Broadcasting (July - Dec 1939)

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.

Fly Will Preside At Next Meeting Of FCC, Sept. 7 New Chairman Confers With McNinch on Policy Topics THE NEXT meeting of the FCC, probably Sept. 7, will be presided over by its new chairman, James Lawrence Fly, who takes his oath of office Sept. 1 as successor to Frank R. McNinch. Mr. Fly returned to Washington Aug. 29 for conferences with Chairman McNinch preparatory to taking over the helm. He has spent the last month cleaning up his affairs as general counsel of Tennessee Valley Authority and special counsel for the Bonneville Dam. Mr. McNinch, who relinquished the chairmanship due primarily to ill health, is expected to receive special assignments from the Government as counsel in power matters. While Mr. Fly made no comment regarding policy matters Aug. 30 when he visited the retiring chairman at the FCC, it was clear that he proposed to move slowly on both personnel and policy. He said he would take his oath of office promptly on Sept. 1, after which he would meet informally with members of the FCC who may be in town at that time. Work will not get under way until after Labor Day. Hearing Deferred Chairman McNinch, in his conferences with Mr. Fly, has acquainted him with the policy and personnel problems of the FCC. While no formal word was forthcoming from either quarter, it was presumed that Mr. McNinch advised his successor of the internal strife within the Commission, particularly about the "opposition" element. Some significance was seen in the fact that a postponement was ordered in the hearing scheduled for Sept. 11 before a special FCC committee on the application of New York's Mayor F. H. LaGuardia, for revision of rules governing relay broadcast stations designed to open the issue of use of shortwaves for domestic station hookups, in lieu of telephone links. Commissioner George H. Payne, almost constantly at cross-purposes with Chairman McNinch during his tenure, was to head the committee to hold these hearings, the appointment, it is reported, having been made when Chairman McNinch was absent. Bringing New Personnel Whether this postponement from Sept. 11 to Oct. 16 grew out of the McNinch Fly conversations, was not disclosed. There was some conjecture regarding appointment of another commissioner to preside over these hearings, in view of their importance. It is expected Mr. Fly will bring to the FCC in due course personnel from TVA or other governmental agencies. However, it was apparent that he proposed to move cautiously. Miss Julia Josephs, secretary to Chairman McNinch both at the Power Commission and at the FCC, is expected to remain in that capacity with Mr. Fly. Miss Charlotta Gallup, Mr. Fly's private secretary at TVA, also is expected CHANGE in command of the FCC took place Sept. 1 when James Lawrence Fly (left) took over the chairmanship from Frank R. McNinch. The angular Texan visited his diminutive predecessor Aug. 30, at which time this picture was made. Upon suggestion of an obstreperous reporter, Mr. McNinch went through the motions of handing to his successor a miniature, lapel-model eight-ball, not discernible here. to serve in a similar capacity with him at the FCC. Reports of far reaching staff changes immediately upon Mr. Fly's assumption of office were discounted, at the start, in any event. It was obvious the incoming Chairman intended to survey the personnel situation, and possibly after consultation with his colleagues and advisors, decide upon changes or expansion. Mr. McNinch's recommendations also will be taken into account in that connection. McNinch Plans Report The new chairman has been on the Pacific Coast, in Texas and in Tennessee since his appointment July 27, to wind up his affairs prior to assuming the FCC helm. In Dallas, his home, he visited the studio and transmitter of WFAA on Aug. 17 and witnessed an imp r o m p t u facsimile experiment. While in Dallas he visited his brother, County Judge Ben Fly, and other relatives. Policy considerations have been at a standstill at the FCC since Mr. Fly's appointment under specific orders from President Roosevelt, who instructed Commissioners individually by letter to withhold such matters until the new Chairman assumes office. Chairman McNinch was in his office Aug. 28-30 to clean out his personal effects and turn over to his successor the "unfinished business." He told Broadcasting that he deferred his planned ocean trip, following his resignation, on advice of physicians but that he might yet make such a cruise preparatory to entering law practice. He said he had discussed with Government officials matters pertaining to handling of certain Government cases but that no final arrangements had been made. Mr. McNinch, in vastly improved health following his protracted rest, said he would submit to the President shortly his report on his stewardship at the FCC, which dates back to Oct. 1, 1937. Whether this report will be made public, he said, will depend upon the White House. He said he proposed to outline reforms in FCC operations instituted during his tenure as well as certain recommendations on future procedure. A second report, to be submitted to the President by Mr. McNinch, will deal with the whole subject of international broadcast allocations. This does not involve the international "censorship" issue which flared up several months ago in connection with language used by the FCC in rewriting the rules pertaining to international broadcast service. It deals with the whole broad subject of allocation of frequencies for international broadcast stations and whether they should be privately or governmentally maintained. An interdepartmental committee, comprising officials of various governmental agencies, has engaged in a study of this problem under Chairman McNinch intermittently over the last two years. The retiring chairman reiterated views he expressed following acceptance of his resignation by the President July 27, at which time he said he would not again undertake administrative work because of his frail health. 'Magic Key' Discontinues Sept, 18 RCA MFG. Co., Camden, will discontinue Magic Key of RCA following the broadcast of Sept. 18. Program, for several years broadcast Sunday afternoons on NBC's Blue network, was scheduled to be dropped in the late spring, but instead was shifted to a Monday evening hour, 9-10, on the same network. No future plans have been announced, although it was stated that a different type of program, with a direct sales appeal in contrast to the Magic Key's purely institutional nature, might be substituted in the spring. Refusal of Reply To Priest Alleged REFUSAL of WJR, Detroit, to accept programs in answer to Father Charles E. Coughlin on Aug. 30 brought a formal complaint to the FCC from Rev. Walter E. Cole, spokesman for the Unitarian Fellowship for Social Justice and a Unitarian minister of Toledo. In a telegram to Chairman Frank R. McNinch, Rev. Cole requested that the FCC "take the necessary action" to force the station to afford "equal opportunity" to both sides of controversial questions, "or that its license be revoked." The Fellowship had broadcast a series of three programs in July over WJR, CKLW and WMBC, all in Detroit, and it was charged in the telegram that the program scheduled for Aug. 30 had been rejected by WJR. The new schedule of programs, handled by U. S. Adv. Corp., Toledo, has been placed on 11 stations for half -hour evening periods, both transcription and live, on Aug. 30 and Sept. 6, 13 and 20. The stations are WGAR WCKY CKLW WBAX WSPD WKBO WGBI WAAB WJAS WLEU and WRAW. It was indicated that the Unitarian series will be expanded, primarily on stations used by Coughlin. The telegram read: I have just been denied use of contracted time on Station WJR, Detroit, to discuss controversial issues raised by Father Coughlin in regular broadcasts on that station. Father Coughlin has been using a full hour weekly on WJR to express views and opinions on current topics, and to make charges and insinuations against various individuals and groups. This same station now refused to grant me time to analyze and question Father Coughlin's statements. Prior to a previous broadcast over WJR, delivered on July 31, station officials objected to mention of Father Coughlin by name in my address. After a conference they agreed to permit the broadcast to go on the air. On Aug. 22 arrangements were made and a contract was signed for a series of four broadcasts, sponsored by the Uniatrian Fellowship for Social Justice, in which I was scheduled to discuss the questions of social justice and those who, like Father Coughlin, are in our opinion endangering American democracy. Station WJR stipulated that its attorneys must see the text of the address five days in advance of the broadcast, which was scheduled to go on this evening. Text of the speech was submitted to William A. Alfs, counsel of WJR, last Thursday, six days in advance. Mr. Alfs approved the manuscript as to libel, stipulating one minor change which was acceptable to me. The following day Mr. Uridge, an ofiicial of WJR, spoke by telephone to Mr. Harold Barrett of United States Advertising Corp., Toledo, Ohio, representing the Unitarian Fellowship for Social Justice, and informed him that, although he had not read the manuscript, he had been informed by Mr. Alfs that the speech contained an attack upon Father Coughlin. He stated his desire to cancel the contract, but agreed to read the manuscript and listen to the transcription before making a final decision. Yesterday, just one day before the scheduled broadcast. Station WJR telegraphed the following message to Mr. Barrett: "Re Unitarian broadcast text of script not acceptable. Therefore cancelling schedule. Wire collect disposition of recording and script." In reply to a telegram of inquiry from me, Mr. Leo Fitzpatrick of WJR, asserted in a wire that my script "is entirely out of accord with policies of WJR as discussed with you several weeks ago." Station WJR is licensed by your Commission to serve the public interest, convenience and necessity in accordance with its established American radio practice of giving equal opportunity to have both sides presented on controversial subjects under similar broadcasting conditions. In this instance, WJR is not following this accepted American radio practice and is not therefore, I believe, operating in the public interest, convenience and necessity. It is in effect acting as the vehicle for one-sided propaganda rather than for free discussion. I respectfully request, therefore, that your Commission take the necessary action to have WJR give equal opportunity for the expression of both sides of controversial questions, or that its license be revoked." Page 16 • September 1, 1939 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising