Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

NEW SERIES VOL. 3, No. 30 TELEVISION DIGEST-3 "Systems . . . licensed for this purpose may also be used for other incidental purposes among which are the transmission of cultural material and entertainment to these same receiving locations; the transmission of special training material to selected receiving locations outside the school system, such as hospitals, nursing homes, training centers, clinics, rehabilitation centers, commercial and industrial establishments, etc.; the transmission of special material to professional groups or individuals to inform them of new developments and techniques in their fields and instruct them in their use; and to perform other related services directly concerned with formal or informal instruction and training. When not being used for such purposes, the facilities licensed under these rules may be used for handling administrative traffic of the licensee, such as the transmission of reports and assignments, conferences with personnel, etc. "Stations licensed in the new service may also be used to relay material to and from commercial and noncommercial TV stations, but not to interconnect TV fixed systems in different areas, or to establish relay systems to cover an entire state or large portion thereof. The rules permit the retransmissions of programs of other broadcast stations, subject to the usual requirement for consent of the originating station. Any portable pickup needs by educational institutions licensed under the new rules can be accommodated by authorizations in the Business Radio Service." EDITORIALIZING CHANGES AT WORK; Repercussions of House hearings on editorializing (Vol. 3:29 p3) resounded last week: (1) FCC called attention to "affirmative obligation" of licensee to present contrasting views, under fairness doctrine. (2) CBS submitted draft of legislation to exempt equal time requirement when candidate responds to political editorial. (3) Rep. Harris (D-Ark.) said there may be need for clarifying legislation and/or rules on editorializing. FCC statement on controversial programming said it's considering "primer or rules" that might better define a licensee's responsibilities than does fairness doctrine. For time being. Commission offered these basics: (1) In cases of on-air attack against individual or group, text of broadcast must be transmitted with specific offer of time to respond. (2) When commentator or person other than candidate takes partisan stand, transcript of program must be sent to each candidate concerned with offer of opportunity for "spokesman" to respond. (3) In airing views on CLirrent issues, such as segregation, licensee must present balanced views from all responsible community groups. FCC cited specific need to air Negro leaders' views if other racial positions are expressed. CBS's proposed legislation would add 5th exemption to Sec. 315 of Communications Act. Effect would be to allow a candidate himself to respond to editorial against him, or in favor of opponent. Broadcasters argued at House hearings that, under present low, all other candidates are entitled to time once aggrieved candidate appears. Stations presently try to get spokesman instead of candidate, to avoid equal time j merry-go-round. I On fairness doctrine. Rep. Harris (D-Ark.) said last week that Congressmen "might" want an amendment to Communications Act "to assure fairness to politicians" in editorials. He said this would be I "their second and probably wiser choice" after realizing that their first choice — prevention of political editorials— "might be attacked in the courts." Harris told National Broadcast Editorial Conference, sponsored by Georgia Assn, of Bcstrs. & U. of Georgia journalism school, that office-holders are "apprehensive" about broadcast editorializing — not because of lack of trust in broadcasters, but because of "powerful" influence of TV-radio. I "I can assure you, however, that politicians . . . may object to having their 'rights' of answering j broadcast editorials depend on the discretion of broadcasters," Harris exclaimed. He said Rep. Moss's (DCal.) bill to provide a candidate equal opportunity to answer political editorial has "difficulties" that would have to be corrected if legislation were to be enacted. Not abandoning idea of rules, Harris stated that while they "may be difficult to lay down hard and fast . . . we must nevertheless strive to do so." He said he's "strong advocate of broadcast editorializing," stated that in no other area do broadcasters & regulators walk a "tightrope" as they do here. It stretches, he stated, between First Amendment & Sec. 326 of Act (prohibiting censorship) on one end, licensed to serve public interest at other.