NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1948)

Arrangements for NAB Convention Complete With Agreements on Hotels in Los Angeles With the signing of contracts with the Biltmore and other Los Angeles hotels, arrangements for the 26th Annual Convention of the National Association of Broadcasters, scheduled for May 17-21, 1948, have been completed, NAB officials announced Friday (6). The 1948 convention will differ in many respects from those of previous years. Plans now being made will devote Monday and Tuesday, May 17 and 18, to a conference programmed exclusively on a management level. Clinics on sales, small market stations, retail radio selling, programming, and other subjects for¬ merly treated at conventions, will be left for district meetings of the late summer and fall. Thursday and Friday, May 20 and 21, will be devoted to the engineering conference, including discussion of technical subjects. This portion of the program will be under the direction of the Engineering Executive Committee and the Engineering Department of NAB. Registration for the management conference will begin at 9 o’clock Sunday morning. May 16, at the Bilt¬ more, whei'e all sessions will be held. Registration for the engineering meetings will be held on Wednesday. Separate registrations for the two portions of the convention are planned. Forms for pre-registration will be sent to the NAB membership within the next two or three weeks, according to C. E. Arney, Jr., NAB secretary-treasurer. The pre-registration blanks will be accompanied by forms with which room reseiwations may be requested in the hotels in which NAB has options on rooms. No Direct Reservations. NAB members are re¬ minded that under the contracts with these hotels, no requests for reservations will be considered except through NAB headquarters. The hotels, in addition to the Biltmore, are the Alexandria, Ambassador, Clark, Commodore, Figueroa, Gaylord, Hayward, Hollywood Plaza, Hollywood Roosevelt, Knickerbocker, Mayan, Mayfair, Rosslyn, and Town House. A sufficient number of rooms to fill requests of all members are under option, NAB officials said, but members wishing accommodations at other hotels may make their reservations directly without using the NAB forms. As in previous years, the exhibits of equipment manufacturers, transcription companies, wire record¬ ers, and the like, will be outstanding features of the convention. The exhibitor privilege will be limited to associate (Continued on page 101) Decisions of Commission Cause Conjecture And Disagreements on Philosophy Outlined Two FCC documents of major importance were sub¬ jects of widespread conjecture and some confusion in the radio broadcasting industry last week. The two documents, which produced dissents and separate opinions even within the Commission, were: ^ The proposed decision on the application of the Port Huron Broadcasting Co. (WHLS, Port Huron, Mich.) for renewal of license, a case involving “censor¬ ship” of political broadcasts and stations’ liability to libel actions arising from them. *' The opinion and order on the application of the Capital Broadcasting Co. (WWDC, Washington, D. C.) for renewal of license, a case involving broadcasting of horse race results. Both cases resulted in enunciation of doctrine, inter¬ pretation and philosophy by the FCC, and one of them brought wide disagreement on powers and signifi¬ cances, extending even to the general press and news¬ paper editorials. In the Port Huron proposed decisions, the Commis¬ sion interpreted the Communications Act as intended to exempt radio stations from liability for libel or slander arising from statements made by speakei's on (Continued on next page) tUe 9*tlide Two NAB executives have registered under provisions of the Federal Control of Lobbying Act, but have filed riders calling the law not ap¬ plicable. (p. 101) Ruth Crane, of WMAL, Washington, has been named president of the AWB of the NAB, in a convention election formalizing her status as act¬ ing president, (p. 101) Frank E. Pellegrin, NAB director of Broadcast Advertising, has resigned to become president and general manager of a new St. Louis firm. (p. 104) The FCC has issued explanatory notes on require¬ ments for applications for FM licenses, emphasiz¬ ing new leniences for certain cases, (p. 105) The FCC has proposed the abolition of STA’s for AM stations, because of detrimental effects on regular nighttime broadcasting, (p. 107) FEBRUARY 9, 1948-99