Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1958)

GOVERNMENT continued NETWORKS GET TURN AT BARROW • Full Commission back this week from Hill for hearings • FCC sessions on network study may stretch out 30 days television networks and their supporters lvi their turn at bat this week — with the controversial Barrow Report as the ball. The long awaited open hearings on the Barrow Report recommendations start this morning and may continue, according to i he best estimates, for 30 days. The FCC will sit en banc for the hearings probably the most siginficant to television Since the color and uhf hearings during the freeze period from 1948 to 1952. The sessions will take place in Hearing Room B of the Interstate Commerce Commission. ICC is on Washington's Constitution Avenue, between 12th and 14th Sts. The decison to maintain the Barrow Report hearing schedule was reaffirmed late last week and relayed to all principal witnesses by FCC Chairman John C. Doerfer. There was a report earlier last week that the Commission might postpone the hearings. Informal requests to the Commission to do this had come from networks and other witnesses. About the middle of last week it was rumored that Rep. Oren Harris (D-Ark.), chairman of the House Legislative Oversight Committee, had asked the Commission to hold itself in readiness to appear before his committee in the middle of this week or later. It was understood, however, that Chair man Doerfer had received assurance from Mr Harris that the commissioners would not be required on the Hill this week. The first witnesses will be network spokesmen. Each network will be permitted two days to put its case in the record. ABC leads off with witnesses pared from the orginal eight to four. The four are Leonard H. Goldenson, Oliver Treyz, Alfred Beckman. Selig Seligman. Following ABC. the CBS contingent will be on the stand. CBS will be followed by N B( representatives. CBS spokesmen will be Frank Stanton. Merle S. Jones, Richard S. Salant and William B. Lodge. NBC witnesses will be Robert W. Sarnoff, David C. Adams, Hugh M. Beville, Walter D. Scott, Charles R. Denny, Thomas B. McFadden. William N. Davidson (WRCA-TV New York). Jules Herbuveaux iWNBQ [TV] Chicago), Lloyd E. Yoder (WRC-TV Philadelphia), Thomas C. McCray (KRCA [TV] Los Angeles), Carleton D. Smith (WRC-TV Washington), Charles C. Bevis (WBUF [TV] Buffalo), and Peter B. Kenney (WNBC [TV] New Britain). According to present plans, each of the network representatives will be permitted to put in direct testimony without interruption— except for clarifying questions from the commissioners and Broadcast Bureau counsel. Broadcast Bureau counsel will then question the witness, following which the individual commissioners will interrogate. Broadcast Bureau counsel are Robert J. Rawson. on leave from his duties as chief of the bureau's hearing branch, and Herbert M. Schulkind, assistant chief of the bureau's rules and standards division. Hours for the first week of hearings are 10 a.m. -12:30 p.m.. and 2-4:30 p.m. The second week of hearings will hear group owners, including J. H. Whitney Co.. Meredith Publishing, RKO Teleradio, Southwestern Publishing. Storer, Time Inc., Westinghouse [For list of witnesses, see Government, Feb. 24, 17]. The Barrow Report culminated more than two years' study and investigation by U. of Cincinnati Law School Dean Roscoe L. Barrow and a staff of more than a dozen, with an appropriation from Congress that amounted to $221,000. The report was issued last October and recommended slashing changes in network practices [Lead Story, Oct. 7, 1957]. Among the recommendations were: • Networks should be licensed directly by the FCC. • Option time and must-buy station lineups should be outlawed. • Networks should be prohibited from acting as national spot representatives for stations other than their own. • Controls should be imposed to prevent networks from influencing affiliates in spot rates classifications or in program time clearances. • Multiple ownership rules should be revised to forbid any one entity from owning more than three vhf outlets in the top 25 markets. • More weight in deciding comparative hearing cases should be given to local ownership and diversity of ownership. • Station sales should be required to be for cash, so others may submit comparable bids and be admitted to comparative hearing with the original purchaser. • Networks should be required to make public all affiliation contracts and terms of compensation with affiliates. • The FCC should have the power to levy fines against stations for infractions of rules. • Networks should be required to place programs on non-affiliates if requested by sponsors or if affiliates fail to clear. They also should be required ro place programs on stations in markets covered by affiliates if desired by the sponsor who wants exposure in overshadowed areas. Although the Barrow Report was issued last October, one section, that on programming, was not included. This is still being written by a cadre of network study staffers, including Warren Baum, Ashbrook Bryant and John Tierney. They constitute the Office of Network Study, which was made part of the Broadcast Bureau when the Network Study staff disbanded last fall. Mr. Baum is chief of ONS. coverage is not enough! This fime buy KJEO-TV and get FULL coverage for your money. KJEO-TV consistently serves Fresno and the fabulous San Joaquin Valley better for less. Call your BRANHAM man for complete details. We GUARANTEE you'll save your energy, get more for your money on KJEO-TV. ACT TODAY! Page 64 • March 3. 1958 Broadcasting