NAB reports (Mar-Dec 1933)

WOULD BAN DENTAL ADVERTISING each from the United Press, the Associated Press, and the Inter¬ national News Service; one representative from the National Association of Broadcasters, and one representative each from the National Broadcasting Company and the Columbia Broad¬ casting System, totaling seven members, with one vote each, should constitute a committee to set up with proper editorial control and supervision an organization designed to furnish to the radio broadcasters limited daily news bulletins for broadcasting pur¬ poses. The chairman of the above committee will be the repre¬ sentative of the American Newspaper Publishers Association and a member of the Publishers National Radio Committee. All actions of this committee will be subject to the Publishers Na¬ tional Radio Committee. “2. The newspaper and press association members of this com¬ mittee are authorized and empowered to select such editor, or editors, as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this agreement, to wit: To receive from each of the principal three press associations copies of their respective day and night press reports, from which shall be selected bulletins of not more than 30 words each sufficient to fill two broadcast periods daily of not more than five minutes each. “3. It is proposed that a broadcast to be based upon bulletins taken from the morning newspaper report will be put on the air by broadcasters not earlier than 9:30 a. m., local station time, and the broadcast based upon the afternoon newspaper report will not be put on the air by broadcasters prior to 9 p. m„ local station time. “4. It is agreed that these news broadcasts will not be sold for commercial purposes. “5. The Columbia Broadcasting, System agrees to withdraw from the news agency field and dissolve its present Columbia News Service Corporation. The National Broadcasting Company agrees not to enter the news collection field. “6. All expense incident to the functioning of this committee will be borne by the broadcasters. Independent stations may have access to these broadcast reports upon their request and agreement to pay their proportionate share of the expense involved, as well as to observe the letter and spirit of this plan. “7. Occasional news bulletins of transcendental importance, as a matter of public service, will be furnished to broadcasters, as they may occur at times other than the stated periods above. These bulletins will be written and broadcast in such a manner as to stimulate public interest in the reading of newspapers. “8. The broadcasters agreed to regulate the broadcast by their commentators in such a manner that these periods will be devoted to a generalization and background of general news situations and eliminate the present practice of the recital of spot news. “9. The newspapers and the broadcasters will cooperate to limit the broadcasting of news by newspaper-owned stations and inde¬ pendently owned stations on a basis comparable to the schedule set up above for radio chains. “10. The Publishers’ National Radio committee will recommend to all newspaper publishers the above plan for their approval and acquiescence, and will urge upon the members of the Asso¬ ciated Press and the managements of the International News Service and the United Press the adoption of this plan.” The conference was attended and the plan formulated by the representatives of newspapers, the three principal press associations (United Press, Associated Press and International News Service) and the executive officers of the National Broadcasting Company and the Columbia Broadcasting System. Alfred J. McCosker, president of the National Association of Broadcasters, was invited to the conference and attended the first session of the two-day conference. The NAB has taken no official action on the proposal. The conferes included the following: William S. Paley, president of the Columbia Broadcasting System; Edward K. Klauber, first vice-president, Columbia Broadcasting System; M. H. Aylesworth, president of the National Broadcasting Company; Frank E. Mason, vice-president of the National Broadcasting Company; Roy W. Howard, chairman of the Board of the Scripps-Howard Newspapers; Harry M. Bitner, assistant general manager of the Hearst Newspapers; J. D. Gortatowsky, of the International News Service; Karl A. Bickel, president of the United Press; Lloyd Stratton, executive assistant of the Associated Press, repre¬ senting Kent Cooper, general manager; E. H. Harris, chairman of the Publishers’ National Radio Committee, and the following members of the committee: John Cowles, Des Moines Register and Tribune; Edwin S. Friendly, New York Sun; James G. Stahlman, Nashville Banner, and L. B. Palmer, general manager of the American Newspaper Publishers’ Association. A bill (H 141 X) introduced by Representative Cochrane in the first special session of the Washington legislature would make it a misdemeanor for dentists or physicians to advertise for busi¬ ness through the use of radio, newspapers, loudspeakers or bill¬ boards. The bill has been referred to the Committee on Medicine and Dentistry for report. COMMISSION TAKES HOLIDAY RECESS The Radio Commission will hold no meetings or hearings during the week of December 25, owing to the holidays. The next Commission meeting will be held January 2. COMMISSION WINS COURT CASE Justice Letts of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia this week granted the motion of the Radio Commission to dis¬ miss the petition of Carl Siegfried and Max A. Kramer in their petition of injunction to restrain the Commission from acting on an application for the voluntary assignment of license from Station KGIZ to KGBX. The motion was granted immediately following argument on the case in court. RECOMMENDS AGAINST CALIFORNIA STATION Thomas R. McTammany and William H. Bates, Jr., applied to the Radio Commission for a construction permit for a new station to be erected at Modesto, Calif., using 740 kilocycles, 250 watts daytime. In Report No. 532 this week Ralph L. Walker (e) recommends that the application be denied. The Examiner found that while the proposed new station would not cause any additional interference that “it is not affirmatively shown that there is sufficient program material avail¬ able to provide a good service, and the granting of the application would further increase the over quota status of the Fifth Zone and the State of California.” KOAC GETS LICENSE RENEWAL The Radio Commission on Friday upheld Examiner George H. Hill in his Report No. 517 by granting a license renewal to Station KOAC, Corvallis, Ore., and refusing a construction permit for a new station at La Grande, Ore., to the Eastern Oregon Broadcasting Company. In its decision the Commission found that the Eastern Oregon Company had not shown sufficient financial resources or ability to secure the establishment of the proposed station and that the applicant “failed to establish the merits of its own case” and “has obviously failed to make a showing that would warrant the withdrawal of facilities now allocated for the use of Station KOAC.” KGIZ VOLUNTARY ASSIGNMENT APPROVED Station KGIZ, Grant City, Me., was granted permission to voluntarily assign its license to KGBX, Inc., through a decision of the Radio Commission handed down on Friday and upholding Report No. 519 of Examiner George H. Hill. This action affirms that taken by the Commission on June 30 last. It was found by the Commission in its decision that “the protestant parties have not shown any facts which would warrant the revocation of the Commission’s original grant in this case.” TO CHANGE POLICE FREQUENCIES Effective May 1, at which time the police broadcasting licenses expire, the Radio Commission will change their frequencies to some place between 1655 and 1715 kilocycles in view of the fact that the Commission has opened up experimentally the 1500-1600 kilo¬ cycle band in which the police stations are now located. Pending this change of frequency it is not believed that much interference will develop. MORE TIME FOR KWKC DENIED The Radio Commission this week sustained Examiner George H. Hill, in his report No. 521 in which he recommended that the application of broadcasting Station KWKC, Kansas City, Mo., asking for additional time from specified hours to unlimited be denied. The station uses a frequency of 1370 kilocycles with 100 watts power. • Page 262 •