NAB reports (Mar-Dec 1933)

In the organization plan Chief Examiner Yost and Examiners Pratt and Hyde, all Republicans, are to be replaced, although suc¬ cessors have not yet been announced. There is a likelihood that the post of chief examiner will not be filled due to the fact that appro¬ priations for the next fiscal year have been materially reduced and it is possible also that at least three field offices will be closed for the same reason. Reduced appropriations may result in other dis¬ missals from the Commission. STAY ORDER IN WMMB-KFAB CASE The Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia on Friday granted the petition of Station WGN, Chicago, Ill., for a stay order against the decision of the Federal Radio Commission authorizing Station WBBM, Chicago, and Station KFAB, Lincoln, Nebr., to synchronize their operation. Station WGN has filed an appeal in the Court alleging that the synchronization of the two stations would cause interference. MISSOURI TAX BILL KILLED Adjournment of the Missouri Legislature on April 26, 1933, marked the death of H. 616, which had passed the House but died in the Senate. The bill would have imposed a tax of one per cent on advertising, except newspapers. BEER ADVERTISING PERMITTED IN N. C. Several states have started the machinery to permit advertising of beers and wines, which is now prohibited by statutes that were on the books prior to enactment of the Federal 3.2 beer act. In North Carolina the measure (S. 492) became law on April 6, 1933. In addition to states previously reported, Texas with S. 523 and Michigan with S. 101 are the most recent states to take under consideration repeal measures of this kind. ILLINOIS GROSS RECEIPTS TAX Two bills have been introduced in the Illinois Legislature to supplement the three per cent sales tax in the matter of revenue raising. H. 7S9 provides a three per cent tax on the gross receipts of corporations, and H. 725 would impose upon all natural persons engaged in any profession, trade or occupation a tax of one and one-half per cent on gross receipts over three hundred dollars. Included in a list of businesses covered by the tax are “radio an¬ nouncers, radio engineers and radio repairmen.” RECOMMENDS MORE TIME FOR WHBC Station WNBO, Silver Haven, Pa., asked to change its time from specified hours to unlimited; WCAE, Pittsburgh, asked to move locally; and WHBC, Canton, Ohio, asked to increase its power from 10 to 100 watts. Report No. 471 (Hyde, e.). Recommended denying application of WNBO for unlimited time, granting WCAE permission to move transmitter locally, and granting of power increase to WHBC. The Examiner found that the operation of WNBO on full time would be likely to cause serious interference with Stations WHBC and WNBO. He found that the moving of the transmitter of WCAE would be a constructive step and that “the new location offers advantages that should result in a more uniform field in¬ tensity over the natural service area of the station.” In the case of Station WHBC, Examiner Hyde found that the service of that station would be materially improved by the use of 100 watts instead of 10 watts as at present. Another important consideration, says the Examiner, “favoring the granting of the application is the fact that this 10-watt station is the only station in an important industrial community having a population over 100,000 and a trade area of still greater population.” HOUSE RADIO SUBCOMMITTEE NAMED Representative Bland, Virginia, chairman of the House Com¬ mittee on Merchant Marine, Radio and Fisheries, has announced the appointment of the following subcommittee on radio for the duration of the present Congress: Representative Briggs, Texas, chairman; Ramspeck, Georgia; Crosby, Iowa; Willford, Iowa; Brown, Kentucky; Lehlback, New Jersey; Edmonds, Pennsylvania; and Mr. McCandless, Delegate from Hawaii. HEARING ON POLICE RADIO BILLS Hearings were held on Thursday and Friday of this week before the House Committee on Merchant Marine, Radio and Fisheries on two police radio bills introduced by Representative Ludlow of Indiana. One of these bills prohibits the installation of short wave sets in automobiles, while the other provides for the obtaining of a license for the installation of any set in an automobile. No very vigorous opposition was made to the bills. The Radio Commission objected to the wording of one of the bills. Those appearing in¬ cluded police officials and representatives of the aviation industry. RECOMMENDS EXTENDING WAPI PERMIT Application by Station WAPI, Birmingham, Ala., for the exten¬ sion of time for the commencement and completion of its construc¬ tion permit to increase its power from 5,000 to 25,000 watts (Report No. 473, Yost, e.). Recommended that permit be modified to begin construction work by June 17, 1933, and complete it December 17, 1933. The Examiner found that the station is financially able to make the construction but that it was justified in delaying the work because of economic conditions. The present owners, the Examiner found, were not entirely to blame for the delay, and he found that “preliminary steps have been taken to comply with the terms of the existing construction permit.” FAVORS RENEWAL WBSH LICENSE Renewal application by Station WBSH, Huntsville, Ala., and ap¬ plication by Hutchens Company for voluntary assignment of the station license to WBIIS, Inc. (Report No. 472, Pratt, e.). Recom¬ mends that applications be granted. The Examiner states that although there have been some irregu¬ larities in the past operation of the station, “these appear to have been remedied and said station, now off the air pending decision in this case, is under complete control and management of radio Station WBHS, Inc.” He suggests that the license be renewed and the voluntary assignment be allowed. GRANTS MORE TIME TO WMBH The Radio Commission on Friday reversed Examiner Pratt in his Report No. 462 in which he recommended that the application for additional time for Station WMBH, Joplin, Mo., be denied. The Commission granted some additional time but not all that the station asked for. The Commission found that the station is rendering a welldesigned local service and “through the use of additional hours would be enabled to extend and improve such service.” It was also found that there is substantial need for the additional time and “the public benefit which would result from the operation of Station WMBH until 9:30 p. m. fully warrants a limited extension of the time during which slight interference is experienced.” DUAL TRANSMITTER OPERATION DENIED The application of Station WEBR, Buffalo, N. Y., for authority to operate two transmitters alternatively was refused by the Radio Commission, sustaining Examiner Hyde in his Report No. 465. The Commission states in its opinion that the operation of the station’s main and auxiliary transmitters as proposed would not comply with Rule 149 of the Commission’s regulations and it further found that “the granting of the application would not serve public interest.” AUDITORY PERSPECTIVE DEMONSTRATED The Bell Telephone Laboratories, in cooperation with Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, demonstrated new developments in program transmission over wire lines before the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D. C., April 27. The orchestra played at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, and the music was reproduced before a large audience in Washing¬ ton. The illusion of auditory perspective was obtained by using two microphones, each connected to an individual wire line and loud speaker. Special high-quality circuits were used throughout, and 23 wire circuits, including spares for emergency use, were required between Washington and Philadelphia. The system used was said to reproduce faithfully all frequencies between 35 and 16000 cycles, with a volume range of 80 decibels (power range of 100,000,000 to 1). The fidelity of reproduction achieved was far in advance of anything before attempted for sound picture or radio reproduction, and the stereoscopic effect, or auditory perspective, added con¬ siderably to the success of the demonstration. No statement has been forthcoming as to the possible commer¬ cial application of the principles and apparatus used in the demon¬ stration. The application to broadcasting is, of course, difficult under present conditions inasmuch as two complete transmitters and receivers would be required for the auditory perspective effect. SECURITIES ACT IS REPORTED The Senate Committee on Banking and Currency on April 27 reported favorably to the Senate the Securities Bill (S. 875, Report No. 47), which provides, among other things, certain regulation respecting the advertising by radio of securities. ■ Page 30 ■