NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1944)

WASHINGTON 6, D. C. Vo! 12, No. 18, May 5, 1944 1760 N STREET, N. W. RETAIL RADIO ADVERTISING MUST STATE TAX SEPARATELY On and after Saturday, May 6th, according to an ad¬ vanced release of the Office of Price Administration, the amount of the Federal excise tax must be separately stated in radio advertisements as well as in printed advertise¬ ments. The instruction, termed “Amendment No. 1 to Supple¬ mentary Order No. 85 — Collection by Retailers of Federal Excise Tax on Jewelry, Furs and Fur Trimmed Articles, Toilet Preparations and Certain Items of Leather Goods Imposed by the Revenue Act of 1943 — effective May 6, 1944,” stated: “Retailers will not be required on and after May 6, 1944, to state separately the amount of the new 20 per cent Federal excise tax on cash register sales receipts, the Office of Price Administration provided today. “The provision was made because cash register receipts are punched out by machine, and the OPA said that it would place an undue burden on retailers to require them to put the additional tax statement on this type of receipt. Other requirements for separate statement of the amount of the tax on sales receipts remain unchanged. “In the same action, OPA made it clear that the amount of the tax must be separately stated in radio advertise¬ ments, as well as in printed advertisements. “The agency also made it clear that the tax must be applied and stated by retailers on all non-alarm clocks, and not just on alarm clocks retailing for more than $5. The original order telling retailers how to apply the new tax and listing the commodities to which it applies, in¬ cluded only alarm clocks retailing for more than $5. Today’s order includes all other clocks as well.” Station executives are urged to call this new order to the attention of sales managers, salesmen and continuity writers. STANDARD COVERAGE STUDY UNDERWAY The Technical Sub-Committee of the NAB Research Committee held the first of a series of meetings in New York, Thursday, April 27. The committee started its work of reviewing station coverage measurement methods which have been submitted to date. Further proposals will be reviewed by this committee as received. Although no direct solicitation is being made, the committee is confident that those interested in the sub¬ ject will direct their ideas to its attention. The com¬ mittee’s assignment is to review all methods available for measuring station coverage. The next meeting will be called in about three weeks. Those attending the meeting were Roger Clipp, Presi¬ dent WFIL, Philadelphia, Chairman; John K. Churchill, Director of Research, CBS; Edward F. Evans, Research Manager, Blue Network; Sidney Fishman, Manager of Research, MBS ; Barry T. Rumple, Research Manager, NBC; Kenneth E. Greene, Assistant Research Manager, NBC; and Paul F. Peter, Director of Research, NAB, committee secretary. Frank N. Stanton, Vice President, CBS, was unable to attend. AIR CORPS CASUALTIES AVAILABLE TO INDUSTRY The Placement and Education Branch, Personal Affairs Division of the Army Air Corps Headquarters, has asked the NAB to assist them to determine the employment possibilities in the broadcast industry for medically dis¬ charged Air Force personnel. Captain Morgan D. Wheelock, Chief of the Placement and Education Branch, in addressing the request to NAB, stated in part : “The flow of Air Force casualties back into civilian life is beginning to be felt. It is the wish of General Arnold that these men receive every consideration and to this end an extensive rehabilitation program is under way. In conjunction with Government agencies, we are deter¬ mined to see our men all the way back to the point where they are securely established as self-respecting, self-sup¬ porting citizens. “Believing that you will wish to have a part in this program, I am enclosing the type of questionnaire which we believe will give us the information necessary to effect an intelligent training or job analysis. The prospective employees will not all be physically handicapped, but it will help us if we know the varying degrees of disability ac¬ ceptable to each employer. . . . “Those of your members who unite with us in this effort will favor us greatly by writing us to that effect, listing their offices and principal branches, and giving us the name of their Personnel Officer.” An “Employment Questionnaire” is being sent with this issue of the NAB Reports. You are urged to fill it out and return it as indicated. TELEVISION IN SPOTLIGHT Following closely on the heels of the statement issued last week by Paul W. Kesten, Executive Vice President of the Columbia Broadcasting System, in which he ex¬ pressed the view that the adoption of television standards should be postponed until information now presumed to be locked up as a military secret is available, Chairman James Lawrence Fly issued (Wednesday, May 3) the followingstatement: “It has been my view that the highest developments of which television techniques are capable of producing should be made available to the public as soon as may be feasible, consistent with the overall economic picture. “At the same time it would be foolhardy to lock down future television service to the pre-war levels. Wartime research has been very productive. “The public interest is paramount. American families should be given the benefit of the many technological im¬ provements created in the laboratories in the stress of war. There should be no bottling up of such improvements ( Continued on page 1 46) May 5, 1944-145