NAB reports (Mar-Dec 1933)

future trouble. The latter is merely a guess on my part. (Applause) CHAIRMAN CARPENTER: I think probably to bring this to a close. I have three resolutions I should like to read. Please understand before I read these resolutions that these are merely resolutions ■which will be passed on and must be acted upon by the Association as a whole at the meeting in the fall. Some of them recommend appointment of com¬ mittees and some of them are complete in themselves. Here is the first presented by Martin Campbell: Whereas, There is an insistent demand on the part of ad¬ vertisers and advertising agencies for uniform station data ; and, Whereas, Many methods of measuring station coverage and program prestige have been advanced with resultant confu¬ sion; be it, therefore, RESOLVED, That the Commercial Section of the National Association of Broadcasters is of the opinion that a, survey of potential coverage is basic and preliminary to any further surveys or measurements, and recommends that steps be taken to set up a radio audit bureau to standardize practices of measurement. Mr. Campbell is introducing that. Is there a second to that? * * * The motion was seconded by Mr. Petzer * * * CHAIRMAN CARPENTER: What does it mean, Martin? MR. CAMPBELL: The resolution simply means that a starting point toward setting up standard methods of measure¬ ment of stations be made. It is necessary, I think, because every station, as I said this morning, in answer to the requests of agencies has tried in every way to get information; at least 90 per cent of that finds its way into the wastebasket as useless. We have to start somewhere. The four A’s have asked for a bureau, not only covering primary coverage and secondary coverage, station potentiality, but a number of other things, program popularity and things of that sort. Obviously at this time it would be entirely out of the question to go to that extent. In fact, I am not at all sure we would ever want to go that far. But we do have to make a start. It seems to me generally agreed that the field intensity survey is a starting point and that resolution suggests that a move be made. In that connection I might add I am not at all interested in any individual plans or anything of the sort. Dr. Jansky, as you know, has been doing an excellent job. There are others who are undertaking the same thing. I should cer¬ tainly want engineers, perhaps from our own stations or others, to investigate those methods and see if they are the right sort. That resolution, therefore, is only the start toward getting a satisfactory system set up. CHAIRMAN CARPENTER: I might say in this latter part, “steps be taken to set up a radio audit bureau to standardize practices of measurement,” any steps taken would be the appointment of a committee, the same as in these other problems, to make a much more detailed report at the convention in October. MANAGING DIRECTOR LOUCKS : As I gather from the text of your motion, Martin, you have taken substantially what the four A’s have adopted, eliminating the second part of one of their paragraphs, that part relating to all kinds of research, and so on. MR. CAMPBELL: That is correct. MANAGING DIRECTOR LOUCKS: In other words, your resolution would enable some committee from the N. A. B. to sit down and meet with them and talk about it. MR. CAMPBELL: Yes. * * * The motion to adopt the resolution was put to a vote and carried * * * CHAIRMAN CARPENTER: I wonder if you will have much discussion about this one: Whereas, The practice of accepting business on the per inquiry or commission basis has been widespread among sta¬ tions with a resultant increase in such offers ; and, Whereas, Such practice is inimical to the best interests of broadcasting and unfair to legitimate advertisers paying card rates; be it, therefore. RESOLVED, That the Commercial Section of the National Association of Broadcasters again recommends to stations that the practice be discontinued and business accepted only at card rates. Is there a second to that? * * * The motion was seconded variously * * * CHAIRMAN CARPENTER: Now we are ready for dis¬ cussion. MR. CAMPBELL: That didn’t exactly come under my talk today but it was suggested I bring it up. I could have written all sorts of things, put teeth in it, but I am sorry to have to say that I don’t believe it will mean a thing. I doubt if a number of the stations will pay any attention to it at this time particularly. Of course, as far as we are concerned at WFAA, that has been our practice right along. I don’t think enough stations, particularly those where the business is sufficient to warrant or justify the station, have the guts to go through with it. MR. HARLOW: I think there aren’t any teeth in it. I don’t think it amounts to anything. MR. PATT : I think there should be some teeth in there. CHAIRMAN CARPENTER: All right, offer an amend¬ ment. MR. GILLIN : What happened a few years ago when it was found newspapers were cutting their rates? What hap¬ pened to the individual newspapers? CHAIRMAN CARPENTER: Will somebody answer that question? I can’t. MR. STRAUSS: They are still cutting their rates. MR. GILLIN : The only reason I say that is because if we can’t go ahead and put teeth in the resolution, what good is it going to do? In other words, if there is no way we can stop it, what is the use of the resolution? MANAGING DIRECTOR LOUCKS: I will suggest some teeth for this resolution in the form of about three words — “against public interest.” Whereas, such practices are against “the public interest, convenience and necessity.” CHAIRMAN CARPENTER : Here is the way it reads now : “Whereas, The practice of accepting business on the per inquiry or commission basis has been widespread among stations and is against public interest, convenience and necessity ; and, “Whereas, Such practice is inimical to the best interests,” and so on. Is that change all right with the seconder? All right, do you feel that puts some teeth in it? MANAGING DIRECTOR LOUCKS: That declares it to be in violation of your operating license. * * * The motion was put ta a vote and carried * * * CHAIRMAN CARPENTER: One more by Harry Howlett: “In view of the evident lack of standards upon which radio stations might properly base their merchandising op¬ erations, the accompanying suggestions are presented as a practical basis upon which action can safely be taken. ’ ’ Then he merely attaches this questionnaire which he read this morning. (See page 109.) The passage of that would merely indicate that is a measuring stick to go by as far as merchandising is concerned. It enumerates the different things and will give stations faced with this problem of what are other people doing, a measuring stick to shoot at. * * * The motion was seconded by Mr. Campbell * * * CHAIRMAN CARPENTER: Is there any discussion? MR. FOX : Mr. Chairman, I am not inclined to agree entirely with Mr. Howlett on this thing. I think this is more or less of a local situation. In Nashville, the news¬ papers do put in window displays, they do get out letters, they do do certain forms of merchandising which we as com¬ petitors of theirs are oftentimes forced to do. I don’t believe that a situation which prevails in Cleveland could be said to prevail somewhere else. CHAIRMAN CARPENTER: I think you are perfectly light, but you probably misunderstand the intent of this. The intent is to give information to certain stations that do not have information on what we should do. It does not bind anybody to go exactly according to that. . Page 160 .