Evening star., 1941-03-22
Inquiry on Te|evision
Prior TO Commercial
Date Asked Of F. T.. T.,
&C. A. Aides Quizzed
AS Fly Contends View
Reverses Former Stond
BY WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY.


A date for commercialization of
television for public reception should
be fixed only after the Federal
Communications Commission has
determined the attitude of the in
dustry and given due consideration
to national defense problems, Dr.
c. B. Jolliffee, chief engineer of the
Radio Corporation of America Re-
search Laboratories declared yeSter-
day. DR.. Jolliffee's testimony before
a F. c. G. hearing on television. to-
gether with that Of DR.. A. N Nor
ton, vice president in charge of
television for the National Broad
casting Co. led to long examina-
ton by Chairman James L. Fly of
the two witnesses, on contention
of the commission chairman that
r. c. A. had reversed its stand of a
year ago
During the course of this ques-
tioning, Mr.. Fly asked DR.. Morton
what N. B. c. planned to do in
Washington with the station which
1t has been licensed to construct. 1t
Is to be located at the Wardman
Park Hotel. Pressed by Mr.. Fly, DR..
Morton said that there was nothing
on the ground here yet, and Mr..
Fly pointed out that the license was
granted last August 2. The witness
said, however, that only recently 1t
had received permission to erect the
tower and that it was now being
dismantled elsewhere to be brought
here for re-erection
Protests 30-Hour Minimum.
DR.. Morton objected to the pro-
poSal in the new rules for a mini
mum of 30 hours week for tele-
vision broadcasting. He said this
would place a severe burden on the
television broadcasterS at the be-
ginning. He said there were many
factors involved, such as the use OF
the station for test pattern time,
adjustment of home receivers, train
ing station personnel and rehears-
ing talent. He testified that adequate
program material is not available in
many places and that in the begin
ming the broadcaSters would have
to depend for material source on
such centers at Washington, New
York, Chicago and Hollywood.
The witness explained that in
order to provide 30-hour schedule
a week, a minimum of two or three
television studios would have to be
provided. Also there would have
to be rehearSals of from 40 to 80
hours for each hour broadcast of
a dramatic type of program. The
last two or three days of each re-
hearsal would have to be in the
studio which would be used in tele-
vising the program, where cameras,
lights and other features would
have to be tried. The capital cost
of equipping each studio would be
approximately S125 600, he said, and
to provide for picking up outside
programs two sets of mobile equip
ment would have to be provided at
cost of $4,000 a unit For the
projection of films there would have
to be two 35-mm. projectors and
two 16-mm. projectors, the former
costing $4,000 each and the lat
ter $1,000 each unit.
Suggests 1o-Hour Minimum.
DR.. Morton told the commission
that the average hourly television
program cost for N. B. c. last year
was $1,000. He said that if the
television broadcaster is to give
the maximum service, he. should
cover the events as they develop,
and there should be televising at
regularly scheduled hours so that
the public would know when to look
for it. He recommended a mini
mum of 10 hours a week to start,
to be increased as program posi-
bilities were developed and as
rapidly as the economics and the
training of personnel permitted.
DR.. Jolliffee said it would be nee
standards, so that the industry
would know what to do in the way
of manufacturing tranSmitterS and
receivers.
Chairman Fly wanted to know
why r. G. A. was ready to go ahead
a year ago and not now. Mr.. Jol-
liffee explained that at that time
there were receivers being sold and
the industry knew something about
it, but during the interim, since the
commission stopped its previously
issued commercial authorize ton,
there was nothing to base anything
on. But he said that R. C. A had
the plant and personnel ready to
60 ahead with manufacturing of
sets as soon as other data was OBJ
tanned by the commission from the
industry and other governmental
agencies. He asked that the COM
mission determine the facts prior
to fixing a date for beginning tele-
vision broadcast service