Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

Improved Radio A. A. A. A. Goal (Continued from page 13) certain Saturday afternoon, there was no program whatever on the air between 1 and 3:30 p.m. Only a choice of two British programs is available in the country even though there are 17 stations. He said that in England an announcement was made that only half of the orchestra of the network would be heard for a few weeks because the other half would take its vacation and that when that half returned the others would take a similar leave. After Rep. Davis had concluded his address and had been subjected to cross-fire from the floor, Senator Dill voiced his confidence in the ability of the industry to solve its own problems and thereby avoid government supervision or operation. "Where the government runs radio," he declared, "there is a lack of freedom of development, a lack of initiative. You here who are continually trying out something new have made it possible for the listener to hear every type of program. Radio's aim should be to present advertising so as to make the listener pleased to engender a feeling of good will so that he will remember the advertiser rather than the method of presentation. "The radio situation calls for the finest ingenuity. Advertisers must leave the old ruts, and consider the public, but brains will win in this situation as it has in others." Rep. Davis carried the fight to his audience in his address. He said that he has received thousands of letters from listeners complaining of excessive advertising and that Congress is being forced to step in and take hold. Davis Charge Challenged FROM THE floor the Congressman was asked whether it was not a well-established fact that the "objector" is more articulate than the "favorer." The remark was made that only a minority writes to register complaints and that in the radio case this objecting element does not sense the feeling of the public. "In the light of considerable study," said Rep. Davis, "I am convinced that there is considerable dissatisfaction with the amount of sales talk on the radio. If this situation is constantly aggravated, dissatisfaction will achieve a momentum that will result in a change in the present system. "Radio is not maintained to sell goods. The only justification advertising has to the commercial use of radio is the use of it in such a way that it may be maintained for the purpose of rendering a larger public service. The public won't stand for any other use of radio. "There is more advertisiner talk today than ever. Much of this advertising is over-done; it has the ODposite effect than that soueht bv the advertiser. It loses good will instead of creating it. That sort of advertising is doing the advertiser more harm than erood. Better results will be obtained by a moderate amount of advertising than by the amount given now. Cites Reform Need "A PROPER curb of advertising is not only in the interests of radio and the public but even in the interests of advertisers themselves. The obligation rests on Congress to see that radio is held on a his^h and unobjectionable plane. There is considerable room for reform in radio today. If the present situation continues, there will be a change. "I do not believe it is possible for the industry to regulate itself. Even if a majority in the industry were aware of the situation, and were disposed to prevent it, there would always be a considerable element which would persist in over-advertising. The industry will have to be regulated by Congress itself, a step which will help all parties concerned." It was in reply to Charles Gannon, of Erwin, Wasey & Co., New York, that Rep. Davis advocated legislation by Congress which would limit commercial credit to the name of the sponsor with perhaps the addition of a slogan. He indicated, however, that this was a moot question and one that necessarily would receive careful Congressional consideration. Asked by Mr. Dawson regarding the effect on radio advertising of such a policy, Rep. Davis said he was sure that advertisers would continue use of the medium to the same degree as at present. "There is entirely too much stress in elementary description in commercial credit," he said. "If the product is a tooth paste, we do not want to hear how it is used. If it is a car, what is wanted is the name of the car." Reiterating the view that there is excessive advertising, Rep. Davis said the industry must correct this situation "before it reaches the point that the public will want to use the guillotine instead of the pruning knife." Instead of "killing the goose" he proposed improvement of the American system by Congressional regulation. Public Held Best Judge SPEAKING for the committee, Mr. Dawson said the public itself is capable of regulating the tone of programs without governmental interference. One of the programs staged by his own agency, he said, was very definitely regulated by the public. Unpopular advertising treatments were quickly dropped when the public reacted against them, and more popular announcements substituted, with the result that the program now is the most successful the agency has devised. Only 22 per cent of the programs of CBS are commercial, Mr. Dawson continued. "Less than 3 per cent of the time on the air is devoted to commercial announcements. Is this too long ? Nobody knows — but we, the advertisers, want to know, for on the public acceptance of our programs depends the prosperity of our clients." At the opening session April 14, merchandising and distribution problems were discussed. At the morning session on April 15. Raymond Rubicam, president of Young & Rubicam, Inc., New York, discussed modern trends in advertis ing. He said that while no one canl( foretell future events accurately, present trends indicate the use of more entertainment in advertising i copy, probably as a result of the influence of radio advertising. The period of economic stress, he declared, undoubtedly has been responsible for the leaning toward an economy appeal so often noticeable. New License Fees (Continued from page 10) may require a bond to the Treasurer of the United States of the person to whom said fees are paid in such amount as the commission may deem necessary. The commission shall require that all money received as fees shall be paid to the Treasurer of the United States the first day of each calendar month, and said amounts shall be credited to miscellaneous receipts in the Treasury of the United States. Estimated Tax Return THE AMOUNT of revenue each of the different fees would return to the government, as estimated by the Commission and reported to the Senate by Senator Dill, follows: 1. 400 applications, at S60 $ 24,000 2. 250 applications, at $15 3,750 3. 300 applications, at $10 3,000 4. 22,000 applications, at $2 44,000 5. 400 applications, at $15 6,000 6. 250 applications, at $5 1,250 7. 4,750 applications, at $15 71,250 8. 300 applications, at $5 1,500 9. 100 assignment of licenses, at $60 6,000 10. 100 assignment of licenses, at $15 1,500 11. 300 modification of licenses, at $10 3,000 12. 350 stations, at $10 3,500 13. 2,500 licenses, at $25 62,500 14. 400 licenses, at $75 30,000 15. 50 stations, at $50 2,500 16. 500 licenses, at $30 15,000 17. 250 licenses, at $15 3,750 18. Broadcasting, station fees — estimated 275,000 19. 100 stations, at $60 6,000 20. 25 stations, at $30 750 21. 5,000 examinations per year, at $3 15,000 22. 5,000 examinations per year, at $1 5,000 23. 12,000 amateur operators' li censes per year, at $1 12,000 24. 6,000 commercial operators' li cense per year, at $2 12,000 25. (a) 1,300 inspections per year for license, at $5 6,500 (6) 12,000 sailing inspections per year, at $2.50 30,000 26. (a) 850 station inspections, at $15 12,750 (6) 500 station inspections, at $5 2,500 27. 1,000 voluntary inspections, at $10 10,000 28. 100 intervenors' petitions, at $5 500 29. 100 defaults, at $5 500 $670,500 Tests Extended EXTENSION, for the duration of their existing licenses, of matched crystal tests being conducted by five stations on 1430 kc. was auth-^ orized April 19 by the Radio Commission. Present authorizations for the simultaneous operation, which permits the stations to operate full time, expire May 1. The stations are WCAH, Columbus, O.. WHP, Harrisburg, Pa., and WFEA. Manchester, assigned to 1430 kc. and WHEC-WABO Rochester and WOKO, Albany, N. Y., regularly assigned to 1440 k KTFI, Twin Falls, Ida., has beer authorized by the Radio Commis-^ sion to increase its night powei from 250 to 500 watts. THE HOUSE OF GURNEY INC. SPRING RAINS AND SUNSHINE Combined with heavy winter snows have improved the morale of the people of the Middle Northwest Like the drouth of 1931, the depression is broken. People are buying and whether it is washing machines, or refrigerators ; baby chicks or cattle; cosmetics or automobiles; You have a wonderful opportunity to cash in — Reach This Market in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska through WNAX Yankton So. Dakota One-fifth actual size THE R.T.I.C. RIBBON MICROPHONE Simplicity: Pickup element is a duralumin ribbon functioning in a strong permanent magnetic field. Unit construction; microphone and two stage amplifier in single case. Battery or A.C. operation. Fidelity: Perfectly flat curve from 80 cycles to 8.000 cycles. N on-Micro phonic : Specially designed spring mounting. Adaptability: Connects to input without circuit change. W rite for technical data on this and other microphones. RADIO TELEVISION INDUSTRIES CORP. Dept. B-2 130 West 42nd St. New York City X Page 30 BROADCASTING • May 1, 1932