Evening star., 1931-12-27

| Il NroM tIe reQeral HaulO COmmS-
s:sa as; We. sss sssS ss; sssss
plan of advertising supported
broadcasting in private competitive
hands, contained carefully worded
warning to all broadcasters that listener
goodwill should not be sacrificed to
excessive commercialisnI. The state
ment declared
THE good will of thes listener is the
stations only asset. and, therefore, this
problem whether the American system
should be changed for the European
system Of government operation or gov
ernment conceSsionaires) first should
! rest with the licensees of stations. The
problem should not be taken out Of
their hands until they have had full
opportunity to make the necessary
corrections.
IF they decline the opportunity, or
selling it, fail, the matter should be
treated with proper legislation"
Ethics Code Included.
Appended to the statement was a
reprint of the code of ethics of the
National Association of Broadcasters.
which the commission declared it
"commends to the licensee of each
radio broadcasting station for his most
| serious consideration" The code Of
ethics, drawn up three years ago by
the organized broadcasters as a volun-
| tary means of self-regulation, sets
forth certain standards of conduct for
all stations to follow, Its authorship
was largely the work Of William S.
Hedges, former president of the
N. A. B., and DR.. Frank Elliott, for
merly director of WHO-WOC, Des
Moines-Davenport.
! THE commission believes" said its
statement issued Monday, that the
| American system OF broadcasting has
produced the best form of radio enter
! tainment that .can be found in the
world. This system is one which is
| based entirely on the use Of radio
broadcasting stations for advertising
purposes 1t is a highly competitive
! system and is carried on by private
enterprise.
There is but one other systematic
European system. That system is gov
ernmental Under that system, broad
casting is"conducted either by the gov
eminent or by some company chartered
| by the government. There is no prac-
tical medium between the two systems.
It Is either the American or the
| European system.
"The principal objection to programs
under our system arises out Of the kind
of advertising that is allowed TO be
made part of them.
Sees Need for Experience.
1.-THE commission recognizes that the
industry is young, that many policies
must grow out of experience, and that
some stations today are making ef-
forts to constantly raise the Standards
of broadcasting, but the problem can
! not be solved by few stations. There
is not a single station that can escape
responsibility A heavy responsibility
rests upon all chain companies. To-
day approximately $50 persons. firms or
companies hold licenses which give
them the right to use the air to its
maximum capacity for radio broad
casting purposes. There are l23,0OO,-
900 people in the United States wholly
dependent upon these few persons for
their radio entertainment. Their rights
in this new art cannot be denied. And
If their share of this form of enter
tainment can be received only at the
expense of advertising statements or
claims which are false. deceptive or
exaggerated. or at the expense OF pro-
grams which contain matter which
| would be commonly regarded as Of
fensiye TO persons of recognized types
of political, social and religious belief,
| then they are justified in demanding
change in the system"
Although the better class Of broad
casters has earnestly avowed its inten-
tions to adhere to self-imposed regula-
tions and their own code of ethics, the
pressure of congressional and public
Cpinon, freely expressed Of late, con-
strained the commissioners to consider
ways and means of combating too
many and too long advertising talks In
radio programs. Hardly a meeting of
the commission has been held in recent
weeks without some discussion OF radio
advertising. None of the commissioners
OPPOSES the American plan of sponsored
support programs, for there apparently Is
20 immediate prospect OF public owner
, ship supported by receiving set or other
taxes. But the commission is practi-
cally unanimously agreed that some
thing must be done to curb the excess
sive commercial zeal and the high pres
| sure sales talks that are marring so
many programs.
Hesitates to Act.
! The commission has hesitated to act
up to now because Of the question that
surrounds its authority under the radio
law. Though the statute prescribes
public interest, convenience and neces-
sity" as the broad basis of all radio
license grants, it also expressly prohibits
any form of program censorship. The
commissions authority does not extend
to program content. but 1t has ordered
many a station off the air for failing to
meet the broad terms of the statute
both as to programs and technical
operation. And it can recommend to
| Congress that the basic system be
changed. as evidenced by its statement
| this week.
The statement by the commission as
a whole, which indirectly deprecates
present conditions and adjures the
broadcasterS to put their own houses in
order by imposing new and Strlcter
rules upon their clients, it is believed
will prove strong moral force toward
freeing otherwise acceptable radia pres
entations from their Objectionable ad-
vertising content. This move on the
part OF the commission may also serve
as a stimulus for better organization as
we'll as more self-regulation among the
broadcasters. Hitherto they have not
always been able to get together because
of keen competition for business and
for favorable wave length and power as
signments. This condition has been
aggravated of late by the necessity of
fighting hard for enough business to
support themselves in the face OF the
current business depression.
The business of broadcasting Is no
bed Of roses for the broadcasters, and
none know it better than the commits
sioners themselves and the radio leaders
in Congress. Yet their pleas OF eco
nomic youth, of struggles for new busi-
ness and of increasing expense OF main-
tenance brought about by increasingly
rigid regulations are not always under
stood by the public. On the other hand,
they themselves have enunciated in
conscientiously drawn and widely pub
liciZed resolutions their belief that their
first obligation must be to the pubic.
N. A. b. Code Is Given.
The N. A. B. code of ethics, which
Is urged upon the broadcasters In the
/ ron, ecio,,,c cfatopnnDt of this week