Broadcasters’ news bulletin (Jan-June 1932)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

5 DIGEST OF REPORT OF FRO (Continiied) , "Any pl=>n to reduce , limit , and control tlie use of radio facilities for commercial advertising purposes to a specific amount of time or to a certain per cent of the total time utilized by the station, must have its inception in new and ''’df^ition'='l legislation Y/hich either fixes and prescribes such limitations or spe¬ cifically authorizes the Commission to do so under a f'^eneral standard prescribed by that legislation. Thile the Commission may under the existinjt; law refuse to renew a license to broadcast or revoke such license because the ch=r°cter of proeram material does not comply wit.' the statutory standard of public interest, con¬ venience and necessity, there is a.t present no other limitation upon the use of radio facilities for commercial advertising. "Such regulation whether specifically undertaken by Congress or delega.ted by it to the Commission could extend both to the quality s.nd the quantity of com¬ mercial advertising. ’-Tliile the qu'^lity a.nd the quantity of commercial advertising coul'"' be limited to certain hours in the day or night a.nd to a certain number of such hours; also, provision could be made limiting the advertising matter to a cer¬ tain per cent of the time devoted to total pro<:rams or comraercia.l progr'^mis. "Any such system of re^gulation should, however, recognize and a.pply the differences in the needs and requirements of stations of the several classes; i.e. clear, re.vional and local. Also, a basis for classification may exist in the f^ct that certain programs °re originated locally for local consumption, whereas others arc ori<^:inoted by ch?in companies for the edification and entert'^.inment of the country as an entirety or at least for very If^rge sections thereof. "Thus, it will be observed from the matter collected in this report tha.t while sales talks, etc. consumed 6.55 ^er cent of the total hours used during the sample week by the 582 stations of all classes °nd that such matters consumed IB. 11 per cent of the total commercial hours of such stations, sales talks and related matters consumed only 11.27 per cent of the commercial programs of chain stations as compared to 20.03 psr cent of the commercial programs of local stations. A flat restriction placed upon the amount of time used for sales talks v/ithout re¬ gard to the loca.tion, power and a,ctivities of stations, would, in all probability, work inequitable results. "Moreover, and in any case or class, limitations upon the use of time for commercial advertising, if too severe, would result in a loss of revenue to sta¬ tions which, in all probability, would be reflected in a reduction in the quantity piid qu^^lity of ororr^ns av^^ilable to the public. "The Radio Act of 1927 obviously designed to permit the licensees of broa'lc^stin." stations the maximum of latitude in the matter of pro-^rara material. Such licensees are in a. singul-'^rly fa.vorable position to learn what the audience ’.vants to hear and to make the necessary changes in program materia,! and in methods of presentation that will cause their prograjns to be favorably received by a sub¬ stantial majority of the listeners. The adoption of rerUilation of the sort herein described should be -undertf^ken only when it clearly a.ppears that a majority or a.t le-st a considerable nuaber of the licensees have failed to operate their stations in a manner acceptable to a majority of the listening public. If, in the opinion of Congress, that time has now arrived, v/e conceive it to be advisable to enact such legislation as will permit the Commission to impose such repula.tions ?,s the circumstances from time to time seem to warrant rather than legislation imposing sp':'cific restrictions and unflexible limita.tions . "