Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1963)

That certain smile didn't come from White House officals Tv may be limited to pool coverage of future White House-sponsored events because a White House official didn't like the NBC coverage of the Mona Lisa ceremonies of the National Art Gallery in Washington last Tuesday night. The White House official is Andrew T. Hatcher, associate news secretary to President Kennedy. He objected to a portion of the narration by Martin Agronsky, NBC Washington commentator. In his one-minute, voice-over-film, Mr. Agronsky referred to the ceremonies as being "considerably marred by a complete failure of the loudspeaker system. Elevators failed too. Although artistically and diplomatically the event was a triumph, mechanically it was an incredible fiasco. All could look but none could hear. . . ." Published reports labeled the event a debacle, and one of the worst social fiascos of the Kennedy administration. Mr. Hatcher's umbrage was particularly acute because the tv program was transmitted to Europe via "Relay" on Wednesday morning. He chided Mr. Agronsky for mentioning the difficulties, said part of the problem was caused by tv camera lights, and remarked that from now on, as far as he is concerned, tv coverage NBC's Agronsky Where has the smile gone? of White House events would be by pool only. When Mr. Agronsky demurred that his narration was objective, Mr. Hatcher responded that maybe he was too objective. Mr. Hatcher explained the next day that his call to Mr. Agronsky was a personal one and not an official White House complaint. He said he was particularly miffed at the mention of the embarrassments at the ceremonies because he had taken care of a last-minute request from NBC for an extra camera position. He repeated his feeling that from now on White House functions should be pooled for tv. An NBC News spokesman in Washington explained that the first instructions were that each network would be permitted only one camera position. Early Tuesday afternoon, when NBC learned one of the newsphoto services had three positions, the network complained to the White House. When the White House approved a second position for NBC late in the afternoon, a camera crew was pulled off another story and rushed over to the gallery. said, "that Mid-Florida did not secure, aid, confirm, ratify or have knowledge of Dial's conversations with Mack, and that nothing revealed . . . can be held to detract from Mid-Florida's qualifications as a licensee." The commission said that although Mr. Mack should have disqualified himself, there is no way of determining whether his vote was actually influenced by the off-the-record contacts. But, the report added, "we deem it proper to resolve any residual doubts" in favor of WORZ and conclude that Mr. Mack's failure to disqualify himself requires that the 1957 decision be reconsidered. The commission emphasized its satisfaction with the character qualifications of Mid-Florida by turning down that company's request for a hearing to receive evidence on the reliability and integrity of Mid-Florida's principals. The commission said it has, in effect, already accepted Mid-Florida's position "insofar as the reliability and integrity of its principals are involved." Microwave may lose license An FCC hearing examiner last week advocated denying a license renewal to a point-to-point microwave station, KAQ71 in Turkey Ridge, S. D., citing commission rules which require that microwave stations devote at least 50% of their service time to the public. Examiner Asher H. Ende's initial decision held that KAQ71, owned by Allen C. Harmes, confined its service solely to Palace Transvideo Co., a catv system serving Mitchell, S. D. Since Mr. Harmes also owns Palace, Examiner Ende found that there was "no basis for affording the applicant a continued opportunity to hold itself out as a communications common carrier." Communications Act report for FCBA The report of the special Federal Communications Bar Assn. committee proposing basic changes in substantive provisions of the Communications Act of 1934 will be presented to the membership of the association at its annual meeting Friday, Jan. 25, at the Willard Hotel, Washington. The presentation will be made by Leonard H. Marks, committee chairman. Included will be summaries of the monographs prepared by subcommittees headed by W. Theodore Pierson, dealing with Sec. 326, the anticensorship provision; by Philip G. Loucks, relating to Sec. 315, the political section; by Reed Rollo, concerning Title II, the common carrier provisions, and by Mr. Marks and J. Roger Wollenberg, on revision of the structure and functions of the FCC. In its notice to the membership, FCBA President Harold E. Mott underscored the importance of the presentation "which may well have farreaching effects." Mr. Marks pointed out that in the opinion of the committee reforms are "long overdue." He added: "It is hoped that the recommendations of this committee will result in fundamental changes in the structure of the commission and the Communications Act, which has not been changed materially in 28 years in spite of the phenomenal growth of the telecommunications industry." The luncheon and business meeting, at which new officers will be elected, will be followed by the association's annual banquet, which will be held at the Sheraton-Park Hotel in Washington. The Gene Krupa Jazz Quartet and song stylist Hildegarde will be the featured entertainment. Tickets are $13.50 per person and may be reserved through Charles J. McKerns, 600 Munsey Bldg., Washington 4, D. C. 68 (GOVERNMENT) BROADCASTING, January 14, 196}