NAEB Newsletter (Mar 1948)

NORC(National Opinion Research Center) at Chicago University reported the second annual radio survey sponsored by NAB reveals 70 percent of the U.S. population thinks radio is doing a good job. Only 9 percent favored government operation of radio and only 6 percent thought the government should operate newspapers. #*-*•**■* ATTEMPT TO BREAK PETRILLO RECORDING BAN Standard Radio Company, prominent supplier of transcriptions to radio stations, ordered bandleader Ike Carpenter(under contract to Standard prior to the AFM recording ban) to appear for a recording date. Carpenter refused along with three other musical groups similarly approached# Basis of request was Standard’s attempt to prove individual contract rights had pre¬ cedence over AFM rulings. AFM attorneys apparently advised Carpenter that the James C. Petrillo union, rather than an individual artist would be held responsible in a. contract suit. Standard is apparently still seeking a court order on the issue, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS ISSUE STATEMENT ON RECORDING BAN James C. Petrillo, AFM president, recently stated his views in the I nternational Musician, AFM Journal which followed the lines of his recent testimony before Congress. Petrillo had told the House Committee, the AFL ban on recordings, put into effect January 1, was not directed against records made for home use. He said it was aimed at the use of records on radio, in coin-operated machines, and other ways of competition with live music. The Industry Music Committee (speaking for radio broadcasters, transcriptions firms, etc.) said Petrillo's recent conditional offer to lift the recording ban . „ .... is "not a genuine offer to bargain". They disputed his contention that recordings lessen employment opportunities for musicians, stating "the contrary is the fact." Petrillo's offer said the union stood ready to resume the making of recordings if an agreement could be reached to protect musicians from mechanical competition#. (Ed. note: repeated rumors of an agreement between the radio industry and the - AFM had not been confirmed when the Newsletter went to press). SECOND SURVEY OF NATIONAL OP I NION RESEA RCH CENTER ON RADI O Seventy percent of the American public is said to think radio industry is doing its job either "excellently" or "well". And 77 percent think it would be better for the country if broadcasting were kept in the hands of private industry.* Those are two conclusions reached in the second survey of NORC-*a continuing appraisal of the public attitude toward radio. The survey, suggested by the National Association of Broadcasters, has been operated by Dr. Paul Lazarsfeld, Columbia University. More than 3000 persons in all social and income groups were questioned about their attitudes toward radio's Commercials, fairness, and cultural value. In the controversial field of radio advertising, 32 percent said they favored it 5 another 35 percent said they didn't particularly mind; 22 percent said they were willing to put up with it, and only 9 percent wanted it abolished, However, 43 percent said they did not like singing commercials as well as straight commercials, and 37 percent liked them better* Seventy-nine percent think radio stations are fair in news presentation. (55 percent voted to give newspapers in general a vote for fairness)# Forty-four percent said they got most of their news from radio. (Lazarsfeld said a much higher percentage had considered radio a primary news service during the war). ^Editorial note: Last year's NORC survey reported radio "as doing a better job than the schools or the church." It also reported that somewhat more than 50 percent were not aware that radio was subject to government--that is this portion was not aware that radio wavelengths are public and not private property#