NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1944)

J. H. Ryan, President C. E. Arney, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer Robert T. Bartley, Director of War Activities ; Lewis H. Avery Director of Broadcast Advertising ; Willard D. Egolf, Director of Pub lie Relations : Howard S. Frazier. Director of Engineering ; Paul F Peter. Director of Research : Arthur C. Stringer, Director of Promotion FCC ASKS CONGRESSIONAL POLICY (Continued from page 247) limited; 3/21/44; from Grace C. Convey, transferor, to Robert T. Convey, transferee; $105,950 for 52% of stock. KWTO, Springfield, Mo., 560 kc., 5 kw-LS, 1 kw-DA-N, unlimited; 2/29/44; from Springfield Newspapers, Inc., et al, transferor, to Lester E. Cox, et al; $100,000 for 50% of WCOL, Columbus, Ohio; 1230 kc., 250 w, unlimited; 5 30/44; from Kenneth B. Johnston, transferor, to Lloyd Pixley, et al, transferee; $250,000 for 100% of stock. WELI, New Haven, Conn.; 960 kc, 1 kw-LS, 500 w, DA-N; 6/27/44; from Arde Bulova and Harold LaFount, transferor, to Harry C. Wielder et al, transferee; $185,000 for 100% of stock. WIBC, Indianapolis, Ind.; 1070 kc., 5 kw-LS, 1 kwDA-N; 5/30/44; from H. G. Wall et al, transferor, to Indianapolis News Publishing Co., transferee; $440,000 for 100% of stock. WINX, Washington, D. C.; 1340 kc., 250 w, unlimited; 7/18/44; from Lawrence J. Heller et al, transferor, to Eugene Meyer & Co., a partnership; $500,000 for 100% of stock. WJJD, Chicago, Ill.; 1160 kc., 20 kw, Limited-KSL; 7/5/44; from H. Lester Atlas et al, transferor, to Mar¬ shall Field, transferee; $696,000 for 96.6% of stock. WLBZ, Bangor, Maine; 620 kc. 5 kw, unlimited, DA; 2/1 44; from Thompson L. Guernsey, transferor, to Eastland Broadcasting Co., transferee; $150,000 for 100% of WMAZ, Macon, Ga.; 940 kc, 5 kw, unlimited, DA; 4/4/44; from E. K. Cargill, transferor, to George P. Ran¬ kin, Jr., transferee; $120,000 for 41% of stock. WPDQ, Jacksonville, Fla.; 1270 kc., 5 kw, unlimited, DA-N; 3/14/44; from Ernest D. Black, transferor, to L. D. Baggs, transferee; $180,326 for 60% of stock. WQXR, New York, N. Y.; 1560 kc., 10 kw, unlimited; 7 '18/44; from John V. L. Hogan et al, transferor, to New York Times Co., transferee; $987,500 for 100% of stock. KECA, Los Angeles; 790 kc, 5 kw, unlimited, DA-N; 7 48/44; from Earle C. Anthony, Inc., assignor, to Blue Network Co., Inc., assignee; $800,000. KTOK, Oklahoma City, Okla.; 1400 kc., 250 w, unlimited; 4/18/44; from Oklahoma Broadcasting Co., Inc., assignor, to O. L. Taylor, assignee; $150,000. KBIR, Knoxville, Tenn.; 1240 kc., 250 w, unlimited; 1 '11/44; from J. W. Birdweli, assignor, to American Broadcasting Co., Inc., assignee; $135,000. WJLD, Bessemer, Ala.; 1400 kc., 250 w, unlimited; 7 18 44; from J. Leslie Doss, assignor, to George Johnston, assignee; $106,000. WFTL, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; 710 kc., 10 kw, unlimited, DA-N; 2 29 44; from Ralph A. Horton, assignor, to Fort Industry Co., assignee; $275,000. DURR CLARIFIES DISSENT FCC Commissioner Clifford J. Durr released a memo¬ randum on Wednesday (26) setting forth his reasons for dissenting in the action of the Commission taken on July 18 July 28, 1944 — 248 approving without hearing the transfers of the licenses of Stations WJLD, WINX, WQXR and WQXQ. In the press release accompanying the memorandum, Mr. Durr stated that the July 25 letter of Chairman Fly to Senator Burton K. Wheeler and Congressman Clarence Lea, chairmen re¬ spectively of the Senate Committee on Interstate Com¬ merce and the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, calling their attention to the increasing price of radio stations indicated there was little disagreement be¬ tween the other members of the FCC and himself with respect to the seriousness of this problem, the main point of difference being the present authority of the Commission to deal with the situation. Mr. Durr’s memorandum fol¬ lows: “MEMORANDUM: Re: J. Leslie Doss, Transferor George Johnston, Transferee Bessemer, Alabama (WJLD) Lawrence J. Heller, et al., Transferors Eugene Meyer and Agnes Meyer, d/b as The Washington Post, Transferees Washington, D. C. (WINX) John V. L. Hogan, Transferor New York Times Company, Transferee New York, N. Y. (WQXR and WQXQ) “My reason for voting against approval of the above as¬ signments of license was the same in all three cases. The prices being paid for the stations seemed to me to raise serious questions of law and public interest, and I there¬ fore think that each application should have been set for hearing to ascertain: “(a) Whether or not any part of the purchase price rep¬ resents payment for a radio channel in violation of Sections 301 and 309(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and, “(b) Whether the amount being invested in the station by transferee will affect the operations of the sta¬ tion in the public interest. “Station WJLD, Bessemer, Alabama, is a 250-watt sta¬ tion operating on a local channel. The replacement cost of all its physical properties, real and personal, is only $12,269, and the original cost $12,019. The net worth of all of its assets, tangible and intangible, according to its books, is $14,236. For the year 1943, its net income before Federal taxes and without deduction of any salary for the proprietor was $4,966. The purchase price being paid is $106,000, which is more than seven times the net worth of the station and more than twenty-one times its net profits before Federal taxes. “Station WINX, Washington, D. C., is likewise a 250watt station operating on a local channel, but operates with a booster which serves to extend its coverage. The replace¬ ment cost of all its physical properties, real and personal, is only $58,492, and the original cost $56,966. The net worth of all of its assets, tangible and intangible, accord¬ ing to its books, is $48,254. For the year 1943, its net in¬ come before Federal taxes was $20,186. The purchase price being paid is $500,000, which is more than ten times the net worth of the station and more than twenty-four times its net profits before taxes. “Station WJLD was first licensed only a little more than two years ago and Station WINX less than four and onehalf years ago. The purchase price being paid for WJLD represents a profit of nearly 800 per cent on the cost of its physical properties and over 650 per cent on its net worth. The purchase price being paid for WINX repre¬ sents a profit of nearly 800 per cent on the cost of its physical properties and over 950 per cent on its net worth. “Station WQXR, New York, N. Y., is a lOkw station and WQXQ is a frequency modulation (FM) station. No figures were before the Commission as to the replacement cost or the original cost of the physical properties involved in the transfer. However, the net worth of all of the assets of the present licensee corporation, both tangible and intangible, is $227,037. For the year 1943, its net income before Federal taxes was $30,320. The purchase price being paid is approximately $1,000,000, which is ap