Broadcasting (July - Dec 1943)

Canada Bans Group-Owned Stations I -1 I Anticip I -On Control of Commercial Licenses Tightened By New Ruling By JAMES MONTAGNES UNEXPECTEDLY the official Canada Gazette at Ottawa on July 3 carried an amendment to the Canadian Broadcasting Act tightening control of licenses for private commercial broadcasting stations and prohibiting ownership of more than one station by any individual or company. The ruling affects some ten groups of privately-owned Canadian stations, and puts into effect a recommendation made last year by the Parliamentary Committee on Broadcasting. The new regulations provide that "except with the permission of the Minister, given upon the recommendation of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., no person shall be licensed to operate more than one station and no license shall be issued to a company owned or controlled by a company holding a license." License Conditional The issue of a license is also made conditional on the licensee being the owner of the station and upon the ownership not being transferred directly or indirectly without the permission of the Minister. The station must be actually operated by the licensee, or by bona fide employees, although this condition may be rescinded by the Minister acting on the recommendation of the CBC. The regulations are also extended to enable the Minister to require returns, to be made by the licensee, of the revenues, profits and expenditures of the station and any other information to ensure that the station is operated in the national interest and for the benefit of the community in which it is located. Owners of group-owned stations are of the opinion that the new amendment will not break up their groups of stations, but that the ruling is meant for future applications for group-owned stations. In the past year there have been no changes in the ownership of stations nor additions to groups of stations. Whether, when licenses are up for renewal next April 1, the regulation is to be enforced is a question on which no ruling could be had. Group-Owned Stations Group-owned private stations in Canada include CKAC and CHLP, Montreal, owned by Senator P. R. du Tremblay, and affiliated with the Montreal dailies La Presse and La Patrie; CKCK and CJRM, Regina, Sask., and CJRC, Winnipeg, owned by the Sifton newspaper group and affiliated with the Regina Leader-Post, Winnipeg Free Press and Saskatoon Star-Phoenix; CJCA, Edmonton, and CFAC, Cal gary, owned by the Southam newspapers and affiliated with the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald; CJOC, Lethbridge, Alta., CKOC, Hamilton, Ont., CJVI, Victoria, B. C, and CKWX, Vancouver, owned wholly or in part by Taylor, Pearson & Carson Ltd., Calgary; CKWS, Kingston, and CHEX, Peterborough, Ont., owned by Senator Rupert Davies and affiliated with the Kingston WhigStandard and Peterborough Examiner; CFCH, North Bay, CJKL, Kirkland Lake, CKGB, Timmins, Ont., CKRN, Rouyn, CKVD, Val d'Or, CHAD, Amos, Que., owned wholly or in part by Northern Broadcasting & Publishing Co., Timmins, Ont., and affiliated with the Timmins Daily Press; CHLN, Three Rivers, and CHLT, Sherbrooke, Que., owned by Senator Jacob Nicol and affiliated with the Sherbrooke La Tribune and Three Rivers Le Nouvelliste; CHNC, New Carlisle, Que., and CKNB, Campbellton, N. B., owned by Dr. Charles Houde, New Carlisle, Que.; CKY, Winnipeg, and CKX, Brandon, Man., owned by the Manitoba provincial government; CFBR, Toronto and CKLW, Windsor-Detroit, owned wholly or in part by the Rogers family in Toronto; CKCW, Moncton, N. B. and CHSJ, St. John, N. B., owned by the newspapers Moncton Transcript and St. John Telegraph-Journal and Times-Globe. INVASION Anticipated in CBC Instruction Casualty Reports Hon] CBC Manager Opposes Private Network For Canada at Parliamentary Hearing ESTABLISHMENT of a privatelyowned radio network in Canada would result in one primarily Canadian and one primarily American chain serving the Canadian people, Dr. J. S. Thomson, general manager of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., told the Parliamentary Committee on Radio Broadcasting at Ottawa on July 2. "Whoever controlled any network in this country would wield enormous power — almost incalculable power — possibly more than that of the Canadian press," Dr. Thomson told the committee in answer to questions on the effect on the CBC of the establishment of a privatelyowned broadcasting network. He also stated that establishment of such a network would require an investment of at least $10,000,000, and such a network would inevitably look largely to the United States for its program content. (Under the Canadian Broadcasting Act only the CBC may operate a network, but this allows small regional networks to be established for commercial purposes, without using CBC stations, but under CBC sanction. No networks can be set up in Canada without permission of the CBC.) Services of the CBC and private ly-owned stations are "supplementary" and not competitive, Dr. Thomson told the Committee. He stressed the fact that the CBC and the private stations are not competing but co-operating. He said there are 79 private station licenses now held in Canada, and no new ones have been issued during the past year. The possibility of creating a regulatory body similar to the Cannadian Board of Transport Commissioners, rather than a body concerned with the CBC as at present, was suggested by one committee member, Rev. E. G. Hansell, National Democracy member for MacLeod, Alberta. He pointed out that care should be taken to avoid any monopoly of Canadian radio, either by government or otherwise. Hires in 12 Markets CHARLES E. HIRES Co., Philadelphia, an extensive user of spot radio up until several years ago, is using announcements to supplement a newspaper campaign in behalf of its root beer. Drive started around July 1 and entails live announcements in about 12 small markets for a 13-week period. Agency is Sheldon, Quick & McElroy, New York. ON BUSINESS BASIS NOW, Russ Johnston (right), new Hollywood radio director of McCann-Erickson, discusses last minute program details with his former CBS colleagues. Erstwhile CBS Pacific Coast program sales director was named to the agency post in late May and currently produces Fiesta Night at Grapevine Rancho, half hour CBS series sponsored by Schenley Distillers Corp. (Roma wines). Network pair are Hal Hudson (left), formerly Pacific Coast program manager who succeeded Mr. Johnston as program sales director; and Donald W. Thornburgh, who is Columbia's West Coast vice-president. URGING RESTRAINT in programming during the forthcoming European invasion, E. L. Bushnell, general supervisor of programs of Canadian Broadcasting Corp., held a closed-circuit talk with all CBC affiliated and supplementary stations recently. He said in part: "At a time when our Canadian boys will be taking great risks, it will be an obligation to be continuously sensitive and alert for anything that under the circumstances may be in bad taste. That does not mean that we should strike any sombre note in our programming; people will need what solace radio can give in the way of entertainment and good cheer, more perhaps than at any other time." Mr. Bushnell suggested guarding against expressions of sympathy which, though given in all honesty of purpose," might sound a false note because of our remoteness from the lives and backgrounds of those who have suffered a loss. I do not think we should ever try to express direct sympathy in radio programs. "It all boils down to a matter of intelligence, good taste, and sensitivity for the feelings of others." CBC Has Four Mobile Units Active in Britain FOUR MOBILE UNITS and a full complement of technical personnel now comprise the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Overseas Unit in Great Britain, the CBC announces. Oldest unit of the quartet is a car sent over in 1939 which went through the Battle of Britain. The other three units are lighter and more maneuverable army vehicles, suitable to field work. In addition, there is a studio recording set-up in England and a field recording unit which can be used anywhere in the field, remote from the mobile units. Each of the field units include microphones, amplifiers and portable recording equipment operated from batteries. The technical staff is headed by Art Holmes who went overseas with the first unit in 1939, recorded the Battle of Britain, and after spending the past year at CBY, Toronto, on furlough, is now back in Britain. Assisting him are A. J. McDonald of CBL, Toronto; F. P. Johnson of CBK, Watrous, Sask.; L. R. Moore and J. Beauregard, from the CBC Montreal studios, and F. H. Wadsworth, of CBC, Toronto. Newscast Commercials Limited by CBC Order UNDER NEW regulations governing sponsorship of news on Canadian stations, which went into effect July 1 [Broadcasting, May 31], the number of advertising announcements has been limited. J. R. Radford, supervisor of station relations for the CBC, which administers the regulations, said in a circular letter to all stations: "For news broadcasts of ten minutes' duration or more, only one advertising message is permitted and this must come at the opening of the broadcast. The closing announcement must be confined to the mention of the sponsor's name." Page 28 • July 12, 1943 BROADCASTING • Broadcast Advertising