Broadcasting Telecasting (Apr-Jun 1958)

GOVERNMENT continued Celler Asks New Teeth In Conflict of Interest Rep. Emanuel Celler (D-N. Y.) is out to make is rough on government employes who might use their official knowledge to promote private business careers. In a stringent proposal to amend the conflict of interest laws, he moved: • To prohibit former government officials from ever representing before their former agencies any case in which they had a hand while in federal employ. (The existing limitation is for two years.) Penalty for violation: Not more than $10,000 fine, not more than one year in jail, or both. • To prohibit former government officials for two years from prosecuting any case before their former agency. (There is no such prohibition at all now.) Penalty for violation: Not more than $10,000 fine, not more than one year in jail, or both. Rep. Cellefs amendment also would change the bribery statutes. Among other things, it would empower the President to declare void any "contract, license, grant, subsidy or other benefit" gained through a bribe and, in addition, would give back to the U. S. whatever had been awarded. In the case of a radio or tv assignment this apparently would mean the channel would revert to its status before hearing. In introducing the bill (HR 12547), Rep. Celler said that present laws are "confused and inadequate," adding that they contain "loopholes for the agile and unscrupulous and pitfalls for the honest but unwary." The measure was referred to the House Judiciary Committee of which Rep. Celler is chairman. Holland Gets Census To Reconsider Radio The Census Bureau, under prodding by Sen. Spessard Holland (D-Fla.), has agreed to re-evaluate its decision not to include a radio ownership survey in the 1960 census [Government, May 12]. Bureau Director Robert W. Burgess agreed to reconsider the decision to omit a radio set ownership count while appearing before a Senate appropriations subcommittee in an effort to have restored a House $1.3 million cut from a recommended $8.93 million budget. Sen. Holland, chairman, asked why the radio question had been cut and was told it no longer was considered necessary since homes had reached a 96% saturation in 1950. When informed a tv survey would be taken, Sen. Holland replied: "It seems to me that the committee would be very loath to have Census complete this very important compilation of facts for the television industry and leave the radio industry without similar information." He said several other senators also were concerned because no radio ownership survey was contemplated and that the 96% figure in 1950 "might not be at all accurate as to the present situation." Loomis Succeeds Button As Director of VOA The Voice of America got a new chief last week when Henry Loomis was named to succeed Robert E. Button as director of VOA. Mr. Button has been assigned as public affairs adviser to U. S. Ambassador W. Randolph Burgess, U. S. representative to the North Atlantic Council. The announcements were made by George V. Allen, director of U. S. Information Agency. Mr. Loomis returns to USIA from the White House where he was staff director to Dr. James R. Killian Jr., scientific adviser to the President. Mr. Loomis was with USIA in 1953 as director of research and intelligence. Mr. Button, who will assume his new duties in Paris July 1, became director of VOA in 1956 after serving as deputy assistant for radio and Soviet orbit operations for one year. Court Orders New FCC Hearing On WSPA-TV Transmitter Move The FCC last week was told to hold another hearing — its second — on the contentious Spartanburg, S. C, ch. 7 transmitter change. The U. S. Court of Appeals by a two to one vote remanded the four-year-old case on the ground that the FCC's July 1957 decision failed to justify the service curtailment resulting from WSPA-TV's transmitter move from Hogback Mt. to Paris Mt., and the "excusability" of the misrepresentation issue. It declined to order WSPA-TV off the air pending the outcome of a new hearing. The FCC last July affirmed its 1954 grant permitting WSPA-TV to move its transmitter to Paris Mt. The case began in 1954 when WSPA-TV secured Commission approval to move its transmitter from Hogback Mt., outside of Spartanburg to Paris Mt., which is nearer Greenville, S. C. This move was protested by WGVL (TV) Greenville and WAIM-TV Anderson, both South Carolina. The FCC refused to entertain the protest and the two protesting uhf stations appealed. In March 1955 the court remanded the case to the FCC with instructions that a hearing be held. The decision last July resulted from its hearing. In its July 1957 decision the FCC said that the loss of service to Spartanburg due to the move was compensated by the increased service available to other areas. The misrepresentation, the Commission said, was not willful, and therefore not disqualifying. The misrepresentation issue, the protestants alleged, was that WSPA-TV failed to inform the FCC that the move to Paris Mt. was necessary in order for it to gain a CBS-TV affiliation. Last week's decision was written by Circuit Judge David P. Bazelon for himself and Chief Judge Henry W. Edgerton. Judge Charles Fahy dissented on the ground that the FCC had found the misrepresentation was not a deliberate desire to commit wrong and therefore not a disqualifying factor. CMC SSlW* it q% too, ioi . . . See how it adds up, Smidley? This Cascade TV is a "must" buy with our time-buyers. One of the nation's top 75 markets, it's the biggest single TV buy in the West. Where else can you grab an exclusive, four-station, three-state market? This is it, Smid; all signed, sealed and delivered by KIMA-TV with its top-flight network. From now on, old man, we'll buy Cascade ... or I'll know the reason why. Quite a market . . . E. B. I $981,563,000 Drugs $22,603,000 Source. 1957 "Survey of Buying Power" Ki MA-TV YAKIMA, WASHINGTON with its satellites KEPg-TV, Pasco, Wash. KUW-TV, Lewistoa, Idaho end KB AS TV tphrata, Moses lake. Wash. CASCADE BROADCASTING COMPANY NATIONAL REP: WEED TELEVISION PACIFIC NORTHWEST: MOORE & ASSOCIATES Page 82 • May 26, 1958 Broadcasting