Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

6 FIRST GE DIRECTIONAL uhf antennas are now in use by 3 stations, producing gains of more than 40 within the directional patterns and making possible ERP of about 500 kw in the direction of principal service, when used with 12-kw transmitters. In one sense, this makes them highest powered TV stations in country. The helical antennas, individually tailored to stations, have been installed by KACY, Festus-St. Louis (Ch. 14) ; KTVU, Stockton, Cal., and upcoming KCOK-TV, Tulare, Cal. (Ch. 27), all of which have GE 12-kw transmitters. KACY’s 54-ft. antenna on 688-ft. Johnny Andrews tower has gain cf 46 in direction of St. Louis, 15 mi. north, providing about 500-kw ERP in that direction In other directions, of course, gain and power are considerably lower. KTVU’s directional antenna also is designed to produce 500 kw in northerly direction toward Stockton. KCOK-TV’s transmitter, mile high on ridge overlooking San Joaquin valley, is directionalized to spray maximum signal toward Fresno to the north, Bakersfield to the south, with gain of 40 in each direction. GE has order for directional antenna for WLAV-TV, Grand Rapids (Ch. 35), is offering to build them for other stations. Only GE transmitter shipment this week went to WMGT, Adams, Mass. (Ch. 74), 12-kw, which hopes to get klystrons by early Dec. and begin commercial operation by Xmas, weather on Mt. Greylock permitting. GE also reports order for 5-kw Ch. 13 transmitter from Central Ontario TV Ltd., Kitchener, Ont. (headed by Carl A. Pollock, pres, of Dominion Electrohome Industries Ltd.), for early Dec. delivery and possible start by Xmas. Only RCA shipment reported this week went Nov. 12 to WRTV, Asbury Park, N. J. (Ch. 58), due on air in Dec. * * * * In our continuing survey of upcoming stations, these were the reports received this week: KGLO-TV, Mason City, la. (Ch. 3), 25-kw DuMont transmitter and Truscon tower on order, has begun work at Kensett (la.) site, 15-mi. north of Mason City, also is remodeling space for combined TV-radio studios in Mason City, plans start next spring, according to exec, v.p.-gen. mgr. Herb R. Ohrt. Ownership interlocks with Mason City Globe-Gazette. Weed will be rep. WAIM-TV, Anderson, S. C. (Ch. 40) has its 1-kw Federal transmitter, plans Dec. 1 tests, goes commercial about Dec. 15, according to managing director Glenn P. Warnock. Owner Wilton E. Hall also publishes Anderson Independent and Mail. John Willis is engineering director; Marshall Gailliard, program director; V. Barath, promotion; Adam C. Welborn, sales mgr.; Jimmy Scribner, production mgr. Burn-Smith will be rep. KFXD-TV, Nampa, Ida. (Ch. 6), which discontinued operations (Vol. 9:34), will be back on air under new ownership if FCC approves. Grantee Frank E. Hurt & Sons this week filed application for transfer to Idaho Bcstg. & TV Co., of neighboring Boise, which holds CP for KTVI (Ch. 9), latter CP to be relinquished. KTVI had loaned KFXD-TV transmitter and other equipment, and KFXD-TV is ready to turn station over to KTVI in return for past use of equipment. KTVI would move transmitter to its Ch. 9 site. KISJ, Pocatello, Ida. (Ch. 6), first planned for this fall, now has target well into 1954. Reports pres. Robert S. Howard, also publisher of Idaho State Journal : “Probably not before late spring or summer of 1954.” RCA equipment was specified, but hasn’t been ordered yet, nor has rep been chosen. Pocatello’s other grantee, KWIK-TV, (Ch. 10), is aiming for early Dec. start. WDBO-TV, Orlando, Fla. (Ch. 6), has set test target of April 15, 1954, programming to begin April 25, reports pres.-gen. mgr. Harold P. Danforth. Make of equipment not reported, rep not yet chosen. KATV, Pine Bluff, Ark. (Ch. 7), with transmitter house near Jefferson Springs and downtown studios nearly ready, is speeding erection of 922-ft. tower to be topped by 12-bay antenna, now plans Dec. 1 tests with 5-kw GE transmitter, begins programming Dec. 15, reports promotion mgr. Don B. Curran. GE ships 20-kw amplifier in Dec. Hour rate will be $300. Rep will be Avery-Knodel. Chicago Educational Television Foundation (Ch. 11), last week’s grantee, hasn’t ordered equipment or selected call letters yet but expects to have studios in Manly Technical High and has Oct. 1, 1954 target, according to secy. Robert L. Foote. WILL-TV, Champaign-Urbana, 111. (Ch. 12, educational), granted last week to U. of Illinois, is already using 2-GPL camera chain and other equipment in studio setup in Memorial Stadium. Transmitter donated in 1951 by GE will be used, but debut isn’t scheduled before “late 1954,” according to mgr. Frank E. Schooley. WUOM-TV, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ch. 26, educational), granted last week to U of Michigan, awaits legislative approval of $500,000 requested for construction of facilities on campus, according to TV director Garnet R. Garrison. The $100,000 already authorized by board of regents is being used to buy kinescope and film projection equipment to supplement 3 RCA camera chains already on hand and to remodel former funeral home on Maynard St. into TV studio. This is scheduled to be in operation by Feb. 1. allowing for feeding of live and kinescope educational broadcasts to state’s commercial stations — begun in 1948 on WWJ-TV, Detroit, and carried regularly last 3 years. FIRST RUSSIAN-BUILT TV set known to be in this country has undergone thorough analysis by Bendix Radio for Air Force Intelligence, which brought it over from Germany about month ago. Known as Leningrad T-2, it’s walnut veneer table model with 8-in. round tube masked to give rectangular picture and coated with green phosphor. It also incorporates AM-FM radio with completely separate chasis. TV tuning is fixed to single channel, but it can be adjusted internally to change channels. Produced in 1951 on assembly line, set has been described as similar to early postwar Philco 1001 from standpoint of component layout, tube types and manufacturing techniques. But several U. S. postwar TV refinements— such as sync smoothing and recovery of power from sweep circuits — are not incorporated. Entire set has 32 tubes — 26 for TV, 6 for radio — weighs 110 lbs., is 33 in. long, 19-in. wide, 19-in. high. Sensitivity is very low, say Bendix engineers — “it definitely wouldn’t be satisfactory in a fringe area.” Made to accommodate wide band (8 me) used in Russia and eastern Europe, it is capable of very high definition picture, has “excellent” speaker and power supply. But Air Force Technical Intelligence Center rates it as “only fair” by U. S. standards, comparable over-all to pre-war U. S. sets. Set was shown to American public Nov. 9 on NBC-TV’s Today program, announcer Tom White interviewing Bendix research & engineering director Arthur C. Omberg in Baltimore. For purposes of picture analysis and comparison, Bendix engineers have converted set to U. S. standards. Engineers’ conclusions: Considering the Russians’ oft-repeated claims that they “invented” TV, they haven’t gotten very far in improving it. TV newsreel cameras were barred from Nov. 12 Hollywood luncheon reception for King Paul and Queen Frederika of Greece, sponsored by Assn, of Motion Picture Producers, but 5 theatre newsreel companies were allowed to have cameramen there.