NAB reports (Mar-Dec 1933)

The National Association of Broadcasters NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING ..... WASHINGTON, D. C. PHILIP G. LOUCKS, Managing Director NAB REPORTS Copyright, 1933, The Natloaal Association ot Broadcasters Vol. 1 No. 33 SEPT. 23, 1933 NRA TRANSCRIPTION PROGRAMS A series of 24 five-minute dramatic interludes, electrically tran¬ scribed, describing the activities and hopes of the NRA will be made available to broadcasting stations for commercial sponsor¬ ship in connection with the “BUY NOW” campaign, now being whipped into shape. The NAB has agreed with the NRA to call attention of broad¬ casters to the availability of these programs and you should there¬ fore consider this as official notice of the series. The NRA will make available to newspapers a series of 24 ads which also may be sponsored locally. Agreement upon the details of the transcription series was reached following conferences between Charles Michelson, director of publicity, and W. B. Dolph, radio chief, both of the NRA, and which were attended by the Managing Director of the NAB. The programs are to be released two a week for 12 weeks. They are dramatic, attention arresting program interludes that drive home the importance of the “BUY NOW ’ campaign and are to be recorded from scripts which have been approved by the NRA. They are to be recorded at 78 r. p. m. and will cover nearly every type of business found in the average community. The NRA does not have funds to pay for the recording cost, but Mr. G. T. Herzog of Washington, D. C., has volunteered to produce the series at a cost of $2.50 per record, the production to be done under the supervision of NRA officials. Stations desiring to make use of these recordings should com¬ municate at once with Mr. G. T. Herzog, 704 National Press Building, Washington, D. C. The cost is $60.00, plus 5 per cent tax, for the entire series. You may, if you wish, pay for half the series at the time of subscribing and the balance on November 1, 1933, or, have them sent C. O. D., in which case an additional 25 cents per program mailing cost should be added. If you desire to make use of these recordings it is important that you place your order IMMEDIATELY. NAB CODE HEARING WEDNESDAY The public hearing on the Code of Fair Competition submitted to the NRA by the National Association of Broadcasters will be held at the Raleigh Hotel at 10 a. m., Wednesday, September 27, with Deputy Administrator Sol A. Rosenblatt presiding. The NAB Code Committee will hold a meeting on Tuesday, Sep¬ tember 26, to consider matters pertaining to the presentation of the broadcasters’ case at the hearing. During the week the sub¬ committee of the Code Committee, consisting of President McCosker, Managing Director Loucks and John W. Guider, counsel, held a series of meetings considering details in connection with the presentation at the public hearing. The NAB Code Committee held a meeting last Monday and considered suggestions offered by mem¬ bers and non-members alike and agreed upon certain changes of a minor nature which will be offered as modifications at the hearing. Principal study is being given to the administrative sections with a view to harmonizing them with the policies of the NRA. It is likely that conferences between representatives of the in¬ dustry and labor will be held at the conclusion of the public hearing during which all suggestions offered will be considered. While there has been little objection to the code from within the industry it is expected that representatives of the American Federa¬ tion of Musicians, Actors Equity, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and perhaps one or more groups representing phonograph manufacturers and producers will be on hand to testify at the hearing. At this time it is impossible to state when the code will be finally approved. BROADCASTERS’ GROUPS APPROVE CODE The Managing Director was notified this week that the broad¬ casters organizations of Chicago and Los Angeles have approved the Code of Fair Competition as submitted to the NRA by the NAB. COPYRIGHT EVIDENCE AGAINST ASCAP In compliance with requests from Oswald F. Schuette, NAB Copyright Director, member broadcasting stations throughout the United States have submitted to him a considerable volume of im¬ portant evidence of the oppressive copyright methods of the Amer¬ ican Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Much of this has been obtained from the correspondence files of these stations. Other evidence has been secured from other victims of the ASCAP tactics, such as restaurants, hotels, theatres, and other music users. This testimony has been collected by Mr. Schuette at the request of the anti-trust and anti-racketeering divisions of the Department of Justice and of the Federal Trade Commission, all of whom are investigating charges against ASCAP. Investigators of the Depart¬ ment of Justice and of the Commission have also visited many stations, although unfortunately it has not been able to send such investigators to all stations. Stations which have not yet complied with Mr. Schuette’s request for such information are urged to search their files at once for correspondence that may reveal the oppressive tactics of ASCAP, as well as to make inquiries in their own communities concerning ASCAP aggression against other enterprises from whom it demands licenses. CONVENTION PLANS SHAPING UP Edwin M. Spence, chairman of the NAB Convention Committee, and the Managing Director, will confer over the week end on convention plans. It is hoped that the official program will be completed and ready for announcement early next week. TO ALL COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN Chairmen of all NAB Committees will be expected to make re¬ ports at the White Sulphur Springs meeting. Each committee report will be listed on the official Convention program. In the event any committee desires to hold a meeting in advance of the opening of the Convention, the chairman should notify his com¬ mittee members and the Managing Director who will make a meeting room assignment. IDENTIFICATION CERTIFICATES MAILED On Friday, September 22nd, every member of the NAB was mailed an identification certificate which will enable him to ob¬ tain, when presented to the ticket agent, a round trip railroad ticket to White Sulphur Springs to attend the NAB Convention next month for the price of a one-way ticket plus one-third. If any member has not received his identification certificate, or needs another for some member of his organization, he should write to the Managing Director at once. Full instructions accompanied each certificate, and your ticket agent can no doubt answer any ques¬ tions which may arise. NON-MEMBERS INVITED TO CONVENTION Acting under instructions received from the Board of Directors, the Managing Director has written to all non-member stations inviting them to attend the sessions of the NAB at its annual con¬ vention at White Sulphur Springs, October 8, 9, 10 and 11. In view of the desire of the National Recovery Administration to have the National Association of Broadcasters arrange its membership requirements so that all stations can become members, this invita¬ tion is particularly significant. NAME YOUR DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES There has been mailed to every member a notice, together with a return postcard, addressed to the Managing Director at White Sulphur Springs, pertaining to official representation at the con¬ vention in October. It is very important that these post cards be filled out and mailed promptly so that the credentials committee will know whom to recognize from each station. • Page 1 73 •