Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1963)

INTERNATIONAL ITA GETS CENSORING POWER Bill implementing White Paper gives Authority more control on program material, commercials The U.K. government's new television bill, which gives effect to its recent White Paper proposals [Broadcasting, Dec. 24] to increase Independent Television Authority control over the commercial network, extends ITA's life 12 years from 1964 and ITA will have to initiate program standards on violence, especially for times when young people might be viewing. All program schedules must be approved by ITA before transmission and ITA will have the power to cancel, cut or change material which violates its code of conduct. A new definition of ITA's duty to viewers has been made. Currently it is required to "entertain, instruct and inform" but in the new bill the terms used are "information, education and entertainment." This brings ITA into line with the BBC charter which has the same order of priorities. New power will be given to ITA to regulate natural breaks and decide where they may occur in the program. An advertising code will be formulated and the postmaster-general will have a final say in any dispute. The code will prescribe products and methods which are prohibited in commercials. It will be kept under review by a strengthened advisory committee which will include representatives of the public. A medical advisory panel will also be appointed and will advise ITA on commercials for medicines, medical and surgical treatments and appliances, toilet products which include claims as to the therapeutic or prophylactic effect of the product, and veterinary medicines and treatments. Successive commercials must be recognizably separate; commercials must not be presented so that they appear to be part of a continuous fea ture; audio must not be "excessively noisy or strident." The commercial network will have the same leeway as BBC in presenting controversial subjects. Instead of having to balance conflicting views within one program, as at present, it will be possible for balance to be worked out over a series. A curb will be placed on big quiz prizes. ITA will have the duty of approving the amount of prize money in any show. As promised in the White Paper, payment by the tv companies to ITA is on two levels. One will be to cover ITA expenses and the other will be a levy on each company's profit before taxes. Power will be granted, when the bill becomes law, to direct ITA on the collection of information about company profits. The bill provides a maximum $280 fine and three months imprisonment for refusing to give information. One clause of the bill bans subliminal advertising, which is defined as "any technical device, which by using images of a very brief duration or by any other means" could influence an unsuspecting audience. 'Broadway Goes Latin' sold in 19 countries Broadway Goes Latin, syndicated music-variety series offered for foreign distribution last month, has been sold in 19 countries. Overseas markets purchasing the Independent Television Corp. series include Canada, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom, Argentina, Uruguay, Rho Write For New Data Sheets on For Unsurpassed Systems Capacity and Flexibility SPECIFY REMOTE CONTROL ■1 bdpduiy aim r Hi® □ FM RF AMPLIFIER □ AM RF AMPLIFIER □ 9-P0SITI0N SYSTEM □ 24-P0SITI0N SYSTEM □ ECONOMY SYSTEM □ PRICE LIST & BROCHURE Name .. Station Address City .... .Title General Electronic Laboratories, Inc. 195 MASSACHUSETTS AVE., CAMBRIDGE 39, MASS. .State.. Tv political success story Canadian politicians of the Social Credit Party have been using television in the French speaking Quebec province for the past two years. Because of the party's success in last June's election, when it won 26 seats in Parliament, the party has decided to expand its use of tv. Previously, deputy party leader Real Caouette had aired the party's views on three rural area stations. Now he will be on 10 tv stations in both metropolitan and rural areas for a weekly 15minute program. Agency is Transocean Adv. Ltd., Montreal. 72 desia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Hong Kong, and others. Contract negotiations are reportedly nearing completion in other foreign countries. Canadian-made sets show sales increase Canadian-made radio and television receiver sales were up in the first ten months of 1962 as compared to the same period in 1961, according to the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, Ottawa. Canadian-made radio receiver sales totaled 507,915 in the January-October 1962 period, as against 464,570 the previous year, while television receiver sales amounted to 340,801 units as compared with 284,992 units the previous year. There was an increase in all categories of Canadian-made radio receivers except portables. The imports in the first six months of this year are reported at 294,322 transistor-type radio sets, 92,881 other radio receivers and 8,943 television receivers. Well over half the Canadian-made radio receivers, 316,227 units, were sold in the province of Ontario in the January-October period. Ontario residents bought just over a third, 119,539 receivers, of the total Canadian-made television receivers sold in the first ten months. Abroad in brief... Marital advice abroad ■ Marriage, Before and After, a radio series of 260 one-minute segments on marital and pre-marital problems, has been sold by Alan Sands Productions, New York, to EMI Ltd. for distribution in Australia and New Zealand and to outlets in Trinidad. The series has been aired weekly on ABC Radio since 1961. BROADCASTING, January 7, 1963