Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1953)

GOVERNMENT 'IKE' MAKES DRAMATIC MOVES IN PLANNING FOR MORE RADIO-TV USE Obvious and sudden turn at White House toward radio-tv media to tell the Government's story to the people electrifies industry. Plans start with broadcasts of certain Presidential news conferences. PRESIDENT Eisenhower last week started to carry out in a big way his promise to use every modern medium to tell the people what their government is doing. Returning to the electronic media with dramatic suddenness, the President will make a total of five network radio-television appearances in a three-week period. Of historic importance was his shattering of tradition when the entire Wednesday morning news conference was carried by radio networks later in the day. In the 1 1 months since he assumed office the President has added to the usual formal radio and tv appearances these significant precedentbreakers: • Radio-only report to the people May 19, with tv allowed to carry only brief filmed excerpts at end of broadcast [B»T, May 25]. <b First Presidential "family-circle" simulcast June 3 in which four Cabinet members joined in formally produced program [B«T, June 9]. • Wednesday's broadcast of news conference, with all four radio networks carrying practically the complete text and tv networks using sound-only excerpts. Last week the President made two telecasts. The first was a filmed version of his statement at the opening session of a series of legislative conferences that started Thusday morning. This film was telecast later in the day. A similar tv set up was arranged for Saturday, closing day of the meetings. This Thursday — Christmas Eve — the President will break more precedent when he appears in an indoor-outdoor program at which he will light a huge Christmas Tree adjoining the White House. The President will first make a simulcast plea for world peace and general recognition of the true Christmas spirit of goodwill and benevolence. He will talk from the White House radio room, located in the basement, and then make an outdoor appearance to take part in the ceremonies at the tree. Appearances Slated Two major radio-tv appearances are scheduled right after the holidays. The President will make a report to the people via radio and tv Monday, Jan. 4. He plans to review the Administration's achievements up to that point and outline the purposes of the upcoming legislative program. Three days later all networks are expected to carry the annual State of the Union report to Congress. This legislative document will go into much more detail than the earlier simulcast, listing specific problems and pointing to legislative solutions. While there is no definite word, it was thought the President might be considering a first-year simulcast on Jan. 20, first anniversary of his inauguration. Last Wednesday's broadcast of the full text of a news conference was another step in the program outlined last January by James C. Hagerty, the President's news secretary. At that time, Mr. Hagerty stated that the President wanted to take advantage of the intimacy radio and television enjoy with the nation's families [B»T, Jan. 26]. Working closely with the White House staff have been members of the networks' informal liaison committee. These radio-tv reporters Page 48 • December 21, 1953 have suggested numerous ways of using the media and the President has conferred, too, with leading broadcast executives. While radio-tv executives consider the progress made in the first year of historic significance, the ultimate goal — live aural-video reporting of Presidential news conferences — is far from realization. Last Wednesday's Presidential news conference, lasting 32 minutes (10:31-11:03 a.m.), covered a wide range of topics — all the way from sharing of atom bombs with other nations to juvenile delinquency and an exchange over his feelings about the nickname "Ike." No warning had been given in advance that the taped conference might be made available. The President, Mr. Hagerty, his assistant Murray Snyder, and other members of the staff reviewed the tape. Decision to make it available was reached in mid-afternoon, shortly be fore Mr. Hagerty's 4 p.m. news conference. The dramatic revelation was made by Mr. Hagerty with these words: H — Since we have been in here we have been figuring out some way to expand the coverage of a press (news) conference. Today at 6 o'clock we are sending the entire press conference to the networks for use as they see fit. This set off a barrage of questions about the fact that the President's conference remarks would be quoted directly, since newsmen may only use direct quotes when they have specific permission. Marvin Arrowsmith, AP, offered this observation: A — Everybody is, of course, glad to be able to use it in direct quotes, but it will mean each time that the wire services and I suppose a lot of others will have to completely scratch their early stories and it will infuriate a lot of editors. Mr. Hagerty conceded the point, and Mr. Arrowsmith added: A — Think of the radio stations it will make happy, though. Asked about reasons for the decision and the future course to be followed. Mr. Hagerty took part in this exchange: Q — Was this purely a voluntary thing to FCC HAS QUESTIONS ON McCARTHY BILL But Commission takes no stand on the proposed law which would require stations to keep records of everything going out on the airwaves. FCC SAYS neither "yes" nor "no" to the McCarthy bill which would require radio and tv stations to make and keep recordings of everything on the air. The bill, introduced by Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy (R-Wis.) [B«T, June 22], has been before the Senate Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee. B*T learned last week that FCC has answered the committee's routine request for Commission comment on the measure (S 2125). While FCC would not give its opinion on the measure — which it can' do and often has done in the past on other legislation — the Commission indicated that if Congress considers the bill it ought to think twice about these questions: • Would tv stations have to record visual as well as aural portions of all their programs? • Would each station have to record the network programs it receives? • How long a time would a station be required to keep the recordings or verbatim transcripts made? The bill would amend Sec. 303(j) of the Communications Act. It would give FCC "authority to make general rules and regulations requiring stations to keep such records of programs, transmissions of energy, communications, or signals as it may deem desirable" and FCC would "make rules and regulations requiring broadcasting stations to make and keep recordings, or verbatim records, of all communications transmitted." Sen. McCarthy told B*T after he introduced the bill last June he was in no hurry to press his legislation but looked at the proposal as more of a trial balloon to test broadcaster reaction. Broadcaster reaction reported since then has been unfavorable in the main with questions raised by station operators similar to those presented the Senate committee by the FCC. The FCC's comment to the Senate committee, of which Sen. John W. Bricker (R-Ohio) is chairman, follows in part: Under the existing provisions of Section 303 (j), the Commission already has discretionary authority to impose the requirements that would be made mandatory by S 2125. We have never found it necessary, for purposes of our normal regulatory functions, to require that broadcasting stations keep recordings or verbatim transcripts of all the communications they transmit. However, the Commission has adopted rules requiring broadcast stations to maintain detailed program and operating logs. These logs must be retained by all licensees for a minimum period of two years. In the case of logs relating to a disaster or to a Commission investigation, the log must be retained until the Commission authorizes its destruction. Where logs are involved in any claim or complaint of which the station has notice, they must be retained until the claim or complaint has been satisfied or is barred by the statute of limitations. . . . In view of the fact that the Commission would be required to issue rules to implement the proposed amendment and to administer such rules, there are certain aspects of the proposed legislation which we believe Congress might wish to clarify in the event that it determines that the proposal should be enacted. The language of the proposed subsection would require broadcasting stations to make recordings or verbatim transcripts of "all communications transmitted." Apparently, this would mean that television broadcasting stations would have to record the visual as well as the aural portions of all their programs. Another problem is raised with respect to network broadcasting. It is not clear from the proposed amendment whether each broadcast station would have to record a network program or whether that requirement would be imposed only on the station originating the broadcast. In addition, the proposal does not specify how long a time a station would be required to keep the recordings or verbatim transcripts that would be made. It would be helpful to the Commission in formulating the rules which would be required to implement this legislation should it be adopted, if Congress indicated how long these recordings or transcripts shoud be kept. Broadcasting Telecasting