Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1952)

editorii Out on Bond SEN. ED JOHNSON'S introduction of a legislative amendment that would remove many of the anxieties connected with political broadcasting comes at a most timely moment. Without such a change in the existing law, broadcasters must face the approaching political campaigns, which promise to be among the more ferocious of recent history, in the same be-damned-if-you-do and be-damned-if-youdon't status that they have uncomfortably occupied since 1934 when the Communications Act was written. As now composed, Section 315 of the act prohibits broadcasters from censoring anything — including libel — out of a political candidate's broadcast, but it provides no protection at all for whatever legal consequences ensue. Sen. Johnson's amendment would furnish protection by requiring candidates or their spokesmen to post a bond and by limiting any libel suit that might subsequently be filed against a broadcaster to damages in the amount of the bond. The question as to whether it is lawfully possible to write that kind of limited liability for a particular class of citizen, in this case the broadcaster, is one' that attorneys may want to argue. But in essence, we believe, Sen. Johnson is certainly on the right track. Every eifort must be made to bring this legislation to hearing (which would be conducted before Sen. Johnson's own Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee) as soon as possible, with the hope of correcting the law before the full vigor of the 1952 campaigns is developed. The Senator deserves the broadcasters' thanks for introducing the needed legislation, and, more significantly, their most complete support in pushing it through the Congress. Toward a Stronger 'Voice' THE TWIN phenomena of World War II — for good or for evil — were the atom bomb and psychological warfare. The atom bomb ended hostilities. The war of words has never even abated; it has intensified. Our psychological warfare program is wrapped up, broadly, in the Voice of America. Russia's outlay for propaganda, we're told, runs $1.5 billion — or about 15 times what we're spending. This propaganda activity is a rough business. Everybody's an expert. You can start a talkathon in Congress by mere mention of it. Just recently it has begun to take on an aura of respect. That's because the Voice and associated activities have begun to penetrate and irritate the Iron Curtainites. While there's still acrimony aplenty on the Hill, the transition from what existed just a couple of years ago is revealing. This turn can be attributed to the work primarily of one man — Edward W. Barrett, who has resigned as assistant secretary of state in charge of Voice affairs after two arduous years. His was a heroic accomplishment. He leaves the State Dept.'s external operations far better than he found them. His legacy is approval of a separation of the functions — an administrator of International Information who reports directly to the Secretary of State, and an assistant secretary of state for public affairs. There are those who argue for a separate propaganda agency, responsible to the Presi dent, with a head of cabinet rank. Unlike the Soviet, where all originates in the Kremlin, it would appear impossible in our democracy to isolate the propaganda office from the "Foreign Office" or State Dept. What is needed is greater recognition by Congress of the importance of psychological activities. Atomic energy is handled by a high level joint committee of both House and Senate. Secrets are kept. There's no bickering on the floor about its activities, no smears that make a mockery of our efforts in the eyes of those we're trying to sell abroad on our sincerity and zeal for world peace. There should be a Joint Committee of Congress for Psychological Warfare. It should be manned by senior members of Senate and House — those handling appropriations and ways and means. Then, we think, most of our internal troubles about our external operations would end. Knockout Count IT IS GRATIFYNG to observe that some people have quit counting radio out and are beginning to count it up. It counts up to a pretty fabulous figure, as the report of the Joint Radio Network Committee last week showed. The committee says there are 105,300,000 radio sets in America, 9,300,000 more than there were a year ago. These sets are distributed in some very interesting places. Some 34,000,000 of them are secondary or portable sets, in homes that also have primary sets. Secondary set listening (in kitchen, bedroom, etc.) isn't affected much by television (in those areas that have TV), and portable set listening isn't affected at all. Some 23,500,000 of them are in automobiles. Television provides no competition whatever to car radios. The 34,000,000 secondary or portable sets plus the 28,500,000 car radios add up to 57,500,000. Just for the hell of it, let's forget entirely about the other 47,800,000 sets that make up the 105,300,000 total and think for a moment about those 57,500,000 that aren't in the same room or even in the same vicinity with television. (At this time, of course, a tremendous number of other sets are in places beyond reach of any TV signal, but we don't know exactly how many of these there are.) It's interesting to note that there are more secondary, portable and car radios in use than there are newspaper copies sold daily in the entire country. Editor & Publisher estimates that total circulation of all U. S. dailies is around 54,000,000. In short, you can completely dismiss almost half of all the radio sets in the country — the half that may be considered "primary" sets — and radio's circulation still beats the newspapers' by more than three million. Now of course it is impossible to ignore those other 47,800,000 radio sets, no matter how hard anyone tries. About 900,000 of them were purchased within the past year by folks who were setting up new households. Presumably, they bought the radios to listen to, since radio receivers have little other purpose that we know of. All 47,800,000 are in working condition, a fact which strengthens our belief that people are not letting their radios fall into disuse. Five million of these sets are in institutions, dormitories, barracks and "other places," according to the network committee, but the other 42,800,000 are the primary sets in the 95.6% of all U. S. homes that are radio-equipped. Anybody know what percentage of all U. S. homes take newspapers or magazines? Anybody want to bet against our statement that in both cases it's a lot less than 95.6%? ^ our respects lo: NORMAN EARL ASHLEY WILLIAM THOMAS WINGER CHATTANOOGA is a city of feverish activity these days, pointing up the frenzied vitality of the Tennessee Valley Authority and the great Atomic City at nearby Oak Ridge. But for two southern radio pioneers, TVA conjures visions of another booming industry sharply distinct from defense pursuits. Looking back over 27 years of rewarding association in the commercial radio field, Pioneers Earl Winger and Norman Thomas can take understandable pride in accomplishments accrued to WDOD, of which they are co-owners. While they are proud to be in the heart of the TVA development, their next immediate goal is to establish Chattanooga as the TV center of the great valley. Like many another restless broadcaster, Messrs. Winger and Thomas eagerly await the lifting of the freeze by FCC with which WDOD has filed a television application. The city is video-less at present, but these two pioneers, lifelong friends since the early 1900's, predict unlimited opportunities for the burgeoning industry there. In looking ahead to television, they would i like to tackle what they have already accomplished in radio — bring entertainment, in i formation and public service to this growing community. The team of Winger and Thomas did, in fact, literally "gi-ow up" in Chattanooga radio, with resulting profit to both, but this is only part of the story. In the process they schooled a host of radio executives, coast to coast, reading like part of a broadcasting "Who's Who." The association of Earl William Winger , and Norman Ashley Thomas actually began in Marietta, Ohio, nearly a score of years before commercial radio came to the American scene. Norm Thomas was born in Marietta Jan. 25, 1901, and Earl Winger in Pennsylvania May 5, 1899. The latter moved to Marietta in childhood and soon he and the other youth became good neighbors. It was then that the groundwork was laid for two parallel radio careers. They experimented with wireless telegraphy, communicating with each other in their respective homes, j Mr. Thomas received his early schooling at Marietta College and his friendship was temporarily interrupted when Mr. Winger and his family moved to Chattanooga, where the (Continued on page 5i) Page 50 • February 4, 1952 BROADCASTING • Telecasting