Variety radio directory (1940)

FEDERAL RADIO REGULATION— Continued staff to proceed at full speed, devoting full time to the task, and to complete it for the Committee's consideration within two months. By September, 1939, it was common knowledge that at least a preliminary draft had been completed, and the substance of its contents and conclusions even found their way into the trade press. In fact, as then published, they differed little from those contained in the Report when it finally appeared. Time went on, however, and, as the Report failed to materialize, a maze of conflicting rumors circulated as to the reasons for the delay. Stories persisted that high administration officials, including even the White House, had intervened and, either for that or other reasons, the Report was being purposely delayed or suppressed. Yet in the meantime repeated assurances were given by the Commission of an early conclusion of its labors.* Insistent prodding developed on the part of Senator Tobey of New Hampshire, who wrote each member of the Commission on May 3, 1940, reviewed the earlier assurances given by Commission representatives, describing them as "nothing but a mockery," and on May 15th read his letter and the replies received into the Congressional Record. The delay in completion of the Report was, as already noted, the principal topic of the grilling to which Commissioner Brown (who had become chairman of the Committee) was subjected at the hearing before the Senate Committee on Interstate Commerce on his reappointment, June 12, 1940, the day on which the Report was released to the public. MULTIPLE OWNERSHIP. To judge from the Commission's actions on applications without hearing during the past year, the issue of multiple ownership of broadcast stations, that is, the ownership of two or more stations either in the same or in different communities, has passed into oblivion. Applications raising the issue have been granted speedily, usually without hearing, and without dissent. That the question is not entirely forgotten, however, is indicated by the Network-Monopoly Report. A substantial portion of the Report is devoted to "Multiple Qwnership of Radiobroadcast Stations." It states : "The control of the business of broadcasting has progressively fallen into fewer and fewer hands. * * * "The problem with respect to the ownership of two or more stations by the same person or group of persons is not unlike that * By December 1, 1939 the Committee was reported by the trade press to be still engrossed in drafting its report, with a majority of its members favoring the conclusions which had already been made public. On December 13, 1939 a Commission representative, testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee, asserted that a second part of the Report was being formulated and probably would be in the Committee's hands in two weeks, probably to be followed by submission to the full Commission by the middle of January. On January 30, 1940 another Commission representative, testifying before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, predicted that the Report would be available "easily within a month". By February 15th, it became known that there would be a further delay of two weeks and perhaps a month, before the Report reached the full Commission. This was followed by a published rumor that the Commission en banc, rather than the Committee, would draft the Report and that its conclusions would be less stringent than those previously indicated. Early in May it was stated at the Commission that action would probably come by about the middle of May, and the delay was explained by the fact that the draft had been returned to the Law Department for further revision but was now back in the Committee's hands. On May 27, 1940 the Committee met in an effort to put "finishing touches" on the Report but again the draft was referred to the staff for revision. 426