Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

5 Pittsburgh’s educational WQED (Ch. 13) is slated to begin early next year. Third uhf grant, WTVQ, (Ch. 47) , is quiescent pending FCC action on proposed transfer of ownership to Edward Lamb interests (Vol. 9:30). * * * * Tieup of vhf channels by competitive applications gave new uhf stations big break in programming. Though neither has affiliation contract with CBS or NBC, both are getting good quantity of top-network shows which sponsors can't clear through WDTV. For example, WKJF-TV has such choice NBC items as NCAA football, Milton Berle, Show of Shows, Kraft Theatre, Philco-Goodyear Playhouse, Kate Smith, Garroway evening show. WENS has CBS's Godfrey Talent Scouts, Strike It Rich, Lux Theatre, Edw. R. Murrow, etc., and in addition is basic ABC affiliate. Both stations have base hour rate of $350, compared with $1200 for WDTV, which claims 683,000 sets in its area. Both uhf stations are completing studios at their transmitter sites to permit staging of big local shows. What will happen when city gets its 2 additional vhf stations? Facing the facts, operators of both uhfs know they have very little chance of hanging onto the biggest networks. They have other programming plans — but they know that good shows now build conversions, and they're making hay while the sun shines. WENS is placing great stock in ABC's rise in the network firmament — but its trump card is sports. This summer it televised 4 Pirates games — first time home games have been seen on Pittsburgh TV screens — and it's arranging to dish up plenty of baseball next year. This winter it will televise Duquesne U basketball, both from Pittsburgh and New York's Madison Sq. Garden, has other sports lined up. Commercially, WENS is off to good start. "In a month we expect to be in the operating black," Faust told us, "and by December we should be showing a profit considering all expenses". But he added: "We're prepared for a long haul, if necessary." Currently, station's revenue breaks down to 40% local, 35% national spot, 25% network, with network due for increase as new fall shows come on. Of 44 network commercial shows on station, 17 are CBS, the rest ABC. Station has 41 employees, will add more when studios are completed next month. As to conversions, Faust and Israel estimate they'll hit 25-45% by Jan., 50% by next April, 100% by end of baseball season. WKJF-TV carries some 56 hours of network programming weekly — 21 hours of it commercial — plus 8 hours of local. It has 42 fulltime employes, plus 3 which it shares with its FM operation. Gen. mgr. Raese wouldn't venture prediction as to when station would be showing profit. What if he loses network shows to a vhf competitor? Well, he points out his FM is bucking tide, yet showing profit — and he indicates he has plenty of ideas for independent TV. * * * * It's really ironic when you consider optimism about uhf in Pittsburgh, for you'll recall that during allocation hearings Pittsburgh was always cited as prime example of rough terrain where uhf could scarcely compete with vhf propagation-wise. Yet uhf is working there today — and servicemen say there are very few places in city and immediate suburbs where at least one good uhf signal can't be received. Surprising number of sets which aren't in line-of-sight are picking up reflected signals from hills and buildings. Uhf stations' transmitters are in opposite parts of town — both on high hills — and there are areas where it is difficult to pick up one or the other. WKJF-TV has 1-kw RCA transmitter, WENS 12-kw GE, which hit its peak power 2 weeks ago after period of exasperating difficulties. Servicemen and dealers report "tremendous improvement" since latter station went to its full 200-kw ERP, and they feel that more power — when it's available — will clean up most of the remaining problems. They point out some sections of Pittsburgh were "blind" to vhf in early days, before they were cleared up by more sensitive sets, better antennas and increase in station power. * * * * Best news of all in Pittsburgh is that people are buying. Both uhf stations enjoy good relations with trade and with press — and the uhf fever which began last