Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1962)

MARCH 5, 1962 2 Chmn. Minow for his position on programming, asserting : "I am quite sure that Mr. Minow has the encouragement and the support of the Senate Commerce Committee." Collins didn't let it stand there. His reaction: "No one — no one — wants to improve broadcasting more than the broadcasters themselves. We hope that next year you will see the unfolding of some of things we are doing. You may find we are doing many of the things you ask." He said NAB is working for closer liaison between networks and Code administrators, reported that NAB's Research & Training Program "is alive and active" — and he invited Pastore to return later "and see how much improvement has been made, based upon what we are already doing." In his own talk to group, Collins summarized NAB's actions designed to enhance industry's relationship with govt. & public and to improve its programming output. He said broadcasting has come along well on all fronts in last year, laid particular stress on 2 of his favorite projects: (1) Research & Training Program to study "the fundamentals of the content and consequence of what we put on the air." (2) "Over-population of radio stations." He repeated his disagreement with Minow that more stations — particularly in TV — are answer to most problems. "Quantity does not necessarily make for quality," he said. "Indeed, if quantity becomes highly excessive, as it has in many radio markets throughout America, it drives quality down, down, down." NAB Code Authority Dir. Robert D. Swezey pleaded for industry-wide cooperation. "I think there are many of us operating in the Washington climate who have a rather definite feeling that the day of reckoning is fast approaching when Code-wise broadcasting will be asked very bluntly to 'put up or shut up.' " He asked each state association, whose membership includes many stations not NAB members, to appoint a member as Code liaison with NAB. In other sessions: (1) NAB staff ran through developments in their specialities — decline of radio revenues, govt, relationships, CATV, political equal-time, labor, FCC's proposed license fees, etc. (2) Heads of 4 state associations described major state-level activities. (3) FCC Comr. Bartley told of govt, aim for emergency system more effective than CONELRAD, said details couldn't be announced yet. (4) Paul Fisher, deputy asst, defense secy., said Defense Dept, is spending $700,000 for broadcast station fall-out shelters and standby facilities, reported that $7 million more is sought from Congress for the purpose. Conference preceded, then joined, NAB's first Public Affairs-Editorializing Conference (see below). EDITORIAL CONFERENCE MAKES HIT: NAB's first Public Affairs-Editorializing Conference in Washington last week was topnotch affair, according to most of the 360 attendees, who included some from immediately preceding State Assn. Presidents meeting (see above). Broadcasters even commended address by FCC Chmn. Minow. Conference ranged from "how to" and "how not to" sessions, through exhortations to editorialize from Minow and NAB Pres. Collins, to state-of-the-world address by USIA Dir. Edward R. Murrow. Minow said nothing critical about broadcasters, keyed speech to shrinkage of daily newspapers ( only 60 cities with competing papers), stated that TV & radio must move in and provide diversity of opinion. He urged broadcasters to let themselves go — after careful preparation. "You should know that the Commission stands behind you," he said, "and we are not back here to 'bushwhack' you. We recognize that a station with a strong voice can be a prime target for pressure groups and that the pressure groups may try to put the squeeze on through the FCC. I suggest that the absence of such a pressure group squeeze may indicate that your editorials are milk toast. Complaints prove you are communicating, not toe-dancing with issues." One broadcaster's comment: "If he had talked like that last year, we'd all be with him." Collins urged operators to be neither insipid nor unprincipled in their expressions of views. "Too often," he said, "newspaper editorials are innocuous pieces of cat-purring. . . Equally as deplorable as the wishy-washy editorial is the barroom-haymaker type, which hauls off and swings irresponsibly with little regard for the facts or who may get hit. Brawlers of this kind are not to be trusted." Among most interesting sessions was panel report on editorial impact. For example: (1) Frank J. Abbott, WWGP Sanford, N.C., told of tax-reform editorial which will produce a tax cut. (2) Ben Strouse,