Adoption of Television Standards Paves Way for Commercial Service
August September 1941 National Radio News Article

Aug/Sep 1941 National Radio News [Table of Contents]  These articles are scanned and OCRed from old editions of the National Radio News magazine. Here is a list of the National Radio News articles I have already posted. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.

This story from a 1941 edition of National Radio News reports on the FCC's having passed regulations to allow the rollout of commercial television service as of July 1, 1941. These standards, observes the Commission, "represent, with but few exceptions, the undivided engineering opinion of the industry." They "satisfy the requirement for advancing television to a high level of efficiency within presently known developments." Furthermore, "Frequency modulation is required for the sound accompanying the pictures. Thus, television is now benefited by the recent developments of frequency modulation." It was an era of wonder and excitement in the world of wireless communications.

Adoption of Television Standards Paves Way for Commercial Service

Television can now make its nationwide commercial debut under the auspices of regulations adopted by the Federal Communications Commission, effective July 1, 1941.

Whereas a year ago the Commission found the television industry divided, recent developments demonstrate the industry is "entirely in agreement that television broadcasting is ready for standardization." Accordingly, the Commission had adopted, in substance, the standards as proposed by the National Television System Committee at the March 20 hearing, as well as the rules and regulations submitted at that time.

These standards, observes the Commission, "represent, with but few exceptions, the undivided engineering opinion of the industry." They "satisfy the requirement for advancing television to a high level of efficiency within presently known developments."

This "go-ahead" signal fulfills the Commission's promise of last year that as soon as the industry's engineers were prepared to approve any single system the Commission would consider full commercialization. The showing made at the March hearing supported the Commission's previous action in declining to set standards when the industry was sharply divided and any attempt to have done so would have frozen the state of the art to the then unsatisfactory level of performance. The approved standards alleviate the problem of different receivers being required to "key" into varying competing transmission systems. The standards take cognizance of recent outstanding improvements in synchronizing signals which contribute materially to a more reliable operation.

Frequency modulation is required for the sound accompanying the pictures. Thus, television is now benefited by the recent developments of frequency modulation.

Other developments are provided for in the requirement that the standards be accorded six months of practical tests, at the conclusion of which further changes may be considered, with particular reference to color television. Program stations are encouraged to engage in experimental color work.

On the record made at the March hearing, the Commission fixes 15 hours a week as a reasonable minimum for program service.

The Commission adheres to the policy set forth in its report on the April, 1940, television hearing, which precludes more than three television stations being under the same control. This is to preserve the public benefits of competition in the use of the limited number of channels.

Posted May 28, 2021
(updated from original post on 3/14/2014)