NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1941)

FROM THE FCC MAIL BAG A Californian asked the Federal Communications Commission to do something about interference to his radio reception caused by a flasher used by a neighbor on his Christmas lights. I'he Commission advised that under the law it has no authority itself to interfere in such local matters, but suggested that a number of states and municipalities do have ordinances intended to curb radio interlerence of this type. Another Caliiornian, who complains of interference from Mexi¬ can stations, is told that the Commission has no jurisdiction over broadcast stations in other countries, but is reminded that realloca¬ tions of trequencies under the North American Regional Broadcast¬ ing Agreement, scheduled to go into effect March 29 next, promise a general improvement in radio reception. Though the Commission cannot pass upon individual radio pro¬ grams, it refers a Schenectady man direct to a station which he complains is using the national anthem as part of a commercial continuity. By the same token, it bids a Philadelphian write to networks which he feels are using programs that are “mob spirited” and “appeal to greed”. However, the Commission can't oblige an Indianapolis music fan who would like to see a local station com¬ pelled to carry a certain concert program. A Mount Vernon, N. Y., resident is informed that there is noth¬ ing in the Communications .Vet or regulations to prevent the solicitation of new bank accounts by radio. A Rhode Island woman is told that the Commission cannot undertake the collection of alleged over-due music royalties and that the matter is rather one of legal proceeding. A North Carolinian, who is interested in recording programs as they come over the air for use in public schools, is advised that such practice is not contrary to Commission rules but may involve problems of copyright law. The Commission is in receipt of a suggestion by a Californian that radio broadcast stations be equipped with sirens to warn listeners of air raids in event of war. It is pointed out to a Philadelphia concern that broadcast is not a common carrier service like telephone and telegraph, hence the Commission has promulgated no accounting regulations for radio stations. However, it does require station licensees to file annual financial reports. A Harvard law student who inquires about ‘‘res judicata” in Commission administrative proceedings is informed: The doctrine of “res judicata” does not play a major part in the Commission’s action in granting or denying an applica¬ tion for a license to operate a radio station. If a person desires a license, he files an application which the Commission is under a duty to grant if public interest, convenience or necessity will be served thereby. The proceeding does not partake of a con¬ troversy between the applicant and existing licensees, but is an application to the licensing agency for the grant of a written instrument of authorization permitting the operation of radiotransmitting equipment. Existing licensees, who will be com¬ petitors of the applicant, or who will suffer electrical inter¬ ference, frequently do oppose the granting of a license. The basis of such opposition is that public interest, convenience or necessity will not be served by a grant of the application. The Commission will consider such information from any source. Since there is no element of private controversy in the granting of a license, the Commission has not deemed it necessarv or appropriate to apply the doctrine of “res judicata” to the granting of licenses, “Can a wavelength in a radio wave be changed after it has been broadcast ?” and “Can a wave be superimposed on long carrier wave?” are questions from a Washington State resident. The answer is of the “yes” and “no” variety depending upon the medium through which the wave or waves travel. In other words, radio waves may be modulated or imposed one upon the other within the path between transmitter and receiver, but only under abnormal conditions. The Commission explains: “The frequency or wavelength of an electromagnetic wave does not change when the wave travels through air, through a copper wire or through any medium which has linear trans¬ mission characteristics. The amplitude of the wave and the phase are altered but the wavelength remains constant. If a square law detector or a vacuum tube is included in a wire circuit, however, the output wave becomes a function of the square of the input wave and the frequency of the wave is doubled. “Two carrier waves of different frequency, each modulated and carrying different signals, may be transmitted on the same pair of wires and they will not interfere with each other in any way. At the output of the circuit both carrier fre¬ quencies and both signal frequencies will be the same as they were at the input amd no additional waves or other frequencies which were not in the original waves will have appeared: ‘‘Again, if a device with non-linear transmission character¬ istics. such as a square law detector, is inserted in the circuit, the situation is altered. The output wave is now the square of the sum of the two input waves and many additional waves of different frequency are produced, .\mong them will be the harmonics of the carriers, the beat note between the carriers and a large number of the so-called modulation products of the signals — not only those which were present in the ori¬ ginal signals but others which were not, such as the sums and differences of the modulation frequencies, etc. With this phe¬ nomenon you are undoubtedly familiar from your experience with broadcast reception and your knowledge of radio re¬ ceivers. The same principles apply in the case of radio waves of different frequency radiated to a receiver from two broad¬ cast stations at different locations. Each wave reaches the receiver unaffected by the other unless there is some region of space through which both signals have passed which has non-linear transmission characteristics. While the conditions for such are not normal ones they do sometimes occur. Two examples will be given. The signals of one broadcast station may modulate the signals of another when under certain con¬ ditions — which are again unusual — both pass through portions of the ionosphere having non-linear transmission character¬ istics. A certain type of cross-talk interference is observed in broadcast reception caused by rectification of broadcast signals in the house wiring system. This may occur when the wiring leads are loose or in some cases broken. The signals of other broadcast stations beyond the tuning range of the receiver when rectified in these leads may then have components within the tuning range of the receiver, thus capable of causing inter¬ ference.” Federal Trade Commission MARCH HEADS FTC Colonel Charles H. March, a member of the Federal Trade Commission since 1919, has been elected by the Commission to serve as Chairman during the calendar year 1941, succeeding Judge Ewin L. Davis. Col. William H. England has been appointed Chief Economist of the Eederal Trade Commission, succeeding Dr. Francis Walker, who retires January 1, 1941. FTC REPORTS TO CONGRESS ON ADVERTISING Advertising matter as published in newspapers, maga¬ zines, catalogs, and almanacs and as broadcast over the radio is surveyed and scrutinized for false and misleading representations by the Federal Trade Commission through its radio and periodical examining staff on a continuing current basis, says the Commission in its annual report. This work includes duties devolving on the Commission with the enactment of the Wheeler-Lea amendment to the Federal Trade Commission Act. Discussing the radio and newspaper advertising work the Commission in its report to Congress says; The survey of magazine and newspaper advertising was inau¬ gurated by the Commission in 1929, and the surveying of com¬ mercial advertising continuities broadcast by radio was started January 3, 1941 — 11