NAB reports (Mar-Dec 1933)

Shreveport, La., license renewal with the use of its old equipment, but granted it permission to reconstruct its present transmitter and also denied is application to move to Baton Rouge. The Commission found that the applicants for the new station do not have “the necessary technical and financial ability to construct and operate the proposed new station in an acceptable manner.” It is further stated by the Commission that there is no convincing evidence that the removal of Station KWEA to Baton Rouge would suit the interests of the general public in the area of that city. The equipment of the station, the Commission states, is obsolete, but the applicant has taken the only step open to it and that the permit for reconstruction of the station would serve public interest. KTFI GRANTED POWER INCREASE License renewal was denied Station KGKX, Sandpoint, Idaho, and Station KTFI, Twin Falls, Idaho, was granted a power increase from S00 to 1000 watts, daytime, by the Radio Commission in sustaining Examiner Elmer W. Pratt in his Report No. 449. The Commission found that increasing the power of KTFI would result in good daytime reception to several thousand potential lis¬ teners in a small area where there is at present no good daytime service. It was found also that “public interest, convenience and necessity would be served by the granting of the proposed increase in daytime power to KTFI.’’ The Commission in its decision also says that “the failure of the licensee of KGKX to support this station’s application for renewal of license amounts to an aban¬ donment of its facilities and they are therefore available for assign¬ ment to KTFI.” STATION WIL GETS ADDITIONAL TIME The Radio Commission upheld Examiner Elmer W. Pratt in his Reports Nos. 386 and 443 by denying the application of the Amer¬ ican Legion Donald Holden Post No. 106 permission to erect a new broadcasting station at Albany, Mo.; denying a license renewal to Station KFWF, St. Louis, Mo.; and granting Station WIL, St. Louis, full time on a frequency of 1200 kilocycles which it shared with KFWF. It was found by the Commission that Albany, Mo., and the sur¬ rounding territory receives adequate broadcasting service and that there was no showing of a need for the service of the proposed new station. There was not sufficient showing either, the Com¬ mission states, of financial responsibility. It is stated by the Commission that the St. Louis Truth Center (KFWF) is not empowered by its charter to operate a broadcasting station for commercial purposes or otherwise. The Commission also points to the collection of money by the station and the sermons of Emil C. Hartmann and “often including statements of a ques¬ tionable nature regarding healing powers and derogatory to such institutions as hospitals, etc.” WIL, says the Commission, performs an acceptable local broad¬ casting service and its programs “fill a need for a popular local program service to the listeners of St. Louis.” It is further pointed out that the assignment of WIL to full time would afford it an opportunity to extend its service and improve its programs. WKBH GETS UNLIMITED TIME Station WKBH, La Crosse, Wis., has been granted unlimited time on its channel of 1380 kilocycles by the Radio Commission revers¬ ing Examiner Elmer W. Pratt in his Report No. 454. The station formerly operated on certain specified hours. The Commission in its decision found that the station is finan¬ cially and technically qualified to use the additional time and that the granting of full time “would result in increased efficiency and greater convenience in the operation of this station and would enable the applicant through greater financial success to improve programs and service.” It was further found by the Commission that “as the use of unlimited hours would not result in an increase in interference, this application, coming as it does from an under quota state in an over quota zone, mav be granted under Section 6 (f) of the Commis¬ sion’s Rules and Regulations.” EXTEND COURT ORDER IN KGDA CASE The Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia has extended the temoorarv restraining order which it granted to Station KGDA, Mitchell, S. Dak., until a further order of the Court. In this case the Commission ordered the station off the air. It appealed to the Court and obtained a temporary restraining order and that order has now been extended. The Commission did not oppose the action. NORTH AMERICAN RADIO CONFERENCE No further information is available as to a date for the North American Radio Conference scheduled to be held in Mexico City. LEGISLATURES IN OTHER STATES Twenty-two State Legislatures have adjourned. Kansas adjourned March 24th and the Roth Bill to prohibit slander by radio, which had passed the House, died in the Senate. Georgia passed a law directing that certain State-supported col¬ leges permit broadcasting of athletic events. The Legislature ad¬ journed March 18th, leaving the bill to prohibit radio (and other) advertising of unauthorized insurance companies to die in a House committee. Oregon adjourned on March 9th and H. J. R. 17, providing for State operation of telephone, telegraph and radio systems, died in the Senate. Washington adjourned on March 9th and the proposal to memo¬ rialize the U. S. Congress not to pass the ASCAP sponsored bill to make liable for copyright charges those who use receiving sets where charges are made died in the House. The bill to license radio operatives also died in the House, but the bill to sell broadcasting rights to the highest bidder at horse races became law. The following State Legislatures have adjourned without having had any legislation of particular interest to the broadcasting indus¬ try: Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. SEEKS CALIFORNIA RADIO COMMISSION Senator Duval has introduced in the California Senate a bill (S. 1187) which would create a California Radio Authority having power “to supervise all material broadcast from broadcasting sta¬ tions operated for profit”; to impose a license fee on all commercial stations; and to otherwise regulate the operation of broadcasting stations. The bill is the boldest attempt yet made to supersede federal control of broadcasting by a state authority. Among other things, the bill would give the Authority to be created the power “to initiate proceedings for the cancellation of the federal licenses of broadcasting stations not operated, in the judgment of the State Radio Authority, in the public interest, necessity or convenience.” The bill, clearly unconstitutional, undoubtedly will meet the organized opposition of California broadcasting stations. Senator Duval represents in the California Senate the district in which the Ventura Free Press is published. NAB ENGINEERING COMMITTEE MEETS The NAB Engineering Committee held its first meeting of the year at the Engineering Societies Building, New York City, at 10 a. m. April 8. Those attending were Joe Chambers (Chairman), E. K. Cohan, C. W. Horn, John E. Fetzer, William Foss, R. N. Harmon (for W. C. Evans), J. C. McNary, and Raymond Guy (NBC) and William B. Lodge (CBS). The meeting was called to consider the problem of hum modula¬ tion of broadcasting station carrier waves. Tentative values of permissible hum modulation were outlined, representing conditions easily met by existing stations. Saturday afternoon, at the New Yorker Hotel, a joint meeting of the NAB Engineering Committee, RMA Engineering Committee, and the IRE Broadcast Committee was held to consider the prob¬ lem of hum modulation as experienced by both radio transmitters and radio receivers. A resolution was adopted to the effect that the majority of radio transmitters and receivers perform satisfac¬ torily from the hum standpoint, and that the few exceptions to the general rule may best be taken care of by NAB and RMA memberships acting independently. OKLAHOMA PROPOSES RADIO TAX The Oklahoma Senate is expected to pass H. B. 619 which pro¬ poses a tax of two per cent on the gross proceeds of broadcasting stations. Although it is believed the bill will win Senate approval, there is a prevailing opinion that the measure will gain guberna¬ torial veto. BUCKLEY BILL FAILS IN N. Y. The New York Legislature adjourned on April 10, without enacting the Buckley bill which would have placed a tax of five per cent on gross income of broadcasting stations. The bill drew opposition from the newly formed New York State Committee of the NAB. • Page 24 •