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He lnl Radio News Service
7/3/46
Senator Styles Bridges (r), of New Hampshire, proposed that Distinguished Service News Medals be given to newsmen, com¬ mentators or radiomen who distinguished themselves in the war. Chairman Lea of the House Interstate Commerce Committee advocated complete revision of the Communications Act in the light of the Supreme Court decision of May 10, 1943, in the network program content case and in view of the FCC showing an increasing tendency to try to control programs.
Representative Richard B. Wiggle sworth (r), of Massachus¬ etts, offered an amendment to the Communications Act "to assure to any commentator or broadcaster the freedom of speech over the air’1. Mr. Wiggle sworth said:
"It has long been apparent that the spirit if not the letter of this provision has been violated directly or indirectly by the Commission or its licensees.
"The bill which I have introduced is designed to assure to any commentator or broadcaster the freedom of speech over the air which the Act clearly contemplates and to accord a court review to anyone agreed by the Commission or any of its licensees in this connection.
"Freedom of speech over the air is fundamental to our entire system of government. It must be preserved. "
Representative Emanuel Celler (D), of New York, introduced a bill which would require a licensee to advertise his station before selling, require the FCC to fix percentages of time for sus¬ taining programs and give the Commission jurisdiction over the sale prices of stations. Representative Celler said he knew of one case where a station was sold for 1,543 times its net Income and that stations with assets of about $50,000 have been sold for $500,000.
As to the sustaining programs, he continued:
"The educational program Invitation to Learning was car¬ ried by only 39 of the 136 stations which could have had use of it; National Radio Pulpit was carried by 60 stations and rejected by 79; the Chicago Roundtable was rejected by 84 out of 139 stations and Labor for Victory, the only labor program carried on any of the major networks was rejected by 104 out of 139 stations. "
Representative John S. Wood (D), of Georgia, and Senator Edwin C. Johnson (R), of Colorado, offered legislation to license news commentators. Mr. Wood stipulated that each commentator be identified on every broadcast and if he were using an assumed name, his real name be announced and his political or other affiliations be made known. Senator Johnson would have commentators obey a "code of ethics" laid down by Congress.
Senator Johnson, a member of the Senate Interstate Com¬ merce Committee, advanced his plan to take the place of a nonsidetracked proposal by Senator Burton K. Wheeler ( D) , of Montana, to prohibit news broadcasts by advertisers.