Television digest with electronics reports (Jan-Dec 1953)

3 an end to controversy and uncertainty, looked forward to bringing color to fruition. Both NBC and CBS raced to be first to colorcast bulletins and special programs, and both played the news up heavily in their Dec. 17 radio newscasts. NBC will step up its program of giving all sponsors opportunity to colorcast at least once during "introductory year." Opera "Amahl and the Night Visitors" goes on Dec. 20, special all-star "Season's Greetings" Dec. 22, color film of "Dragnet" Dec. 24, mobile unit pickups of "Tournament of Roses" from Pasadena Jan. 1. CBS will introduce similar rotating system for its sponsors in addition to regular daytime color series (Vol. 9:50) ; it has leased RKO 81st St. Theatre, will convert it to color within about 4 months. First 2 stations to ask permission to colorcast were WPTZ, Philadelphia (NBC) and WMAR-TV, Baltimore (CBS). Both are equipped to rebroadcast network color, originate slides, with Telechrome gear. FCC granted both, along with NBC's requests. AT&T has added 5 more cities for NBC-TV's Jan. 1 colorcast from Pasadena — Detroit (WWJ-TV) , Cincinnati (WLWT), St. Paul (KSTP-TV). That makes total of 18 (Vol. 9:49-50). NBC had also asked for Columbus, Dayton & Wheeling, but AT&T said it couldn't make it. New Haven's WNHC-TV and Wilkes-Barre ' s WBRE-TV are reportedly planning to rebroadcast signals picked out of air from New York's WNBT. BUFFALO UHF STATION QUITS, 4 CPs ISSUED: WBES-TV, Buffalo (Ch. 59) turned off juice this week, becoming third station to throw in the sponge — even as FCC was granting 4 more CPs and prodding 5 old grantees for failure to build. Commission also started ball rolling to issue proposed rule-making next week permitting owners of 5 stations to acquire 2 uhf (Vol. 9:50). It decided against making action a final decision. Buffalo station follows WROV-TV, Roanoke (Ch. 27) and KFXD-TV, Nampa, Ida. Ch. 11) in suspending operations permanently. KONA, Honolulu (Ch. 11) got into fiscal trouble and suspended, but was resuscitated by new owners (Vol. 9:11,23). WBES-TV told Commission: "We recently concluded that [a network affiliation] is not possible, and two things became apparent to us: firstly, that this operation -ould not succeed without a basic major network; and secondly, that the major networks were awaiting the outcome of the contests for vhf channels in Buffalo, so as to make an arrangement with the successful applicant." In big merger deal last week, 4 Buffalo applicants dismissed and Niagara Frontier Amusement Corp. stood alone awaiting Ch. 2 grant. But FCC suspected that one applicant. Enterprise Transmission Inc., had not filed "in good faith," ordered Niagara to hearing. WBES-TV was to sell Niagara its equipment for reported $500,000. Station took to air only 5% months ago. Sept. 5, was owned by banker Chas. Diebold, heating-refrigeration contractor Joseph Davis and attorney Vincent Gaughan. There were reports they plan to file for Ch. 7. New CPS went to: Kirksville, Mo. , KBIZ, Ch. 3; Ada, Okla. , KADA, Ch. 10; Enid, Okla. , Streets Electronics, Ch. 5; La Crosse , Wis. , La Crosse TV Corp., Ch. 38. Enid grant was merger, KCRC dropping application under option to buy 20% of grant held by Streets (appliances). La Crosse CP is one of many in which New York attorney George Becker holds interest ; he must reduce holdings to 5 stations or CPs. Biggest stockholder of La Crosse CP is Wm. Zeckendorf, noted New York realtor. * * * * FCC called 5 more grantees on the carpet this week — 4 of them uhf — telling them their requests for more time to build can't be granted on basis of current evidence: WPAQ-TV, Mt. Airy, N.C. (Ch. 55) ; WMSL-TV, Decatur, Ala. (Ch.23); WCRS-TV, Greenwood, S.C. (Ch. 21) ; WCOW-TV, St. Paul (Ch. 17) ; KNEH, Clovis, N.M. (Ch. 12). Recent petition by KIT-TV, which gave up Yakima, Wash. Ch. 23 grant — saying area wasn't suited for uhf and asking for assignment of Ch. 2 or 3 there (Vol. 9:48) — drew objection this week from uhf station now operating in Yakima. KIMA-TV (Ch. 29) told FCC it spent $350,000 on station, now is successfully serving 95% of trading area's population. If Commission should allocate vhf channel to Yakima, KIMA-TV asked permission to apply while still telecasting on Ch. 29. Meanwhile, FCC again rejected similar request by KSTM-TV, St. Louis (Ch. 36), for permission to file for Ch. 11 in East St. Louis, returned its Ch. 11 application.