Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

Applications dismissed at applicants' request: WHOM, »rsey City — Modification of license, 1050 kc, 250 w., D., , sunset on Pacific coast; W9XD, Milwaukee — CP, ;50-2950 kc, 1 kw. ; NEW, The Journal Co., Milwau•e — CP, 1550 kc, 250 w., unlimited ; WJR, Pontiac, • ich —CP, 750 kc, 50 kw. ; NEW, The Tribune Co., nicago, HI. — CP, 2850-2950 kc, 750 w. WSFA, Montgomery, Ala. — Granted permission to inirvene in the application of O. H. Stephens for CP ir 100 w. station, 1500 kc, to share with KGKB. ' WPCC, Chicago — Denied informal request for permisi:>n to install a transmitter in same location from which lation is now broadcasting under a stay order from : >urt of Appeals of the District of Columbia. NOVEMBER 27 WPRO, Providence, E. I.— Granted license covering I anges in equipment and move studio, 1210 kc, 100 w., ares with WPAW. KLEA, Little Eock, Ark. — Granted license covering moval of transmitter and studio locally, 1390 kc, 1 7., shares with KUOA. WNBE-WGBC, Memphis, Tenn. — Granted license coving removal of transmitter locally, 1430 kc, 500 w., limited time. KGBU, Ketchikan, Alaska — Granted license covering moval of transmitter locally and installation of new i uipment, 900 kc, 250 w., unlimited time. KSEI, Pocatello, Idaho — Granted license covering anges in equipment, 900 kc, 250 w., unlimited time. KFDY, Brookings, S. Dak. — Granted authority to reain silent from Nov. 26th to date of filing application r license to operate with new equipment being inilled — estimated date Dee. 19th. . KLEA, Little Eock, Ark.— Granted extension of proam test for period of 15 days, mewal of Licenses : WJAK, Elkhart, Ind.— Granted regular renewal ; ROL, Knoxville, Tenn. — Granted regular renewal ; iALR, Zanesville, O. — Granted temporary license beuse of case now under advisement ; WJBY, Gadsden, a. — Granted temporary license because of case now i| der advisement ; WFBC, Knoxville, Tenn. — Granted [(tension to January 1, 1932, pending action on applijjtion for renewal of license ; WMBO, Auburn, N. Y. — [anted extension to Jan. 1, 1932, pending receipt and jtion on application for renewal ; WFBG, Altoona, Pa., d WJAC, Johnstown, Pa. — Granted renewal of licenip for regular period. (Action of November 13th, j anting in part and designating for hearing renewal /[plication, reconsidered), for Hearing : EW, Dr. F. P. Corniglia, Nr. Monroe, La. — Bequests 1420 kc, 100 w., share with WJBO. IBM, Jackson, Mich. — Bequests modification of ense to reduce power from 100 to 50 w. WJBK, Detroit, Mich. — Bequests modification of H.nse to increase power from 50 to 100 w. OWPTF, Ealeigh, N. C. — Denied modification of license move transmitter to about 10 miles northwest of .leigh, and increase power to 5 kw. replications Dismissed: The following applications were dismissed at appliit's request: 'NEW, Congress Square Hotel Co., Portland, Me. — CP U to 46 megacycles, 48.5 to 50.3 and 60 to 80 mega1 :les ; % to 5 kw., 4 hrs. daily. Television. tion on Examiners' Reports : WEW, Lancaster Broadcasting Co., Lancaster, Pa. ,x. Eep. 204) — Denied CP for new station on 1000 . 1 kw., D., sustaining Examiner Yost. !;'NEW, York Broadcasting Co., York, Pa. (Ex. Eep. ;;_i5— Granted CP for new station on 1000 kc, 1 kw., p sustaining Examiner Yost. : SEW, John E. Hess, York, Pa. (Ex. Eep. 217)— Deid CP for new station on 1500 kc, 100 w., unlimited i jie, sustaining Examiner Walker. NEW, Clarence M. Doyle, Philadelphia, Pa. (Ex. Rep. |)) — Dismissed as in default application for new stain on 930 kc, 50 w., share with WIBG, sustaining iminer Yost. \TEW, Charles Smuck, Springfield, Mo. (Ex. Eep. ) — Denied as in default CP for new station 1500 kc, II w., share with KGIZ, sustaining Examiner Pratt. Ixaminer's Reports . . . VLOE, Boston — In three separate reports (Nos. 280, , 282), Examiner Hyde recommended the denial of following applications : ( 1 ) the Boston Broadcasting for renewal of license; (2) William S. Pote, repreting the New England Broadcasting Co., for involuny assignment of license; and (3) Fred H. Goss for struction permit to use WLOE's frequency of 1500 kc. ih 100 w. and 250 w. LS, unlimited time. The ex:ner concluded that the Boston Broadcasting Comy's financial status is not reassuring and that the ipment of WLOE has not been kept in condition, that j-ner management of WLOE by New England Broad:ing Co. proved unsuccessful, and that no substantial !d was shown by Goss for the proposed new station two stations already operate on the 1500 kc. channel. ifCAT, Rapid City, S. D. — Application for renewal of nse on 1200 kc with 100 w. and unlimited time recnended favorably by Chief Examiner Yost (Report ; Docket 1237), on the ground that the station is ipped to comply with all regulations, that it desires :nstall new equipment, and that the area is entitled :he service. JEW, Charles L. Fower, Macon, Mo. — Denial of apation for CP to operate on 1210 kc with 100 w. unlimited time recommended by Examiner Pratt iport 284 ; Docket 1361), on the ground that applicant ed to comply with G.O. 102 and 116 and that granting Jd increase facilities of a state and zone already •-quota. 'SVS, Buffalo, N. Y. — Application for renewal of lise on 1370 kc with 50 w. and unlimited time recomded favorably by Chief Examiner Yost (Report 283 ; Docket 1296 and 1372), while denial of the application of David Stein and Benjamin Perlstein, of Niagara Falls, N. Y., for CP to share WSVS channel with 50 w. was urged. Examiner held that the Seneca Vocation High School is performing an excellent service and that new applicants failed to show need for additional service at Niagara Falls. WTAD, Quincy, 111. — Denial of application for CP to move station from Quincy to East St. Louis, III., recommended by Chief Examiner Yost (Report 286; Docket 1367), on the ground that Quincy is dependent on WTAD, whereas East St. Louis is served by St. Louis, Mo. , stations. WLWL, New York, and WPG, Atlnatic City— Applications for renewal of licenses recommended favorably by Chief Examiner Yost (Report No. 288 and Dockets 1304 and 1268), but denial of WLWL's request for additional operating time urged. Hours of both stations to remain the same. WBAX, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and WJBU, Lewisburg, Po. — Denial of WBAX's application for increased time on 1210 kc. channel and renewal of WJBU's license recommended by Examiner Hyde. NEW, Fresno Broadcasting Co., Fresno, Calif. — Applicant for CP on 1350 kc. with 500 w., unlimited time, failed to appear. Examiner Hyde recommended denial as in default. KFUP, Denver — Examiner Walker (Report 292) recommended that the following applications be denied : (1) Fitzsimmons General Hospital, U. S. Army, for renewal of license, voluntary assignment of license, and modification of construction permit (Dockets 1330 and 1331) : (2) Harry Bvron Lee, Lamar, Col., for CP KFUP frequency of 1310 kc. (Docket 1146) : and (3) KFJX, Grand Junction, Col., for full time on channel it shares with KFUP (Docket 1335). KMED, Medford, Ore. — Examiner Hyde (Report 291) recommended that license of KMED be renewed (Docket 1404) and that application of Merle F. Jewell and Merinda C. Jewell, Hood River, Ore., for CP to share time with KMED be denied (Docket 1062). The RADIO BOOKSHELF (Continued from page 18) est, and focusing that attention and interest upon an advertising message, it's about as useful a device as a steak knife at a vegetarian banquet." Mr. Hasty emphasizes the need of showmanship and deplores the lack of it in many programs. To be effective a program must attract and hold a large and varied audience and appeal to a common emotion — sympathy or friendliness for a character, curiosity, suspense, or the emotions that produce laughter. This rather elemental principle of showmanship has yet to be learned by most builders — and sponsors — of radio programs, says Mr. Hasty. In a sense, he holds it is even more necessary a principle to radio than to the novel and the theater. "Introduce into your program a special announcer, or master of ceremonies, who has the knack of projecting his personality over the air and making people like him, and I'll risk my reputation as a prophet that you'll have a greater number of people listening to what he says about your product — and, what's more, believing it." Washington Visitors* WASHINGTON VISITORS Levering Tyson, New York City Arthur Stringer, Chicago W. Denny Shaler and John H. Buchheit, KQV, Pittsburgh H. A. Hutchinson, KVOO, Tulsa, Okla. Albert H. Stackpole, WHP, Philadelphia Walter J. Damm, WTMJ, Milwaukee Loyd A. Briggs and W. T. Wozencraft, RCA, New York Burridge D. Butler and Glenn Snyder, WLS, Chicago Elwin L. Peterson and Eaymond Zeismer, Eav-O-Vision Corporation, Hollywood, Cal. Kenneth A. Hathaway and Marcus Hin son, Chicago William S. Hedges, WMAQ, Chicago Henry A. Bellows, WCCO, Minneapolis E. B. Gish, KGES, Amarillo, Tex. J. E. Goranflo, WNBF, Binghamton, N. Y. George W. Trendle, WXYZ, Detroit W. P. Williamson, WKBN, Youngstown, O. Gene Huse, WJAG, Norfolk, Neb. S. D. Gregory, Westinghouse, Pittsburgh George F. Bissell and Frank W. Bruce, WHDL, Tupper Lake, N. Y. * A register of visitors at the offices of the Federal Radio Commission, the National Association of Broadcasters and Broadcasting, November 14-28. Censorship of Radio TO GIVE a summary of an article which is itself a well reasoned and critical summary of a broad and complicated subject, is impossible. To register a judgment on the merits of the work as a whole in its particular interest for broadcasters, is more closely within a reviewer's province. With Caesarian decisiveness, Edward C. Caldwell, in his treatment of the subject "Censorship of Radio Programs" in the October Journal of Radio Law (Northwestern University Press), divides his material into three parts. His first concern is the Historical Development of the Right of Free Speech and Press and its analogy to radio broadcasting. Then follows an exhaustive examination of the Modern Law of Freedom of Speech and Press, in which is pointed out the extent to which the Supreme Court has already gone in protecting these fundamental constitutional guaranties. Using the most recent decisions of the Court as stepping stones to his ultimate conclusion, the author carefully portrays the right as one of the most jealously guarded that the people possess and emphasizes "that it must be given the most liberal and comprehensive construction, and that the application of its principles and safeguards should be expanded, not contracted." In part three, treading perhaps less cautiously, the law of free speech and press, as deduced from decided cases, is applied to radio broadcasting. Here the author queries the intention of Congress to give the Radio Commission an uncontrolled discretion in its supervision of program content. What are the limits within which that discretion is to be exercised and how may the apparent conflicts between Sec. 11 and 29 of the Radio Act be reconciled? Mr. Caldwell answers both questions with convincing lucidity and in each instance departs from established precedent as predetermined by the Commission in several of its recent actions. Vigorous criticism is leveled at the decision of the Court of Appeals in the Brinkley (KFKB) case and the decision of the Commission in the Baker (KTNT) case. To the author these represent an abuse of the Congressional prohibition of censorship in that they misconceive the practical effect of disapproving past programs which he conceives to be the very essence of censorship. The author concludes that the licensing authority has broad discretion and may exercise its best judgment in considering the question of musical and entertainment programs but "when the programs consist of the utterance of serious opinions and sentiments, of propaganda bearing upon the social, political and economic life of the country or of the exposure of supposed wrongs suffered by individuals or communities," then the Commission has no power or discretion to act adversely on applications for renewal licenses merely because it does not approve of the subject matter broadcast. This would not preclude the Commission from examining matter broadcast solely for commercial advertising purposes, but even here the scrutiny would be confined to direct advertising; where the advertising is indirect, the guaranty of free speech should apply. To Mr. Caldwell this is "the only way that censorship of radio programs may be avoided and freedom of speech fully safeguarded." Mr. Caldwell, an associate of the law firm of Kirtland, Fleming, Green and Martin, Chicago, is a brother of Louis G. Caldwell, Washington radio attorney. He was of counsel in the famous Near v. Minnesota free speech case in which the U. S. Supreme Court recently upheld the freedom of the press against legislation designed to permit courts to enjoin publication. member I, 1931 • BROADCASTING Page 29