NAB reports (Mar-Dec 1933)

The National Association of Broadcasters NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING * ★ * ★ * WASHINGTON, D. C. PHILIP G. LOUCKS, Managing Director NAB REPORTS * * * * Copyright, 1933. The National Association of Broadcasters Vol. 1 No. 2 MARCH 18, 1933 BEER ADVERTISING PERMITTED By a margin of two votes, the Senate on March 16 defeated an amendment to the beer bill offered by Senator Dill, (D) Washing¬ ton, which would have barred radio advertising of beer in drystates. The amendment would not have affected newspaper or magazine advertising. “When the bill before the last Congress was reported from the Judiciary Committee it carried an ' amendment prohibiting ad¬ vertising in dry states, either by newspapers or by any other method,” Senator Dill told the Senate in arguing for his amend¬ ment. “Considerable objection was raised because it was said that a newspaper published in a city in a State that permitted the sale of these beverages, located on the border of an adjoining State that prohibited them, would not be able to circulate in the ad¬ joining State. I recognize that there is much basis for that objec¬ tion: and for that reason I have put in the proviso that nothing in this amendment shall prohibit the circulation of a newspaper, magazine, or periodical into a State by means of the mails or ether transportation. It still prohibits the publication and pro¬ hibits the use of other methods of advertising. “I desire to speak particularly of one of the other methods of advertising that it seems to me it is impossible to control in any other way, and that is the use of advertising by radio. “It is not sufficient to forbid the radio stations within a State from advertising these beverages, because radio reaches so far that it crosses State lines, and there is no way by which it can be shut out. It seems to me that the radio ought to be kept free from the propaganda that it can be used for if some such provision as this is not in this bill. “Radio programs reach into the homes as no other kind of in¬ formation or entertainment can. Radio programs are listened to by the children with an interest that they do not have for any other kind of entertainment. It seems to me that we ought to keep this method of disseminating information from being used to propagandize either the sale of these beverages or the minds of the people of those States where these beverages are forbidden. “I do not care to argue or discuss the question at length, but I do want the Senate to consider the effect of this legislation if some such amendment is not provided. “I shall not enter upon a discussion of radio and the objection¬ able features of the programs we now have ; but I just want to suggest for a moment to your imaginations the kind of program to which this legislation wall lead unless we make some forbidding provision such as this. We will have presented, no doubt, the most appealing kind of entertainment, the most informative kind of program, and have it sponsored and presented in the name of the breweries and the beer distributors of the country. Before, after, and during the rendition of a beautiful opera, radio listeners will be told of the wonders of this beer, how and where to buy it. Such advertising will accompany every kind of entertainment for children, those of middle life, or for the aged. None will be over¬ looked. None will be able to avoid it. “It seems to me that if there is anything that will tend to break down what cultural influence the radio has, small as it may be, this is the worst practice that could be indulged in; and I believe that, regardless of what may be the views of Senators as to the use of this beverage or its desirability, if they7 will stop and con¬ sider that the people in the States that want to forbid it are entitled to be protected from having propaganda for it coming into their homes by means of the radio, they will support this amendment.” Senator Harrison, (D) Mississippi, who was in charge of the bill, at the conclusion of Dill’s speech, said: “I hope the amendment will be rejected.” The vote on the Dill amendment was as follows: For the amendment — Adams, Ashurst, Austin, Bankhead, Black, Bone, Borah, Bratton, Capper, Caraway, Connally, Dale, Dill, Fess, Frazier, Goldsborough, Gore, Hale, Hastings, Hatfield, Hayden, Keyes, McGill, Neely, Norris, Nye, Pope, Robinson (Ind.), Russell, Sheppard, Smith, Stephens, Thomas (Okla.), Townsend, Vandenberg, and White. Total 36. Against the amendment — Bachman, Barbour, Brown, Bulkley, Bulow, Clark, Copeland, Couzens, Dieterich, Duffy, Fletcher, Harrison, Hebert, Johnson, Kean, LaFollette, Lonergan, Long, McCarran, McKellar, McNary, Metcalf, Murphy, Overton, Pat¬ terson, Pittman, Reed, Reynolds, Robinson (Ark.), Steiwer, Thomas (Utah), Trammell, Tydings, Van Nuys, Wagner, Wal¬ cott, Walsh, Wheeler. Total 38. Not voting — Bailey, Barkley, Byrd, Byrnes, Carey, Coolidge, Costigan, Cutting, Davis, Dickinson, George, Glass, Kendrick, King, Lewis, Logan, McAdoo, Schall, Shipstead. Total 20. SYKES REAPPOINTED TO COMMISSION The Senate on March 16 confirmed the reappointment of Judge Eugene O. Sykes, Mississippi, as a member of the Federal Radio Commission. Former President Hoover had reappointed Sykes to the Commission upon the expiration of his term on February 23, but no action was taken on the nomination. President Roosevelt reappointed him on March 13 and his confirmation followed within three days. Under the rules of the Senate two executive sessions must pass before his commission is formally presented to the President for signature. Judge Sykes is the only remaining member of the original Com¬ mission which was created in 1927. He has served as active chair¬ man and will likely become chairman after resuming his post. He headed the United States Delegation at the International Radio Conference held in Madrid last fall and has been named as one of two delegates to represent this country at the forthcoming North American Radio Conference. President Roosevelt has not yet named a Commissioner to represent the Fourth Zone. BROADCASTING AND BANKING CRISIS President Roosevelt’s brief radio speech from the White House on March 12, during which he discussed the steps taken by the Government in righting the banking situation, constitutes an im¬ portant chapter in the history of broadcasting. Public reaction to the President’s radio talk was most gratifying to Government officials who have worked long hours with the Chief Executive in the present crisis. Undoubtedly, the President will use radio fre¬ quently to keep the public informed of the progress of the Admin¬ istration’s legislative program. The cooperation of the organized broadcasters was pledged to the President and other high Government officials by President Alfred J. McCosker of the NAB, who has been in Washington almost constantly since March 4, and who has been working dil¬ igently on behalf of all broadcasters in the general interests of the Government and the public. His message, published in “Broadcasting,” is worthy of repeti¬ tion here. It is as follows: “Upon the broadcasting industry— and no less upon the spon¬ sors of broadcast programs and their agencies — rests a tremen¬ dous responsibility. Gratified as we may be with the way radio reported the inauguration ceremonies, the Presidential proclama • Page 5 ■