Sponsor (Apr-June 1962)

FROM TV STRUCTURE IN THE WORLD 1749' AlO BOUND D! WTVM THE ONLY STATION Serving Columbus, Albany, and Macon, Georgia, with primary Grade "B" unduplicated service. wTVm COLUMBUS, GA 0 ^ * Commercial commentary '"«' from p. is> is in a mood i<> listen to excuses or explanations of legal technicalities. They want results. As examples of this, Gil Weil cited incidents involving the ICC, FTC and the Food and Drug Administration. Because these and other agencies feel under pressure for total results, the) search for the powers to get such results. The first source, says Gil. is the law itself. But there are certain situations where even by stretching existing law the agencies find themselves unahle to accomplish what they feel they must do. So they turn to other directions outside — not contrary, not illegal, hut extra-legal. And the major one is publicity. Government by pre98 release Today the public press has become as major a forum of regulatory compulsion as the courts of law. Today ue have government by press release. It is a quick method. There is no cross-examination . no appeal, and usually little opportunity to defend. I iiforlunalely the press itself is more inclined to feature the dramatic accusation than the defensive denial. The result is that all too commonly ue find a company forced to yield to the demand of some agency, not because it feels the agency is right, but because it has more to lose by the publicity of being attacked than it can gain by winning tlie litigation. These, says Gil Weil grimly, are matters that we have to consider nowadays in dealing with regulatory agencies. It may be disastrous if we think only of our legal rights. Much more is involved. But, despite such blunt, cold-turkey talk, Gil did not leave the ANA membership in a state of chilled despair. He believes much can and shoald be done by business men. Two types of men make up the regulatory agencies, according to Gil. The great majority are sincerely motivated by what they believe is the public interest. The others act solely out of political considerations. The first group can be dealt with by getting to know them better. The second by enlisting the public and Congress on your side. As to the matter of public relations, Gil sums up with what I believe should be a credo for both advertising and broadcasting: We are not lielpless in the battle for public support. The point is — we must assume we are living in a fish bowl. We must assume that there is nothing we do thai tvill not at some time be exposed to public gaze. We must conduct ourselves in such a way that we are not uncomfortable when that possibility materializes. We must guide ourselves as we judge others will estimate us. Then, on the affirmative side we must make our views known. We must try to get them across to the public. You cannot win a competition of ideas without entering them in the contest. The success or failure of what we do is going to be determined by the degree of public sympathy, apathy or antipathy to our cause. The public must be made to know what the issues are, and to see that its interest is tied in with ours. Do not expect to be backed vigorously by the public on matters of principle. The public must be made to see it tvill be hurt by what hurts us, helped by uhat helps us. When this is not true, we'd better take a look at ourselves. ^ 20 SINIVSOH 18 june 1902