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 A. A. A. A. ADOPTS RADIO REPORT A program for the advancement of radio advertising, previously adopted by the Radio Committee of the A. A. A. A., headed by C. F. Gannon, Erwin, Wasey and Company, was approved by the Executive Board of the Association at a meeting in connection with the Sixteenth Annual Convention held at Washington this week. The program includes the following: 1. Develop an independent bureau, supported by stations, adver¬ tisers and agencies, to study radio coverage through signal strength measurements, and popularity and listening habits through field surveys. 2. In advance of signal strength measurements, to continue the interchange of agency experience with local station coverage throughout the country. 3. Issue and promote, with the cooperation of the N. A. B., the Standard Order Blank for Spot Broadcasting, for use between agen¬ cies and individual stations in placing spot broadcasting contracts. 4. Promote publication of all rates of stations in combination. 5. Promote payments by radio stations of standard 15% agency commission and 2% cash discount on station time. 6. Encourage formation of agency recognition standards by the National Association of Broadcasters and practical application of them. 7. Encourage the listing of complete information about radio stations in Standard Rate and Data Service. 8. Encourage the use of standard rate cards for radio by stations. 9. Protect agencies’ and advertisers’ interests in case of license fees or other charges which tend to increase radio costs and which might make the medium less productive. 10. Study and make available agency operating data and com¬ pensation in handling of radio. 11. Favor the development of radio representatives. Henry T. Rainey, Speaker of the House of Representatives, was the principal speaker at the banquet held on Thursday night. Speaker Rainey was scheduled to be present at the banquet but poor flying weather forced down his plane at Pittsburgh and he was compelled to speak from that city by remote control. CAPPER BILL BARS FALSE ADVERTISING A bill (S. 1592) to prohibit untrue, deceptive, or misleading advertising through the use of the mails or by radio broadcasting was introduced in the Senate on May 8 by Senator Capper of Kansas. The measure has been referred to the Senate Committee on Interstate Commerce for consideration. No date for hearing has been fixed. Designed to meet objectives similar to those sought to be achieved through amendment of the Federal Food and Drugs Act, advertisers, agencies and media alike are hoping that the U. S. Department of Agriculture and Senator Capper will cooperate in the draft of a measure which will achieve the purposes sought with¬ out imposing unreasonable and unfair burdens upon advertising media. The bill in full text is as follows: “That any person, firm, corporation; or association who, with intent to sell or in anywise dispose of merchandise, service, or any other thing, offered by such person, firm, corporation, or associa¬ tion, directly or indirectly, to the public for sale or distribution, or with intent to increase the consumption thereof, or to induce the public in any manner to enter into any obligation relating thereto or to acquire title thereto or an interest therein, makes, publishes, disseminates, circulates, or places before the public, or causes, directly or indirectly, to be made, published, disseminated, circu¬ lated, or placed before the public, through the use of the mails or in interstate or foreign commerce, in a newspaper or other publica¬ tion, or in the form of a book, notice, handbill, poster, bill, circular, pamphlet, or letter, or through broadcasting by radio, or in any other way, an advertisement of any sort regarding merchandise, service, or any other thing, so offered to the public, which advertise¬ ment contains any assertion, representation, or statement of fact which is untrue, deceptive, or misleading, shall be guilty of a mis¬ demeanor, and shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not longer than five years, or by both such fine and imprisonment.” NORTH AMERICAN RADIO CONFERENCE Present indications are that a North American radio conference will be held during the month of June for the purpose of arriving at a settlement of radio problems affecting the United States, Canada, Mexico and Cuba. The conference will be held at Mexico City at the invitation of the Mexican Government, although it is understood that an official invitation actually has not yet been received. Since late in February various American interests have been holding conferences for the purpose of studying all phases of the problems. The work has been divided among several committees. The General Committee is presided over by Judge Eugene Octave Sykes, Chairman of the Federal Radio Commission and Chairman of the American Delegation. The Broadcasting Committee is pre¬ sided over by Dr. C. B. Jolliffe, Chief Engineer of the Federal Radio Commission. The Technical Committee is headed by Dr. J. H. Dellinger of the United States Bureau of Standards. Numerous subcommittees have been appointed from time to time for the purpose of handling special matters. The meetings of these com¬ mittees have been almost continuous since early in February and have required a vast amount of research work, including study of the propagation characteristics of various frequencies, data con¬ cerning natural and man-made noises, efficiency of radio apparatus used by broadcasting and mobile services, etc. The NAB has been represented on the General Committee and also on a number of subcommittees by James W. Baldwin, former secretary of the Federal Radio Commission, who has been retained by the NAB Board to represent the broadcasters at the conference. In the technical phases of the deliberations the broadcasters were represented by J. C. McNary, head of the NAB Engineering Department. The principal issues in the preparatory conferences are not unlike those which have been experienced in previous conferences of like nature. The participants divide into four groups: the National Association of Broadcasters, the Radio Manufacturers Association, the Mobile Group, and the National Committee on Education by Radio. The Mobile Group is composed of representatives of the military services of the Government, the Department of Commerce, the U. S. Shipping Board, the American Steamship Owners Association, Aeronautical Radio, Inc., Radio Marine and Mackay Radio. Gen¬ erally this group supports one point of view. As yet there is no information concerning a successor to United States Senator Wallace H. White, Jr., who has declined to serve on the delegation. Those whose names have been mentioned to serve on the delegation with Judge Sykes include Dr. Irvin Stewart of the Department of State, Dr. C. B. Jolliffe, Chief Engineer of the Federal Radio Commission, and W. R. Castle, Jr., former Under Secretary of State during the Hoover administration. Mr. Castle during his tenure as Under Secretary had general supervision of all • Page 43 •