NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1946)

voted at the NAB-Iowa Radio News Clinic, in Cedar Rapids, March 22, are in the hands of H. R. Gross, news editor, KXEL, Waterloo. Buryi Lottridge, vice president, WOC, Davenport, and general clinic chairman, for the record, confirmed the action of the Iowa stations in naming Mr. Gross chairman in a letter to him on March 27. Committee members are to be selected by Mr. Gross and, in turn, appointed by Mr. Lottridge. The sixty members of Iowa’s broadcast industry at¬ tending the clinic pledged their cooperation in carrying out the plan. The Iowa Highway Commission and the radio and reporting facilities of the Iowa State Highway Patrol are to be brought into the picture. IOWA NEWSMEN FAVOR ASSOCIATION Radio newsmen of Iowa stations found so much of value in the March 22 radio news clinic that they want similar meetings, periodically. One suggestion was the formation of an Iowa Radio News Editors Association as a part of the Iowa Broad¬ casters Association. District Meetings 7TH DISTRICT SCORES FCC REPORT With five NAB District Meetings still in the offing, the entire membership of District 7, meeting in Cincinnati on March 28-29, joined broadcasters of three other Districts who have unanimously adopted resolutions protesting the right of the Federal Communications Commission to regu¬ late the content of radio programs and control the policies of individual licensees. District 7 also petitioned NAB to seek immediate relief from the recent restrictions placed on construction of stations by the Civilian Production Administration, acting in conjunction with the National Housing Authority. The District 7 protest against FCC’s program attitude follows closely in the wake of similar action taken at scheduled meetings of Districts 11-8-9, held respectively at Minneapolis, Grand Rapids and Chicago. These four meetings are the first to be held since the issuance of the Commission’s report “The Public Service Responsibility of Broadcast Licensees” which has evoked such widespread criticism of the Commission’s apparent unrelenting tend¬ ency toward a censorial supervision of broadcasting. “This question,” District 7 broadcasters point out in their resolution, “Involves basic considerations of Congres¬ sional intent and the question of free speech as guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States.” Unable to attend the meeting because of illness, James D. Shouse, WLW, 7th District Director, addressed a letter to his fellow members who attended the sessions, in which he expressed his regrets for his enforced absence and thanked J. Harold Ryan for presiding in his stead. Further thanks to Mr. Ryan were tendered in a resolution. Pointing out that time changes involved in periodic daylight savings time adoption in various sections of the country work an especial hardship on stations located in the border zone between standard time zones such as Ohio and Kentucky, 7th District members urged that NAB exert every effort to the end that a national pattern be evolved for uniform time changes each year. Text of the resolutions adopted, and a full list of those who registered during the Meeting follow: “The recent report of the Federal Communications Com¬ mission entitled, ‘The Public Service Responsibility of Broadcast Licensees,’ raises the question of the power of the FCC to regulate the content of programs and control the policies of individual licensees. This question in¬ volves basic considerations of Congressional intent and the question of free speech as guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States. “Therefore the broadcasters of the 7th NAB District, comprising the licensees of stations in the states of Ohio and Kentucky, call upon the President of NAB and the executive officers of our National Association to appraise the record of broadcasters operating in the public interest; and to seek the route of quickest relief, if necessary be¬ fore the Supreme Court of the United States.” • “The broadcasters of the 7th District of the National Association of Broadcasters hereby petition the manage¬ ment of our National Association to seek immediate relief from the restrictions placed on construction of broadcast stations by the National Housing Authority. “While it is recognized that any efforts looking toward the solution of the housing problem for veterans is to be commended in the, highest terms, it is nevertheless true that such businesses as broadcasting cannot reach their full maximum of employment unless additional facilities can be constructed in the immediate future. This is especially true in a business faced with such new develop¬ ments as FM, facsimile and television. The broadcasters hope that due consideration will be given the industry’s problems of construction so that housing and employment may go hand in hand.” • “The broadcasters of the 7th District of the NAB hereby pledge their support to our President, Justin Miller. We commend the constructive program which he has offered and pledge our wholehearted support in the attain¬ ment of the objectives of the National Association of Broadcasters.” • “The 7th District of the National Association of Broad¬ casters urges all stations within the district to become members of B.M.B., and commend that organization for the progress they have made in organizing periodic station coverage studies. The stations of this district wish to extend to B.M.B. their fullest active support and coopera¬ tion.” • “The broadcasters of the 7th District of NAB believe that the best interests of the industry can be served by maintaining B.M.I. at its highest degree of efficiency. We therefore urge all broadcasters to lend their most active support to B.M.I. and to check their program schedules so that increasing prominence may be given to B.M.I. num¬ bers in their daily broadcasts.” • “The broadcasters of the 7th District of NAB hereby extend their whole-hearted thanks to the broadcast stations of Cincinnati for the efficient arrangements which have been made to accommodate our meetings and to entertain our members while in their city.” • “The broadcasters of the 7th District of NAB extend their sympathy to James D. Shouse, and regret that he has been unable to be with us. We hope for his speedy re¬ covery as his services on the Board of NAB as represent¬ ative of this district are invaluable to the industry.” • “Daylight Saving Time presents one of the most difficult problems in program scheduling to broadcast stations. This is especially true in the border zone between standard time zones, such as that occupied by the states of Ohio and Kentucky. The broadcasters of the 7th District of NAB therefore, urgently request its National Association to extend all efforts in securing a national pattern for the establishment of a uniform time in each time zone in the United States.” (Continued on next page) APRSL 8, 1946-276