NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1940)

Neville Miller, President Edwin M. Spence, Secretary-Treasurer Edward M. Kirby, Director of Public Relations : Joseph L. Miller, Director of Labor Relations : Paul F. Peter, Director of Research ; Russell P. Place. Counsel: Lynne C. Smeby, Director of Engineering Andrew W. Bennett, Special Copyright Counsel 36 More Stations Approve B.M.I. Substantial support of Broadcast Music, Inc., was voiced by representatives of 36 New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware stations at a District 3 meeting Thursday, Jan¬ uary 4, in Camden, New Jersey. Twelve of the 48 commercial stations in the District were not represented. After Sydney Kaye, representing the NAB, had ex¬ plained how Broadcast Music would operate. District Director Clifford M. Chafey called the roll. Representa¬ tion of the following stations said they would sign or recommend signing to their station owners: WDEL, WTLM, WSNJ, WCAM, WAAT, WHOM, WOR, WCBA, WFBF, WEST, WIBG, WHJB, WKBO, WAZL, WJAC, WGAL, KYW, WCAU, WDAS, WFIL, WHAT, WIP, YT’EN, WTEL, KDKA, KQV, WCAE, WJAS, WWSW, WEEU, WRAW, WGBI, WKOK, WBRE, WRAK, WORK. After lunch, Joseph L. IMiller, NAB Labor Relations Director, discussed the A. F. of M. situation. Record licensing also was discussed. Those present: Sydney M. Kaye, NAB; F. E. Chizzini, NBC; W. C. Gartland, NBC; Ralph Wentworth, LangWorth; V. C. Diehm, WAZL; Derby Sproul, KDKA; John Laux, KQV; H. K. Brennen, WJAS; C. 0. Langlois, LangWorth; C. G. Moss, WKBO; IMike Lahr, WKOK; George E. Joy, WRx^K; W. V. Person, WRAK; B. A. Beck, WKOK; George W. Beck, WKOK; Clair R. McCollough, Mason-Dixon Group; Isaac D. Levy, WCAU; Ken Stowman, WCAU ; J. C. Tully, WJAC; Roy Thomp¬ son, WFBG; George D. Coleman, WGBI; Sam Baltimore, WBRE; Leonard Kapner, WCAE; G. M. Stoer, WCAE; P'rank R. Smith, WWSW; Benedict Gimbel, Jr., WIP; Joseph L. Miller, NAB; Frederick Caperoon, WCAM; Bob Horn, WCAM; A. W. Dannenbaum, Jr., WDAS; Pat Stanton, WDAS; S. R. Rosenbaum, WFIL; Paul H. La Stayo, WAAT; Howard S. Frazier, WSNJ; Walter Miller, WGAL; Robert Gulick, WORK; Gorman Walsh, WDEL; Louis G. Baltimore, WBRE; Leslie W. Joy, KVW; Griffith B. Thompson, KYW; Joseph Land, WHOM ; Jack Compter, WHOiM ; Charles Stahl, WCAM ; Ed. D. Clery, WIBG; T. M. Maxwell, WIBG; Doug Hibbs, WTEL; Henry N. Crocker, WTEL; B. Bryan IMusselman, WCBA-WSAN ; Ray Gaul, WRAW; Clifford IM. Chafey, WEEU; Arthur Simon, WPEN; A. Heine, WCAM. Mexico Ratifies Havana Treaty Mexico ratified the Havana Treaty on December 28, and it is now possible that the frequency shift provisions will be put into effect sometime this year, according to Andrew D. Ring, assistant chief engineer of the FCC. The FCC will make a study to determine what work will be required to make the treaty effective, and to eliminate allocation conflicts. When this study is com¬ pleted, a date will be set for the shift. Mexico was the fifth country to ratify. The United States, Canada, Cuba and Haiti had previously approved the treaty. Ambassador Josephus Daniels advises the State De¬ partment that the Mexican Broadcast Association believed it possible for Mexico to place the agreement into effect in 90 days. According to provisions of the treaty it was to have gone into effect one year after ratification by the fourth government. However, the Mexican ratification was necessary in order that the benefits to be derived from the new allocation could be realized. The operation of this agreement will eliminate the ruinous inter-country interference experienced now on some of the channels. Many American stations in the past have received undue interference from Cuban and Mexican stations. Under the provisions of the treaty there will be a shift in frequency by most of the Broadcast Stations in the United States. With a few exceptions this shift will not be greater than four channels or forty kilocycles. Inas¬ much as most of the shifts are an increase in frequencies it will be possible to regrind some of the crystals. In this connection it should be kept in mind that on January 1, 1942, it will be required by the Federal Com¬ munications Commission that broadcast stations adhere to their carrier frequencies within twenty cycles instead of the fifty cycles as under the present regulation. If a crystal will not maintain this precision it might be better to install a new one which will. There will be an oppor¬ tunity for some of the stations to secure their crystals from stations which will move off the frequency they are scheduled to be shifted to. It is probable that there will be very few cases where new crystal control equipment is required other than new crystals. The Federal Com¬ munications Commission now requires that any new equip¬ ment installed be able to maintain frequency within twenty cycles. January 5, 1940 3934