Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1961)

I V Si±j w li A } Television ^0V' 13 1961 NOVEMBER 13, 1961 1961 TELEVISION DIGEST, INC. NEW SERIES VOL. 1, No. 9 Albert Warren, Editor & Publisher Wyatt Building, Washington 5, D.C., STerling 3-1755 The authoritative service for executives in all branches of the television arts & industries SUMMARY-INDEX OF WEEK'S NEWS Broadcast PUBLISHER QUESTIONS TV-RADIO 'FREEDOM', Wall St. Journal Pres. Kilgore saying freedom of press would be "obscured dangerously" if confused with licensed media (p. 1). SATELLITE-TV FOR HOMES, covering areas of entire sub-continents, proposed by RCA as most feasible & economical method of bringing TV to underdeveloped areas. Technical & cost highlights presented (p. 1). SATELLITE COUNTDOWN STALLED at Senate hearing where industry plan for "non-profit" operations of space communications is subjected to sharp criticism (p. 2). LEE ELABORATES ON VHF DELETION, tells NAM of proposal to give deintermixed channels to non-broadcast services, says it would ease pressure for all-uhf moves (p. 3). AT&T LOWERS TARIFFS FOR ETV, giving FCC new schedule which offers hookup rates "significantly lower" than commercial TV's. Actual comparisons lacking (p. 3). COURT HALTS ETV DEAL FOR WNTA-TV, ordering stay in FCC's approval of $6.2-million sale by NTA to N.Y. group. Precedentbreaking rule could wreck ETV plan (p. 3). PROBLEMS OF TEMPORARY OPERATION in Syracuse, Rochester & Grand Rapids weighed by FCC, applicants, attorneys (p. 4). NETWORKS CUT 1960 RADIO LOSSES to $3 million from $4.5 million in 1959, final FCC AM-FM figures show. Other radio upped profits 4.3% to $48.9 million (p. 4). Consumer Electronics STROMBERG-CARLSON, enjoying "good" business, faces paradoxical question of whether to drop hi-fi line. "Inventory reduction" program instituted to improve General Dynamics' cash position (p. 6). HOTEL TV awaits replacement boom, as first 5-year cycle draws to close. More manufacturers offer more special models, with combination TV-radio seen taking over much of business. Color better than last year but still slow (p. 6). MORE APPRAISALS — but still no color boom, our continuing survey of industry leaders finds; Motorola still on sidelines, but Admiral & Sears find strong color pickup (p. 8). ADMIRAL 3RD-QUARTER PROFIT TRIPLES; increased sales of costlier products with fatter profit margins contribute to earnings of $1.4 million vs. $497,072 a year ago (p. 9). PUBLISHER QUESTIONS TV-RADIO 'FREEDOM': Strange apparent lack of support for freedom of speech for TV-radio was expressed last week from a strange source— Wall St. Journal Pres. Bernard Kilgore, speaking at Colby College convocation in Waterville, Me. "If we try to argue that freedom of the press," he said, "can somehow exist in a medium licensed by the govt., we have no argument against a licensed press. That would put us back to the very beginning of the fight for freedom." Freedom of the press, he said, means simply the right to own a press and comment on public affairs. "The further we go beyond these simple fundamentals the greater risk we rim of weakening our position." Kilgore couldn't be reached for amplification at press time, but his asst, said he believed Kilgore intended to emphasize that freedom of the press shouldn't get involved with arguments about TV-radio's freedom vis-a-vis govt, regulation. He noted that Kilgore said that freedom of the press would be "obscured dangerously" if extended to media operating under govt, license. Broadcasters will glean scant comfort, nonetheless, from source from which it's accustomed to expect support in fights with govt. RCA PROPOSES SATELLITE-TV FOR HOMES: Space -borne TV stations covering 1 to 3 million square miles were proposed by a top RCA scientist last week as most economical & feasible method for bringing video to world's underdeveloped areas. Director N. I. Korman of Advanced Military Systems, RCA Defense Electronic Products, sketched in the details — including cost estimates — of satellite telecasting system previously proposed by RCA Chairman Brig. Gen. David Sarnoff.