Broadcasting (July - Sep 1950)

COMMUNICATIONS Alternate Defense Center PLANS for construction of a "supplemental communications installation" near Frederick, Md., presumably to serve as an alternate "nerve" center for the vast netWork of communications facilities j|in the event of an atomic attack, were announced by the Dept. of Defense last Wednesday. Signal Corps declined comment on the statement: "Plans are going :!-■ forward for the establishment of a F.jsupplemental communications installation at and nearby Camp :^;!Ritchie, Md. . . ." It described those ■"plans as being of a "highly class:'4ifled nature." j "Decision to locate the supple:mental facilities is the result of !long range planning which was 'begun shortly after the close of jg;World War II." I That planning, it was recalled, ^4 dealt with creation of an alternate •'Jjgeneral headquarters, and pro^!'|vision for a vast network of com-t'raunications facilities and person lANTI-HOARDING ^Radio, TV Back Truman Plea '•'''RADIO and television were quick 'flto rally to support of the PresiJjldent's anti-hoarding plea of a fortT night ago. Among first reports to . ; Broadcasting were : [\} The Southern California Broad;iijcasters Assn. board of directors has j voted full support of the request, lj(calling for its members to police I iadvertising on the air to prevent 1 "urging of buying of particular i'items because of anticipated shortages. Seven Los Angeles stations ' already have notified the associaj'Jtion that they are voluntarily modij-^fying or even going so far as to fjjTefuse that type of advertising. vyThev include KFWB KOWL KVOE c;iKMPO KFMV (FM) KWKW KNX. Southern California Assn. of Ad J^jvertising Agencies also has offered if^its cooperation in the project, with '•Mother agency groups expected to j|:follow suit. 1 A special bulletin has been sent [Ito each of the 37 stations belonging 'to the Tennessee Assn. of Broad'x-asters by F. C. Sowell, TAB presijident. In the bulletin were instrucffrtions to discontinue immediately TAB'S two-year-old "Let's Sell Optimism" campaign, replacing it '\vith "anti-hoarding" announcements. Resolution barring advertising which encourages panic buying, rshortages and price jumps, was jiadopted last week by 350 members jof the Holljnvood Ad Club, reprejsenting all facets of advertising. (Giving full support to President jTruman's plea, the club also ^pledged to "counteract, to the best ;of our ability, any rumors that I might generate hoarding and abInormal buying of essential goods." |b R O A D C A S T I N G nel patterned after the system utilized in the Pentagon. The announcement revived speculation over the importance of a supplemental center to implement plans for the whole wide range of civil defense involving radio networks and stations, telephone and telegraph companies, amateur radio operators, and other groups. It presumably contemplates an Air Defense Control Center for the nation's capital, and recalls one recommendation set forth in the famous 1948 Hopley report, now used as a guide for National Security Resources Board planning: Guide Report Within each Air Defense Control Area the Air Force will set up an Air Defense Control Center in charge of an Area Air Defense Commander who will be responsible for the air defense of the area. The control center will be operated by personnel of the Air Force. It should also be the operating center for a Civil Defense Air Raid Warning Chief, in order to assure prompt utilization of air raid information gathered by the Air Force and for its transmission for use of Civil Defense organizations. Alternate centers may be established or radar installations in the control area may be designated for emergency use as ayi Air Defense control center in the event the primary center is made inoperative. . . . Each . . . center will be interconnected by appropriate communications facilities with all the available and necessary sources, so as to receive all information concerning air activity in the area. . . . Similar Plans Similar plans were suggested in the book, Star Spangled Radio, authored by Col. Edv^ard M. Kirby, now recalled to active duty by the Army, and Jack Harris, general manager of KPRC Houston, a colonel in the Army reserve. Cols. Kirby and Harris wrote: "With Washington likely to be the Number 1 target in the next war, provision should be made for the broadcasting of communiques and news from bomb-proof studios throughout the nation. Both government and i-adio must be mobile. Provision must be made for the interconnecting of all network and non-network stations. . . . There must be alternate facilities which could be brought to use. . . ." "With the first radio-controlled missile . . . with the first terrifying blast of atomic energy over some American target would come, simultaneously, the effort to seize or destroy our radio communications facilities. Destroy our army's lines of communications, and 3'ou destroy the army. . . ." That also was echoed by the Hopley report which stressed that "communications are the 'nerve system' of civil defense." RECORDING EXEMPTION House Passes Duty Bill THE HOUSE last week passed legislation to aid clearance of overseas news recordings and exempt State Dept. Voice of America recordings from import duty. The bills, approved by the House Ways and Means Committee a fortnight ago [Broadcasting, June 17], were sent to the Senate Wednesday. Of particular interest to broadcasters is the recordings measure (HR 8726), sponsored by Rep. Aime J. Forand (D-R. I.). It would cut red tape broadcasters have met in customs for clearance of incoming tape and disc recordings made by correspondents abroad. The Voice of America recordings bill (HR 8514), sponsored by Rep. Robert L. Doughton (D-N. C.) in behalf of the State Dept., would exempt Voice discs from duties under the 1930 Tariff Act. A companion measure in the Senate already has been approved by committee action and awaits consideration bv the chamber. BAB TALKS NAB IS "thinking bigger" about the scope and functions of its Broadcast Advertising Bureau, it was learned Friday following a two-day session of the special NAB board committee on BAB operations. The war situation has altered the committee's approach, since a different kind of selling will be entailed if and when shortages develop in normal consumer fields. Committee met to discuss the NAB Takes Larger View whole BAB setup looking toward recommendations it will present on question of partial or total severance from NAB. Members met Thursday — afternoon and evening — and were scheduled to convene again Friday. First sessions were described as "preliminary," with some progress made on the plan to give the NAB sales arm independent financial status. Target date for separation is April 1, 1951. COLUMBUS, Ga., stations WRBL WDAK WGBA get certificates of appreciation from the Army at a June 28 luncheon for public service — timely reminder of radio-military cooperation. L to r: Maj. Rex W. Seavey, Columbus recruiting station; Allan Woodall, WDAK; Jim Woodruff Jr., WRBL; Walter Windson, WGBA, and Lt. Col. Romayne T. Uhler, deputy for recruiting, Georgia Military district, who presented awards. • Telecasting Attending the sessions, under the chairmanship of Robert D. Swezey, WDSU-TV New Orleans, La., were Edgar Kobak, WTWA Thomson, Ga.; Charles Caley, WMBD Peoria, 111.; Allen Woodall, WDAK Columbus, Ga., and William B. Quarton, WMT Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Maurice B. Mitchell, outgoing BAB director, also attended. Mitchell Successor Successor to Mr. Mitchell at the BAB helm remained conjectural Thursday. Frank Pellegrin, mentioned as a possible successor, was reported as "unavailable." Mr. Pellegrin is vice president and sales director of Transit Radio Inc., and holds minority interests in three independent station projects. A former department head of NAB, Mr. Pellegrin has a wide following. The Swezey committee, it is understood, talked scope of BAB rather than individual candidates for the directorship. It was generally felt that the complexion of the bureau's functions has been changed virtually overnight because of the war picture. The Committee is not necessarily thinking in terms of $17,000 salary ceiling for the director's post. The pay could go considerably higher, it was thought, depending upon the stature of the executive. July 31, 1950 • Page 27