Television: Lot of Air

"TV is now well established," said the Federal Communications Commission this week in its annual report. The FCC backed up its understatement with some figures: the U.S. has 496 commercial TV stations on the air, against a mere 69 only seven years ago. This means that nearly 300 communities have at least one station, and 90% of the American people are within viewing range. And, with 128 applications for new stations on hand, the FCC expects the phenomenal growth to keep right up.

The report also contained a surprise for those who might think that TV has eclipsed radio: U.S. air waves now support 2,896 commercial AM stations, more than ever before, and more than twice as many as in radio's pre-TV heyday. Only commercial FM keeps slipping, has now dwindled to 530 stations. To see and hear all that TV and radio put out, U.S. homes have "more receivers than bathtubs or running water." The total: 164 million sets, over 60% of the world's total. Of these, 39,000,000 are TV sets, and they cost their owners a total of $15 billion.