Evening star., 1950-12-10

into a squabble at the personal
level. 1t already seems to be well
along the road to that, but maybe
moratorium on statements to
the press for a week or so would
let tempers cool. Nothing is to
be gained by duel in print
such as the one between Wayne
Coy, chairman of the FEC. and
David Sarnoff. chairman of the
board of RCA.
Mr.. Coy. perhaps understand
ably, was touched off by a news
paper editorial in which the
words dishonest or silly" were
tossed in his general direction.
He denied the first charge. Since
then we have had a sort Of verbal
ping pong match in which Mr..
Coy and Mr.. Sarnoff have under
taken to explain the meanings of
paragraphs in letters passed
back and forth between the FEC
and RCA.
These probably have served
only to becloud further In the
public mind the matter of color
television. This also is the most
heated argument you ever wit
messed which is purely academic
and can reach no conclusion
The future of color television lies
right now in the hands of Chi
cago court. which already has
granted a temporary injunction
against commercial use of the
CHS system while 1t ponders a
permanent injunction.
Setting Up Assembly
Lines Also Toke Time
Whatever the decision in Chi
cago, it is likely that the matter
ultimately will wind up before the
Supreme Court. or RCA might
make formal application to the
FEC to consider its color system
in light Of improvements. EVERY
body seems to forget, in the heat
of argument, that the way for this
was left open in the FEC deci-
sion.)
At any rate. the final approval
of any color television system
lies in the uncertain future.
After that comes, some time wilt
pass before receivers are in guam
tity production. Mr.. Sarnoff esti-
mated the other day that under
normal conditions it would take
from six or eight months to a
year to get new model into pro-
duction and possibly two years
to get real quantity production
going.
Conditions. as you may have
noticed, are not exactly normal
Shortage of materials because of
the war emergency has put color
television far off in a dim, un-
foreseeable future. If you're
waiting for color" you can settle
down beside the radio with a
book for a long, long wait.
RcA Color Receiver
Reody for Production
The argument is heated. of
course, because a great many
people feel that the FEC has
given hasty approval to an al
ready obsolescent color television
system. The flames of debate
f1ared again last week when RcA
demonstrated here that it not
only could improve its tri-color
tube, as promised. but had the
receiver Incorporating it ready for
production.
That means, Mr.. Sarnoff ex-
planned at the demonstration at
the Trans-Lux Building. that the
RCA color receiver is at the stage
where. ordinarily. the laboratories
division would turn 1t over to the
production department, which
would make a thorough study of
it and start the business of build
ing jigs and tools and setting up
assembly lines.
This might be a good place tu
try to clear up the whole color
television picture. The ground
has been gone over before, but
it won't hurt to 60 over it again
briefly. Here, then, is what has
happened.
Color TV, long a laboratory
problem, came into the public S
eye more than a year ago when
the FEC opened its hearings ir:
the matter on September 30
/ 1a4a. Testimony of So witnesses