NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1934)

Following his sudden death at the age of 43 years last Tuesday, both the Texas House and Senate adopted resolutions expressing regret at the passing of Mr. Dealey. Broadcasting and publishing has lost an outstanding executive; Texas lost a valuable citizen; the NAB lost a true friend. DON LEE APPEALS TO COURTS The Don Lee Broadcasting Company this week filed an appeal in the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia against a decision of the Federal Radio Commission of January 26 denying construc¬ tion application to the Lee company for a new station at^ Red¬ lands, Calif., granting license renewals to stations KTM and KELW and assignments of those licenses to the Evening Herald Publishing Company. McFADDEN ASKS RADIO INVESTIGATION Representative McFadden of Pennsylvania this week made a lengthy speech on the floor of the House in connection with freedom of speech. He made reference to the cancellation of a quarter-hour news period which was taken off the air to enable the Postmaster General to reach the country. Said Mr. McFadden in part: “There is now before the proper committee of this body a resolu¬ tion calling for a full investigation into the conduct of the radio business in the United States. I introduced that resolution in the last Congress and it is still alive. No action has been taken upon it. Like many other matters pending before this Congress, no attention will be paid to it unless it has Presidential approval. Will the administration get Presidential approval of this? “Will the Rules Committee put that resolution upon its passage, and will the majority pass it and conduct a full and impartial in¬ vestigation? No Member of this House who reads his mail can say that there is no public demand for such an investigation. You all know that there is, and you all know that the radio situation should be dealt with by Congress and that without further delay.” STATIONS ON 600 KC GET POWER BOOST The Radio Commission on Friday authorized Station WCAO, Baltimore, to increase its power from 2S0 to S00 watts, sustaining Examiner Ralph L. Walker in his Report No. 520. The Examiner was also sustained in the same report when the Commission author¬ ized Station WICC, Bridgeport, Conn., to increase its power from 250 to 500 watts. The Commission, in the same decision, granted Station WCAC, Storrs, Conn., permission to increase its power from 250 to 500 watts and substituted the name of the Connecticut State College for the Connecticut Agricultural College. In its decision in connection with these stations the Commission found that “the applicant concerned in each application is qualified legally, technically and financially,” and the broadcast service of each is “meritorious.” It was found that the additional power would in each instance “improve the service of the applicant station.” It was further found that “the granting of the three aDplications would tend toward the establishment of a more equal distribution of radio broadcast facilities between zones and a more equitable distribution among stations.” 1430 KC ASSIGNMENTS MADE PERMANENT Station WOKO, Albany, N. Y., was granted permission on Friday to change its frequency from 1440 to 1430 kilocycles, and WHEC, Rochester, N. Y., was granted the same change. Both of these stations were allowed to change their assignment of hours from day¬ time and part nighttime to unlimited time. In this the Commission upheld Examiner R. L. Walker in his Report No. 527. In the same decision the Commission granted Station WCAH, Columbus, Ohio, permission to increase its daytime power from 500 to 1,000 watts and change its operating time from part to un¬ limited time, reversing the Examiner. Station WHP, Harrisburg, Pa., was granted permission to change its hours of operation from specified hours, sharing with WCAH at night, to unlimited time, sustaining the Examiner in part. WFEA, Manchester, N. H., was denied license renewal on 1430 kilocycles. The Commission found in its decision that the program service of all of these stations is meritorious and “important to the interest and convenience of the large numbers of residents in the areas of the stations concerned.” The Commission also found that the operation of stations WHEC, WCAH, WHP and WOKO simultaneously on the frequency of 1430 kilocycles has been demonstrated to be practicable. • Page WFEA MOVES TO PORTLAND, MAINE Charles W. Phelan has been denied his application for a construc¬ tion permit for a new station at Portland, Maine, by the Radio Commission in sustaining former Chief Examiner Ellis A. Yost in his Report No. 488. The Portland Publishing Company was denied a construction permit to erect a station at Portland, Maine, in the same case. Station WQDM, St. Albans, Vt., was denied its applica¬ tion to increase its power from 100 to 1,000 watts and to change its frequency from 1370 to 1340 kilocycles. Station WRDO was denied permission to move from Augusta to Portland, Maine. Station WFEA, Manchester, N. H., was granted permission to make a change in its frequency from 1430 to 1340 kilocycles experimentally subject to conditions prescribed by the Commission. The Commission found that the allocation of additional facilities for radio service at Portland “would tend toward the establishment of an inequitable distribution of facilities within that state.” A. F. OF M. FAVORS SPREADING EMPLOYMENT Local unions affiliated with the American Federation of Musicians have been urged to place in effect at radio stations a plan of “limited staggering” of musicians. President Weber has expressed the ex¬ pectation that employers will cooperate in spreading employment among musicians, in his communication to locals. Recognizing that radio broadcasting stations require specialized services, President Weber has pointed out that only fully qualified musicians should be permitted to act as substitutes and that substitution should be done in such manner that the employer always receives first-class services. ADVOCATES SCALE FOR RADIO PERFORMERS In a lengthy report of a survey of broadcasting, Frank Gillmore, president of Actors’ Equity Association, proposes a wage scale fot radio performers. The scale is similar to that advocated by this group at the public hearings on the broadcasters’ code and which was rejected in favor of a study of the whole subject by the broad¬ casters’ Code Authority. The proposals follow: Live Programs For Class “A” Programs — Sustaining: minimum wage, $20 per performance; commercial, $40 per performance. Class “A” pro¬ grams are those broadcast after 6 o’clock in the evening over a chain of not less than five stations for a single performance. Class “A” programs are also those single broadcasts given after 6 p. m. from a single station whose charges are based upon an advertising card-rate of $400 or over per evening hour. Morning and afternoon programs, minimum wage: sustaining, $12.50 per performance; commercial, $35 per performance. When an artist is engaged to perform as part of the entertainment on a commercial program for three or more periods within a week, the minimum wage will not be less than $25 per broadcast. For Class “B” Programs — Sustaining, $12.50 per performance; commercial, $25 per performance. Class “B” programs are those taking place in the morning or afternoon over a chain of not less than five stations for a single broadcast. Class “B” programs are also those given after 6 o’clock in the evening over a single station whose charges are based upon an advertising card-rate of $280 and under $400 per evening hour. Morning and afternoon programs: sustaining, $10 per performance; commercial, $15 per performance. When an artist is engaged to perform as part of the entertainment on a commercial program for three or more periods within a week, the minimum wage will not be less than $15 per broadcast. For Class “C” Programs — Sustaining, $10 per performance ; com¬ mercial, $15 per performance. Class “C” programs are those broad¬ cast after 6 o’clock in the evening from a single station whose charges are based upon an advertising card-rate of over $100 and under $250 per evening hour. Morning and afternoon programs: sustaining, $7.50 per performance; commercial, $12.50 per per¬ formance When an artist is engaged to perform as part of the entertainment on a commercial program for three or more periods within a week the minimum wage will be not less than $7.50 per broadcast. It is recognized that there are many smaller stations, but as these rarely employ professional talent, i. e., artists who make their living out of radio performances, no regulations are made regarding them. Including rehearsals, a performance shall constitute i]A hours. Overtime shall be at the rate of half-pay for each 3 hours or part thereof. 289 •