Evening star., 1949-08-26
WNBW Will Test
New Color TeIevision
Here Next Month
By the Associotsd Press

NEW YORK, Aug. 26.-A metnod
for adding color to television with
out disturbing the present black
and-white system was disclosed
today by the Radio Corp. of
America.
In it's announcement here, RCA
made these claims for its system:
l. Existing sets, without any
converter or adapter. could re-
ceive color telecasts in black or
white on monochrome.
2. Color receivers. or present
type sets equipped with adapters.
could tune in both color an black
and-white telecastS.
Could Use Present Transmitters.
8. Stations could use present
transmitters to send in color with
the addition of a small amount of
equipment. A station could send
some of its programs in color. for
the benefit of owners of color sets,
and some in black and white.
Owners of present type sets not
equipped for color would not
notice the difference IN the tele-
casts and would see both types as
black and white.
A written statement describing
the system was filed by RCA with
the Federal Communications Com
mission, which will hold hearings
on color television starting Sep
temper Is.
The FEC announced last May
1t would consider licensing color
television operations if way
could be devised to employ the
six-megacycle channel width now
used for black-and-white tele-
vision, and if the 100000 or
more black-and-white sets now in
use could be adapted to receive
color telecasts at moderate cost.
CHS Develops Converter.
The Columbia Broadcasting Sys-
tenn already has given demonstra-
tions of a different type of color
television which it says would
meet the FEC requirements. CHS
also has developed a converter
: which it contends would adapt
present type sets to color at mod
est cost.
The difference between the
systems apparently portends an
other battle such as that of early
l947 when the FEC held hear
ings on color television. Then
as now, RCA and CHS each had a
different system.
r But RCA and others in the in
dustry said color television at that
time had not been developed SUI
ficiently to adopt for public use.
The FEC concurred in this view
and adopted present black-and-
white standards.
Since then both companies have
revised and improved their re-
spective color video methods with
a view to adapting them to the
present system without making
present sets and transmitting
equipment obsolete.
FEC Would Have to Choose.
But the differences between the
systems are such that the FEC
would have to choose between
them-or adopt still another sys-
tem-before the public could have
color televisioYi. CSferw1se sepa-
rate sets, or separate attachments.
could be required in order to re-
ceivce color telecasts OF each sys-
tenn.
The Radio Manufacturers AS
sociation in a statement to the
FEC this week expressed belief
color television still was several
years away for the general pubic
because of the time required to
develop and distribute equipment.
Chairman johnson of the Senate
Interstate Commerce Committee
charged Tuesday that some manu-
facturers were attempting to hold
back color television "for selfish
financial reasons"
RCA To Make Tests Here.
Several recent tests have been
made of the CHS system OF tele-
casts and equipment designed to
receive them, including converters
for current type sets. RCA said
tests of its system would be made
In Washington next month over
station WNBW for the benefit Of
the FEC hearings.
CHS President Frank Stanton
commented that 1--WE have con-
sistently favored color as the ul-
innate service in television."
1T is more important to us as
broadcasters," he said in a state
ment on the RCA announcement,
ito have color television come
quickly by the best available sys-
tenn than that the CHS system be
adopted"
He added. however. that CHS
color has been proved through
numerous tests and demonstra-
tions in the past"