Broadcasting (July - Dec 1938)

Congress Probe Deemed Certain (Continued from page 11) QUALITY E LECTRI CAL TRANSCRIPTION PROCESSING! Quality recordings require quality processing. That's why leading transcription manufacturers and radio stations specify CLARK pressings. For 20 years CLARK has been the standard in electrical transcription and phonograph record processing. Both wax and acetate "masters" get careful skillful supervision. They come out right when CLARK does them. For quality processing — say CLARK. Senator Wheeler's committee, of which Senator White is ranking minority member, will find a way of investigating radio whether on the basis of a comprehensive resolution of the type proposed by Senator White, the less likely course of an administration sponsored bill drafted by the Corcoran-Cohen team, or through hearings on the confirmation of an FCC member. The third course seems the most obvious, at this writing, assuming of course that the Administration at the outset of the session may seek to block an inquiry. The term of Commissioner Norman S. Case expired last July after the last Congress adjourned. He has been serving a recess appointment since then, and despite earlier doubt, it is now felt that he likely will be nominated to succeed himself. His nomination, assuming it develops, must be cleared through Senator Wheeler's committee and confirmed by the Senate. Observers here look for hearings before the Wheeler committee when the Case nomination is transmitted early in the new session. The committee, if it felt so inclined, could call all of the members of the FCC before it and thereby institute its own inquiry of that agency. Governor Case was called to the White House Nov. 14 by the President. While no announcement was forthcoming either from him or N E W A R K • N • J • 2.16 HIGH ST. HUmUldt 2.-0880 ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT, IN CENTRAL OHIO, IT'S WBNS COLUMBUS 5000 WATTS, DAY the White House, it was believed that Commission matters were discussed. Because Gov. Case appeared quite jovial after his visit, the feeling was that he had received assurances of reappointment. Gov. Case, an acquaintance of the President dating back to the days when they were both members of the Conference of Governors, had been ill for some time and his visit to the White House was the first in several months. No Mud-Slinging Although it is admitted the Case confirmation hearing would provide the springboard for an investigation, many Senators dislike that mode of inquiry as a "back door" method. They prefer the more direct approach by special resolution which also might provide a staff and funds with which to carry on, whereas a confirmation inquiry would have to be out of contingent funds of the Senate. Senator White in his interview with Broadcasting emphasized that he favored an objective study and that he was not interested in "mud-slinging". Aside from broadcasting, he mentioned there were serious policy problems involved in international communications and that Congress should give thought to it. "Congress ought to say something about policies generally to guide the regulatory authority," Senator White said. "It should not leave to the Commission and the courts the burden of deciding public policy on such questions. Neither the courts nor the Commission should be required to guess what should be done in these fields." Senator White added, however, that he felt the FCC had not met the responsibility of giving advice to Congress and pointed out it had failed to make legislative recommendations. In the Communications Act of 1934, Congress instructed the Commission to pass regulations dealing with network broadcasting. Now, at this date, he said, the Commission is conducting hearings on this subject. Senator White felt there would be ample support in the Senate at the coming session for an objective investigation of the character he WEBC Tells Your Story In AMERICA'S SECOND PORT DULUTH & SUPERIOR And on the IRON RANGE IT'S WMFG HIBBING WHLB VIRGINIA Baruch's Lobster ANDRE BARUCH, CBS announcer for the Lucky Strike Hit Parade and the Kate Smith Hour, received first prize in the amateur cooking contest held Nov. 16 at the Hotel Governor Clinton, New York. Mr. Baruch's concoction was named Lobster a la de Zutter. proposed. He said he planned to discuss the whole matter with Chairman Wheeler shortly and seek to arrange a legislative program. Revival of the legislative plan of Senator Herring (D-Iowa) to establish a voluntary board of review on programs simultaneously was sounded by the Iowan. He declared he would offer a bill to "tune up the quality of bedtime stories" and otherwise improve programs at the next session, asserting that Chairman McNinch favored the measure. Sporadically during the last session, Senator Herring talked about his plans to introduce his measure but it was never offered. The complexion of both the Senate and House committees charged with radio legislation will be changed at the forthcoming session. There were four Democratic losses in the Senate while in the House there were eight Democratic losses and one Progressive. The Senate vacancies are Loner gan, Connecticut; Brown, New Hampshire; Moore, New Jersey, who retired to become Governor, and Dietrich of Illinois, replaced by a fellow Democrat in his state. There were only three Republicans on the 20-member committee last session and because of the increased G.O.P. representation in the Senate, it is likely that two more Republicans will be added. The actual appointments, however, will not occur until after Congress convenes and the parties have held their caucuses. The nine members of the House Committee who will not return at the next session are O'Brien, Illinois; Pettengill, Indiana, and Eicher, Iowa, who have resigned; Sadowski, Michigan; O'Connell, Montana; Kelly, New York; Quinn, Pennsylvania, and O'Neil, New Jersey, Democrats, and Withrow, Wisconsin, Progressive, were defeated. It is expected that three new Republicans will be added to the seven who served last session, which would mean a roster of 17 Democrats and 10 Republicans on the committee. Whether the FCC will attempt to make definite legislative recommendations to the new Congress, which convenes in just a month, is problematical. Chairman McNinch planned to base most of the recommendations on the result of the network inquiry but it is hardly expected the Commission will be in a position to accomplish that, since the investigation hardly has progressed to that point. At best, it is thought there will be an "interim report" to Congress in which it will be advised that hearings are in progress and that legislative recommendations will be forthcoming at a later date. Page 74 • December 1, 1938 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising