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. 5 APRIL 8, 1933 COMMISSION FUNDS SLASHED The Budget Bureau has informed the Radio Commission that there will have to be a further cut in its appropriation for the next fiscal year, beginning July 1, of $140,000. During the present fiscal year the Commission has an appro¬ priation of $1,111,000, which was the amount granted to the Com¬ mission and the Radio Division of the Department of Commerce. The Commission for the next fiscal year asked for $780,000, which would have been a saving to the government of $331,000 gained by the consolidation of these two bodies. The $780,000 was ap¬ propriated by the last session of Congress but President Hoover pocket vetoed the bill containing this amount. The Commission this week asked the Budget Bureau for this $780,000 but was told that it would have to lop off $140,000 more or have its appropriation aggregate $640,000 for the coming year. This will mean that some employees will have to be let out and it is believed that some of the field offices will also have to be closed, although just what will be done is not yet definitely known. WORKING ON REORGANIZATION Major General Charles McK. Saltzman and Judge Ewin Davis are working on a subcommittee in connection with a proposal for the reorganization of the Federal Radio Commission, under Secre¬ tary of Commerce Roper, it has become known. General Saltzman, it will be recalled, was chairman of the Radio Commission up to last July when he resigned and Judge Davis is the author of the Davis amendment to the Radio Law and former chairman of the House Committee on Merchant Marine, Radio and Fisheries. No official confirmation can be obtained as to just what is being done by this subcommittee but in addition to radio they may be considering telephone, telegraph and cable in view of the fact that General Saltzman as chief of the Signal Corps of the Army is familiar with these forms of communication and they have been mentioned in connection with radio in reorganization work. ARGUE WIBO CASE NEXT WEEK The Department of Justice this week filed a brief in the United States Supreme Court in the case of the Radio Commission (Nos. 657-658) against Station WIBO and in the case of the Commission against Station WPCC. The case will be heard by the Court during the week of April 10. NORTH AMERICAN RADIO CONFERENCE No date has yet been fixed for the North American Radio Con¬ ference scheduled to be held in Mexico City. The committees en¬ gaged in preparation for the Conference are continuing the collection and study of technical data. COMMISSIONER HANLEY TAKES OATH James H. Hanley, new member of the Federal Radio Commission from the Fourth Zone, and Herbert L. Pettey, new secretary of the Commission, were sworn in on April 1. Mr. Hanley is away until about April 15. RECOMMENDS NEW STATION DENIAL W. W. Dobbins and Maurice C. Coleman ask for construction permit for new station at Atlanta, Ga. WGST, Atlanta, applied for license renewal. Report No. 469 (Pratt, e.) . Recommends de¬ nial of new construction permit and that license renewal be granted WGST. The Examiner states that Messrs. Dobbins and Coleman asked for a continuance of the case “not supported by substantial grounds, was denied.” The applicants were given an opportunity to present evidence but did not and “a motion was made by Commission counsel, and joined in by counsel for WGST, that said application be denied as in cases of default.” The Examiner recommended the renewal of the application of WGST as it was “designated for hear¬ ing only because of the pendency of the application of Dobbins and Coleman for the facilities assigned to WGST.” ENGINEERING COMMITTEE MEETS J. A. Chambers, Chairman of the NAB Engineering Committee, has called a meeting at New York, April 8, 1933. The NAB meet¬ ing is to be followed by a joint meeting with the I. R. E. Broadcast Committee and the R. M. A. Engineering Committee. The general subject of discussion is hum modulation of broadcasting trans¬ mitter carrier waves. The meetings have been called with a view toward arriving at generally accepted performance standards. WNYC DECISION AFFIRMED BY COURT The Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia on April 3 handed down a decision in Docket No. 5695, which is the case of Station WNYC, New York City, against the Radio Commission and the Knickerbocker Broadcasting Company and the Eastern Broadcasters, Inc., also of New York City. The Court upheld the decision of the Commission in which it allocated certain time to Station WNYC. This is the second time that the New York municipal station has been in Court against the Commission in connection with time allocation with Station WMCA, New York City. A couple of years ago WNYC appealed from a somewhat similar decision of the Com¬ mission, the Court of Appeals upheld the Commission, and WNYC asked the United States Supreme Court to review the case, which it refused to do. WNYC and WMCA shared time on 570 kilocycles, while WPCH, New York, operated on 810 kilocycles. Stations WPCH and WMCA are owned by the same parties and when WNYC asked for additional time the Commission transferred WNYC to 810 kilocycles, giving it more time, and put WPCH and WMCA on 570 kilocycles. This did not satisfy WNYC and it appealed to the Court. The Court has upheld the Commission. “There is nothing in the present case,” says the Court,” which indicates that appellant is placed at any disadvantage. Indeed, from an examination of the record it would seem that the present license granted is materially to its advantage. The decision of the Com¬ mission is affirmed.” The decision was written by Associate Justice Josiah A. Van Orsdel. RMA CONVENTION AT CHICAGO JUNE 6 The ninth annual convention of the Radio Manufacturers Asso¬ ciation, including meetings of its divisions, committees and board of directors, will be held at Chicago, June 6, according to arrange¬ ments made bv the Association’s board at its meeting in New York March 21. Headquarters will be at Stevens Hotel. FEDERAL SECURITIES BILL The Federal Securities Bill (H. R. 4314), introduced on March 29, 1933, would give the Federal Trade Commission supervision over the sale and distribution of certain securities in interstate com¬ merce. An identical bill (S. 875) was introduced in the Senate under the same date. Of particular interest to broadcasters are the following provisions: [Offering, Selling, Advertising, etc., of Securities Unlawful Prior to Registration] Sec. 3. That, until there shall have been registered with the Commission the statement hereinafter referred to in accordance with the terms and conditions provided by this Act and by the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, it shall be unlawful for — (a) Any person to make use of the United States mails or of any means or instruments of transportation or communication to offer in interstate commerce securities, other than those issued bv a foreign government or subdivision thereof, for sale or to solicit or accept offers to buy such securities in such commerce ; • Page 1 9 •