Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1963)

Florida conservatives to monitor radio-TV stations An organization to insure presentation of the conservative view in controversial matters has notified Florida broadcasters that it will monitor all state TV and radio stations. The Organization for the Protection of Conservative Opinion in Broadcasting Inc., said it plans to "analyze the news, editorial opinions, any and all commentary, and the views of individuals and organizations broadcast on all mass media communication." Formation of state organizations with that name was proposed on Sept. 16 by Dan Smoot, of Dallas, a conservative radio and television commentator, in his weekly newsletter The Dan Smoot Report. The Florida unit was chartered on Sept. 26, and its legal counsel, Ellis Rubin, said "we plan to set up similar groups in other states." Mr. Smoot is the group's consulting adviser, said Mr. Rubin. In its letter the conservative group said the organization would answer any personal-attack broadcast involving any individual or organization espousing a conservative point of view. In his newsletter, Mr. Smoot commented, "Every time a 'liberal' broadcast is made on a local station, touching on any subject of interest to the local Organization . . . the organization could demand free and equal time to answer. Individuals who cannot form an organization . . . can, and, should act as individuals." Eugene Dodson, vice president and manager, wtvt(tv) Tampa-St. Petersburg, and president of the Florida Association of Broadcasters, said he had received the group's letter but noted "Each broadcaster has the responsibility to obtain a spokesman for the opposite point of view in controversial cases. No one has the right to become the spokesman for the other group on his own." Mr. Smoot's newsletter offered "any responsible conservative" "my television film, free of charge, for rebuttal purpose" if the person gets equal time to answer a liberal broadcast "and then feels that he lacks time or facilities to prepare a proper presentation of his own views." He said every issue of his Report since 1957 had been summarized for TV and radio broadcasts and the transcribed broadcasts which have been preserved "cover a wide range of subjects which liberals discuss in ways offensive to conservatives." Mr. Smoot also suggested that the state organizations "could request transcripts of all proposed broadcasts ... in accordance with" the FCC's July 26 statement on fairness. Mr. Smoot said his weekly 15minute show is on 41 TV stations — and sponsored on 33 West Coast stations by Dr. Ross Pet Food Co. — and is sponsored on 71 radio stations in 20 states. ings, the subcommittee showed concern that 40% of the stations showed losses in 1962. Commissioner Frederick W. Ford said the commission's revised accounting form would be used in fiscal 1964 and would provide "a little more accurate picture as to who is losing money in fact and not paying it out to themselves in salaries." When the questioning turned to the AM freeze, Representative Joe E. Evins (D-Tenn.) asked whether anyone could influence the commission into moving up a "frozen" application. Neither the President nor a member of Congress could influence a commissioner to do that, Chairman Minow said. Representative Albert Thomas (DTex.), subcommittee chairman, abruptly cut off his pursuit of information about why the commission usually meets just once a week when he was told that much of the commissioner's time is spent in testifying before congressional committees. "We had 52 hearings" in the 87th Congress through September 1962 (about 21 months), said Max D. Paglin, FCC general counsel. Government opposes KRLA in Supreme Court The government last week told the U. S. Supreme Court that Donald Cooke received a fair hearing in FCC license renewal proceedings for krla Pasadena, Calif., and that there is no need to review the case. The solicitor general, acting for the FCC, filed his opposition brief to the petition for writ of certiorari filed by krla last August. Krla is asking the Supreme Court to reverse the July decision of a federal court of appeals upholding the FCC's action in denying license renewal (Broadcasting, July The Senate last week okayed a resolution to suspend Section 315 of the Communications Act for next year's presidential and vice presidential campaigns. When HJ Res 247 was passed in about 90 seconds last Wednesday (Oct. 2), no voices were raised in opposition. But, Senator Norris Cotton (R-N.H.), ranking Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, pointed out that "there is a substantial body of evidence to indicate that Vice President Nixon may have lost the 1960 election" as a result of the joint TV appearances in that election. Nonetheless, Senator Cotton said, he supported the 1964 suspension because the 1960 broadcasts made "a tremendous contribution to the general understanding of the issues and to the general welfare of our entire system of government." The House, which passed its own version with minor differences in June, may be asked to approve the Senate legislation as is. But that decision de 15). The FCC denied the renewal on the grounds that Mr. Cooke had not lived up to program proposals made when he bought the station in 1959, that krla had falsified program logs, and that it had engaged in fraudulent contests. pends partly on a determination to be made by the House Commerce Committee, probably this week. Virtually assurred of final passage and the signature of President Kennedy, who recommended the suspension (Broadcasting, Feb. 25), HJ Res 247 would set up the same ground rules for political broadcasting in 1964 that allowed broadcasters to present the 1960 Great Debates. The House and Senate commerce committees rejected legislative proposals that would have broadened the suspension or killed Section 315 altogether (Broadcasting, Sept. 16, June 24). The differences in the House and Senate versions involve the length of the suspension and reporting requirements. The Senate approved a 60-day suspension ending Nov. 3, 1964, the day before the election. The House, which okayed its bill before the Democrats had decided to hold their national convention late in August, passed a 75day suspension. Senate okays Section 315 suspension RESOLUTION VARIES A BIT FROM HOUSE VERSION 64 (GOVERNMENT) BROADCASTING, October 7, 1963