NAB reports (Mar-Dec 1933)

The National Association of Broadcasters NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING * * * * * WASHINGTON, D. C. PHILIP G. LOUCKS, Managing Director NAB REPORTS * * * * Copyright, IS33, The National Association of Broadcasters Vol. 1 No. 13 MAY 27, 1933 NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE JULY 10 The Mexican Government has fixed July 10 as the opening day for the North American Radio Conference to be held at Mexico City. The Department of State in a release dated May 24 said: “The American Embassy at Mexico City has informed the De¬ partment of the receipt of a communication from the Mexican Foreign Office inviting the Government of the United States to attend a North American and Central American Regional Confer¬ ence to find a concrete solution of the various problems which the development of radio broadcasting has created, particularly between adjacent and neighboring countries. The Conference will open in Mexico City on July 10, 1933. It is the intention of the Govern¬ ment of the United States to accept this invitation. Information concerning the composition of the American delegation will be made public at a later date.” While there is no confirmation concerning the Central American countries invited to attend the Conference at Mexico City, it is assumed that the invitations extended by the Government of Mexico include Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Salvador. Other North American countries invited include Canada and Newfoundland. REORGANIZATION PLAN NEARLY READY The plan to reorganize certain government bureaus and commis¬ sions will be sent to Congress next week, according to information obtained in informed quarters this week. President Roosevelt now has the plan before him and he has stated officially that the plan will be sent to Congress at least a week before adjournment. Whether or not the Federal Radio Commission will be affected by the re¬ organization proposal is not officially known at this time. FEDERAL SECURITIES BILL ENACTED The Federal Securities Bill has passed both Houses of Congress and now awaits the signature of President Roosevelt. RECOVERY BILL PASSED BY HOUSE The National Industrial Recovery Bill was passed by the House Friday, May 26. The bill is based upon the following declaration of policy : “A national emergency productive of widespread unemploy¬ ment and disorganization of industry, which burdens interstate commerce, affects the public welfare, and undermines the standards of living of the American people, is hereby declared to exist. It is hereby declared to be the policy of Congress to remove obstructions to the free flow of interstate commerce which tend to diminish the amount thereof; and to promote the organization of industry for the purpose of cooperative action among trade groups, to induce and maintain united action of labor and management under ade¬ quate governmental sanctions and supervision, to eliminate unfair competitive practices; to reduce and relieve unemployment, to improve standards of labor, and otherwise to rehabilitate industry and to conserve natural resources.” Early action is expected by the Senate. JUDGE DAVIS ON TRADE COMMISSION Appointment of Judge Ewin L. Davis, former chairman of the House Merchant Marine, Radio and Fisheries Committee, to the Federal Trade Commission, was confirmed this week by the Senate. Judge Davis is well known among the radio industry and is the author of the Davis Amendment to the Radio Act of 1927. He becomes a member of the Trade Commission at a time when that body has under consideration the proposal to investigate the Amer¬ ican Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. ASCAP CAMPAIGN AGAINST RESTAURANTS Reports from broadcasters to Oswald F. Schuette, NAB Director of Copyrights, indicate that the campaign of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers to exact royalties from small restaurants is spreading. Apparently there is no uniformity in the campaign and the opera¬ tions are being directed by the local representatives in the ASCAP branch offices according to their individual ideas. The branch offices of ASCAP that are now engaged in such campaigns include the representatives for the States of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Kansas, Oklahoma, and the District of Columbia. WISCONSIN ORGANIZES AGAINST ASCAP As part of a plan to resist the royalty exactions of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the Public Amuse¬ ment Protective Association has been organized and incorporated under the laws of the State of Wisconsin with offices at 215 East Washington Street, Appleton, Wis. The announcement of the organization says: “The Public Amusement Protective Association was formed by a group of proprietors of public amusement places who had sensed the need of correcting many of the abuses which have hampered successful operation of their establishments. No individual pro¬ prietor can fight alone the abuses which will unreasonably hamper him in the conduct of his own business. He cannot afford the legal expense necessary to assert his individual rights. It was be¬ lieved by the organizers that if the amusement proprietors presented solid front in opposition to practices which are unjust or objection¬ able, progress can be made a secure basis of operation which is at least fair, and above all, reasonable.” Among other things the announcement also says: “The Association expects to maintain its own musical staff, con¬ sisting of composers, revisers and orchestrators. We expect to supply our papers and members with our own music, complete dance programs, with no strings tied to them. The Association will copyright its own and other compositions suitable for the purposes of its members, publish and distribute the same.” MORE ASCAP SONG PLUGGING Although the ASCAP publishers pretend that the broadcast of their music hurts their compositions, the activity of their “song pluggers” appears to be increasing. A single broadcasting studio in New York reports that in one week, twenty-two of these “pub¬ lisher’s representatives,” sent by nineteen firms, made seventy-two visits to that studio. NEW MUSIC FROM INDEPENDENT FIRM Evan Georgeoff Publishing Company, 300 Arcade Annex, Cleve¬ land, Ohio, is sending to broadcasting stations a new slow fox-trot, “After the Dance,” by George Scolaro and Paul Suran, with this notation: “All broadcasting stations are authorized to use this composition freely without the payment of additional copyright fees for public performance. Evan Georgeoff Publishing Company.” FILLMORE MUSIC HOUSE JOINS ASCAP Some time ago the Fillmore Music House, 528 Elm Street, Cin¬ cinnati, Ohio, gave broadcasters temporary permission to use its publications over the air. Mr. Schuette has received a letter from this publisher saying: “This letter is to inform you that we have been definitely accepted as a member in the American Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers. You will recall that in previous correspondence we had given you temporary permission to use our publications over the air. We trust you will govern yourself accordingly.” RULE 151 SUSPENDED The Commission, on May 23, ruled that Rule 151 be suspended to November 1, 1933, at 3 a. m. The rule reads as follows: “Except ■ Page 53 ■