Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

had increased to 135 and the associate membership had decreased to 28. Declaring the association is enjoying the largest and most diversified membership in its nine years of existence, Mr. Loucks said that the membership includes 32 clear channel stations, 80 regionals and 31 locals. Mutual problems of broadcasters and manufacturers were discussed by Bond P. Geddes, executive vice president of the Radio Manufacturers Association. He said the much-hoped-for period of business improvement already has been felt by radio manufacturers. A large number of factories are on a fulltime basis, and a few are even in peak production, several surpassing the records of the so-called boom of two years ago. Midget sets no longer are "program manglers," Mr. Geddes asserted, pointing out that their technical quality have been greatly improved. Less than half of the 2.500,000 to 3,000,000 sets which the industry expects to sell this year will be midgets, he predicted. The sorry experience of the manufacturers with price-cutting was reviewed by Mr. Geddes. "Price-cutting in your station rates, the cut-throating of each other, will also reduce your levels," he warned. "A price cut means that the other fellow will go you one better to get the business." He also advised against making special concessions to favored customers. Transcriptions Aired : FOR the commercial broadcasting committee, H. K. Carpenter, WPTF, Raleigh, N. C., chairman, read its report covering general principles as well as specific recommendations. Only one resolution was offered as such, dealing with electrical transcriptions, and it provoked considerable floor discussion. The sense of the resolution was that the development of electrical transcriptions has made obsolete the Radio Commission's General Order No. 78, specifying that an announcement, 10 words in length, must be made before and after each performance of a recording. It recommended that the Commission so amend the regulation as to permit only one announcement for each such feature; that the announcement be made in any brief form; that its use be restricted to transcriptions for broadcast purposes only and that this phraseology be made not mandatory. Scott Howe Bowen asked that a precise definition be given the term "electrical transcription," recommending that it be defined as an original recording, and that the wording be specific to guard against productions which he said are inferior even to phonograph records. I. R. Lounsberry, World Broadcasting System, suggested that the resolution might also embrace a provision for the announcement of the electrical transcription agency in the broadcast, such as: "This is a presentation of the World Broadcasting System, etc." After further general discussion, participated in by Benedict Gimbel, Jr., WIP-WFAN, Philadelphia; Harold E. Smith, WOKO, Albany, N. Y.; C. R. Cummins, WRAK, Williamsport, Pa.; Richard E. O'Dea, WODA, Paterson, N. J., and others, the resolution was referred by President Damm to the Roster of NAB Attendance . . . GOLF CHAMPION— John Shepard, 3rd, winner of NAB trophy cup with score of 87. Following is a list of registrations at the ninth annual convention of the National Association of Broadcasters, at the Hotel Statler, Detroit, October 26-28: WAAW, Omaha — Frank P. Manchester. WABC, New York City— Harry _ C. Butcher, Washington representative, CBS; Henry A. Bellows, vice President, CBS; E. K. Cohan, technical adviser, CBS, and Cesar Saerchinger, London representative, CBS. WADC, Akron — John Aitkinhead, Fred Bock. WAIU, Columbus — George H. Zimmerman, H. H. Hoessly. WBBM, Chicago — J. J. King, Walter J. Preston. WBCM, Bay City, Mich.— Stanley F. Northcott, John S. Ress, Ralph H. Carpenter. WBEN, Buffalo— Clifford M. Taylor. WBT, Charlotte— E. J. Gluck. WCAE, Pittsburgh— J. L. Kaufman. WCAO, Baltimore — R. V. O. Swartwout. WCAU, Philadelphia — Leon Levy. WCBA-WSAN, Allentown, Pa.— B. Bryan Musselman. WCCO, Minneapolis — E. H. Gammons, Hugh S. McCartney. WCFL, Chicago — E. N. Nockels. WCKY, Covington, Ky. — Jerry Akers. WCLO, Janesville, Wis.— S. H. Bliss. WCSH, Portland, Me.— William L. Foss, George F. Kelley, Jr., Henry P. Rines. WDGY, Minneapolis — Arthur H. Croghan. WEAF, New York City— Frank M. Russell, vice president, NBC; H. C. Vance, I. R. Baker, Donald Withycomb. WEBC, Duluth Superior — W. C. Bridges. WEEI, Boston — Charles W. Burton. WFAA, Dallas — George E. Chase. WELL, Battle Creek, Mich.— Leo Sheehan. WENR, Chicago— F. H. Weber, Frank E. Mullen, Morgan L. Eastman. WFBG, Altoona, Pa— Roy Thompson. (Continued on page 34) Resolutions Committee, with instructions to consider the advisability of incorporating the recommendations from the floor. Standard market data forms were discussed by Mr. Carpenter in another part of his report. He brought out that these forms have not been sent to member stations because the A.A.A.A. thinks it inadvisable to get them out at this time and because there is some doubt as to whether they contain all the information the agencies want. Mr. Carpenter said, however, it had been decided to get them out despite the agency association view, on the theory that it is the best form available at the present time. The committee stands ready to help members in getting out such forms, he added. The commercial committee reiterated previous recommendations without placing them in resolution form. These included its "constant urge" that all member stations maintain their card rates; that service to the listener is a primary OUT OF THE WEST— J. Leslie Fox, manager, KFH, Wichita, and P. J. Meyer, president, KFYR, Bismarck, N. D. requisite to commercial success; that quality of production should not be sacrificed to commercial expediency; that each advertiser should be required to make a contribution to the entertainment or education of the listener for the privilege of reaching the radio audience with his message, and that the objective of each commercial station should be to maintain itself on at least a self-sustaining basis since any other basis may be characterized as unfair competition with other stations or other advertising media. Commercial Suggestions : A NUMBER of recommendations to stations on general program phases were made by the committee, as follows: "The committee recommends to station managers and commercial managers that in order to make radio campaigns most effective, they give close study to the use of additional merchandising tie-ups, and that they recommend to clients use of such tie-ups as will best pro November 1, 1931 • BROADCASTING Page 7