NAEB Newsletter (Mar 1932)

-3- T::! NAD. We therefore petition your help again in opposing in any way possible the granting on the part of the Federal Radio Commission an assignment on a frequency of 1010 kilocycles to Station "/LAP—The American Broadcasting Corporation of Kentucky. We will appreciate your assistance in this matter and any advice you may give us as to your findings.” The attitude of the Federal Radio Commission toward educational broadcasting stations and more especially toward WNAD of the University of Oklahoma did not change with the above move. Just March. 5,. ; Mr. James W. Baldwin, Secretary of the Federal Radio Commission, sent us a very indefinite communication of some ten or fifteen lines which has caused more concern. Below you will find the protest on the part of the President of the University of Oklahoma, the Dean of the Extension Division, and the Program Director of Station WHAD, which was sent to the Secretary of the Commission: ”Your letter of March 5 dealing with the interpretation of Rule 155 of the Federal Radio Commission has just been received. At the outset we are forced to state that your letter is quite indefinite. Likewise, the letter you addressed to Mr. Powell, Manager of Station KGGF of Coffeyville, Kansas—our sister station with whom we share time—is quite indefinite. Immediately upon receipt of the letter from your office Mr. Powell called my by long distance from Coffeyville, Kansas, and discussed the matter with me at some length. This was the day before Station UNAD received your letter addressed to this office. ”As I interpret your letter, Mr. Baldwin, you are asking for one of two things based on Rule 155. First, you are asking that we execute a new time-sharing agree¬ ment between UNAD and KGGF which would permit an equal division of time in which each station would operate fifty per cent of the time (nine hours for each station ) each day in the week. Second, in case we do not make this time-sharing agreement with KGGF, as I interpret your letter, you desire that we execute a new time¬ sharing agreement and relinquish to KGGF ALL HOURS of the radio day except the following: 7:15-9:15 P.M. Tuesdays; 8:15-9:15 Wednesdays; 7:15-9:15 Thursdays; during the sessions of the University of Oklahoma. "May I call your attention to the fact that you and the Commission are fully aware that it is an impossibility for WNAD of the University of Oklahoma to agree to broadcast nine hours each day in the week as set out under the first interpretation above. Like all educational stations our appropriations are quite limited. Frankly, we will not, under any circumstances, agree to broadcast from this insti¬ tution nine hours each day of the week. Educational stations throughout the entire country have been hoping for the day when the Federal Radio Commission would realize that some of their most important broadcasts come at special hours. For example, all colleges and universities have special concerts, lectures, etc., which are scheduled in many instances on two weeks’ notice. Such programs prove to be some of the most important educational broadcasts. It is quite necessary that the arrangement between KGGF and WAD remain as it is in order that we may present to the citizens of this State these special educational features. As the arrangement now stands, we are able to schedule these special time broadcasts by giving the eight days’ advance notice to KGGF as set out in our time-sharing agreement. ’’Under the second interpretation given above as applying to Rule 155, I wish to say that we bitterly object to and oppose such an arrangement. If the Commission forces UNAD to stay off the air all the hours except the five hours designated above, you will materially hinder the development of the educational program sponsored by this institution in the State of Oklahoma. We assuredly feel that you have no moral or legal right to interfere with the regular functioning of any educational station to this extent.