Evening star., 1951-05-29
Color N Apparatus
May Be Available by
Fall, Coy Predicts

n 'ptCQlCblOktN bIldG SUIlIC COtOT
television apparatus will be avail
able to the public by the end Of
the summer was made to a Sen
ate subcommittee today by Chair
man Wayne Coy of the Federal
Communications Commission.
He was being given a hearing
on his nomination for new
Iseven-year term as head of FEC.
Senators Magnuson of Washing
ton and johnson of Colorado,
both Democrats, asked him to dis
Icuss the immediate prospects for
color TV. a'f'~'. r.. Ca ssa.o
He assured the committee that
"a Supreme Court decision uphold
ing FEC approval of the Colum-
bia Broadcasting System color
method will not close the commits
sion's doors to future approval Of
any other system in the public in
terest. @,teot-ss.t "a a-
The court yesterday rejected
8 to 1. plea by the Radio Corp.
of America to set aside the FEC
order. e~7 - ~ -
Will Come Into Use Gradually.
At the Senate committee hear
ing. Mr.. Coy said color TV will
come into use gradually, just as
black and white did at the start
He seemed confident that receiver
manufacturers would not hold of
making apparatus for the. CHS
system, as some of them indicated
they would do some months ago
| He predicted sports promoters
would be anxious to encourage
color telecasts.
Mr.. Coy said that until some one
begins broadcasts in color at reg
ular intervals there will be no in
centive to manufacture the new
sets or the adapters for old sets.
He said, however, he expects some
color broadcasting to start in 80
days.
But at the start, he added. there
will be practically no receiving
sets in the hands of the public.
! New Developments Awaited.
| Senator johnson inquired about
the fear in some quarters that ap-
proval of one system closes the
door to others later. 19Q n
1T is not closed, and never was
closed" Mr.. Coy replied. 1--WE
couldn't. if we wanted to, prevent
a new development if it was in
the public interest" ..-.
CHS had said previously that
once it got a go-ahead it would
Igo on the air in New York imme.
diately and within so DAYS be
producing so hours a week in
color.
The present CHS color system
us based on spinning color disk
but a tri-color tube, officials said
is being developed. RCA, whose
electronic coler system was turnec
down by the FEC. has argued thai
Its own system was more in the
public interest. A main point ir
the RCA case was the contention
that its system was compatible
receivable on existing TV set
. IN black and white without spe.
tclal equipment-while the CHS
method reuqires a converter TO,
ordinary black and white recep
ton. .-r.
| The courts reasoning in it's de.
clslon was that the CHS system
us available now, while the RCl
system still was being perfected
j, and that, the. public should nav,
!, an opportunity TO see color tele,
vision now. tlSf St'2Uf
/ Adapters Will Be Needed.
TV sets already in use will f1ay,
to be adapted-at a previousl,
estimated cost of $50 to S10oL
before they can receive CHS color
either in color or in black ar1s
:. white. . sg..o -. 5..,,s s,{a
The Supreme Court decision
was nearly unanimous. The ma,
lJority opinion, twas written b,
; Justice Black. : While Justic,
Frankfurter penned a separat,
: opinion as "doubter''-as he ex.
pressed it-he did not sugges
, Ioverturning the decision.