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GOVERNMENT
Both blue pencil, blackjack for FCC?
BROADCASTERS SEE THESE, OTHER SHORTCOMINGS IN PROGRAM FORMS
A maelstrom of some 150 comments, representing over 250 parties, enveloped the FCC last week in response to the agency's rulemaking on proposed program reporting and logging forms. The deadline deluge represented only about two-thirds of the total comments filed. Commenting last week were some 75 individual stations, two dozen group owners, 16 trade associations and state groups, a dozen law firms, the four networks and other interested parties such as religious organizations, individuals and unions.
Comments ran along two general lines — some accusing the FCC of violating the First Amendment and Sec. 326 of the Communications Act (for
bidding censorship) and some making point-by-point suggestions for further revision of the forms.
There was virtual unanimity among broadcast interests on certain points in both forms which they found undesirable:
■ The FCC should be less concerned with "counting spots" than in the ratio of commercial to program matter.
■ There should be no distinction between commercial and sustaining programs in any category.
■ The composite week should satisfy the FCC's need for logs; the week selected by the broadcaster is unfair and unnecessary.
■ News copy should not be consid
ered recorded just because an announcer reads it from wire service copy.
■ Religious music should be classified as religious programming, not entertainment.
■ Station IDs are not of sufficient duration to require logging.
■ Spots should be logged simply by starting time and length.
NAB made a two-pronged presentation: "an examination in the abstract of the proper range of government authority in relation to the broadcaster's program service" and how to achieve "a balance between the lawful desires of the commission for program information and the practical handicaps of
Industry spokesmen at the FCC's joint hearing with NAB on proposed revision of program and logging-form rules met Oct. 5 at NAB Washington headquarters to prepare testimony. Radio witnesses (top photo, seated I to r): Charles C. Smith, WDEC Americus, Ga.; Mrs. Charlotte H. Brader, KOJM Havre, Mont; Grover C. Cobb, KVGB Great Bend, Kan.; Ben Sanders, KICD Spencer, Iowa, radio director; George C. Hatch, KALL Salt Lake City, NAB radio board chairman; Henry H. Fletcher, KSEI Pocatello, Idaho; Carleton D. Brown, WTVL Waterville, Me., NAB radio director; Francis H. Brinkley, Ottaway Stations, Endicott, N. Y.; Ben Strouse, WWDC-AM-FM Washington,
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NAB radio director. Standing: Dan Shields, NAB special tv assistant; Hollis Seavey, NAB government relations manager; John F. Meagher, NAB radio vice president. Television witnesses (bottom photo): Dwight W. Martin, WAFB-TV Baton Rouge, La., NAB tv board chairman; Ewald Kockritz, Storer Broadcasting Co.; Eugene S. Thomas, KETV (TV) Omaha, Neb., NAB tv director; Thad M. Sandstrom, Wl BW-AM-FM-TV Topeka, Kan.; Carroll Gray, KWTV (TV) Oklahoma City; Willard E. Walbridge, KTRKTV Houston; NAB President LeRoy Collins; Vincent T. Wasilewski, NAB executive vice president; Douglas A. Anello, NAB general counsel.
BROADCASTING, October 9, 1961