Broadcasting (Oct - Dec 1950)

1946 (Continued from page H6) diet P. Cottone became general counsel. Only chartei' member of the FCC, "Comr. Paul A. Walker, was renominated in May for a third term. Acting Chairman Denny became Chairman in December. FCC revised its clear-channel daytime policy in June, with Clear Channel Broadcasting S e r v ic e claiming the change opened the way to breach clear channels. In October CCBS drafted a plan to provide 20 clear stations having 750 kw power. The Commission announced in mid-summer it was revising hearing procedure under the Administrative Procedure Act. Flooded with applications, the Commission by July had granted 221 standard broadcast stations, augmented by 456 FM and 30 TV grants. Many applications remained so the Commission set up a "processing line." In mid-summer FCC announced it would not issue an "advisory opinion" on legality of the Pot O' Gold contest. It approved transfer of WINS New York from Hearst Radio to Crosley Corp., of which James D. Shouse was president. A momentous summer decision by the FCC denied petition of Robert Harold Scott, atheist, for revocation of licenses of three San Fran cisco stations but said "freedom of religious belief necessarily carries with it freedom to disbelieve." Sen. Charles W. Tobey (R-N. H.) on July 26 introduced a resolution proposing investigation of the FCC's FM allocations. A "Blue Book" reaction developed when Drew Pearson and Robert S. Allen, newspapermen, applied for the facility of WBAL Baltimore. As the regulatory year closed, FCC eased the rule governing recordings to permit one-minute-orless spots without identifying announcement. Last act of 1946 was to order networks to report on sustaining programs, under "Blue Book" specifications. Besides regulatory headaches, the broadcasting industry was constantly badgered during the year by AFM jockeying. NAB's board in the opening days of the year ordered President Justin Miller to ask President Petrillo, of the AFM, for a conference. Judge Miller appeared before the AFM board Jan. 18 and agreement was reached for an AFM-industry meeting within a few weeks. AFM suffered a setback in February when the House voted the Lea Act 222-43. This bill was aimed directly at AFM featherbedding. The bill passed the Senate and became law April 16. Less than a month later Mr. Petrillo Sunshine Laundry SAINT LOUIS Ur. L. A. Benson, President, Radio Station WIL, St. Louis, Uo. Ify Dear Vbr, Benson: A crew of five men whom we have had out interrogating housewives concerning their radio listening habits have reported such an interesting situation as regards Radio Station WIL, that 1 feel I should Inform you of it. To our very great surprise, we found that approiinBtely 90 per cent of these households know of our musical program on your station and listen to it. V/e would not believe this to he true, unless it had been reported to us by our own men, after a very careful survey of some 10,000 homes. ■This, we feel, is one of the reasons why the Sunshine Laundry has not teen affected by the financial Interlude, as have other firms in our line. In fact, our business is maintaining the same volume today as we were experiencing during the "boom" days certainly one of the few instances of Its kind among the laundry businesses Of the Middle West. Thapklng you very kindly for the friendly, cooperative spirit you have always shown, I am. Sincerely yours 'OJ.tUcX Pres . • • • your clients, too, will be Just as Happy with W*I*L Rep. Lea BROADCASTING • September 1, 1932 ordered musicians not to play for FM and AM simultaneously unless they received double pay. At the AFM convention in June he demanded a court test of the Lea Act and carried through by ordering WAAF Chicago to double its music staff and then calling a strike. Judge Miller in late May called on Mr. Petrillo to quit stalling and live up to his promise to negotiate. The union head was placed under $1,000 bond June 17 on charges of violating the Lea Act. The government charged in Federal court that Mr. Petrillo had violated the Lea Act as well as other laws, in calling the WAAF strike. Within a month Mr. Petrillo demanded increases up to 500% from transcription companies, giving only 24 hours to comply. The transcribers agreed to pay a substantial wage increase. Judge Walter LaBuy held Dec. 2 that the Lea Act was unconstitutional, a decision that was later to go to the U. S. Supreme Court. The highest court, incidentally, Dec. 9 upheld FCC's denial of the WOKO Albany license renewal. An important development on Capitol Hill was the defeat of Burton K. Wheeler, chairman of the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee, in the Montana primaries. His successor was to be Sen. Edwin C. Johnson (D-Col.). Technical progress in the electronic arts, and removal of wartime restrictions, combined to enliven 1946. Spectacular development of late January was the achievement of Lt. Col. John H. DeWitt, WSM Nashville, in shooting the moon via radar. The event commanded worldwide attention. CBS Sees Color TV Within One Year CBS declared in early February that color television would be feasible within a year. By September the network had successfully transmitted live color television programs and it asked FCC to authorize UHF commercial color. FCC started hearings late in the year. First New York-Washington telecast was carried by coaxial cable in February. A few days later Westinghouse announced that it had transmitted usable Stratovision signals 225 miles. RCA in March demonstrated airborne television around Washington and predicted military and commercial advantages. W. G. H. Finch and Radio Inventions each demonstrated high-speed facsimile. Television had one of its bigger moments June 19 when the LouisConn fight was telecast and carried on the cable. TV's progress was shown at the Television Broadcasters Assn. con vention Oct. 11 in New York, with prediction made that a nationwide TV network would be operating by 1951. RCA joined the color parade Oct. 30 by demonstrating electronic color at its Princeton laboratory, in contrast to the rotating-disc scanning system shown by CBS. DuMont showed a trick of its own by transmitting television over a light beam. NAB had music ti-ouhles during the year as well as legal and regulatory crises, but it went ahead with the job of rebuilding the association under Judge Miller. Don Petty was named general counsel, Lee Hart assistant director of broadcast advertising and Dr. Kenneth H. Baker research director. A large new building was acquired in May as Washington headquarters. The board voted to set up a program department. Edward J. Heifrorn became public relations head and James L. Middlebrook was named engineering director. Mr. Middlebrook resigned late in the year to join ABC. Richard P. Doherty was appointed employe-employer relations director. NAB Meet Sets Plans For 'New Era' in Radio First convention in two years was held Oct. 21-26 at Chicago, with the association having 1,100 members. Plans were laid for the "new era" in broadcasting. As the year ended Judge Miller proposed a legislative program in which powers of the FCC would be more clearly defined. FM Assn. was taking shape after an FM committee had been formed at the convention and the first convention was planned for Jan. 10, 1947. On the international side, broadcasters met a reverse early in 1946 when the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement, expiring March 29, was renewed. Industry sources provided many protests over concessions to other North American nations, particularly Cuba. The renewal was for three years. An innovation in industry affairs was the first Broadcasting Trends poll in which station, network, agency advertiser and other groups were asked their opinions on current industry problems. The first poll, released in November, showed that listeners do more to improve agencies than those who buy time, that program service was adequate and that four out of five station mangers felt their stations needed improvement. All during the year AFRA had had been threatening to strike. Negotiations with networks made progress and an agreement was near in early December but AFRA negotiators suddenly walked out of the meeting and arbitration efforts were suspended. The obituary column for the year included W. H. Cowles, KHQ Spokane and Spokane Chronicle, Jan. 15; George W. Smith, Fort (Continued on page 152) Page 148 • October 16, 1950 BROADCASTING • Telecasting