1949 (With Notation 01 Subsequent Important Developments)
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FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 1949 (With notation 01 subsequent important developments) UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 0 WASHINGTON 01950 For sale: by the: Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Govemment Printing Office Washington i5, D. C. Price 35 cents COMMISSIONERS MEMBERS OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (as of December 1, 1949) CHAIRMAN WAYNE Coy (Term expires June 80. 1951) PAUL A. WALKER RoBERT F. JONES (Term expires June 30, 1953) (Term expires June 30, 1954) ROSEL H. HYDE GEORGE E. STEBLING (Term expires June 30, 1952) (Term expires June 30, 1950) EDWARD M. WEBSTER FRIEDA B. IlENNOCK (Term expires June 30, 1956) (Term expires .Tune 80, 1955) II LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL FEDERAL COlrlMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, W WJhinqton f!J5, D.O., DecembeT 30, 19J,9. 1'0 the 0 ong1'e88 of the United States: Pursuant to section 4 (k) of the Communications Act, there is sub mitted herewith the Annual Report of th,,· Federal Communications Commission for the fiscal year 1949. CoVering lis it does the fifteehth :fear of operations by this Commis sion, the current report is particularly significant in reflecting the mushrooming growth of the nonbroadcast services, and the steps that have been taken by the Commission to provide for new or augmented safety and special radio facilities to better serve the public and in dustry. Broadcast activities are marked by the boomiug interest in television, and the attendant problems being dealt with by the Com mission in order to meet the demand for video expansion and improve ment. At the same time, the Commission's regulatory functioning has been taxed by events in the common carrier field. The Commission is hard pressed to keep abreast of kaleidoscopic technical developments affecting both wire and radio communication, and its normal field operations have been curtailed to some extent by diverting manpower to projects with higher priority, In addition, the Commission has increased responsibilities with respect to United States participation in, and adherence to, international conferences and pacts looking toward uniform global communication practices. Though its monnting administrative and regnlatory work has necessarily suffered from personnel and other budgetary restrictions, the Commission's accomplishments in this year of unprecedented electrical communication progress constitute a fitting fifteenth anni versary record. Respectfully, WAYNE COY, OhaiTman. nr [ Page IV in the original document is intentionally blank J -.. t TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTORY SUMMARY__ __ __ _ _ __ __ __ _ __ __ __ _ _ _ __ __ _ 1 1. HigWights of the fiscal year__________________________________ 1 2. Subsequent events_ ___ __________ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ___ __ __ _ 5 ObBpter I. GENERAL___________________________________________________ It 1. Fifteenth anniversary__________________________________ 11 2. FunctionB_ __ __ ___ ____ ___ __ _ _____ __ _____ __ __ 11 3. Commission_ _____ ___ __ ___ __ ___ __ __ __ __ __ __ ___ _____ 12 4. Staff organization_____________________________________ 12 5. Personnel_ __________ __ __ ___ ___ __ __ __ __ __ __ ___ __ 13 6. Appropriations_ ____________________ ____ __ _____ __ _____ 14 7. L€glliJation___________________________________________ 14 8. Litigation_ ______ ___ __ ___ __ __ ___________ ___ __ _____ _ 15 9. Hearings_ ________ ___ ____ __ __ _________ _______ _ 18 10. Licenses and other authorizationB_______________________ 18 11. Applications and other filings___________________________ 18 12. Correspondence, releases, and pubJications________________ 19 II. RADIO FREQUENCIES ~___ 21 1, Allocation of frequencies_______________________________ 21 2. International conferences______________________________ 23 3. Domestic frequency changes____________________________ 26 4. Interdepartment Radio Advisory Comrnittee_____________ 27 5. Treaty and interference cases___________________________ 27 6. Allocation and treaty rules_____________________________ 28 7. Frequency and station records__________________________ 28 III. RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES__________________________________ 29 1. General______________________________________________ 29 Broadcast reguJation_ _____________ __ __ __ _____ 29 Types of broadcast stations________________________ 29 Growth of broadcasting____________________________ 30 Broadcast appJications_ ____ __ _ ___ __ __ _______ 30 Construction permit__ ____ __ ___ _____ __ _ 30 Change in facility_____________________________ 30 Renewal_____________________________________ 31 Transfer of controL___________________________ 31 ~oceduralchanges----------------------__________ 32 Broadcast hearings .____ 32 Broadcast programs-- _____ __ ____ ___ ________ 32 Editorializing by broadcast Jicensees_________________ 33 Programs involving lotteries or gift enterprises________ 33 Obscenity on the air_______________________________ 34 AVCO rule repealed_______________________________ 34 Spot advertlliing_ ________ __ __ _____ __ __ _____ _____ __ 34 Main studios_ ____ _________ _________________ __ __ __ 35 Radio time reservation in station saJes_______________ 35 Multiple ownership_ _ __ __ __ __ __ _____ __ ____ 35 l'retworks________________________________________ 35 Receiving sets_ __________ ____ __ _____ __ __ 36 V VI TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page III. RADIO BROADCA8T SERVICEs-Continued 2. Standard (AM) broadcast service_ ______________________ 36 Clear channels____ ________________________________ 37 540 kilocycles____ _________________________________ 38 North American Regional Broadcasting AgreemenL___ 38 3. Frequency modulation (FM) broadcast service____________ 39 FM service now available over large area____________ 39 Few new FM applications__________________________ 39 FM receivers_ _____________ _______________________ 40 Services provided by FM stations___________________ 40 4. Television (TV) broadcast service_______________________ 41 Increase in TV applications and service______________ 41 Experimental TV service_ ____ __ __ __ _ 41 Other television developments_ _____________________ 42 TV channel allocations_ ___________________________ 42 Ultra high frequency TV___________________________ 43 5. Noncommercial educational broadcast service_____ ________ 44 6. Facsimile broadcast service_____________________________ 45 7. International broadcast service_________________________ 45 8. Remote pick-up broadcast service_______________________ 45 9. ST (studio-transmitter) broadcast service________________ 46 10. Developmental broadcast service________________________ 46 11. Statistics______ __ __ __ ___ __ __ 46 Total broadcast allthorizations_____________________ 46 Broadcast authorizations by states and cities_________ 47 Broadcast authorizations by states______________ 48 Broadcast authorizations by cities_______________ 49 Broadcast applications____ _________________________ 50 AM broadcast applications_ ____________________ 50 Fl\I broadcast applications_____________________ 50 TV broadcast applications _____________________ 50 All other broadcast applications____ _____________ 50 Total br.oadcast applications____________________ 50 Broadcast deJetions '____ 51 Assignments and transfers__________________________ 51 Standard broadcast financial data___________________ 51 Frequency modulation broadcast financial data_______ 53 Television broadcast financial data_ _________________ 54 IV. SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES__________________________ 57 1. GeneraL____ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ 57 2. Aeronautical radio services_ ____________________________ 58 Aviation organizations and conferences_ ______ ______ _ 59 Aircraft radio stations_____________________________ 61 Aeronautical land and aeronautical fixed radio stations_ 61 Civil air patrol stations____________________________ 62 Airdrome control stations__________________________ 62 Aeronautical mobile utility stations_________________ 62 Aeronautical navigation radio stations_______________ 62 Flying school radio stations________________________ 62 Flight test radio stations___________________________ 62 Aeronautical public service radio stations_ ____ ____ ___ 63 '1'ABLE OF CONTENTS VII ·Chapter :Pap IV. SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVIcEs-Continued 3. Marine radio services__________________________________ 63 General__________________________________________ 63 Administration.of ship safety provisions______________ 64 Voluntarily equipped ship stations___________________ 64 Ship_ radio exemptions_____ __ __ ____ __ _____ __ _ 65 International coordinatioll_ ____ ____ __ _________ __ __ __ 65 Radio Technical Commission for Marine Services______ 67 Safety on the Great Lakes__________________________ 68 Commercial coast stations__________________________ 68 Radar aids to navigatioll___________________________ 69 Equipment approvaL __ _____ __ __ __ __ __ _____ ____ _ 70 Interference problems_ ______ ___ ____________ __ __ ___ _ 70 4. Public safety radio services ,_________________ 70 Police radio service________________________________ 71 Fire radio service__________________________________ 72 Forestry-conservation ra.dio service .-_ _ 72 High\vay maintenance radio service__________________ 73 Special emergency radio service_____________________ 73 Developmental radio opera.tion______________________ 74 5. Land transportation radio services_______________________ 74 Rule changes_____ ______________ ____ ____ _____ __ ____ 74 Railroad radio service______________________________ 74 Taxicab radio service______________________________