FCC Reports, Volume 23, July 12, 1957 to December 27, 1957 Page: 188

                                
188

Federal Communications Commission Reports

the applicant before us. The record evidence does establish that the
physical facilities of station KPIX were substantially improved prior
to its sale to Westinghouse. The evidence as to its programing dis-
closes meritorious attention to local live programing through regu-
larly scheduled and special programs. Time was devoted on a regu-
larly scheduled basis to local discussion, educational, agricultural, re-
ligious, and entertainment programs. Some weakness is shown in
religious and agricultural programs in the composite weeks of 1952
and 1953. Special events of importance were also broadcast by both
live remote and film. We see no significance in the failure to broad-
cast the exact religious and agricultural programs proposals. (See
par. 89, supra.) It is thus apparent that the record of KPIX, though
of lesser significance here, is a superior one.
30. The record of KXA, as to successful improvement of its facili-
ties, is in no manner equal to that of KIRO. It must be recognized,
however, that this applicant has not been under the control of the
present ownership for the period of years shown for KIRO, with the
consequent benefit present from earlier availability of AM facilities,
as contrasted to their comparative lack of availability in later years.
The record discloses that KXA has sought to secure authorization
from the Commission for additional facilities, and that its transmitter
site difficulties were not originally of its own making. Nor can we be
critical of the fact that in its considered business judgment, KXA de-
termined that the benefits to be secured through expenditure of a very
substantial sum to acquire an improved site did not warrant the
expenditure of such sum, particularly in view of its application for
substantially improved facilities which, if finally found to merit
grant, would in all probability render the facilities constructed of little
or no benefit. New studios have been constructed. The record, how-
ever, does not disclose on the part of KXA the improvement in facili-
ties to permit added local programing of interest shown for KIRO.
31. The composite weak evidence adduced as to the past perform-
ance of station KXA for 1943 discloses weakness in educational pro-
graming, a complete absence of discussion programs, and few talks
programs. There was a complete absence of both educational and
discussion programs for the 1949 week. Of its total broadcast time,
5.5 percent was devoted to local live programing, with 86.1 percent
being recorded. During the 1949 and 1952 composite weeks, however,
percentages were 6.9 and 9.5 for local live programing. Religious
programing was broadcast for 9.4 percent of total time, largely on a
commercial basis. This percentage, however, was subsequently sub-
stantially reduced. News programing appears to have been in large
part wire. Its supplemental showing discloses extensive attention
given to local civic, charitable, and other organizations, through non-
commercial spot announcements.    Attention to local agricultural
needs, through regularly scheduled programs, is also set forth in this
showing. Its supplemental showing, however, disclose the same weak-
nesses present in educational and discussion programing reflected in
it composite week showings, although some attention to such pro-
graming is reflected. We find in neither its composite week showing
nor its supplemental showing, evidence indicating that the programing
23 F. C. C.