Evening star., 1950-10-19
Fec Prepares 10 Fight
Court Challenges Of
Color N Decision
By the Associated Press

S4CStSD "ClC up dl1
around today for what looked like
a knock-down, drag-out fight
over color television.
The Federal communications
Commission, which has held aloof
from the squabble over color
which followed its selection one
week ago of Columbia Broadcast
ing Systems color plan as the
" official system, announced it will
vigorously contest court challenges
against it's order. They have been
filed in New York and Chicago
by Pilot Radio Corp, Radio Corp.
of American and National Broad
casting Co.
At the same time, the COM
mission moved yesterday to get
RCA's rejected color system off
the airwaves during regular COM
mercial telecasting periods, for
which CHS has been given formal
licenses effective November 20.
" Experiments Will Continue.
-. The commission notified NBC,
which is affiliated with RCA, that
1t may continue experimental
color broadcasts under the RCA
system over Washington Station
WNBW and New York Station
WNBT, but that these broad
casts may not be handled during
normal broadcast hours" on the
NBC network.
NBC and RCA had no i'm
mediate comment.
y. For about a year NBC has been
broadcasting some of its COM
mercial programs in RCA color,
by way of keeping the public re-
minded that the RCA method is
"compatible' with current opera
tions-that is. that it may be
viewed in black and white by
owners of present sets without ad-
ditional equipment or dial adjust
ment
Under the FEC ruling, NBC can
make such demonstrations only in
the morning hours or very late at
night when most commercial pro-
grams are off the air.
~ Charge of Bias Answered.
~. The commission also answered
an RCA charge that it may have
been influenced in selecting Co.
lumbia color by biased advice from
an FEC engineer who has dis
closed an adapter to enable exist
ling sets to get the CHS color -sys-
tenn in black and white.
The commission said the inven-
ton, by Laboratory Chief Edwin
w. Chaplin. assisted by an aide,
.Willmar K. Roberts, has been
turned over to the United States
Government. FEC said the Gov
ernment holds the patent and
no individual could collect royal
ties from it.
FEC noted that it publicly an
nounced the invention year ago.
and that FEC Chairman Wayne
Coy at the time formally ex-
pressed resentment at any sugges-
ation that the commission had
made special effort to assist Co.
lunbia or would be influenced in
a selection of color system "by
the work of single member of its
staff or all of its staff"
s. Firms to Produce Color Sets.
: Meanwhile. Tele-Tone Radio
Corp. bought national advertising
to announce it was putting into
mass production package con-
,verter" designed to give present
sets the benefit of the projected
CHS color operations.
e, The company said the converter
Twill be priced so moderately it
q will be within the immediate reach
of every TV set owner"
&. Two more small manufacturers
announced plans to make equip
ment to receive CHS color. They
were Muntz TV, Inc, of New York,
and Belmont Radio Corp. of Chi
scago, makers of Raytheon sets.
But in Syracuse, N. Y, the Cen
eral Electric Co. said it will con-
tinue production of black and
white sets with full confidence"
they will be bought in increasing
numbers. GE has criticized the
FEC order adopting the CHS sys-
! tenn. y
simultaneously, Pilot placed ad-
I vertising poking fun at the CHS
mechanical color disc, which it
compared to "a flying saucer"
Pilot said it was anxious to bring
. color to the public, but not with
! the apparatus required for receiv-
itacr HnG