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, Tho National Association of Broadcasters Vol. 1 No. 16 JUNE 17, 1933 CONGRESS ADJOURNS JUNE 16 The special or first session of the Seventy-third Congress ad¬ journed sine die early Friday morning, June 16. The session commenced on March 9 upon call of President Roosevelt just four days after his inauguration. The session was called for the purpose of enacting into law the President’s emergency program and took no action on any of the radio broadcasting measures introduced. All of these bills, how¬ ever, will be before the Congress when it meets in regular session next January. The only action on any radio bill was a hearing before the House Merchant Marine, Radio, and Fisheries Committee on the short wave bills introduced by Representative Ludlow, Indiana. These bills have not yet been reported. Neither of them affect broad¬ casting. INDUSTRIAL RECOVERY BILL ENACTED President Roosevelt on Friday, June 16, approved the National Industrial Recovery Act which was enacted by Congress just before adjournment. The keystone of President Roosevelt’s emergency program, the bill affects every industry which is engaged in interstate commerce. With several minor changes, the bill as it became law embodies the outline of its provisions printed in NAB Reports, Vol. 1, No. 14, page 59. The NAB is now giving careful study to the bill with a view to the preparation of an outline setting forth the manner in which it affects broadcasting. Upon signing the bill, President Roosevelt said: “History probably will record the National Industrial Recovery Act as the most important and far-reaching legislation ever enacted by the American Congress. It represents a supreme effort to stabilize for all time the many factors which make for the prosperity of the nation, and the preservation of American standards. “Its goal is the assurance of a reasonable profit to industry and living wages for labor with the elimination of the piratical methods and practices which have not only harrassed honest business but also contributed to the ills of labor. “While we are engaged in establishing new foundations for busi¬ ness which ultimately should open a return to work for large num¬ bers of men, it is our hope through the so-called Public Works section of the law to speedily initiate a program of public construc¬ tion that should early re-employ additional hundreds of thousands of men. “Obviously, if this project is to succeed, it demands the whole¬ hearted cooperation of industry, labor and every citizen of the nation.” At the same time the President announced that administration of the bill would be in charge of General Hugh Johnson and that Col. Donald H. Sawyer would serve as temporary public works adminis¬ trator. He also announced the personnel of the Industrial Recovery Board, which will include the Secretary of Commerce as chairman, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of the Interior, the Director of the Budget, the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, and General Johnson. U. S. RADIO DELEGATION MEETS A meeting of the main committee preparing for the radio con¬ ference which will open in Mexico City on July 10 was held Mon¬ day, June 12. Judge E. O. Sykes, Chairman of the Federal Radio Commission and Chairman of the United States Delegation, and Honorable Schuyler O. Bland, Chairman of the House Committee on Marine, Radio, and Fisheries, were present. Judge Sykes pre¬ sided over the meeting. The delegates received reports from the various subcommittees which have, since late in February, been collecting technical data concerning the many problems confronting the delegation. The delegates will make a report to the Department of State and doubtless will receive instructions on the controversial issues. To date there has been no announcement concerning the technical advisers to the U. S. delegates. NAB SECTIONS MEET JUNE 26, 27 Members of the NAB were sent this week programs for the annual meetings of the NAB Engineering and Commercial Sections which will be held at Chicago, Ill., June 26, and Grand Rapids, Mich., June 27, respectively. The Engineering Section meeting will be held at Hotel Sherman, Chicago, Ill., at 9:30 a. m., Monday, June 26, during the Eighth Annual Convention of the Institute of Radio Engineers and the program has been worked out in cooperation with officials of the Institute so as not to interfere with the main sessions of the IRE convention. The Commercial Section meeting will be held at the Civic Audi¬ torium, Grand RaDids, Mich., at 9:30 a. m., Tuesday, June 27, in connection with the Twenty-ninth Annual Convention of the Adver¬ tising Federation of America. The NAB Commercial Section meet¬ ing has been scheduled so as not to interfere in any way with the regular sessions of the AFA convention. Grand Rapids is less than 150 miles from Chicago and members will be able to attend both Section meetings and combine a visit to the Century of Progress with the trip. Members are urged to make hotel reservations promptly. Re¬ duced railroad fares have been secured for both the IRE and AFA conventions. POST OFFICE CLARIFIES FAN MAIL RULING Members of the NAB this week were sent copies of a letter by Solicitor Karl A. Crowley of the Post Office Department addressed to the NAB Managing Director affirming a ruling by his predecessor, Horace J. Donnelly, relating to the forwarding of broadcast fan mail. The ruling was made following a series of conferences between the Solicitor and the NAB Managing Director and the editor of Broadcasting. The letter affirms the ruling of the Post Office Deparment as published in the April 1, 1933, issue of Broadcasting and in NAB Reports, Vol. 1, No. 8, page 31. Mr. Crowley’s letter stated: “At the request of Mr. Harlee Branch, Executive Assistant to the Postmaster General, I have re-examined and considered the ruling of Mr. Donnelly, my predecessor as Solicitor for the Post Office Department, dated March 14, 1933, relating to the forwarding of “fan” mail by radio stations to sponsors of radio programs directly or through essential intermediaries. “The ruling has been approved and is now in effect. The ruling referred to is published in full text in April 1, 1933, issue of Broad¬ casting magazine.” Stations located in most of the larger cities were sent copies of the ruling as published in the magazine and copies of Solicitor Crowley’s letter with a suggestion that these stations bring the ruling to the attention of their postmasters. POWER TAX PROVISION CHANGED During the last week of the special session of Congress, the House and Senate agreed upon a provision in the so-called gas tax bill » Page 67 •