Sponsor (Apr-June 1964)

SPONSOR WEEK REP. ROGERS: WHO MAKES THE LAWS? More Regulatory Encroachments May Be Attempted Texas Congressman urges vigilance against usurpation of legislative powers; sees pressures in areas of pay-tv, CATV, licensing and commercials control The broadcast advertising industry and all businesses associated with it were warned, last week, of the threats posed against them by regulatory encroachment. Representative Walter Rogers (D-Tex.), speaking at the Station Representatives Assn.'s annual awards luncheon, told members of SRA and their guests from all fields allied with broadcast advertising that without continued vigilance and work, their businesses "could be in a state of suspended animation, living a day-to-day existence, in constant fear that the thread holding the economic Sword of Damocles might be severed and you destroyed." Acknowledging the sincerity of purpose of the Federal Communications Commission, Rogers said, however, that it does not in his opinion "detract from the dangerous precedent that could have been set" had the proposed rule-making power of the FCC to fix the length and frequency of broadcast advertisements gone unchallenged. "The basic issue involved," said Rogers, "was the length and frequency of broadcast advertisements. It was the question as to who has the power to legislate in that particular field. It was my position at that time and it is presently my position that this was an attempt by a department of the government to invade the constitutional prerogative of the legislative branch of government." He also pointed out that the abandonment of the rule-making procedure by the FCC did not settle the question. Every member of the Committee with one exception testifies before the subcommittee that it was his opinion it did have such power. Had the Congress abandoned efforts to pass legislation, therefore, Rogers told the broadcast advertising fraternity, "We could have won the battle and lost the war." The congressional leader also reminded the luncheon guests that "a quite similar case had to do with the FCC fixing license fees. "The FCC assumed the power to fix license fees," he said, "not by virtue of affirmative legislative authority granted it by legislation that had proceeded in the usual manner through the Congress. It based its assumption of this authority on language contained in an appropria' tions bill which was passed in th' year 1951. Why there was such I long delay in asserting a power th; did not find its source in a legist;' tive committee of the Congress hi not yet been answered. "It is my feeling," Rogers addec '"that the powers exercised by regi1 latory agencies of this governmet' must be clearly defined in the regi lar parliamentary manner. If tr power to exact license fees can H otherwise assumed, then we canni escape the conclusion that ouV powers can be acquired in the sarr manner." It could then be presumed, a cording to the legislator, that tl FCC could assume the power SRA Awards Presented At New York Session Vera Brennan The Station Representatives Assn. presented its 1964 awards last week during its seventh annual luncheon at New York's Waldorf Astoria. Agency personnel honored were Vera Brenn a n , Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles broadcast supervisor, who received the Silver Nail Timebuyer o I the Year Award; Gordon Gredell. timebuyer at D'Arcy Advertising, Chicago, named Chicago Timebuyer of the Year; and Leonard S. Matthews, executive v. p. of Leo Burnett. Chicago, given the Gold Key Award for outstanding leadership in advertising. In addition, a special award of honor was presented to Sol Taishoff, editor and publisher o( Broadcasting for his contribution to the broadcast industry through his outstanding journalism. Miss Brennan. who joined SSC in 1956 as a broadcast supervise previously was with Scheidler. Be. Leonard Matthews Gordon Gudell & Werner. Duane Jones Co. a Biow Co. Gredell went to D'Arcj July 1959 after three years as timebuyer with Needham. Louis Brorby in Chicago. Matthews 1 been with Burnett since his gradi tion from Northwestern U. in lgFirst in its research department, transferred in llM9 to its media < partment as a timebuyer, fn where he rose to his present pe laishoff has been editor and pi lisher of Broadcasting for over years. 16 SPONS