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What's happening in U. S. Government that affects sponsors, agencies, stations
WASHINGTON WEEK
12 DECEMBER I960 The broadcasting and ad industries will probably continue dealing with the FCC
cwight i960 and the FTC in about the same form and in about the same way for a good many
sponsor years to come.
publications inc. This seemed pretty clear despite regulatory agency studies conducted by Judge Prettyman
for President Eisenhower and similar studies conducted for president-elect Kennedy by Dean Landis. Also despite a specific study of the FCC arranged by the budget bureau, end-of-November hearings by a Senate subcommittee, and certain further consideration by the Harris House Commerce Legislative Oversight subcommittee.
Sen. John Carroll (D., Colo.), chairman of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, at the outset of his hearings warned that the reform or rebuilding of regulatory agencies would be a problem for his group for years.
Testimony brought forth all of the old recommendations, including stronger control over the agencies by Congress and less control from the executive agencies and the White House, and also vice versa. Likewise, splitting off the judicial functions of the agencies.
Since Landis is to make recommendations to the incoming president this coming Thursday, it would seem that his testimony should be regarded with special seriousness. However, agency ground rules can't be set by the president. The agencies are arms of Congress and Congress has this responsibility. Thus the Carroll prediction assumes importance.
Even if the Carroll pessimism about chances for changes at any time in the near future should be discounted as the opinion of only one man, albeit the subcommittee chairman, there is the record of Congress. This record is one of delay and more delay on complicated and controversial matters. And during these very hearings, Sen. Everett Dirksen (R., 111.), Senate minority leader, once again tangled with Carroll.
This particular disagreement was only on the question of a so-called "ethics code" for the regulatory agencies which would not permit lawmakers to contact commissioners off the record. But Dirksen and others of both parties have held the Carroll subcommittee actionless and powerless for two years just because of the Dirksen position that no ethics bill should go that far.
The FCC's broadcast bureau, in the final analysis, has no more to say about final FCC decisions than any contending party: Yet a brief filed by the bureau appears to point toward Commission approval of the RKO-General bid to conduct pay-tv operations on its newly acquired Hartford station.
The broadcast bureau participated as a neutral between RKO and the theatre owners represented by Marcus Cohn. The bureau, in its final pleading in the case, went down the line with the RKO arguments and against the arguments of the theatre owners. It did suggest a few extra conditions as safeguards for the public.
Live radio/tv presidential press conferences are definitely being given serious consideration by president-elect Kennedy.
They would be scheduled irregularly, at times selected by the incoming president, and they would be few in total, press secretary Pierre Salinger told the Women's National Press Club last Monday.
12 DECEMBER 1960
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