Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

15 Electronics Reports: “Revolution” in microwave wiring, Federal Telecommunication Labs’ “Microstrip” printedcircuit waveguide which replaces current bulky and expensive plumbing (Vol. 8:12) will be made available to electronics manufacturers on industry basis, the IT&T subsidiary announced this week. A boon for TV microwave systems, new printed carrier weighs few ounces, costs “a few cents,” compared with bulky tubular guides costing well over $100. Microwave receiver incorporating Microstrip weighs 5 lbs., compared with 62 for conventional type. Licenses for the process will be granted to prospective users on 1% royalty basis, which includes technical assistance by Federal. Robot factory control, which operates machines by means of magnetic tape, has been announced by GE. In development for 5 years, recording unit is installed on a machine, and, when played back, automatically makes machine turn out an exact duplicate of the piece of work produced while recording was being made. First unit is scheduled for delivery early next year to Giddings & Lewis Machine Tool Co., Fond du Lac, Wis., where it wall be put to work as electronic nerve center for milling machine turning out jet plane structures. Power transistor 100 times more powerful than present commercial types has been developed in MinneapolisHoneywell research laboratories, the controls firm announced this week. Research director Dr. Finn J. Larsen said new unit, with 20-watt output, is now in pilot production. No substantial cutback in military electronic procurement is anticipated that he knows of, newsmen were told this week by Defense Secy. Charles E. Wilson. Theft of a TV camera from ABC-TV’s Prospect Ave. studios in Los Angeles (on famed old Vitagraph lot) was solved by police there in veritable Dragnet style. After 3month search, they found the RCA unit, worth about $8500 but somewhat the worse for wear, in a mock studio set up by a young “electronic kleptomaniac,” self-styled. Still lens-less, it had been lifted off mounting, spirited away, under cover of night, repainted a battleship gray with new “call letters” BH-TV. Thief obviously was mental case, was leading police to warehouse containing other stolen goods when he slipped away and made getaway. Curious sort of theft points up to other station operators necessity of placing some sort of safeguard on unwatched cameras, to say nothing of other expensive studio items. Post-graduate TV series designed solely for practicing physicians will be offered by U of Utah College of Medicine through facilities of KDYL-TV, Salt Lake City, Tuesdays 7-8 a.m. from Salt Lake City General Hospital for 4week experimental period. First series of its kind, it will not be aimed at laymen or carried in newspaper program listings. TV is being tested, according to college’s dean Dr. John Z. Bower, in attempt to solve problem of making continuing program of medical education available to the 800 physicians in Utah, southern Idaho, western Wyoming and eastern Nevada within reach of KDYL-TV’s signal. Professional viewers will be able to ask questions during clinics through special telephone numbers in each region covered by telecasts. Competitive sports are dead in East — and TV & traffic jams are to blame — U of Maryland football coach Jim Tatum told press this week. Tatum said that many people in East would rather flick on TV than battle Saturday crowds and that “TV of pro football games on Saturday nights is hurting attendance for college games, too. [If] pros don’t call off their Saturday night TV, they’re going to knock college football down to level of college baseball, then where will the pro teams get their new players?” Offering stock to public for first time, Storer Broadcasting Co. has filed registration statement with SEC for sale of 200,000 shares of common stock at $14 a share, for total of $2,800,000, through Reynolds & Co., N. Y. Also revealed in SEC statement was recent purchase of $1,450,000 in Storer Bcstg. preferred stock by Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Co., which owns WBTV & WBT, Charlotte, N. C., controls WBIG (FM), Greensboro, and has minority interest in WFMY-TV, Greensboro. Jefferson Standard now owns all of Storer’s preferred stock except for $50,000 worth held by Storer v.p.-treas. J. Harold Ryan. Pres. George B. Storer still holds 51% of voting stock. Stock offered for public sale comprises 165,625 shares formerly held by Ryan, and wife, and 24,375 by Storer family trust. Storer stock reportedly will be listed on American and Midwest stock exchanges. Company owns WAGA-TV & WAGA, Atlanta; WJBK-TV & WJBK, Detroit; WSPDTV & WSPD, Toledo; WBRC-TV & WBRC, Birmingham; KEYL (TV) & KABC, San Antonio; radio WWVA, Wheeling, W. Va. & WGBS, Miami, as well as 95% of Television del Caribe, Havana TV grantee, Miami Beach Florida Sun and large interest in Standard Tube Co., Detroit. Jefferson Standard described its purchase of preferred stock as investment, is known to be seeking other southern TV stations through purchase as well as by application. Ad budgets will increase next year, with TV due for •biggest rise of all media, Assn, of National Advertisers found in its 1953 annual survey. Of 170 companies covered, 123 indicated their 1954 advertising budgets will be greater than 1952, 7 said they’d be smaller. Of 75 companies using TV in 1953, 80% said they plan to spend more on that medium in 1954 than they did this year, 15% will spend same amount, 5% will spend less. TV’s 80% was biggest anticipated gain of any medium. The 85 radio users surveyed indicated 34% would increase radio spending, 39% spend same amount, 27% decrease. Latter decrease is biggest for any medium. Among other media standings in ANA survey: Newspapers (117 advertisers) — 39% increase, 46% same, 15% decrease. Consumer magazines (138)— 51% increase, 37% same, 12% decrease. Meanwhile Wall Street Journal, surveying 92 companies, found 59 expect to boost advertising next year, 29 keep it same, 4 cut ad spending, with about one-fifth of companies surveyed planning to spend more on TV advertising. Printers’ Ink this week again reported TV’s advertising revenue showed biggest gain in its monthly advertising index. For Sept, all national advertising was 15% higher than same 1952 month, with network TV up 26%, newspapers up 18%, outdoor up 15%, magazines up 8%, business papers up 5%, network radio down 2%. Seven stations got network interconnections last week end: time-sharing WHEC-TV & WVET-TV, Rochester, N. Y. (Ch. 10); KLZ-TV, Denver (Ch. 7); KCEN-TV, Temple, Tex. (Ch. 6); KROC-TV, Rochester, Minn. (Ch. 10); KTVQ, Oklahoma City (Ch. 25); WJMR-TV, New Orleans (Ch. 61). Slated to be interconnected next by AT&T — probably during this week end — are KLPR-TV, Oklahoma City (Ch. 19) and WIS-TV, Columbia, S. C. (Ch. 10). AT&T this week filed application with FCC to construct 2 new microwave TV channels between Albany & Buffalo. Revised U.S.-Canadian TV channel agreement, released by FCC this week, recapitulates all changes within 250 mi. of border. Following are Canadian additions since publication of table on p. 251 of July 15 TV Factbook No. 17: Red Deer, Alta. Ch. 6; Dawson Creek, B. C. Ch. 5; Amos, Que. Ch. 4; La Sarre, Que. Ch. 13; Matane, Que. Ch. 7; Roberval, Que. Ch. 8; Rouyn, Que. Ch. 11; Val d’Or, Que. Ch. 8; Ville Marie, Que. Ch. 2.