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1626 K STREET, N. W.
WASHINGTON, D. C.
Vol. 7, No. 1, JANUARY 6, 1939
Government Broadcasting Again Proposed
The broadcasting industry again faces a fight to keep the Federal Government out of the broadcasting business.
Although Congress last year killed four bills calling for erection of Government sta¬ tions, the NAB has received notice that the author of at least one of these bills expects to reintroduce it during the session of Congress which started Tuesday.
Representative Celler (D-NY), author of a bill calling for establishment of a huge station in the Panama Canal Zone, said in the Congressional Record of January 3 that the State Department was encouraging him to reintroduce this measure.
In urging the enactment of his bill, Mr. Celler argues that a Government station is needed “to counteract and checkmate the vicious and ruthless German propaganda by radio and short wave pouring into all South American countries”. The ostensible purpose of all four bills introduced last year was to counteract Nazi and Fascist propaganda.
Once the Government got into the broadcasting business, however, it would not be very long until the Federal stations were being used for far different purposes than that for which they originally were intended.
The NAB feels that establishment of a single Government station would be a long step toward complete Government ownership of the industry. The NAB will oppose the Celler bill, and all similar bills, with all its strength.
Only two other bills affecting broadcasting were introduced in the opening days of the new session. Representative Maloney (D-La), would require personal endorsements of products advertised on the air to be accompanied by statements that the endorsements were paid for. Representative Culkin (D-NY), would ban radio advertising of alcoholic beverages.
The Federal Communications Commission told Congress, in its annual report, that it had in mind only two pieces of legislation at the moment. One of these would give the Commission power to regulate the use of apparatus which utilizes radio frequency electric currents. The other would reduce the penalties for operation of radio equipment by un¬ licensed persons of school age. The penalties now are so stiff, the Commission said, that it is next to impossible to enforce regulations.
The Commission also urged Congress to give them funds for a larger personnel and review the reorganization of its administrative setup. The latter, the Commission said, was nearly complete.
Meantime the Commission’s monopoly hearings were resumed after the holiday recess,
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