Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1958)

JUPITER ATNAML2 POWER Jupiter (Zeus to all Greeks) was top man on the totem pole, so far as the Olympian gods were concerned. He was described as Supreme Ruler, Lord of the Sky, the Rain-God and the Cloudgatherer. Like a lot of male mortals, he also had an eye for pretty girls, but we're not concerned with that here. So — to the Greeks, he represented Power, and his symbol and weapon was the Thunderbolt, which he may have used a little indiscriminately here and there. And what does all this have to do with WCKY? Well, we want you to know we've POWER, too— 50,000 whole watts of it; in fact, we're "as powerful as any station in the entire United States." We try to use our power constructively in the public interest. We operate 24 hours a day, serving the Cincinnati market, and doing our darndest to do a good selling job for our advertisers. Cincinnatians like WCKY's 50,000 watts of POWER for its good clear signal covering all of the Cincinnati trading area. Advertisers like WCKY for its selling POWER to the Cincinnati adult audience, and by Jupiter, with a combination like that, how can you lose? If you want to know more about WCKY's POWER to reach listeners and produce sales, call Tom Welstead at WCKY's New York office or AM Radio Sales in Chicago and on the West Coast. WCKY 50,000 WATTS OF SELLING POWER Cincinnati, Ohio GOVERNMENT CONTINUED ter (R-Mich.) to appoint a commission to examine government usage of the radio spectrum passed the Senate. In the House, the Administration prevailed in revising the resolution to require the commission to investigate both non-government and government use of the spectrum. This was reported out by a House committee in the closing days of the 85th Congress but it was never brought to the floor for a vote. Broadcasters opposed the amended Potter resolution. Shortly after Congress adjourned, it was reported that the President was considering the appointment of a White House committee to investigate the spectrum [Closed Circuit, Sept. 15; Government, Sept. 22]. Among other recent activities which may have spurred the President into seeking proposals to revise the present structure of radio spectrum management are the revelations of the House Legislative Oversight Committee, including off-the-record wire-pulling at the FCC, allegations of attempted bribery and solicitations of bribery, and general laxity in official conduct. In announcing the appointment of the five-man committee, Mr. Hoegh stated that the rapidly changing technology and needs in both government and non-government areas "are presenting increasingly difficult problems in telecommunications management." This situation, Mr. Hoegh continued, is becoming "no less complicated" by developments in satellites and space vehicles, as well as military weapons systems and civil defense communications. The OCDM announcement also contained a paragraph stating that the committee "will not be concerned with existing regulatory powers or procedures of the FCC, nor will it make studies of detailed problems of radio frequency usage." Mr. Cooley stated last week that the committee has no plans to get into the question of specific radio assignments. Another member of the committee was more down-to-earth: "We don't intend to get into the nuts and bolts part of telecommunications." The committee has met twice, on Nov. 18 and 19. Another meeting will take place in mid-December, Mr. Cooley said. Present at the Nov. 18 meeting was FCC Chairman John C. Doerfer, it was learned. Individual members of the committee have been given assignments in preparation for the next meeting. The request for a Dec. 31 report is seen as lending credence to reports that the President desired to be ready for possible congressional activity in the field of telecommunications when the new Congress assembles Jan. 7. There have been definite reports that Congress intends to take up anew the matter of a study of the radio spectrum. Only last September, Rep. Oren Harris (D-Ark.) declared that he would reintroduce his bill to study the spectrum. At the same time the Arkansas Democrat (who is chairman of the House Legislative Oversight Committee as well as of the parent Commerce Committee) stated that he felt El A REPEAT The Electronic Industries Assn. last week renewed its recommendation for a long range study of the military and civilian uses of the radio spectrum. EIA's statement was issued last Thursday, following the announcement earlier in the week of the establishment of a Presidential Telecommunications Advisory Committee. In a letter to Victor E. Cooley, chairman of the advisory committee, H. Leslie Hoffman, chairman of EIA's spectrum study committee, expressed the hope that the committee's appointment was the first step toward launching an overall investigation of the spectrum. Last September the EIA board formally urged the establishment of a commission to study the spectrum and its uses by both government and non-government users. Some segments of the electronics industry have been advocating such a probe for the last year or more. EIA has not suggested how this should be done, but it has recommended that a commission be appointed for this purpose. one agency should control both government and non-government use of the spectrum. Under the 1934 Communications Act, the President is the final authority in licensing government stations. The FCC is empowered to regulate all non-government use of the radio spectrum. The President's responsibilities are carried out through the Interdepartmental Radio Advisory Committee, on which sits a representative of each department and agency of the federal government which uses radio frequencies. The Communications Act is silent, however, on a supreme arbiter for the apportionment of frequencies between the government and civilian use. This has been accomplished through a "gentlemen's agreement" between the White House and the FCC. The latest expression of this liaison was the FCC's action last April in removing 8500-9000 mc from civilian use for military usage. The band had been assigned for civil aviation radionavigation; it was reassigned to government use for radiopositioning. This has become a key law case. Aviation interests have asked the appellate court to force the FCC to provide the normal rule-making and hearing safeguards spelled out in the Communications Act. The Commission ordered the change in allocations into effect without preliminary notice or a hearing. The reason given was the request of OCDM for these frequencies. When civil aviation interests protested, the Commission refused to reconsider its order. The objectors have appealed this particular action, and last week a pre-trial conference was held in the U. S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D. C. Actually the FCC order pre-empted 14 November, 24, 1958 • Page 71