Television digest with electronic reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

5 Final setup: add Ch. 13 to Bemidji, Minn, and 12 to Ironwood, Mich. ; substitute Ch. 11 for Ch. 13 in Fargo, N.D. and Ch. 33 for Ch. 12 in Iron River, Mich. In another action, FCC added Ch. 7 to Carthage, N.Y. Indianapolis Ch. 8 situation erupted this week when Crosley dismissed application, leaving WISH free for grant, and filed immediately for Ch. 13. This stirred Midwest TV Corp., applicant for Ch. 13, into asking FCC to review its dismissal of Crosley Ch. 8 application, dismiss it with prejudice instead, barring it from applying for Ch. 13. Midwest claims that Crosley should have informed Commission of its intention to file immediately for Ch. 13, said Crosley is "trifling” with FCC. PORTLAND, MS. SETS VHF; 3 OTHERS START: Three small-town outlets, 2 of them uhf without network affiliations, plus first vhf in Portland, Me., comprise this week's list of new starters — making total of 352 now operating, 218 of them vhf and 114 uhf. They are first changes that should be made to log of all operating stations and CPs which we published as an 8-p. Special Report last week. Latest starters: WCSH-TV, Portland, Me. (Ch. 6), after intermittent tests, got RCA 25-kw transmitter on regular test patterns Dec. 1, and gen. mgr. William H, Rines, of pioneer Rines hotel and radio family (Congress Square Hotel & WCSH, Portland; WRDO, Augusta; WLBZ, Bangor) reports excellent reception in southern, western and central Maine and western New Hampshire. It's Portland's second outlet, first being Frank Hoy's WPMT (Ch. 53) which started in Aug. (Vol.9:35), next to come being WGAN-TV (Ch. 13) due in Feb. New station uses 6-bay antenna on 300-ft. Blaw-Knox tower atop 420-ft. Blackstrap Hill 8 mi. due north of Portland. Asst. gen. mgr. is Jack Atwood, program director Arthur Owens, chief engineer Daniel H. Smith. It becomes NBC basic outlet, has base rate of $250. National rep is Weed. WJDM, Panama City, Fla. (Ch. 7), first outlet in the long reach of northern Florida between Jacksonville & Pensacola, got test patterns going Dec. 1, goes commercial Dec. 6 with ABC & CBS service. Owned by construction man J.D. Manly, it is managed by Mel Wheeler, who will also be gen. mgr. of upcoming WEAR-TV, Pensacola, due on air before end of this month. George Blackwell is commercial mgr. and James Smith chief engineer — both also doubling at WEAR-TV, though the latter station is under separate ownership. WJDM is RCA equipped, has base rate of $140, is represented nationally by Hollingbery. * WBLN, Bloomington, 111. (Ch. 15), oft-delayed, finally got regular testing under way Dec. 1, begins programming Dec. 6, has elected to remain independent with no network affiliation, reports owner Cecil W, Roberts, who also has string of 5 AM stations in Missouri & Kansas. Base rate is $200 and, reports Mr. Roberts: "We will begin operations definitely in the black on purely local and regional business." GE equipment is us.ed throughout. Jerrell Henry is mgr. There is no national rep. WRAY-TV, Princeton, Ind. (Ch. 52) is another small-town outlet starting off with no network affiliation, going on schedule Dec. 6. It's located only 26 mi. due north of Evansville, Ind., where Ch. 62 WFIE has been operating several weeks, as is Ch. 50 WEHT, across Ohio River in Henderson, Ky. Chicken farmer Ray J. Lankford is owner ; Robert L. Epstein, gen. mgr. ; Warren Wittekind, program director; Ray Shigley, chief engineer. Equipment is RCA. Base rate is $250. Rep is Walker. New England uhf “network” gets first technical and programming test Dec. 14 when 3 Massachusetts stations carry same film program via off-the-air pickup. Sparkplug of plan is Ansel Gridley, gen. mgr. of new WWOR-TV, Worcester (Ch. 14), who met this week with representatives of 5 other stations to discuss possibility of 6-station regional tieup. The 3 stations carrying initial trial program will be WWOR-TV, WHYN-TV, HolyokeSpringfield (Ch. 55) and WTAO-TV, Cambridge-Boston (Ch. 56). Film will originate from WHYN-TV, then will be followed by newscast from WTAO-TV. Other stations showing interest in plan are WATR-TV, Waterbury, Conn. (Ch. 53); WMGT, Adams, Mass. (Ch. 74), due on air this month, and upcoming WNET, Providence, R. I. (Ch. 16). Gridley visualizes not only films but local live programming of regional interest as network features. Most programs, he anticipates, would originate from WWOR-TV, since it’s centrally located and could feed any of the other stations directly — but programs could originate from any participating station. If plans work out, he says, special advertising rates will be set for the net — “in fact, we’ve already had some inquiries from regional and national advertisers.” Meanwhile, WMGT became third uhf station to sign to pick up and rebroadcast sports programs from New York’s WPIX, others being Scranton’s WTVU and Bethlehem’s WLEV-TV (Vol. 9:45).