakersfield, Cal. (Ch. 29). Total interconnected stations in U. S. is 204 in 130 cities. Sale of profitable uhf WSHN-TV (Ch. 38) and radio WSUN, municipally owned, was voted unanimously Oct. 6 by St. Petersburg, Fla. city council, “providing a satisfactory offer is received and [disposition of city-owned stations] may be legally consummated.” Vote came after several months of discussions by city council with TV performer Ted Mack and Lou Goldberg who with 10 associates own TV’s Original Amateur Hour. Group told city it will submit firm offer if stations are put up for sale. City has also received informal proposals from other groups. City and station attorneys are pondering legal obstacles involved in transferring station which has transmitter on land leased from state, studios on city-owned pier. Council resolution favored disposal by “lease or sale,” and sealed bids would be required. WSUN-TV’s first 4 months of operation (it started May 15) showed operating profit of $50,974, excluding depreciation and some overhead, but it’s understood it showed profit even with all expenses considered. Combined TV-radio operation has obligations totaling $465,000 — owing $201,000 for AM and $264,000 for TV equipment. Former FCC chairman Paul Walker popped back in the news this week, pleading for support of Chicago’s non-commercial Ch. 11 in address to group of local civic and business leaders. He declared that 11% of America’s adults are illiterate, said it was obvious what help TV teaching could be to them “in the comfort and privacy of their homes.” Among other educational TV developments this week: (1) Dr. John Adams, pres, of Hofstra College, Long Island, and chairman of educational TV committee, American Council on Education, told panel discussion TV was so important no college could afford to ignore it. (2) KTHE, Los Angeles (Ch. 28), formerly KUSC-TV, started experimental programming from Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, appointed Philip Booth station production director. (3) New TV-radio production center to open shortly at U of Michigan, to be headed by Dr. H. K. Newburn, ex-pres., U of Oregon. (4) WQED, Pittsburgh (Ch. 13) will use KDKA’s FM tower, will have studios in $300,000 bldg, at 4337 Fifth Ave., donated to U of Pittsburg by Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co., whose v.p. Leland Hazard is prime mover in Pittsburgh grantee. Basic revenue-expense statistics of TV-radio stations will still be gathered and published by FCC on basis of revised Form 324 adopted this week, but detailed balance sheet information will no longer be required. Commission also eliminated Form 324A — preliminary financial data; therefore, figures will be issued only once a year for each service, in final form. Commission had considered dropping the statistics entirely, but industry impressed it with continued need for accurate, official figures on financial trends. New form probably will comprise two sides of one sheet, compared with 8 pages of old form. Price of KCMO-TV, Kansas City (Ch. 5), with KCMO & KCMO-FM (Vol. 9:40), paid by Meredith Pub. Co. to owners Tom Evans and Lester E. Cox, is $2,000,000, plus long-term debt not to exceed $450,000. New owners plan to spend additional $500,000 in building program. Station will be Meredith’s 4th. This week, FCC approved $125,000 sale of Murray Carpenter’s 50% holdings in WABI-TV & WABI, Bangor, Me., to ex-Gov. Horace Hildreth -who owns other 50%. New TV books, by John Battison, National Radio Institute, Washington, to be published by Macmillan Co.: Battison’s Television Broadcasting, Planning and Producing TV Commercials, Special Effects for Movies & TV. Novel color systems, proposed to FCC by petitioners Otto Luther, New Preston, Conn, and Marshall Soghoian & S. L. Cooke Jr., Richmond, Va., were tossed out by Commission which said they are “merely paper systems.”