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PRESSTIME REPORT FROM OUR WASHINGTON NEWS BUREAU
Ma\ 15. 19'
The suspense is over. 1 "mrnissioner Fri-d> rick Ford. Repubj
time chairman of the commission, has been nominal' *_ ■ • • '
serve another seven years on ihr \-\\: when hi? pre?. en' ' ■ r • • •[■ ' 30.
Commissioner Ford has been a very quiet man in recent mont: lie voices of Henry and Loevinger have been heard loudest in the land, • ut the reappointment of Ford has strong meaning for broadcasters and advertisers.
Commissioner Ford was one of the most outspoken oppo • •
proposed rule making tc limit commercials. He part icularl -. a Iked at an\ idea or adopting the NAR code limits, during the oral hearings held here last December.
Again and again, Ford took up for broadcaster's rights to schedule their own advertising time. He demanded more evidence of the alTeped widespread discontent of the American put 1 i~ with its commercial broadcast: tern.
Ford pointed out that, statistically, there was an average ot onlv one complaint at the FCC for every two stations on the air in fiscal 1963. He questioned the severity of discontent that would lead to sales of 24 million radio sets, and tv viewing saturation of over 90 percent of the population.
He was just as strongly opposed to a suggestion that thj ' orgo •
rule making and simply "ask" broadcasters at renewal time i: t ' ■ . ad' ■ • • NAB code limits. Ford (and Commissioner Rosel Hyde) pounced on this, warned the querying broadcaster: "Don't you know that one of the commission's most powerful weapons is the question at renewal time
It is Ford who has most consistently soothed broadcast tears about new and curdling possibil it ies of fairness doctrine application. At the recent NAB convention, this was, in fact, almost his only comment while s on the panel: that an explanatory primer would soon come out to uuide the broadcaster.
Ford said there will be little change in the rules. He had previousl . pointed out that the broadcaster who has to live with the time bomb of controversy in editorials and commentaries, and even in dramatic procramming never need fear penalty under the fairness doctrine.
The FCC has (and will continue to) handed out only reminders and advis comment when a broadcaster's handling of the complicated fairness doctrine goes awry, was Ford's reassurance.
Like most veterans of Justice Department service. Ford would like to see the competitive picture brighten in broadcasting. But while Commissioner Loevinger, former antitrust chief, has megaphoned the need for more diveownership and competition nets, stations and programmers--Ford said little.
CONTINUED ON NtXT MGf
Uy la, 1964 13