Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan - Mar 1951)

open mike Advertisement From where I sit 61/ Joe Marsh Watch Out For The "Blind Spots" Stopped by Squint Miller's farm the other day and saw a vinegar bottle in his kitchen with an oversized cucumber inside it. The cucumber filled the whole bottle. ' 'What's a cucumber doing in there?" I asked him. "That's my 'blind-spot' reminder," says Squint. "My grandmother kept one in her kitchen to remind her to take stock of herself now and then. "I slipped that bottle over the cucumber when it was growing on the vine,'" he went on. "And like certain viewpoints, not noticed, it just grew and grew — now its there to stay." From where I sit, we could take a cue from Squint and watch for our own "blind spots" and prejudices before they grow too big to get rid of. We've got to respect our neighbor's right to his preferences . . . preferences for a certain make of car, a favorite movie star, or a temperate glass of beer after work. We won't be tripped by any blind spots if we keep our eyes — and minds — open! Copyright, 1951, United States Brewers Foundation Showsheet Cited EDITOR: I am sure that you are aware of the fact that your monthly TV showsheet is of great value and constantly referred to by all agencies in network television. You would be doing agency buyers a great favor if you would also publish a showsheet giving network television daytime schedules. While I realize that the programming picture changes quite rapidly, nevertheless, half a loaf is better than none to starving timebuyers. . . . Robert M. Renschle Manager Timebuying Dept. McCann-E 'ricks on Inc. New York [EDITOR'S NOTE: Beginning with the April 2 issue the showsheet will include daytime as well as nighttime TV programming.] SCBA 'Censorship' EDITOR: Few working broadcasters would disagree with the anti-censorship philosophy of your March 12 lead editorial, "Blunder in California." Unfortunately, when you take off from that general principle to castigate the Southern California Broadcasters' Assn. for allegedly "inviting direct censorship of programs in advance," you are criticizing actions which just didn't happen. Somewhere in the 3,0(10 miles between Los Angeles and Washington the facts about FCC Regional Attorney Joseph Brenner's talk at an SCBA meeting became terribly garbled. Here are the facts: 1. SCBA monthly luncheons discuss varied matters of interest to the 56 members, with programs guided by a seven-man board. Guests from allied fields are invited to specific meetings. Among them recently have been spokesmen of organized advertising agencies, civil defense heads, station representatives, etc. Mr. Brenner, as local representative of an organization certainly as important to our industry as the above, was invited — to discuss not advance censorship of programs, but technical interpretation of FCC regulations with which broadcasters are in constant contact, such as sponsor identification and logging regulations. He restricted himself to such interpretative aspects and emphasized that his remarks were "unrehearsed, unofficial and unauthorized." His presence was no more out of line at a regional broadcasters meeting than the customary invitation of the chairman of the FCC to NARTB conventions, nor several occasions when visiting FCC Washington personnel have attended SGEL .j luncheons — without criticism. 2. At the conclusion of thu luncheon, several managers askec'l Mr. Brenner if he would cover th I same ground at a later meetinj for some of their working person,] nel, who are not ordinarily presen.J at the managers' meetings. The; ! did not ask, as the editorial claims | "if he would be willing to institute a series of workshop discussion ' on programming planning thai would conform to FCC desires. H Mr. Brenner agreed, if there wal sufficient interest, to hold a repeal session . . . not, "to conduct 1 course on what the FCC wants in programming." 3. SCBA invited managers bl mail to note on a return postcarw if they wanted such a meeting; i so, what day and hour would b< most convenient. As a result Ol their response, program peoplj' gathered with Mr. Brenner lasW Wednesday afternoon to cover thjjjj same ground as the discussions a.V the managers' meetings. Comllj ments from those who attended in 1 dicate that the session was edu I cational and helpful, with not thi.il! slightest hint of dictation or cen'1sorship. There is not now, ani l never was, any intention to projlj long this single informal confer jH ence into a course series. . . . Robert J. McAndrews Managing Director Southern California Broad casters Assn. Hollywood [EDITOR'S NOTE: We are relieved t hear that Mr. Brenner's talk to th SCBA and his subsequent talk to pro gram personnel were confined to rou tine matters such as logging technique and sponsor identification. Such, how ever, was not indicated in the SCB; bulletin upon which our editorial wa based. The implication in the bulleti and in postcards sent to members wa that Mr. Brenner would be pleased t conduct a workshop discussion to in sure that "air copy conforms to Com mission regulations," the kind of phras that has been used to cover many a) tempts at censorship.] * * * The WCFM Story EDITOR: Spring is almost here, and th silly season is once again upon u: At least it appears to be upon you editorial staff, judging from th paragraph about WCFM in you March 5 issue. You have, of course, missed th point entirely. Our stockholders, a investors in FM radio, are justl; angry at the radio manufacturin industry for its failure first, to pre mote FM, and then to keep up wit the public demand for FM set which has developed despite thi lack of promotion. If you disagre with this statement ask some of th Washington distributors and radi stores managers. As a journal al legedly alert to everything goin (Continued on page 18) Page 12 • March 19, 1951 BROADCASTING • Telecastin