Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1963)

ry's contention that the commercial situation is "deteriorating." He pointed instead to the considerable changes in broadcasting which have evolved over the years. One of the most significant, he said, is the greatly decreased number of fully sponsored programs in radio and TV. He also cited the parallel increase in spot advertising. The subcommittee also was interested in the question of commercial loudness, and Mr. Kenney noted that the FCC is studying the issue. "Sponsors feel that if a fella's going to be soothed to sleep by his program," Representative Rogers interjected, "he ought to at least wake up for the commercial." Payson Hall, president of Meredith Broadcasting Co., pointed out Congress's repeated reluctance to give the FCC power to limit commercials, going back to 1928. The commission's excursion into regulation, as its proposal on advertising would be, "is in fact legislating," Mr. Hall said. This "trend of thought at the commission is all the more disturbing" because of the Omaha inquiry led by Chairman Henry. That inquiry, "like the attempt to regulate commercials, is an attack on profits, a penalty placed on success and an attempt by government to influence So good to be with. . . 1-1-3 WE ' Good things go together-good company, good music, dependable news-on radio 1-1-3. Detroit's good music station . . . One of a series in Detroit newspapers and Adcratter. W-CAR Representation: AM Radio Sales competition," he said. Meredith Broadcasting is licensee of, among other stations, wow-am-fm-tv Omaha. Representative Cunningham said something should be done about Chairman Henry, "that mischievious young man. . . . We should take him by the hand and keep him out of mischief," he said. If Congress doesn't stop the FCC, enactment of its commercial proposal "would open a Pandora's box" of trouble, warned W. M. Jones, wchj Brookhaven, Miss., and president of the Mississippi Broadcasters Association. John Coyle, president, kvil-am-fm Highland Park (Dallas), pointed out the importance of broadcasters, acquainted as they are with the day-to-day needs of their communities, deciding such questions as commercial length and frequency on their own stations. "You can't really know what's going on locally unless you live there," he said. He also referred to response to a kvil editorial on the issue (see above). Marshall H. Pengra, part owner and general manager, kltv(tv) Tyler, Tex., said the essence of his objection to the proposed rulemaking could be expressed in the line from a familiar commercial message: "Mother, please, I'd rather do it myself." Georgia was represented by the president and a past president of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters. Raymond E. Carow, GAB president and general manager of walb-tv Albany and wjhgtv Panama City, Fla., iterated the contention that broadcast regulation Mr. Coyle KVIL gets support The mayor of Dallas, city councilmen and other responsible citizens have responded favorably to a KVIL Dallas editorial that asked whether "a federal agency or the management of kvil" should decide kvil editorial, commercial and programing policies, John Coyle, president, reported last week. Mr. Coyle, in Washington to testify at a congressional hearing on regulation of commercial time limits (story this page), said more than 60 persons had written the station urging him to testify against federal regulation; two favored it. The kvil editorial noted that Mr. Coyle would be testifying on the matter and that he wanted to know how its listeners felt about the matter. 46 (BROADCAST ADVERTISING) BROADCASTING, November 11, 1963