Evening star., 1950-12-31
|N Viewers TrebIed
In 1850 While Radio
Has Third Best Year
By Wayne Oliver
Associofed Press Business Writer


new sets made during the year.
the total number of homes with
television now is believed TO be
more than 10 million. That's
after making liberal allowance for
sets in public places and unsold
sets still in warehouses and stores.
It also was big year for radio.
Manufacturers turned out around
Is million new sets-Lhird great
est production in industry his
tory-to bring the Nations total
close to 100 million sets in use.
Unmixed Blessings.
And combined-radio and .ele-
vision. broadcasting and manu-
facturing-they become a three
billion dollars a year industrial
giant. welding tremendous in
fuence on the Nations way of
life.
But it was not year of un-
mixed blessings.
In common with other bus
inesses, the RADIO -television in
dustry faced-as the year came TO
a close-the prospect of sharp
curtailment of it's normal activities
in favor of defense efforts. Some
manufacturers predict cutbacks of
as much as so per cent in set pro-
duction in 1851.
A freeze on permits for new
television stations, imposed by the
Federal Communications Com
mission, September 80, 1948, re-
manned in effect with no prospect
for an immediate resumption of
licensing Of stations. Thus it ap-
peared that few if any new sta
tions were likely to take the air
in 1851.
And the year-end found bitter
controversy raging over the FCC's
decision of last October II off,
cially adopting the Columbia
Broadcasting Systems spinning
wheel method of color television
Spectacular Achievement.
However, it was largely a year
Of spectacular new achievements
for television which once more
outperformed the predictions of
even the most optimistic.
Not only did television reach
into millions of new homes. it also
began to turn out top-fight pro-
grams featuring some of the best
known performers in the enter
tainment world.
Most of radios top stars, such
as Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Eddie
Cantor, Jimmy Durante, Bob
Hope, Burns and Allen. became
regulars on television. More and
more film stars made regular or
occasional appearances in variety
shows and on dramatic programs
Due to the freeze on construc-
ton permits, there was only a
moderate increase in the number
of television stations-from SO in
So cities as the year opened to lot
in IS cities as the year drew to a
close.
But there were major expan-
sions of the Bell Systems tele-
vision network circuits by coaxial
cable and microwave radio beam.
From 1884 channel miles serving
so stations in 26 cities. the net
work facilities were expanded TO
1894 channel miles serving 70
stations in 43 cities. And seven
other cities were connected to the
Bell web by privately operated
links.
Extensions Listed.
Here were the chief network
extensions:
Westward from Chicago to Rock
Island, Ill. Davenport, Des Moines
and Ames, Iowa, to Omaha, Nebr.,
and also up to minneapolis and
st. Paul, down to Kansas City.
From Richmond southwark to
Greensboro and Charlotte, N. c.;
Jacksonville, Fla; Atlanta. Ga,
and Birmingham, Ala.
From Dayton, Ohio, to Indian
apolis to Louisville.
Also, St Louis to Memphis,
Richmond to Norfolk. Johnstown.
Pa, was added. Huntington, W.
Va; Bloomington, Ind, and Nash
vile, Tenn, were among cities
Joined by private links.
Although still not connected to
the rest of the country, Los An
geles and San Francisco were
Joined by a microwave link that
later will become part of a coast
to-coast hookup.
The American Telephone &
Telegraph Co. has set late 1851
for completion of a microwave
radio relay link from Omaha to
San Francisco. However, it may
not be equipped for television for
some time afterWard.
Stations Make Money.
Many television stations began
to make money and they and the
four video networks were expected
to gross $50 million for the year.
compared with about $34 million
in 1949 when practically all sta
tions were losing money.
Radios 1900 stations and four
networks probably will find their
final 1850 business totals a little
under last years $413,784 900. The
station total, about 100 more than
last year, consisted Of 2,230 stand
ard stations and $40 frequency
modulation stations. The FM fig
ure represented a decline from a
high mark of 730 reached several
months ago.