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 National Association of Broadcasters ♦ Vol. 1 No. 36 OCT. 7, 1933 ROADS LEAD TO WHITE SULPHUR All radio roads lead to White Sulphur Springs. W. Va., where the Eleventh Annual Convention of the National Association of Broad¬ casters will open with the drop of President McCosker’s gavel on Monday morning. In the meantime, conferences on the code of fair competition for the broadcasting industry' are still in progress and a full and com¬ plete report of all proceedings will be presented at the White Sulphur meeting. Temporary headquarters of the NAB have been established at White Sulphur during the time of the convention. Early registrations indicate that a record crowd will be on hand at the meeting. COMMISSION AMENDS RULES Due to the fact that printed rules and regulations of the Radio Commission have been completely exhausted it is necessary to have a reprint made, and before doing that the Commission has made some changes in its rules. Most of the changes made by the Commission are of a very minor nature, but one change of considerable importance was made con¬ cerning the use of broadcasting stations during emergencies. In Rule No. 23 of the Commission as quoted below the entire second paragraph has been added during the current week: "23. Where an emergency exists affecting safety to life or prop¬ erty, the Commission may, in its discretion, waive any part or all of its regulations governing the filing of applications. “The licensee of any radio transmitting station may, during a period of emergency in which the normal communication facilities are disrupted as a result of hurricane, flood, earthquake or similar disaster, utilize such station for emergency communication service in communicating with points other than those specified in the station license provided (1) that at the beginning of such emer¬ gency use immediate notice be sent to the Federal Radio Commis¬ sion stating the nature of the emergency and the use to which the station is being put. and (2) that the emergency use of the station shall be discontinued as soon as substantially normal communica¬ tion facilities are again available. At any time the Commission may order the discontinuance of such service.” STATION OWNERSHIP MAY BE REQUIRED A resolution has been proposed by Commissioner Lafount which would make it obligatory for stations selling their stock to record same with the Commission when asking for their next license re¬ newal. The resolution, which is as follows, has been referred to the Legal and Engineering Divisions of the Commission: "WHEREAS Section 12 of the Radio Act of 1927 as amended provides in part as follows: “ ‘The station license required hereby, the frequencies or wave length or lengths authorized to be used by licensee, and the rights therein granted shall not be transferred, assigned, or in any manner, either voluntarily or involuntarily, disposed of to any person, firm, company, or corporation without the con¬ sent in writing of the licensing authority.’ "WHEREAS that portion of the Radio Act quoted above clearly indicates the intent and desire of Congress to require all assignments of licenses to be approved by the licensing authority, and "WHEREAS many licenses are issued to corporations, and “WHEREAS, the stock of said corporations can be transferred without the knowledge or consent of the Federal Radio Commis¬ sion, which has the effect of transferring the license from one set of individuals to another without the written consent of the Federal Radio Commission as required by the Act, and. in order that the Commission may have available data which will enable it to dif¬ ferentiate between the name of a corporation and the actual parties in interest, “BE IT RESOLVED that the Federal Radio Commission mail a questionnaire to each corporation licensee, propounding the follow¬ ing questions: 1. Name of corporation? 2. Authorized under the laws of what state? 3. Authorized capital stock, describing different classes of same, number of shares authorized, the par value of each, and the number of shares of each issued? 4. List of stockholders of record as of October 1, 1933. showing the number of shares held by each, the city and state in which each reside? 5. List of officers as of October 1st? 6. If any stockholders or officers are aliens, please so indicate. "BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Commission require that the above set of questions be answered under oath or affirma¬ tion and returned to the Commission, and thereafter that the Com¬ mission require applicant corporations to report all transfers of stock during the oast license period at the time and in connection with their application for renewal of license, which, under the law. must be sworn to.” Discussing the resolution. Commissioner Lafount said: Hear About Broadcasters’ Code at White Sulphur Springs, Oct., 8, 9, 10, 11 • Page 187 •