Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

6 NEW FACTS ABOUT UHF keep cropping up, based on surveys and technical research. This week’s batch is highlighted by American Research Bureau survey for ABC-TV indicating that families with uhfequipped sets spend 25% more time viewing TV than families with vhf-only sets in same cities. Cities surveyed— all vhf-uhf markets — were Pittsburgh, Buffalo, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Norfolk. ARB survey showed that families with vhf-uhf sets average 34.96 hours a week at their TV sets while families with vhf-only sets spend 27.83 hours a week viewing. ABCTV researchers attribute this to (1) larger choice of programming available to uhf homes, (2) greater interest in TV by those who were anxious to spend the extra money to convert their sets. Results of another survey are worth quoting, too, because they show the speed with which uhf conversions are building up in at least one big-city vhf-uhf market — Milwaukee, which has one vhf and 2 uhf stations. Lou Poller, gen. mgr. of WCAN-TV there, writes: “The strange thing about surveys — an ARB survey, completed the week of Oct. 22 showed us to have 29.6% conversion. [This] was followed by results of a survey made by Dr. Ella Clark of Marquette U which showed 26.7% for the week preceding the ARB survey. [Another] survey made the first week in Nov. showed 32.2%, and now in the second week of Nov. we have another survey by Dr. Clark which shows 35.2%. Since all surveys run so closely parallel, I have reason to feel that the 4 surveys in 30 days give a pretty accurate picture and indicate a weekly growth of approximately 3%. At this rate we should have about 55% by the first of the year and a total conversion about Easter.” Technical characteristics of uhf as compared to vhf have been getting less attention these days, now that over 100 uhf stations have convinced just about everybody that uhf can give good service. While foliage is not the bar to uhf reception that engineers once feared it might be, the presence of evergreen trees in some locations has given servicemen plenty of trouble. Technical publishers Howard W. Sams & Co. recently sent crew to Norfolk area for uhf field tests. Reports to be published next month in Nov.-Dee. issue of PF Index & Technical Digest concludes : “The results obtained at this test position located in an area having an abundance of pine trees were so different from those which were previously experienced that Confidence in future of uhf was expressed by Comr. Doerfer in address to Radio & TV Executive Assn, of New England in Boston Nov. 16. “Now the advertisers know that uhf is definitely part of the picture of the future and in order to secure favorable franchises are buying time,” he said. “An examination of the sponsor lists [of uhf stations] reveals a good cross-section of leading industries.” FCC’s 1952 financial data on TV stations showed that 11 of the 14 vhf stations operating at loss were in markets with 4 or more stations, ho said, stressing that “competition and not the nature of the frequency will have an important bearing upon the future of uhf in any locality.” As to conversion, “it does not appear to be an insurmountable problem — people are willing to speno more money if it means better reception, better programs, and greater choice of programs.” Comr. Doerfer restated his philosophy that “self-reliance on your part rather than paternalism in Washington is the key to your problems,” and that increase in competition to radio by new TV stations “is primarily the concern of the competing interests [and] does not warrant protection from the FCC.” He added there is no indication TV will put radio out of business. As to new TV stations, he saw not more than “750 authorized and on air in the immediate future.” we felt an explanation was imperative. It was concluded, after checking the surrounding terrain, that there was nothing which could have contributed to the critical pattern except the pine trees themselves. We had not encountered this type of tree in any abundance on previous field tests; therefore a test was made at a site having similar terrain but devoid of pine trees. The results proved conclusively that a uhf signal is extremely attenuated by pine trees.” This phenomenon was substantiated by a Howard W. Sams engineer who conducted field survey in Columbia, S. C. Nov. 9-11 with same results. An independent engineer got similar results in his tests, but he reported there was not a single instance where good uhf picture wasn’t available through proper placement of receiving antenna to pick up signal from either above or below the level of the pine needles. New Ultra High Frequency TV Assn, next week takes first steps toward formulation of concrete program with meeting Nov. 23-24 in New York’s Lexington Hotel to which all uhf station operators and CP holders have been invited “to discuss common problems.” Some set manufacturers and networks have also been invited to the open session on Nov. 24. In identical letters to all 4 TV networks and setmakers RCA, DuMont, CBS-Columbia, GE and Westinghouse — copies of which were sent to all FCC commissioners— the Association this week urged: (1) “Production of ‘genuine all-channel’ sets in all price ranges.” (2) “Transmitting equipment with greater power, comparable to the vhf equipment now available” — by Jan. 1, 1954, if possible. (3) “Development of boosters for use in low spots in rugged country as an integral part of the transmitting equipment.” (4) Training by manufacturers of installation and repair crews for local areas. The letter, basically conciliatory, criticized networks for “refusing to stand by affiliation agreements with uhf stations, or to make firm agreements with uhf stations.” It warned against “restrictive practices” by TV film distributors, and restated its aim to seek to prevent FCC from adding more vhf channels to cities with uhf allocations. Letter was written by gen. counsel Wm. A. Roberts. Meanwhile, another uhf station — KQTV, Ft. Dodge, la. (Ch. 21) — joined 8 other grantees in petition to FCC for establishment of subscription TV service (Vol. 9:32, 35-38,41,43). Hot battle over proposal to add new vhf channel to Milwaukee area continued this week as Hearst Corp. filed reply to objections of WCAN-TV (Ch. 5) and Ultra High Frequency TV Assn. (Vol. 9:44). Defending plan to put Ch. 6 in nearby Whitefish Bay, Hearst petition said: “WCAN-TV would now have the Commission construe its license as a contract . . . binding on the Commission to make no changes in the Table of Assignments which would increase the number of TV services available to the public in the Milwaukee area.” Hearst also answered objections by WOC-TV, Davenport, la. (Ch. 5) and WJIMTV, Lansing (Ch. 6) — which argued new channel would reduce their coverage — by pointing out pi'oposal complies with FCC rules. Directional uhf antennas producing gains of 50-60 were described by RCA’s Owen Fiet at Nov. 16 IRE broadcast symposium at Franklin Institute, Philadelphia. For Pylon antenna, such gains are achieved by arrangement of slots around cylinder. Fiet noted that ERPs of up to 700 kw in maximum direction are now possible with 12-kw transmitters. Sets-in-use totaled 25,690,000 as of Oct. 1, up 457,000 from Sept. 1, reports NBC Research.