Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-11-19
CODE TO INCREASE
RADIO PAY ROLLS
Listeners, However, viii Note
But Few Changes Under
N. R. A.
BY MARTIN CoDEL.

ST<O THE average radio listener, the
N. r. A. code of fair competition
for the broadcasting industry
a which is now ready to go int
effect, will lead to very few per-
ceptible changes in the character and
quality of American radio programs ii
general. The code deals primarily
with wages, hours of labor and trade
practices in the business of broadcast
ing. Its most apparent effect, in line
with the N. r. AS purpose, will be ar
increase in radios pay roll some per
cent above that of the peak year 1881
Eadio being among the infants OF
industry, it begins operating under the
code with just about twice as many
regular employees as it had in 1929. The
estimated increase in employment will
be 765 persons, these to be added to a
regular pay roll which in 1891 approx
mated 1900. and which in 1929 was
only about 5000 The estimated in
crease in wages will be $l,328,000 g
year, this to be added to pay roll
already running nearly S2l 100000 a
year.
s70,000,000 of Business.
Radios total volume of business In
1881, only year for which fairly COM
plete data is available, was about S70,-
900 900. OF this amount just about
half was done by the national networks
and half by the 600 odd individual sta
tions and regional networks. The 1881
pay roll of 1000 was split up 1900
the networks.
The only changes the listener may
notice win be d'minution of certain
~ ~t, Offt1a trvc1
For example. the code accomplishes
what Congress in several sessions has
tried but tailed to accomplish, namely,
the banning of information concern
ing eny lottery, gift enterprise or s'mi-
lar scheme offering prizes dependent in
whole or in part upon lot or chance
Premiums awarded for skill or without
any element of chance attached may
continue to be offered.
The code in detail prescribes certain
trade practices that must be stopped,
such as rate-cutting in the sale of time,
DISAGREEMENT Of competitors, accept.
mercial accounts for which the broad
caster is paid according to the number
Of orders received. etc.
The code prohibits broadcasters from
sfaking" the sponsorship of sustaining
OE ny AASS4
posing commercial announcements de-
signed to convey the impression to the
audience that the sponsor of the mere
announcement is sponsoring the whole
program. 1t also ends the onerous
Song plugging" practice by which COM
posers and publishers of new music
slip bonuses to station heads or musi-
clans to play their songs in order to
popularize them.
Labor Not Satisfied.
For the most part, nearly all ele-
mentS in the industry are satisfied
with the code as finally drafted. though
it will admittedly wreak some hard
ships, especially among certain smaller
stations. Labor, however, is not en-
tirely satisfied with the technicians
hourly schedule which is fixed at AZ
hours per week and which organized
labor, already actively trying to union
ize the radio operators, wants reduced
to 40. The labor clause in the code Is
left tentative pending in adjudication
by special committee of inquiry.
Most of the pay roll increase will be
among radio engineers, Of whom 1000
are now employed, as against total OF
2,1O0 holders of the required Federal
licenses shown in the Federal Radio
Commission records. Thus, 1t appears
that the slack, at least among qualified
operators, will be more than taken up
The operators pay scale ranges from
$40 down to $40 per week, depending
on the class and size of the station.
Radios executive officer on the Code
Authority will more than likely be
James w. Baldwin, former secretary OF
the Federal Radio Commission, and
the code provides that appeals may be
taken to the N. r. A. administrator.
Mr.. Baldwin has been acting as in
d1lstry adviser on the code to N. r. A.
The temporary Code Authority now
consists of Mr.. Baldwin, Alfred w.
McCosker, WOR, Newark, president. OF
the National Association OF Broad
casters; Frank M. Russell, washington
vice president of the National Broad
casting Co.; John Shepard, Yankee
network, Boston: M. r. Runyon, treas
urer of Columbia Broadcasting System;
Edward N. Nockels, VIGIL, operated by
the Chicago Federation of Labor. Chi
cago, who has been labor adviser to
N. r. A.: John Elmer, WBCM. Balti-
more: ]. z. Buckwalter, WGAL. Lam
caster, and James Herman, WLWL,
New York.
This temporary Code Authority will
recommend to Gen. Hugh S. johnson
the permanent form of enforcing
organization. The code was drawn
under the auspices of the broadcasters
association, which embraces about half
the radio stations in the United States
This half. however. is calculated to do
80 per cent Of the industry's business
llTAcuIMHT0M MANI HEADS