Broadcasting (July - Dec 1939)

Record Details:

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"FLY, CHAIKMAM" became official for the FCC Sept. 1 as the lanky ex-TVA general counsel was sworn in to succeed Frank R. McNinch, who looks on. Administering the oath is Pansy E. Wiltshire, notary public in the secretary's office. Revealing a sense of humor, the new chairman wore in his lapel a miniature eight-ball. Present at the ceremonies in the Chairman's office were Commissioners Craven, Walker and Thompson, Chief Engineer Jett, Assistant General Counsel William C. Koplovitz, Ben Cohen, high ranking New Deal attorney, and former TVA associates. Fly Quietly As sumesFCC Chairmanship; Starts Inquiry Into Problems of War FCC Investigates Rev. Cole Charge Looks Into Claims That WJR And WJAS Refused Time INVESTIGATION to ascertain whether WJR, Detroit, "is operating in the public interest, convenience and necessity" growing out of a complaint by Rev. Walton E. Cole, Unitarian Minister, that the station is acting as a vehicle "for one-sided propaganda", has been ordered by the FCC. In a letter replying to the complaint of Dr. Cole, who alleged that WJR refused to accept programs in answer to Father Charles E. Coughlin, T. J. Slowie, FCC secretary, stated Sept. 2 that the investigation had been instituted. Rev. Cole on Aug. 30 sent to the FCC a long telegram in which he claimed the station had refused the programs on the ground that the script was entirely out of accord with WJR policies. The FCC was asked to take action to have WJR give equal opportunity for expression of both sides of controversial questions, "or that its license be revoked". [Broadcasting, Sept. 1.] On Sept. 8 Rev. Cole filed a second complaint with the FCC against WJAS, Pittsburgh, alleging that it likewise had declined to carry the program. It was revealed that approximately a dozen Pittsburgh residents, among them prominent local citizens, had filed similar complaints with the Commission. The FCC advised the complainants that an investigation would be made, presumably along the lines of its inquiry into WJR's refusal. Redress Up to Courts Dr. Cole, who is spokesman for the Unitarian Fellowship for Social Justice, which has engaged time on a number of stations to answer Father Coughlin, was advised that any right of redress which he may have by reason of WJR's cancellation of the contract "cannot be adjudicated by this Commission but is a matter within the jurisdiction of the courts." It was pointed out under the Communications Act, except in cases involving use of facilities by regularly qualified candidates for public office, the Commission has no power to compel any licensee to permit a particular individual to use its facilities. "Insofar as your complaint states that WJR is acting as a vehicle for one-sided propaganda rather than free discussion of controversial subjects," Mr. Slowie wrote, "it will be investigated by the Commission and the incident described in your telegram will be considered as it may bear upon whether Station WJR is operating in the public interest, convenience and necessity." Leo J. Fitzpatrick, executive vice-president and general manager of WJR, in commenting on the cancellation of the Unitarian minister's broadcasts, said that inasmuch as Fr. Coughlin "has never personally attacked Dr. Cole, I don't think Mr. Cole should be permitted to attack Fr. Coughlin over WJR. I explained to Mr. Cole when we were discussing the broadcast that I thought he should confine his remarks to the aims and purposes of his organization. "If we permitted him to attack Fr. Coughlin, then CoughJin would be justified in asking for the time WITH HIS assumption of the FCC chairmanship Sept. 1, James Lawrence Fly immediately plunged into a study of radio and communications without expression of any preconceived notions on future regulatory policy. Confronted with the war situation and alarmist talk of impending censorship, the new chairman dispelled any fear of hasty action but promptly appointed a committee to survey the situation. Following his swearing in Sept. 1, Chairman Fly held his first press conference and made clear he proposed to pursue a cautious course and did not propose to be "dogmatic". He emphasized that the FCC is a semi-judicial body and that therefore a full interchange of views with his colleagues and his stalT would precede any policy pronouncements. Mr. Fly assumed his new duties quietly. Aside from the appointment of his personal secretary. Miss Charlotta Gallup, who came from Tennessee Valley Authority, no personal changes or appointments were made. It is expected that Mr. Fly later will name a legal aide from some other governmental agency. Thus far he has given no indication of impending staff changes of any character. Lauds McNinch Chairman Fly took his oath of office in a brief ceremony attended by several other commissioners and members of the staff. Regarded as significant was the attendance of Benjamin V. Cohen, trusted legal adviser of President Roosevelt. Commissioners Walker, Craven and Thompson attended the ceremony, along with Chief Engineer Jett and Assistant General Counsel Koplovitz and Assistant Secretary Reynolds. After being inducted into office, Mr. Fly paid tribute to his predecessor, Frank R. McNinch, and to reply to him. The first thing we knew we would have a cat-anddog fight on our hands." then read a letter from President Roosevelt designating him as Chairman. The day following his retirement from the FCC chairmanship, Mr. McNinch was retained by Attorney General Murphy as a special expert to advise the Department of Justice on matters pertaining to communications. Mr. McNinch temporarily will retain an office at the FCC to complete two reports to be submitted to the President — on international broadcasting, and an accounting of his stewardship as FCC chairman during the last two years. The Attorney General stated, in announcing Mr. McNinch's appointment, that he would advise the Department in connection with telephone, telegraph and radio complexities involved in the Western Union suit and other litigation of the Department. He added that Mr. McNinch was not only particularly well versed in communications, but also was "one of the country's outstanding authorities on wider problems of Government administration regulation which are inseparable from any realistic solution of the immediate problems presented by these cases." He referred particularly to Mr. McNinch's earlier chairmanship of the Federal Power Commission. At his press conference, also attended by Mr. McNinch, Chairman Fly was questioned about "control" of communications in view of the war situation. He did not answer this line of inquiry directly, pointing out that he was not thoroughly familiar with it and had been consulted "to a minor extent" in the drafting of the proposed neutrality proclamation. He did pay tribute to the broadcasting industry in its war coverage, asserting that "as a listener" he felt broadcasters "had rendered a great public service." He added his approach was "wholly uncritical, like that of any other citizen getting news and points of view over the radio." MNE STATWISS ADD AP ISEWS REPORTS NINE MORE broadcasting stations, all but one newspaper owned, have been added to the list of those broadcasting Associated Press news under sponsorship in line with the recent order of the AP executive committee lifting the ban on sponsorship of its news. The stations are WRAP, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; WSGN, Birmingham News and Age-Herald; KVWC, Vernon (Tex.) Daily Record; KSO and KRNT, Des Moines, and WMT, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines Register and Tribune; WBNS, Columbus State Journal; W H I S, Bluefield (W. Va.) Telegraph. KFYR, Bismarck, N. D., not newspaperowned but having an affiliation with the Bismarck Tribune, also is buying AP. All of these stations are reported to have local sponsors for their news under the arrangement whereby a 25% additional assessment is levied on the newspaper's basic AP assessment if AP news is used under sponsorship and 5% increase is charged if used sustaining [Broadcasting, June 1]. Previously, the AP news was reported carried under sponsorship [Broadcasting, Aug. 15] on KSD, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; KPRC, Houston Post; KSCJ, Sioux City Journal; WOMI, Owensboro (Ky.) Messenger and Enquirer; KGFF, Shawnee (Okla.) News and Star; KFAM, St. Cloud (Minn.) TimesJournal. Sunkist to Use Net CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS EXCHANGE, Los Angeles, (Sunkist oranges and lemons), starts its thrice-weekly quarter-hour, Hedda Hopper's Hollyivood, Nov. 6 for 52 weeks, on 31 CBS stations, Mon., Wed., Fri., 6:15-6:30 p.m. (EST). Series, originally scheduled to start Oct. 31, will be based on Miss Hopper's syndicated newspaper column. Besides motion picture gossip by Miss Hopper, it will include brief dramatizations of film players' careers. Art Baker will announce, with James Fonda, of Lord & Thomas, Hollywood staff, producing. A heavy user of radio time, this will be the first time in several years the sponsor has used network facilities. The Exchange, for its various products, has been using transcribed shows and announcements in recent years. Chase & Sanborn Discs STANDARD BRANDS, New York, on Sept. 11 started a test campaign for Chase & Sanborn coffee using the transcribed serial Springtivie & Harvest in several markets from the Mississippi to the East Coast. The program is produced by Carl Wester, Chicago, but no further details as to stations or time of broadcast could be learned from J. Walter Thompson, Co., New York, the agency in charge. Detroit Jewel Test DETROIT-MICHIGAN STOVE Co., Detroit (Detroit Jewel Stove) is testing five stations with one and five-minute announcements from Sept. 18 through Oct. 13. WBEN, WEBR, KBOW, WCPO and WLAP were the outlets selected. Holden, Graham & Clark, Detroit, handles the account. Page 36 • September 15, 1939 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising