NAB reports (Jan-Dec 1938)

survey if an attempt were made to separate the data con¬ cerning daytime and nighttime reception conditions. The Commission therefore authorized a second questionnaire survey, which was conducted during April, 1937. Approx¬ imately 31,000 questionnaire cards were mailed to the fourth-class postmasters throughout the United States. The Commission received in reply approximately 16,000 cards. The questionnaire card requested specific informa¬ tion concerning daytime receiving conditions and nighttime receiving conditions in the community where the post¬ master resided. The analysis of these data has not yet been completed.” Discussing the general nature of complaints received, the Commission says that: “The majority of the investiga¬ tions conducted with regard to complaints received con¬ cerning the program service of broadcast stations have resulted in informal adjustments. Other complaints in¬ volving possible violations of the act and the rules and regulations of the Commission, including the broadcasting of lotteries, medical programs, and fortune-telling pro¬ grams, and the illegal assignments of licenses and transfers of the control of licensee corporations, have been investi¬ gated, and appropriate action has followed either by way of adjustment or by the designation of applications for renewal of licenses for hearing. “The Commission maintains complete records showing the information required by Order No. 2 of the Broadcast Division, which include copies of all contracts entered into by licensees that may in any way affect the conduct or control of a broadcast station. These records show the corporate structure of each licensee corporation and a complete list of all the stockholders thereof. “Each application, particularly one for the renewal of station license, is compared with these records to deter¬ mine whether a change in ownership or a transfer of the control of a licensee corporation has occurred, and also to determine what interests the licensees or stockholders may have in other ^stations.” The Commission, in taking up the distribution of broad¬ cast facilities, states that: “Considering the broadcast as¬ signments as they existed on June 8, 1937, the Engineer¬ ing Department made a study for the purpose of deter¬ mining the distribution of broadcast facilities to cities of various populations and to the various States. According to the 1930 census of the United States, there are 16,598 cities and towns in this country. Of this total, 982 have a population in excess of 10,000 and 376 have a popula¬ tion in excess of 25,000. Many of the towns and cities of 10,000 or more inhabitants are in the metropolitan districts, as described by the Bureau of the Census, or are adjacent to other larger cities not included in any of the metropolitan districts. Of the 606 cities having a popula¬ tion in excess of 10,000 and less than 25,000, 471 have no radio station, and of the 376 cities having a population in excess of 25,000, 143 have no radio station. However, of the total of 614 cities having no radio station, all but 111 receive primary service from at least one radio station, as shown in the following paragraphs: (1) Three hundred and twenty-nine cities (53.6 per cent) are within one of the 96 metropolitan districts speci¬ fied by the Bureau of the Census. Each district has one or more radio stations. (2) Eight cities (1.3 per cent) are adjacent to larger cities which have a radio station. (3) One hundred and sixty-six cities (27.0 per cent), not included in ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) above, are within the primary service area of an existing station. In this case the limit of primary service was considered as 2 mv/m, the min¬ imum signal normally required to render a satisfactory service in the residential area of the average city. (4) The remaining 111 cities (18.1 per cent) do not come within any of the foregoing categories. “The study indicates that there are 359 cities in the continental United States which have only one radio sta¬ tion. Of these, 88 have a population in excess of 25,000 and are not located within one of the 96 metropolitan districts.” FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ACTION Complaints The Federal Trade Commission has alleged unfair com¬ petition in complaints issued against the following firms. The respondents will be given an opportunity to show cause why cease and desist orders should not be issued against them: No. 3288. Alleging the use of misleading representations in the sale of certain foreign made products, a complaint has been issued against Popper & Klein, 300 Fourth Ave., New York City, trading as Perfektum Products Company and engaged in the sale of laboratory supplies of both foreign and domestic manu¬ facture and origin. In the sale of certain microscope glass covers imported from Japan and plainly marked “Made in Japan”, the respondent com¬ pany is alleged to have repacked them in wooden boxes containing its own label and New York address and to have ink-stamped in light small letters the word “Japan” on the bottom of the boxes in such manner as to make the word practically unnoticeable. No. 3289. Standard Container Manufacturers’ Association, Inc., 301 Hildebrant Building, Jacksonville, Fla., a trade asso¬ ciation, and 25 member companies manufacturing wooden con¬ tainers for fruits and vegetables, are named respondents in a complaint charging combinations and agreements in restraint of trade through the fixing of uniform prices, terms and discounts for their products, and other practices. James B. Adkins, Gainesville, Fla., president of the association, Charles P. Chazal, Ocala, Fla., vice president, and Russell W. Bennett, 301 Hildebrant Building, Jacksonville, Fla., secretary, treasurer and general manager, are also made respondents. Selling and distributing their products to fruit and vegetable producers in an area comprising the southeastern section of the United States, including the States of Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey, the respondent members are said to dominate their industry and control its practices in that area and to produce substantially all the wooden fruit and vegetable containers made therein. These members are said to be particularly influential in Georgia and Florida. Under certain agreements and understandings made on and after July 15, 1935, the respondents are alleged to have fixed and maintained uniform prices, minimum prices and uniform terms and conditions in the sale of such fruit and vegetable containers 2482