Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1963)

WGMA, bureau swap charges in hearing The arguments for and against the renewal of the license of WGMA Hollywood, Fla., were continued last week when the FCC's Broadcast Bureau and Melody Music Inc., the station's licensee, filed reply comments to each other's proposed findings in the case (Broadcasting, Dec. 17, 1962). The Broadcast Bureau told the commission that WGMA's "programming submission is hinged on minimizing and excusing the prior misconduct and character derelictions of its principals." The owners of WGMA, Jack Barry and Daniel Enright, were the owners of the rigged and now defunct tv quiz shows Twenty -One and Tic Tac Dough, and questions as to their character qualifications were raised when the WGMA renewal proceedings began well over a year ago (Broadcasting, Nov. 20, 1961). WGMA said that the Broadcast Bureau's approach to the station's arguments for license renewal on the grounds that it did a fine job of community programming and judging the communities needs were "erroneous and unfair." WGMA argued that the programming of the station outweighed the conduct of Messrs. Barry and Enright during the tv quiz scandal and their role in the production of Twenty-One and Tic Tac Dough. The Broadcast Bureau said that WGMA ignored the fact that the programming "is only relevant as a mitigating factor" and that it is the duty of any licensee to program in the public interest. The bureau also charged that the "bulk of WGMA's improvement in its programming service occurred after the commission's letter of inquiry into an hour STAFFS YOUR STATION with IGM SIMPLIMATION Get the details! Find the way to bigger audiences, lower costs, higher profits with unparalleled flexibility and consistently better sound. 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BROADCASTING, January 7, 1963 Congressional activities in radio-tv These are the major legislative items of interest to broadcasters which the 88th Congress, convening Wednesday, Jan. 9, can be expected to consider: ■ Amendment or suspension of Sec. 315, that part of the Communications Act which requires radio and television stations to provide equal time to political candidates. ■ Probes of broadcast measurement firms by the house, possibly the senate, too (see page 66). ■ Community antenna television regulation. ■ Concentration of ownership in newspapers and broadcast properties owned or controlled by newspapers. ■ Amendments to communications satellite legislation passed last year and confirmation of Communication Satellite Corp. incorporators. ■ House review of administration news policies with an eye on easing access to news and eliminating censorship. ■ Provision of money to follow last year's authorization of $32 million toward construction of etv stations. the conduct of Enright was written on Nov. 27, 1959," at which time it could be anticipated a renewal application would be designated for hearing, the bureau concluded. The bureau further concluded that if Messrs. Barry and Enright were not aware that "rigging" of the quiz shows was improper, as WGMA argued, in view of the practice throughout the industry, they are then "unaware ... of moral values." "It takes no highly refined sense of moral values to recognize and appreciate that 'cheating' in whatever form, is improper," the bureau added. The bureau said that anyone who "callously and systematically" deceived viewers week after week "is not fit to be trusted with a broadcast license." FCC changes rules on filing procedures The FCC last week instituted five procedural changes in its filing rules, three of which increase and two of which diminish the commission's supply of red tape by several inches. A rundown of FCC procedural amendments: ■ The number of copies of interlocutory pleadings before the Review Board, Chief Hearing Examiner or Presiding Officer has been increased from 10 to 15, and in all other matters except rulemaking 20 copies instead of the present 15 must be filed. ■ Rulemaking proceedings still require only 15 copies, although two additional copies for each docket must be submitted when identical documents are filed in two or more related rulemaking proceedings which have not been consolidated. ■ Requests for action by more than one of the FCC's arms of authority may not be combined in a single pleading, and combined requests may be returned. ■ Responses to oppositions must be filed only by the petitioner; a single document must reply to all oppositions; replies must be confined only to the substance of the opposition; and such replies must be filed within five days after the deadline for oppositions has expired. ■ Ex parte rulings may be made on motions for extension of time without waiting for the filing of oppositions and replies. 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