NAB reports (Mar-Dec 1933)

by Hon. Marion Butler, a North Carolina farmer, during the Committee’s consideration of the National Industrial Recovery Bill. In the plan laid before the Committee, Mr. Butler advocated: “A tax of 10 per cent upon the gross receipts of commercial broadcasting stations, to include the total amounts paid by the advertiser for the entire broadcast program, entertainment, an¬ nouncements, etc. It is estimated $100,000,000 is now paid for this service vearly. This tax should yield the government $10,000,000 and should be absorbed within itself. The advertiser should not carry the expense. “A tax of $10 a watt per annum upon the rated capacity of all broadcasting stations. There are some 600 broadcasting stations in the United States, ranging from 50,000 watts down to 25 watts. The average wattage per station will be found to be approximately 1,000 watts. This information is readily available at the Federal Radio Commission. This tax should yield $6,000,000. Certainly broadcasting stations should bear a tax of some sort.” SYNCHRONIZATION STUDIED C. B. Aiken, of Bell Telephone Laboratories, describes in the June issue of the magazine Electronics a careful theoretical and experi¬ mental investigation into the causes and possible cures for bad quality areas found to exist between two synchronized broadcasting stations. The conclusion may be drawn that no practical remedy for the condition exists. PLAN TO ATTEND NAB MEETINGS The NAB Engineering Section will hold a meeting at Chicago on Monday, June 26, in connection with the IRE convention, and the NAB Commercial Section will hold a meeting at Grand Rapids, Mich., on Tuesday, June 27, in connection with the AFA con¬ vention. Both meetings will commence at 9:30 a. m. Tentative programs for both section meetings have been worked out. The Engineering Section meeting will be devoted exclusively to a discus¬ sion of engineering and operating problems and the Commercial Section meeting will be devoted to a round-table discussion of sales and other commercial problems. Plan to attend both sessions. The Century of Progress will be in progress at Chicago and Chicago is a short ride from Grand Rapids. WJAY LOOKING FOR “RADIO TONY” G. C. Melrose, manager of Station WJAY, Cleveland, Ohio, wants to know the whereabouts of Radio Tony, otherwise known as John Benton, and Joe Moore who conducted a Prosperity Program over the country, and N. R. Suggs, who is trying to persuade stations to conduct suburban programs. He asks anyone knowing of the whereabouts of these persons to communicate with him at Cleve¬ land, Ohio. RADIO COMMISSION COST LOW The appropriation for the Federal Radio Commission, which it appears will be $640,000, is very low in comparison with appro¬ priations for other government departments. The National Com¬ mittee for Economy in Government and the National Association of Manufacturers of the United States have been publishing a series of very interesting charts analyzing the cost of federal government. Chart No. 7, with a supplement, points out that there are now over 200 bureaus, commissions, offices, etc., at Washington, D. C. within the 13 major branches of the federal government, and asks: “What does each cost the American taxpayer?” and “Just what per cent of our total annual U. S. Government budget of almost four billions of dollars will go this year to each of the over 200?” In answering the questions the chart points out that about onefourth of the bureaus (53) get more than nine-tenths of the money (3 billion dollars), and the remaining 150 small bureaus get only 6.8% of the money — averaging less than $1,000,000 each annually. On the chart in the last column of the small group will be found the Federal Radio Commission, one of the least expensive to Uncle Sam of the more than 200 bureaus supported by taxation. APPLICATIONS RECEIVED First Zone WARD — Anna Unger, Brooklyn, N. Y. — Consent to involuntary assignment of license from United States Broadcasting Cor¬ poration to Anna Unger. WODA — Richard E. O’Dea, Paterson, N. J. — Consent to voluntary assignment of license to WODAAM Corporation. WAAM — WAAM, Inc., Newark, N. J. — Consent to voluntary as¬ signment of license to WODAAM Corporation. ' Second Zone WIBM — WIBM, Inc., Jackson, Mich. — Modification of license to change hours of operation from specified to unlimited. WJBK — James F. Hopkins, Inc., Detroit, Mich. — Modification of license to change hours of operation from specified to un¬ limited. WJAC — Johnstown Automobile Co., Johnstown, Pa. — Consent to voluntary assignment of license to WJAC, Inc. (resubmitted). WEHC — Emory and Henry College, Emory, Va. — Modification of construction permit to move station from Emory to Char¬ lottesville, Va., to extend completion date to 8-28-33. Third Zone KNOW — KUT Broadcasting Co., Austin, Texas — Modification of construction permit to change site locally and extend dates. NEW — Southland Radio Corporation, Shreveport, La. — Construc¬ tion permit for a new station at Shreveport, La., 1210 kc., 100 watts, unlimited time (facilities of KWEA), resubmitted and amended as to transmitter site. NEW — Reybern D. Huffman, Bessmay, Texas — Construction per¬ mit for a new station, 1200 kc., 100 watts, daytime. FEDERAL RADIO COMMISSION ACTION HEARING CALENDAR Wednesday, May 31, 1933, before Commission en banc KTAR — KTAR Broadcasting Co., Phoenix, Ariz. — Modification of license to increase power from 500 watts, 1 KW LS, to 1 KW (620 kc.). KVOA — Robert Marion Riculfi, Tucson, Ariz. — Renewal of license and voluntary assignment of license to Arizona Broadcasting Co., 1250 kc., 500 watts, specified hours. Wednesday, May 31, 1933, before Examiner WDRC — WDRC, Inc., Hartford, Conn. — Modification of license to increase Dower from 500 watts to 1 KW, 1330 kc., unlimited time. Friday, June 2, 1933 WILL — University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. — Modification of license to increase power from 250 watts, 500 watts LS, to 250 watts, 1 KW LS, sharing with KUSD and KFNF (facilities of WKBS). TENTATIVE HEARING CALENDAR (Dates subject to change) June 7, 1933, before Commission en banc KGIX — J. M. Heaton, Las Vegas, Nev. — Construction permit to move station locally and install new transmitter, and re¬ newal of license, 1420 kc., 100 watts, specified hours. June 7, 1933 KSEI — Radio Service Corp., Pocatello, Idaho — Modification of construction permit to change frequency from 900 kc. to 890 kc., 250 watts, 500 watts until local sunset, unlimited time; also modification of license. KFPY — Symons Broadcasting Co., Spokane, Wash. — Modification of license to change frequency from 1340 kc. to 890 kc., 1 KW, unlimited time. KGIR — KGIR, Inc., Butte, Mont. — Modification of license to change frequency from 1360 kc. to 1340 kc., 500 watts, un¬ limited time. June 9, 1933 WTAG — Worcester Telegram Publishing Co., Worcester, Mass. — Modification of license to use 500 watts, 580 kc., unlimited time. WOBU — WOBU, Inc., Charleston, W. Va. — Modification of license to use 580 kc., 500 watts, unlimited time. June 12, 1933 The hearing involving the applications of KECA, KFBK, and the Don Lee Broadcasting System for facilities of KTM and KELW, and the applications of KTM and KELW for vol Page 55