Broadcasting (July - Dec 1936)

American System and Radio Freedom Favored at Institute of Public Affairs STAUNCH SUPPORT for a "free radio", untrammeled by government interference and permitted to go its way as free as the press was voiced by leaders in the industry and outstanding individuals in public life during the sessions of the Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia last month. Two radio sessions— the first on July 14 on the subject "Radio and Public Opin ion", and the second three days later on "Liberty of Expression in the Press, Radio and Motion Pictures"— were on the agenda of the Institute. It marked the first time that radio received such prominence at the annual Public Affairs conclave. There developed during the debates an unanimity of view that a free competitive system of broadcasting should be maintained in Standard 440 Pitch THE standard musical "A" tone of 440 cycles will be broadcast by the U. S. Bureau of Standards, starting Aug. 29, on 5,000, 10,000 and 15,000 kc. simultaneously. The broadcasts will be continuous for two weeks except Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, noon to 3:30 p. m. If demand for the service is sufficient, the signals may be broadcast on regular schedule. A low-power transmitter is being used by the Bureau for the first broadcasts. this country. While there was sharp criticism on the part of certain speakers of methods employed on the air, notably by Roger Baldwin, of the American Civil Liberties Union, and Raymond Gram Swing, former editor of The Nation, there was no dispute on the question of superiority of a private American system of broadcasting as opposed to the government dominated systems in most other nations. At the July 14 session Lambdin Kay, general manager of WSB, Atlanta, Philip G. Loucks, Washington attorney and former managing director of the NAB, and Mr. Swing debated the public opinion subject as applied to radio. After Mr. Swing, who is radio commentator on American affairs for the British Broadcasting Corp. and also comments over CBS, had berated American radio methods in handling of public affairs, he engaged in a rapid-fire discussion with Messrs. Kay and Loucks who took an opposite view. Mr. Swing opposed sale of radio time for political purposes as "fundamentally repugnant to democracy." He said radio's crying need in this country was that of better editing of its programs. In the Public Interest MR. KAY asserted it was his view that the American system of broadcasting merited "everlasting credit for patriotically, militantly and intelligently plugging along in the public interest, convenience and necessity, despite the tempting material rewards for abuse of this power beckoning at every hand." Mr. Loucks defended the American system of broadcasting as superior to that of any other country. "Our competitive systems of broadcasting, modeled after our singularly American ideas of free expression of thoughts," Mr. Loucks said, "has not only stimulated interest in discussions of all controversial public questions, with its resultant effect upon public opinion but, indeed, such discussions have made and kept American broadcasting the living, thriving, pulsating enterprise that it is." Mr. Loucks also essayed to describe a broadcaster, in this way: "The true broadcaster, trained in our typically democratic system of broadcasting, has developed a sense of fairness and freedom from bias which guarantees to the public the maximum in factual information. For the true broadcaster is neither Democratic nor Republican, neither Catholic nor Protestant; neither Jew nor Gentile; neither liberal nor reactionary; neither capitalist nor laborite. The true broadcaster has learned through 15 years of hard <j experience that the public interest / demands a full and fair discussion of all sides of all important publie questions and he has learned j that it is good business to meet these demands. He has learned that there can be no honest differ i ence between what is most in the ' public interest and best business.*' Longer Licenses THE PANEL discussion, led by Dr. Herman S. Hettinger, of the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, University of Pennsyl • vania, precipitated considerable debate, which rested primarily with j freedom of the press and newspaper practices generally. Participating in this panel were Louis G. Caldwell, Washington attorney t and former general counsel of the Radio Commission, Carl F. Arnold, Assistant General Counsel, FCC, Mr. Baldwin, Elisha Hanson, Washington attorney and general counsel of the American Newspaper Publishers Assn., and Gordon W. I Allport, of Harvard. On the funda j mental question of "liberty of expression", all agreed that there should be freedom from govern 1 ment interference. Mr. Baldwin, however, took the | view that stations should not be 1 in the position of "selecting" speakers or editing their remarks, j In this regard, he argued in defense of the legislation introduced at the last session of Congress by Rep. Scott (R-Cal.) proposing a new political section in the law which would prevent stations from 1 editing political speeches in ad j vance of their rendition. Mr. Baldwin and Mr. Caldwell engaged in protracted debate on this subject, the latter pointing out i that if the government interfered 1 with the power of stations to resort to "editorial selection" in the \ material broadcast that this inevitably would mean government censorship. At the close of the panel discussion, Mr. Baldwin appeared to concede that he was not favor I able to any sort of interference by the government and that he felt that the evil which he thought ex , isted might be one that could be cured by the public in expressing its likes and dislikes for particular types of programs. Mr. Caldwell argued that three year licenses, in his opinion, would tend to eliminate any doubt in the law as to censorship by the government. Long term licenses, he said, would result in an automatic change in procedure by the licensing authority in that the burden of proof in cases of continuance of station licenses would be on the government rather than on the licensee. The present practice of penalizing stations on program matters, through use of the FCC; power to refuse renewal of li | censes, he held, should be eliminated and the burden placed where it belongs, namely on the government. Burden of Proof MR. CALDWELL contended that in practically every other case of government licensing activity the government assumes the burden of proof. Action should be taken by revocation proceedings rather than on licensed renewals, he said. Moreover, he explained, the three year license now permitted by law would tend to encourage broadcasting stations in their editorial, RECOGNIZED by the "Spot Advertiser" as an excellent location for National Accounts, KGVO increases its audience value through its affiliation with the Columbia Network, which will take place about August 9th. LOCATED in the center of prosperous Western Montana, where crop failures are unknown, Missoula is the distributing center for a vast area of diversified interests, all contributing to the prosperity of the district. KCVO adequately serves this territory with its new 1000 watt transmitter and vertical antenna. NOW Columbia Network programs, together with the cream of our locally built shows and Five Newscasts daily insure listener interest throughout our entire service area. good ±pot foot ±pot. ' Page 44 • August 1, 1936 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising