Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1950)

194 ANEW year opened less than a month after the Pearl Harbor attack had started a complete upheaval of the nation's economy. Excitement and chaos appeared in all parts of government, military and business operations. This was reflected in broadcasting as station and network owners wondered what the months ahead had in store for them. Fortunately experienced heads maintained outward calm behind the industry's microphones, and their guidance was responsible for quelling of nationwide as well as worldwide jitters. Panicky citizens and officials quickly caught the spirit and the quieting influence of broadcasting was widely hera.lded in and out of government. Actually many broadcast executives had been through difficult days and sleepless nights as they wondered what Uncle Sam might do to their business operations. They were still wondering as 1942 opened whether bombing attacks might put them off the air or induce complete industry control by the military. And they were wondering how far the government might go in deciding exactly what they might say, and not say, on the air. Even before a formal censorship code could be drawn, broadcasters were publicly praised by White House Secretary Stephen T. Early, speaking on behalf of President Roosevelt, for their observation of voluntary censorship. This tribute, coming in the final days of 1941, was made as the new Office of Censorship was conferring with industry leaders. Byron Price, Director of Censorship, and J. Harold Ryan, of the Fort Industry stations, who served as industry representative, started building up from the NAB's mi d December wartime code. The formal OC code was released Jan. 16, carrying a voluntary observance theme that was to live in radio history as an example of effective industry cooperation. Some complaints arose about restriction of ad libbing but in general the code was well received and the industry quickly fell in line. Refinements in the document were drafted on the basis of experience, leading to a revised code dated June 15. Rules covering for Mr. Price Collins 12Z remote amplifier PROmr YOUR SPORTS BROADCASTS Here's the experience of WKOW, Madison, Wisconsin, as told by Chief Engineer V. A. Vanderheiden in a letter last November: "You may be interested to know that the Collins 12Z (with the automatic changeover to battery feature) saved the day for us at the Wisconsin-Indiana football game last Saturday. The power failed at the field during halftime and most of the other stations carrying play-by-play were cut off until midway in the fourth quarter. We fed several other stations in Wisconsin during the emergency. "Our engineers will probably never feel quite safe with any other remote equipment but the Collins 12Z in the future." Get a Collins 12Z now, from stock, and protect all your sports and other remote programs every month in the year. Write, phone or wire your nearest Collins office. COLLINS RADIO COMPANY Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1 1 W. 42nd St. NEW YORK 18 2700 W. Olive Ave. BURBANK Dogwood Rood/ Fountain City KNOXVILLE 1330 N. Industriql Blvd. DALLAS 2 eign language broadcasts were strengthened, ad libbing was restricted further and a clause inserted to limit mention of possible enemy air attacks. In the developments of a government war machine there naturally arose the problem of siphoning governmental broadcasts into the industry's facilities. A tug-of-war had been going on for well over a year as federal agencies tried to capture this needed function. President Roosevelt resolved the dispute by setting up within Office of Facts & Figures a radio division to serve as clearing house for governmental broadcasting. Two industry officials were named coordinator and assistant, respectively— William B. Lewis, recently resigned as CBS program vice president, and Douglas Meservey, NBC assistant to the program vice president. Carrying out the industry's voluntary enforcement of censorship rules the NAB's Code Compliance Committee Feb. 6 adopted its own suggestions to ensure maximum good taste in handling war news. Basic ideas had been drawn up by the Broadcaster's Victory Council, organized in late January to serve as liaison with all federal agencies handling radio matters. Chairman of the council was John Shepard 3d, Yankee network president, with 0. L. (Ted) Taylor, general manager of the Taylor-Howe-Snowden stations, as executive secretary. With the governmental war machine rapidly moving into action, federal officials were anxious to rally public support for the measures being taken. The War Production Board and the FCC adopted a mid-February order, on advice of the Defense Communications Board, which froze the existing broadcast structure and limited new construction. FCC went on record to the effect that adequate broadcast standards were essential to the war effort and that every part of the country should receive good service. Form War Ad Council To Coordinate Industry Effort To bi'ing all media into a joint agency for promotion of the war effort, advertisers, agencies and media formed the War Advertising Council, an agency that was to continue its coordinating job in the post-war years. Chester J. La Roche, Young & Rubicam, was designated chairman. Quickly this council went into action, cooperating with government agencies handling morale-building and prop Mr. Shepard aganda functions. An official policy governing release of war information was drawn up in mid-March by the Office of Facts & Figures, pledging the American people would get all war news, good or bad, if its publication would not aid the enemy. The policy was designed to guide reporters and commentators. In midJune President Roosevelt combined a half-dozen war information agencies, setting up the Office of War Information. Elmer Davis, CBS commentator, was named director and Milton Eisenhower, brother of Gen. "Ike" and veteran federal official, deputy director. OFF Reports Americans Depend on Radio for News Just before this action, Office of Facts & Figures had shown in a survey that "a majority of Americans have come to rely upon the radio, rather than upon newspapers, as the primary source of their news about the war; they express greater confidence in broadcast, than in printed, news on the ground that it is swifter, more condensed, more accurate, and gives a greater sense of personal contact with persons and events. . . ." A month after it was set up, OWI was rolling along at top speed. Gardner Cowles Jr., president of Iowa Broadcasting Co., was named assistant director in charge of all OWI domestic operations. Serving under Mr. Cowles, Kenneth R. Dyke, former NBC advertisingpromotion director, was named director of a Bureau of Campaigns. To implement OWI's operation Mr. Davis in mid-September issued a regulation requiring that all plans or proposals for new or continuing series, or individual radio programs for government agencies be submitted to the OWI Radio Bureau for clearance. Thus OWI became the clearing house for federal use of the broadcast medium. OWI Buys Alaska Time To Beam to Troops Desiring to keep American troops supplied with radio service, OWI made arrangements to buy blocks of time over stations in Alaska. The industry's stations within the United States itself were so faithful in carrying out their war role that Mr. Davis told Congress in early October that stations and networks were contributing time worth $64 million a year at commercial rates for war agencies. Seventeen broadcast officials were appointed in mid-October to serve as regional consultants to OWI. They were vested with the task of working with OWI branch offices. Winding up the year, OWI adopted a broad-gauged federal program allocation plan, effective the following Jan. 18, and scheduling transcribed programs and Page 130 • October 16, 1950 BROADCASTING • Telecasting