Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

GOVERNMENT TALENT SCOUTING? Look no further. The talent's on WMBR-TV, reaching 343,428 homes with the highest rated shows, national and local. WMBR-TV Jacksonville Basic CBS Channel 4 CBS Television Spot Sales Page 82 • February 20, 1956 the National Temperance League, said congres Lewis C. Berger, superintendent of the Temsional committees for several years have re perance League of Ohio, criticized the spot ferred anti-alcohol advertising bills to the Jus announcement advertising beer and wine, saytice Dept., the FCC, Federal Trade Commission ing parents never know when the announceand other agencies and have been advised under ment is coming and thus cannot turn off their both Democratic and Republican administra tv sets. tions, that such proposals present "only a Roy S. Hollomon, superintendent of the question of legislative policy, no grounds for Kansas United Dry Forces, said his "organizaconstitutional objection being cited." tion holds that the liquor traffic is not a legiti He cited briefs and court decisions which he mate business, but is a traffic that is only tolsaid support the view that Congress is em erated in parts of these United States." powered to enact the present proposal. i Harold A. Young, superintendent of the Mr. Dunford said the courts have decided Iowa Temperance League, said that although since the 21st (repeal) Amendment that, public opinion in Iowa is against liquor adveramong other things: The pending bill applies tising, radio and tv stations carry it anyway. He only to advertising practices under control of said the state legislature feels it is a problem Congress and for which it is responsible; that for Congress. prohibitions or regulations upon commercial Warren J. McFate, representing the Iowa advertising are "a legitimate incident" to the Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren policing of the liquor traffic among the various states, and that the manufacture and sale of liquor is "not one of the inherent rights of citizenship," but a privilege to be exercised under state laws. He said restrictions upon the liquor business have been upheld which could not be sustained "when applied to essential or harmless industry." A. C. Miller, executive secretary of the Southern Baptist Convention's Christian Life Commission, said his group believes that interstate advertising of alcoholic beverages is not in the interest of the public welfare and that, in keeping with the "spirit and meaning of the definition of the term 'false advertising' as set forth in the Federal Trade Commission Act, we believe that an analogous situation exists in the interstate advertising of alcoholic beverages . . . [and] . . . should be forbidden by act of Congress." Leonard M. Campbell, representing the National Assn. of Evangelicals, said, "We are aware that the radio and tv broadcasters have brought forward some evidence which makes it appear that the proportion of alcoholic beverage advertisements has been reduced . . . but the basic problem has not approached solution." William F. McConn, president of Marion College, Marion, Ind., a member of NTL's executive committee and president of the Indiana Temperance League, said the state's right to control liquor sale and advertising "is being violated by radio and tv programs and by many magazines." James Renz, representing the Church of the Brethren, Elgin 111., cited figures purporting to show that beer and liquor advertising in maga Church, said alcohol "is the only poisonous narzines and newspapers is higher than that of cotic allowed the privilege of advertising their other products during certain times of the year. product." J. Renwick Patterson, executive secretary of James Sloan, chairman of the Iowa-Des the National Reform Assn. and editor of the Moines annual conference of the Board of Christian Statesman, said, "It is most certainly Temperance of the Methodist Church, said the not in the best interest of our children and our liquor interests "stress their own ability for youth to turn our living rooms into sales rooms self-regulating; however, practical results are for alcoholic beverages." He said "subtle" beer seldom forthcoming." and wine commercials suggest to the housewife Others who made or were scheduled to make "that she is something less than a good hostess statements favoring the bill were: ... if she fails to provide beer and wine with Mrs. Augusta K. Christie, president of the the other refreshments." Maine WCTU; Mrs. Violet Hill Whyte, a mem Mrs. W. J. H. McKnight, chairman of the ber of the Batlimore Police Dept.; Lloyd C. temperance education committee of the United Halverson, National Grange; Dr. W. A. ScharfPresbyterian Church of North America's gen fenberg, American Temperance Society; Dr. J. eral assembly, asked, "Are those millions of Warren Hastings, National Body of Disciples us who do not drink, who hate the stuff and of Christ; Dr. Charles X. Hutchinson Jr., know the evil consequences of its use, going to secretary, International Reform Federation; be forever denied the freedom in our own Mrs. Ruth Peterson, National Grand Lodge of homes to turn on the radio and tv and not have the International Order of Good Templars, our intelligence and finer sensibilities insulted James Overpeck, Rogers, Ark.; Carl Sjulin, and outraged by this obnoxious propaganda of president, International Nurseries, Hamburg, the liquor forces?" Iowa; Mrs. Harvey Wiley, Washington; Dr. Erwin F. Bohmfalk, vice president of Texas Samuel A. Jeanes, New Jersey State Baptist Alcoholic-Education Inc., criticized radio and Organization; Carroll Cross, Lakeland, Fla.. tv beer jingles as appealing to children. representing calendar publishers; Rev. E. N. Broadcasting • Telecasting Out of This World ONE James Overbeck of Rogers, Ark., testifying before the Senate committee Thursday in a talk believed to be in favor of the bill, departed from the usual arguments of the drys — in fact, he departed from this earth. Mr. Overbeck, apparently sponsored only by himself, said that of all the planets, only the earth has a liquor problem. He said it had been proved that since these planets have no liquor problems, they don't have police. Don't need them. But it took atomic wars to fix up the other planets, he said, leaving unsaid the suggestion that it might take the same to straighten out the earth. Mr. Overbeck not only didn't like liquor. Neither did he like coffee, tea, sugar, starches or other such things and he said grocery stores should be prohibited from selling them. He said these items and "four bottles of beer" every day had "seduced and debauched" the U. S. armed forces. Whenever Mr. Overbeck paused for breath, which was seldom, Sen. Andrew Schoeppel (R-Kan.), acting as chairman, kept saying "thank you," apparently in the hope Mr. Overbeck had finished. When he finally did, the audience was convulsed.