Evening star., 1931-12-04
AWAIT CONGRESS
VIEWS ON RADIO
BroadcaSterS Are Wondering
What Action viii Be Taken
In Regard to Advertising.
BY ROBERT MACK.

With the new congressional session
only short time away, broadcasters
throughout the country are wondering
what the mind Of the Nations Legisla-
ture will be on the subject Of radio and
particularly radio advertising.
Each succeeding session has eyinced
q greater interest on the part Of legis-
lators in radio, and the broadcasters are
not unmindful Of complaints against
excessive commercialism and pleas for
more rigid regulation. Already a num-
Der Of numbers both Of the Senate and
House have expressed themselves on the
subject, and while they would not def
nitely commit themselves or Congress,
they predicted legislation of a nature
that would not be pleasing to the broad
casting industry unless that industry
puts its own house in order"
Radio Bills to Be Introduced.
At least a half dozen radio bills will
be introduced during the early days of
the new session. None, however, deals
with the mooted question Of blatant
advertising" although it is not improb-
able that such legislation will be intro
duced. There is certain to be plenty Of
oratory about radio and its evils and
considerable calamity bowling from
members who believe their constituent
broadcasters have not received fair deals
from the Federal Radio Commission.
Among the bills to be introduced will
be two "repeaters" from the last session
which aroused the ire of broadcasters
and brought forth powerful offensiveS
from them. One is the Fess radio edu-
cation bill, which would set aside for
accredited educational institutions Is
per cent Of the available broadcasting
facilities, OF 1872 Of the 80 exclusive
wave lengths. Senator Fess, Republican,
Ohio, declares he will reintroduce the
measure in its original form, and he
predicts IL will be the basis of hearings
before the Senate Interstate Commerce
Committee, charged with the origination
of radio legislation. Broadcasters,
through the National Association of
Broadcasters, already have laid their
plans Of combat.
Claim Sheet Sales Ruined.
The second measure is the Vestal
copyright bill, which, among other
things, provides for the automatic CODY
right Of musical and other compositions
This measure, broadcasters contend,
would stife the use of music on the air
If enacted in its original form. and
would mean the paying of tribute to the
owners Of the compositions to a degree
wholly outside the bounds of good busi-
ness. The composers, publishers and
authors on the other hand, say that
broadcasting plugs" good numbers to
death and has ruined sheet-music sales.
Another bill to be introduced, and
likely to pass during the early days of
the session without serious objection, Is
the McNary bill to bar lotteries from
the air.
Senator Couzens, Republican, Michi-
gan, will reintroduce his bill for Fed
eral Commission on Communications,
which would take over all the functions
of the Radio Commission as we'll as the
radio and communications activities Of
the Department of Commerce, Interstate
Commerce Commission and State De-
partment. The bill, however, has little
chance to pass at the current session.
Copyright, 1917