Evening star., 1933-12-15
new RADIO CODE
IN CHARGE OF TEN
All Members of Board Except
One Are Practical
Broadcasters.
TIME economic destinies Of the

"HE economic destinies OF the
.broadcasting industry under the
N. R. A. code Of fair competi-
i tion, which became effective
this week. weigh upon the
shoulders of a board of 10 men-all,
save one, practical broadcasters.
At an organization meeting the code
authority elected John Shepard, Sd, OF
Boston, operator Of chain OF depart
ment stores and head Of the Yankee
network, comprising half dozen New
England stations. as It's Chairman.
James w. Baldwin of Indiana, former
secretary Of the Federal Radio Com
mission, and Government industry ad-
wiser In the drafting Of the code, was
named director and paid executive OF
the control board.
Regulations Set Forth.
The board Immediately plunged into
the task of revamping the economic
structure Of the broadcasting industry
to conform with the rigid stipulations
of the code. Many business practices
heretofore indulged In by stations are
outlawed entirely. Lotteries or gift en-
terprises involving elements Of chance,
rather than skill, are banished from the
ether waves. and song-plugging through
coercive methods used upon artists or
orchestras is no longer permissible.
Before it the board had more than q
dozen petitions from stations for ex-
ceptions from the rather rigorous wage
and labor provisions Of the code. II
also was to devise means OF financing
its operations and was prepared to
adopt schedule under which stations
would be asseSsed-a a small percentage OF
their net sales revenues to defray the
cost of administration. Rules and reg
ulations to make effective the pro-
visions Of the code also must be drafted
all subject to approval Of Gen. Hugh
s. johnson.
Two tasks devolve upon the code au-
thority. One is to ascertain whether
the 48-hour week for technical employees
of stations works an undue hardsnp.
The other is to investigate the status
Of radio artists, now excluded from the
code, to ascertain whether they should
be made subject to minimum wage and
maximum hour provisions. In the
weeks of negotiation on the code, these
two issues were bitterly fought, with the
result that a compromise was reached,
subject to the findings Of the two in
vestigations.
VIIRC and its affiliated N. B. c. sta
w tions will broadcast tomorrow
from $3.50 to pm. special pro-
gram designed to familiarize the coun-
try with the United States Naval Re-
serve.
The program includes selections by
the Navy Band and the Naval Reserve
Glee Club of Chicago, and short talks
by Rear Admiral w. D. Leahy, chief of
the Bureau of Navigation; Capt. John
Downes, director of Naval Reserve per-
sonnel, and Lieut.. Comdr. Frank M.
Harris Of the San Francisco area.
MOT to be outdone by a rival who
IN broadcasts the Stokowsd sym
phony for Is minutes nightly on
Columbia, the hackers of Jack PEARLS
program have planned to sponsor the
Metropolitan Opera for two and half
hours on Saturday afternoons over the
combined N. B. c. networks.
All of the arrangements have not been
completed but the broadcasts are ex-
pected to start on the Saturday follow
ing the end Of Pearls contract, which
fixes his last program December %.
= y y *
WHEN Ed Wynn's present contract
w expires in January, it will be re-
newed, according to reliable re-
ports from New York.