NAB reports (Mar-Dec 1933)

The National Association of Broadcasters NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING * * * * * WASHINGTON, D. C. PHILIP G. LOUCKS, Managing Director Vol. 1 No. 21 * JULY 22, 1933 NAB REPORTS ★ ★ ★ ★ Copyright, 1933, The National Association of Broadcasters BROADCASTERS RECEIVE AGREEMENT All broadcasting stations will receive from their postmasters copies of the President’s Reemployment Agreement as authorized under Section 4a of the National Industrial Recovery Act. “This agreement is part of a nation-wide plan to raise wages, create employment, and thus increase purchasing power and restore business,” President Roosevelt points out in a statement made public simultaneously with the announcement of the agreement. “If it turns out that the general agreement bears unfairly on any group of employers, they can have that straigthened out by presenting promptly their proposed code of fair competition.” President Alfred J. McCosker of the NAB will be in Washington for a conference with the Managing Director on the general subject of the application of the National Industrial Recovery Act to broad¬ casting and the general procedure to be followed. At the same time President McCosker will confer with various government officials and transact other important Association business as well as give consideration to the appointment of a number of new committees. It is hoped that this new code will be effective August 1, but it has been pointed out by officials of the Recovery Administration that it is perfectly obvious that it cannot be effective for any in¬ dividual manufacturer until he himself has signed the agreement. The President in his statement also has said that if codes are not received by September 1 the Administration will take a hand and call hearings for individual industries and help draw up a code for that particular industry. In announcing the establishment of this new blanket code the Recovery Administration says that “the employers’ part is to act at once and all together to submit and scrupulously comply with agreements with the President to shorten hours and raise wages a n d to cooperate with employees in peaceful adjustment of differences. In the next few weeks there will be a nation-wide publicity cam¬ paign in connection with the adoption of the blanket code, includ¬ ing cards to be displayed by those who have signed their agreement. N. A. RADIO CONFERENCE PROGRESSES The second week of the North American Radio Conference at Mexico City found committees at work on various phases of the conference agenda with a view to completing their reports for presentation at plenary sessions which are to begin shortly. No formal proposals relating to the allocation of frequencies have as yet been presented nor have the demands of Mexico and Central American countries become officially known. The committees are meeting behind closed doors and under the rules of the conference discussions will be closed to all except officially designated government representatives. Whether or not the conference will consider frequencies below SSO kc. for broadcasting is still problematical. It is understood unofficially that Mexico desires channels only in the broadcast band, although Canada feels that the band could be widened to include 540 kc, 530 kc., 520 kc., and 510 kc., on condition that adequate safeguards are set up to protect the distress frequency of 500 kc. Canada proposed widening the band down to 460 kc. during the Madrid conference last September. The plan, however, was not adopted when a decision was reached that the matter was properly one to be discussed at a regional conference. While the position of the United States has not been made officially known it is doubtful if this country’s delegation will agree to widening the band below 550 kc. if ways and means can be found to work out a solution otherwise. Indications are that the conference will be in session at least several more weeks and there is some prospect that the important issues of the conference will appear when the time for plenary sessions are reached. There is a feeling that the Mexican government will adopt the fifty cycle deviation tolerance now adopted in both the United • Page States gnd Canada and that there will be no departure from the present separation of ten kilocycles. It is also believed that approximate mileage separations applicable to regional and local stations will be accepted. While it is not yet known definitely how many clear channels will be requested by Mexico and Central America, it is certain that the United States delegates will resist any excessive demands. SECURITIES ACT REGISTRATIONS The Federal Trade Commission is considering the promulgation of a ruling designed to govern radio, newspaper, and magazine an¬ nouncements of investment offerings under the provisions of the Securities Act passed by the last Congress. Chairman March of the Commission said that a number of reports relating to wildcat stock schemes had reached the Commission and some of the broadcasts under scrutiny are said to originate at privately owned stations in Mexico. “While it is not mentioned by name in every applicable section of the Act, the radio, as a means of interstate communication, clearly would come within. the meaning of the Act as definitely as do the United States mail service, the telephone and the telegraph,” Chairman March is quoted as saying in an interview printed on July 20 in the New York Times. Members of the NAB have received a copy of the Act as approved by the President and also a copy of the regulations formulated by the Trade Commission. These have been punched for insertion in the NAB HANDBOOK and should be followed carefully. As a further means of keeping NAB members informed with respect to compliance with the Act. NAB Reports will publish weekly the names of all firms registering statements with the Trade Commission. A partial list, which will be supplemented next week and each week thereafter, follows: Insured Investors, Inc., Kansas City, Mo. Interstate Investors, Inc., New York. Paymaster Consolidated Mines, Ltd., Toronto, Canada. Plymouth Fund, Inc., Jersey City, N. J. Stutz Motor Car Company of America, Inc., New York City. KANSAS CITY MILK CODE PROPOSALS The code of fair practices included in the marketing agreement proposed by the Pure Milk Producers Association, Inc., of Kansas City, Mo., the Milk Service Association of Kansas City, and Inde¬ pendent Dairies, Inc., on which public hearing was in Washington this week, contains the following rules with respect to advertising: The code declares to be unfair — “Giving away goods or samples other than is customary, in such quantities as to hamper or embarrass competitors, or to have vir¬ tually the effect of rebates. “Selling merchandise that is misbranded, or in any way mislead¬ ing to the public. “Giving away to any customer or member of family or any employee of a family special inducements not enjoyed by the mem¬ bers’ general trade. “Making false or disparaging statements either written or oral, or circulating harmful rumors respecting a competitor’s products, selling price, business, financial or personal standing. “Advertising in any program, periodical or publication of any kind whatsoever, unless such publication has a general paid circula¬ tion. or is for sale on news stands. “False or misleading or injurious advertising, or spreading of false statements by advertising printed, written or oral.” The code has not yet been sent to the President by the Secretary of Agriculture. FREQUENCY MEASURING SCHEDULES The Commission this week announced schedules of after-midnight transmissions for approximately 300 broadcasting stations, to take 89 ■