Radio: Around the Corner, Now

“Television is now ready for the American public.” This cheery huzza last week from Jack Poppele, president of the Television Broadcasters Association, was premature—by about six months, at the very least. Television had certainly not yet arrived for the general public. But the industry had good reason for optimism. Washington, finally admitting that the baby was big enough for pants of its own, gave television a preliminary set of rules & regulations.

The Federal Communications Commission allocated 400 U.S. television stations, doled them out to cities on a basis of population and area served.-This order heartened television pioneers who feared a free-for-all fight, once receiving sets were on the market. But the best part of the FCC ruling was an order to commercial television stations to get busy, increase their broadcasting time to a minimum of 28 hours a week (twice as much as the present best average in New York). This boost in time will encourage manufacturers to rush new sets. Thus far, a price up to $500 has been too steep for such an idle gadget.

-Major station allocations: seven each to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles; six to San Francisco; five each to Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Memphis, New Orleans, Portland, Ore., St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Spokane, Schenectady; four each to 42 other cities.