NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1943)

in Radio Operations and Maintenance. The streamlined course is of two and one-half hours’ duration, three nights per week, for thirteen weeks. RADIO TECHNICAL PLANNING AGENCY Authorized repiesentatives of the Radio Manufacturers’ Association and The Institute of Radio Engineers met on June 25, 1943, in Washington, to consider the organization of the proposed Radio Technical Planning Agency. Encouraging progress was made and agreement was reached on the general principles underlying the plan. It is expected that final agreement on the details of the proposed plan will shortly result, as indicated in the statement issued by Haraden Pratt, chairman of the I. R. E. Committee on the Radio Technical Planning Agency. WCAU ENGINEER IS NAVY LIEUT. Charles W. Robinson, WCAU master control engineer for the last seven years, has been commissioned a lieu¬ tenant in the U. S. Navy and has reported for indoctrina¬ tion in the middle-west. Lieutenant Robinson is 38 years old, married and the fathei' of two children. He is a grad¬ uate of the University of Pennsylvania and has served several “hitches” as a ship-going radio officer. FEDERAL COMMUNICATSONS COMMISSION FLY SAYS FCC HAS ‘NO DESIRE’ TO SUCCEED OWI Domestic operations of OWI is doing a very essential job and doing it in a very splendid manner, FCC Chair¬ man James Lawrence Fly told a news conference early this week. He made this remark in connection with rumors to the effect that the FCC might take over some of these opera¬ tions in connection with radio. Fly said that insofar as he knows the FCC does not have the slightest desire to enter into this work in any way. He said that it is his opinion that it would be an inappropriate line of work for the Commission. Chairman Fly told the conference that this would be a particularly bad time for the FCC to enter into the picture when there are so many false and malicious rumors and statements about the Commission’s undertaking to run the programs of the radio stations and he said he thinks that it should be made doubly clear that it has not done any¬ thing of that sort and does not plan anything of that sort, in view of the importance of not merely keeping radio free, but also of having everybody understand that it is completely free so fai' as the licensing power is concerned. Fly said he felt that such suggestions came from those who want to make trouble for the Commission and per¬ haps for the OWL The Chairman said that he thinks that the suggestions came from somebody in the radio indus¬ try and “some of those parasites.” PAYNE RENOMINATED President Roosevelt on Wednesday sent the name of George Henry Payne to the Senate to succeed himself as 296 — July 2, 1943 a mmber of the Federal Communications Commission. His name has been referred to the Senate Committee on Interstate Commerce. The reappointment is for a seven year term as of June 30. DODD CHARGES DROPPED The FCC held a full hearing on the administrative charges made against William E. Dodd, Jr. on May 19, 1943 and May 24, 1943, to the effect that he had made false, misleading or conflicting statements to government officials in the course of recent inquiries. On the basis of all of the pertinent documents, the records of other hear¬ ings and upon the testimony given in the hearing, the Commission found that none of the charges is substan¬ tiated. It accordingly directs that the said charges be dismissed. FCC TO PERMIT OCD TO OPERATE WERS AS NEEDED To provide for the rapid mobilization of the nation’s protective facilities in meeting “emergencies endangering life, public safety, or important property,” the FCC has amended Part 15 of its Rules, effective immediately, to permit Civilian Defense stations in the War Emergency Radio Service to operate in any emergency which might adversely affect the war effort. Under the ameniled rules. Civilian Defense licensees in the WERS may now use their Stations to provide essential communications over limited distances in the event of emei'gcncies such as floods, explosions in munitions plants, hurricanes, fire and other emergency situations affecting the nation’s security. Prior to this amendment, these sta¬ tions were authorized to be on the air only “for essential communication relating to civilian defense and only dur¬ ing or immediately following actual air raids, impending air raids,” and other enemy operations, or for purposes of testing and drill. To implement the “mutual aid” program inaugurated by the Office of Civilian Defense, the amended rules also pro¬ vide for the designation of one or more of the licensed WERS stations as “control units.” So that fire-fighting and other facilities to be used in “mutual aid” programs may always be in readiness. Civilian Defense licensees in this service may use their station units, under the super¬ vision of such “control units,” during the first 15 minutes of each hour, for the exclusive purpose of handling essen¬ tial communications preparatory to any anticipated emer¬ gency. The use of Civilian Defense Stations in connection with “mutual aid” programs is under the jurisdiction of the station licensee and radio aide for the purpose of provid¬ ing emergency communication relating directly to the ac¬ tivities of the United States Citizens Defense Corps or other officially recognized organizations. It is anticipated that this change in the Rules will pro¬ vide increased opportunities for amateur radio operators as well as other qualified radio operators, technical men, and engineers to contribute tbeir time, energy and talent to the war effort. At the present time, there are in the War Emergency Radio Service 192 Civilian Defense, eight State Guard, and two Civil Air Patrol station licensees, as well as many more licensed operators. Each station li¬ censee may use from two to 100 or more radio station units, whose operation is coordinated to form a compre¬ hensive local communications system.