NAB reports (Mar-Dec 1933)

FLORIDA LIQUOR ADVERTISING BILL The judiciary committee of the Florida House has under con¬ sideration a bill (H. 306), introduced by Robineau on April 12, proposing an amendment to the Florida law against advertising liquors to exclude those defined as non-intoxicating and permissible under the new law. INSURANCE ADVERTISING RESTRICTED The Pennsylvania Senate recently passed a bill (S. 538) which specifically prohibits radio broadcasting of advertisements of insur¬ ance companies not authorized to do business in the State. It was referred to the House Committee on Insurance and was favorably reported by that Committee on April 12. It is understood that the bill is sponsored by the State Insurance Commission. MISSOURI ADVERTISING TAX PROPOSED The Missouri House has passed H. B. 616 imposing a tax of one per cent on “advertising, except newspapers.” Originally the bill imposed the tax on a long list of commodities but an amendment adopted in the House eliminated newspaper advertising. TEXAS PASSES INCORPORATION BILL The Texas House on April 11 passed a bill (H. 71) which would correct a deficiency in the Texas laws thereby authorizing the creation of corporations for broadcasting purposes. The present law does not permit the incorporation of broadcasting companies. MINNESOTA TAX BILL KILLED Reports from Minnesota indicate that the Gravens-Serline meas¬ ure which would have imposed a tax of eight per cent upon the gross revenue of broadcasting stations was killed in the Minnesota Taxes and Laws Committee. REHEARING DENIED IN WOQ CASE The Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia has denied the motion of the Radio Commission for rehearing in the case of Station WOQ, Kansas City, Mo. The Commission took this station off the air. It appealed to the Court and the Court sent the case back to the Commission for hearing. The Commission asked for rehearing of the case by the Court but this has been denied. DUBILIER WINS PATENT SUIT The United States Supreme Court has held that government employees who patent something during their employment are en¬ titled to have the patent issued in their names. The decision was rendered in connection with radio inventions now licensed to the Dubilier Condenser Company. The suits were instituted by the government in the Federal District Court for Delaware against the Dubilier Company to force it to give to the government rights assigned to it by Percival D. Lowell and Francis W. Dunmore on patents obtained by them on radio inventions while employees at the Bureau of Standards. Chief Justice Hughes and Justices Stone and Cardozo dissented. RADIO ADVERTISING SHOWS DECLINE According to the April number of “Survey of Current Business,” published by the Department of Commerce, radio advertising for the month of February, 1933, totaled $2,600,000, as compared with $3,891,000 for February, 1932, and $2,795,000 for January, 1933. The greatest reductions appear in the items of tobacco, foods and drugs and toilet goods. Radio advertising by tobacco manufac¬ turers for the month of February, 1933, amounted to $334,000, as compared with $801,000 for February, 1932. The Survey further shows that radio advertising of foods in the month of February, 1933, amounted to $690,000, as compared with $1,001,000 in Feb¬ ruary, 1932; and that radio advertising of drugs and toilet goods for February, 1933, amounted to $651,000, as compared with $888,000 for February, 1932. BRITAIN UPHOLDS COPYRIGHT OWNERS The right of the Performing Right Society of Great Britain to license broadcast receiving sets in hotels, restaurants and public houses was upheld in a test case brought in the Chancery Division in London recently. The court granted a restraining order enjoin¬ ing the Hammonds-Bradford Brewery Company, London, fi;om permitting the George Hotel to use for reproduction in public any musical work the rights to which were owned by the plaintiff. The case will be appealed to a higher court. The case involves the principle touched upon by the Supreme Court of the United States in the Jewell-LaSalle case. U. S. OFFERS BROADCAST SCRIPTS The U. S. Office of Education has sent to broadcasting stations a questionnaire asking if they desire to have weekly scripts suit¬ able for use by local school authorities in presenting educational matter. These scripts will be sent weekly to stations desiring them. They are prepared .especially for broadcasting purposes. NAB COMMERCIAL MEETING IN JUNE The NAB Commercial Committee is expected to meet shortly to consider a program for the annual meeting of the Commercial Section .which -will be held -in. connection with the annual conven¬ tion of the Advertising Federation of America at GrandRapids, Mich., next June. The radio meeting will be devoted largely to a discussion of commercial problems of broadcasting. WRVA 'COOPERATES WITH SCHOOLS Station rWRVA, Richmond, Va., has a long record of cooperation with Virginia school authorities. Through the courtesy of the station the State Board of Education is sponsoring a series of radio talks on problems of special interest to the prospective graduates of Virginia high schools. The series began a week ago and will continue weekly until May 6. The time is entirely under control of the State Board of Education, the station cooperating in pre¬ senting the series. FEDERAL RADIO COMMISSION ACTION HEARING CALENDAR WMBH — Wednesday, April 19, 1933, oral argument will be heard by the Commission sitting en banc on the application of WMBH, Joplin, Mo., for a modification of license to increase hours of operation. A hearing, before an examiner, will be held Friday, April 21, 1933, on the application of Dr. George W. Young, Minneapolis, Minn., for CP for visual broadcasting station (2000-2100 kc., 500 watts).. APPLICATIONS GRANTED First Zone WQDM— A. J. St. Antoine & E. J. Regan, St. Albans, Vt. — Granted authority to operate from 2 to 4 p. m. April 16 in addition to regular hours. WSVS— Seneca Vocational School, Buffalo, N. Y. — Granted author¬ ity to remain silent from April 12 to April 24. WHOM — New Jersey Broadcasting Corp., Jersey City, N. J. — Granted approval of following hours of operation, pending resumption by station WBMS or the assignment of the facilities of WBMS: 8 a. m. to 2 p. m.; 6 p. m. to 12 mid■ ■ 1 night, daily, EST. WABI— 1st Universalist Society of Bangor, Maine — Granted special temporary authority to operate from 3 to 4 p. m., EST, April 16. WESG — -Cornell University, Elmira, N. Y. — Granted authority to operate until 8 p. m. EST April 16. WCAD — St. Lawrence University, Canton, N. Y. — Granted special temporary authority to operate during certain specified hours. Second Zone WHIS — Daily Telegraph Printing Co., Inc., Bluefield, W. Va. — Granted renewal of license, 1410 ke., 250 watts, sharing equally with WRBX, and application dismissed from hearing docket. WJSV— Old Dominion Broadcasting Co., Alexandria, Va. — Granted special experimental license to operate until 3 a. m. May 1, 1400 kc., 10 KW, midnight to 6:30 a. m. daily in addition to regular broadcast hours to determine results of new antenna system. WSAN — Allentown Call Publishing Co., Allentown, Pa. — Granted consent to voluntary assignment of license to WSAN, Inc. WHDF — Upper Michigan Broadcasting Co., Calumet, Mich. — Granted authority to install automatic frequency control. WKZO — WKZO, Inc., Kalamazoo, Mich. — Granted authority to operate from 6 to 7 p. m. April 16. Third Zone WCOG — Mississippi Broadcasting Co., Inc., Meridian, Miss.Granted renewal of license, 880 kc., 500 watts night, 1 KW to local sunset, unlimited time, and application dismissed from hearing docket. Page 25