Ressional Record - Senate 12707
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June 8, 1966 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE 12707 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS Protection for UHF Television Stations f ective coverage within that market. A Columbia Broadcasting System. Of lower separation standard is fully justi these 22 games, there were 5 double Against the "Blackout" Practice Pro fied for UHF stations. headers; that is, 2 games on a particular hibiting Them From Broadcasting Near The need for this proposed legislation day played from different sections of the by Professional Athletic Events is manifest. Attached to this memoran country. Of the 22 games-which in dum is a recent statement from David cluded the doubleheaders-WKBN-TV EXTENSION OF REMARKS Steel, a communication consulting engi could only carry 10 games. Of the 10, there were 2 doubleheaders. The bal OF neer, which enumerates the UHF chan nels in those areas between 40 and 75 ance of the games were legally blacked HON. FRANK T. BOW miles of major league cities housing out. OF OHIO football, baseball, basketball, or hockey During the 1964 season WKBN-TV was IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES teams. This statement establishes blacked out whenever there was a game clearly that there are 73 UHF channels at home in Cleveland or Pittsburgh. In Wednesday, June 8, 1966 allocated within such areas. Of these, the interim, if the home team played in Mr. BOW. Mr. Speaker, the gentle there are 11 operating and licensed sta Cleveland but Pittsburgh was away, the man from Ohio [Mr. KIRWAN] and my tions. In addition, seven construction powerful VHF signals from Pittsburgh, self have introduced legislation which permits have been awarded for the con Pa., or Steubenville, Ohio, were able to would provide reasonable protection for struction of UHF stations and there are beam those same games into the Youngs UHF television stations against the 14 applications pending before the Fed town territory. Similar results occurred "blackout" practice by which many of eral Communications Commission. Sev when Pittsburgh was at home and Cleve them are now prohibited from broad eral UHF stations within these areas land was on the road. casting nearby professional athletic were on the air, but had to quit telecast Moreover, additional competition to events. The Kirwan bill is H.R. 15424 ing. the UHF television stations is being de and my bill is H.R. 15460. My purpose This significant grouping of stations veloped from CATV systems. These today is to call attention to the need for under existing legislation-could face CATV systems would be able to bring this legislation and enlist the interest television blackouts simply by the arbi into local areas sports programs which and support of our colleagues. trary whim or caprice of the sports are eliminated on UHF television broad The recommended legislation would leagues. CBS and the National Football casts because of the blackout rules. prohibit professional sports leagues from League are to be commended in volun THE GROWTH OF UHi' arbitrarily blacking out television broad tarily eliminating the television black The proposed legislation is in accord casting of sports events on UHF televi out for the vulnerability of these stations with the established congressional intent sion stations which are located more than to future risks. The relief afforded by to foster the development of UHF tele 40 miles from the main post office of the this current action could be temporary. vision broadcasting as a means .for creat game site on a day when a contest is However, the agreement does not cover ing a truly nationwide and competitive being conducted at that site. No other future rights for football contracts with broadcasting system. By Public Law change is made or proposed in the exist the National Football League after 1967. 87-529, the Congress amended the Com ing law and the sports leagues, with Moreover, the agreement is limited to munications Act of 1934 to grant to the antitrust immunity, could continue to professional football while the basic leg Federal Communications Commission impose limitations on VHF stations islation is concerned with baseball, bas the authority to require that all television whose signals penetrate within 75 miles ketball, and hockey as well. sets shipped in interstate commerce con of the game in question. Questions of broad - public policy as tain all available television channels in The legislation, therefore, would rec are involved with the blackout of pro cluding both UHF and VHF. The aim ognize the established differences be fessional teams sports events on tele of this legislation was designed to im tween the signal strengths of UHF and vision must not be left to the individual prove the competitive position of UHF VHF stations. This differential was vicissitudes of the negotiating table, but television stations so that there could be confirmed by the authoritative profes must be reserved for congressional ac an effective intermixed system of both sional engineering study known as the tion. To hold otherwise would mean that UHF and VHF within the United TASO Report. This report, after defin the professional sports leagues could on States-Senate Report No. 1526, May 24, ing "critical distance" as that distance a combined pooled basis make independ 1962, title 1, United States Code, Con after which television service deterio ent determinations of the "needs of the gressional & Administration News, 1962, rates very rapidly, revealed these sig listening audience" and deprive substan page 1879. nificant differences in UHF and VHF tial portions of the public of their OP Moreover, this proposed legislation coverage: portunity to witness important sports would support the Federal Communica Critical events. tions Commission action in recently re dis- As only one example, all of the tele vising the UHF-TV assignment table. Frequency Channel tance- vision stations 1n Youngstown, Ohio, are The FCC stated: range range miles UHF stations. These Youngstown sta Revision paves the way for more and wider Low VHF __________ :_ ________ 2-6 65 tions are located more than 40 miles but dispersion of TV service over UHF channels LowHigh UHFVHF-----~------------___________________ 14-407-13 4055 less than 75 miles from Cleveland and now the only avenue for TV broadcast ex pansion. (Publlc Notice 79741 as released Medium and high UHF_____ 41-83 30 Pittsburgh, two National Football League cities. WKBN-TV, Youngstown, is a by the FCC on February 9, 1~66.) The plain fact of the matter is that CBS affiliate. During the 1964 season Mr. Speaker, I include in the RECORD a UHF stations located more than 40 there were 22 National Football League list of the UHF channels that are af miles from a game site will have no ef- football games which were carried by the fected by this proposed legislation: UHF channels in areas between 40 and 75 mi'les of major league cities (football, baseball, basketball, and hockey) UHF UHF City and State channels CP's or licenses City and State channels CP's or licenses allocated allocated Los Angeles: Denver: San Bernardino, CaliL _______ 18 1 CP (KITR) and 1 application pend- Colorado Springs, Colo _______ 21 30 ing for San Berpardino. Fort Collins, Colo ____ _______ _ 22 Ventura, Calif________________ 16 Atlanta: Ban Francisco-Oakland: M Modesto, Calif___ _____________ 17 KLOC-TV (OP). tr:~r;:,· 8a~-:::::::::::::::::: 24 1 application pending for M~ Sacramento, Calif.. __________ 15 2 applications pending for Sacramento. Rome, Ga ____________________ 41 40 14 60 KHCD (CP). ~~:i::,s~J'u~::::::::::::: 19 68 12708 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- SENATE June 8, 1966 UHF channels in areas between 40 and 75 miles of major league cities (football, baseball, basketball, and hockey)-Continued UHF UHF City and State channels CP's or licenses City and State channels CP's or licenses allocated allocated Chicago: Cleveland: South Bend, Ind _____________ _ 16 WNDU-TV (license). Ashtabula, Ohio _____________ _ 16 WICA-TV (CP); 22 WSBT-TV (license). Canton, Ohio ________________ _ 17 WJAN (CP). 46 23 1 application pending for Canton, Racine, Wis _________________ _ 49 Sandusky, Ohio ___ __________ _ 51 Boston: Youngstown, Ohio __________ _ 21 WFMJ- TV (license). New Bedford, Mass _________ _ 28 27 WBKN- TV (license). Concord, N .H _______________ _ 21 33 WYTV Oicense). Manchester, N.H ____________ _ 50 45 Application, Dynamic Broadcasting 60 Co. Portsmouth, N .H ___________ _ 17 Cincinnati: Providence, R.L ____________ _ 16 WNET (quit air in 1955). Dayton, Ohio _______________ _ 16 64 22 WKEF-TV (license). Detroit: Springfield, Ohio ____________ _ 26 WSWO- TV (CP). Jackson, Mich _______________ _ 18 1 application pending for Jackson. Philadelphia: Port Huron, Mich ___________ _ 44 Atlantic City, N.J. __________ _ 53 WHTO-TV (quit air in 1954); Toledo, Ohio ________________ _ 24 WDHO-TV (CP). Wildwood, N.J ______________ _ 40 WCMC-TV (license). 54 Application, Rustcraft Broadcasting Allentown, Pa ___ ____________ _ 69 WLEV-TV (quit air in 1957); Co. Bethleham, Pa ______________ _ 60 60 Lancaster ____________________ _ 16 WLYH-TV (license). Minneapolis: St. Cloud, Minn ___ _ 19 Lebanon, Pa_ ___ _________ ____ _ 59 41 Reading, Pa _________________ _ 61 Kansas City: York, Pa ____________________ _ 43 WSBA-TV (license). St. Joseph, Mo_-------------- 16 49 22 Pittsburgh: Topeka, Kans_. _____________ _ 29 2 applications pending for Topeka. 0 19 WARD-TV (license). 58 66 Buffalo: iWheeling,~~g~iJ\ia============= W. Va. ___________ _ 14 Jamestownt~ .Y __ ----------- 26 2 applications pending !or Jamestown. 41 Rochester, .N .Y ______________ _ 31 Dallas: Sherman, Tex ___ ________ _ 20 61 Houston: Beaumont, Tex ________ _ 21 New York City: Green Bay: Bridgeport, Conn ____________ _ 43 Fond du Lac, Wis ____ ________ _ 34 New Haven, Conn __________ _ 69 2 applications pending !or New Haven.