Statement of the SMPE in Opposition to the Brief of the Columbia Broadcasting System as it Relates to Theater Television

The Society of Motion Picture Engineers, at the original hearing before the Federal Communications Commission (Docket No. 6651) in October 1944, requested allocation of frequencies for a national theater television service in behalf of the engineers of the motion picture industry. In view of this request the FCC granted allocation of frequencies for theater television on an experimental basis as set forth in their Proposed Allocation Report. The statement of the SMPE and excerpts from the FCC report were published in the February 1945 Journal, pp. 105–137. — As the report by the FCC was a proposal only, a rehearing was proposed by the FCC to give all parties an opportunity to present additional testimony. The SMPE was of the opinion that the frequencies allotted for experimental theater television were adequate and accordingly advised the Commission that it did not intend to submit further testimony at the rehearing. (See Appendage A, p. 270 of this issue.) — Prior to the date of the rehearing, the Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., filed a brief with the FCC in opposition to some of the allocations proposed by the Commission. CBS requested the FCC not to allocate any frequencies for a theater television service as such allocation was contrary to the FCC rules and regulations, and further, such allocation would favor only a few and might establish monopolistic franchises. Excerpts from the CBS brief are given on pp. 272–274 of this issue. — In view of the opposition by CBS, the Society, through its representative, Paul J. Larsen, presented the following statement before the FCC at the rehearing on Mar. 2, 1945.

Print ISSN
Published
1945-04
Content type
Original Research
DOI
10.5594/J09781