Evening star., 1934-08-12
CANADARAD|OUN|T
TO SHAPE POLICY
Commission Is Given N
Extension Until Apr
80, 1895.
BY MARTIN CoDEL.

TAQlO pIOAQGAStlnk ANk OA
~ 1882 was continued In effect
until April 80. 1895, the
Canadian Radio Broadcasting Com
mission Is expected 10 shape Its policy
for the next year at least with due
regard to the recommendations in the
final report recently rendered by the
special Radio Committee of the House
OF Commons.
This report gives little comfort
either 10 the large school OF thought
that favors complete naturalization
of broadcasting in Canada or to the
group, including, of course, the
nearly 10 private operators Of radio
stations, that want the commission
shorn OF some OF its powers. The
question In Canada sill appears to
be whether broadcasting shall be con-
Quoted along American lines, with
sponsors footing the bill. or along
British lines, with advertising en-
tirely eliminated and the government
operating the system.
The Parliamentary Committee opens
It's report with the observation that
the establishing of national broad
casting in Canada presents many
difficulties for the correction of
which time. experience and large
expenditures Of public money win be
necessary" Then the report makes
five major recommendations, the first
OF which suggests that the govern
ment review the possibilities Of Sc
curing better broadcasting facilities
and that nationalized broadcasting
under the control Of a general man
ager instead Of q commission be con-
sidered.
1t was doubtless with q view 10
improving the reception from Can
ada's stations that the commission
has ordered a reallocation In effect
September /. Many stations are
affected, and listeners will be forced
TO find their customary stations at
new dial settings AS for the ma
tionalization project. 1t Is unlikely
that the commission viii be agree
able to the suggestion that 1t abdi-
cate in favor of 'czar." even II 1t
seems to be following a tendency TO
bring more stations into the govern
ment fold. Up TO now the commits
sion has acquired and is operating
six stations, mostly big ones, and II
Is feeding programs on a national
scale to these and to some of the 10
or so that are privately owned.
Fine Shows Brought Here.
That the commission is able to ac-
quit itself well as program-building
organization as well as regulator
of the wave lengths must be manifest
to even its harshest critics on either
side OF the border. It's weekly ex-
changes Of programs with the big
American networks have brought
some Of the finest shows on the air
to listeners In the United States.
On the other hand, the same ap-
prehension prevails in Canada that
obtains here when the subject Of
government ownership and operation
Is broached. The owners Of Canadian
stations, listeners who like the COM
petitive efforts Of sponsors TO gain
their ear with quality programs and
the usual school Of thought that
looks askance at any further en-
croachment Of the government into
art and industry oppose the national
ization scheme. Moreover, the cost
of complete naturalization. which
would necessarily entail compensa-
ton to present operators Of stations
and the erection Of q great new sys-
tenn. would manifestly be an enor-
nous tax on the nations treasury.
The parliamentary report urges
classification Of the collection OF the
81 license fees on radios which many
Of the 1,200,000 or more radio set
owners of the Dominion are not
paying. II suggests one fee per re-
ceiver rather than permitting, as at
present, the operation Of more than
one set in a dwelling and including
auto radios upon payment OF one
fee.
Ad Leeway Is Urged.
While in its first om-1endation
1t suggests nationalized broadcasting,
which presumably would end adver-
tising, the Parliamentary Committee
asserts next that a more liberal In
depreciation OF the advertising regu-
lations In the existing law should
prevail. In other words, it indicates
afnrmatively that there should be
more leeway in the Interpretation of
the present per cent limitation on
the advertising proportion Of q
sponsored program.
Next the committee suggests that
greater use of electrical transcriptions,
or recordings made for broadcasting,
should be permitted. The commits
sion has ordered that transcriptions
shall not be played after 7:3o pm.
until october 1, when the deadline
Is moved up to $50 pm. Many sta
ton operators have objected strenu-
ously to this limitation, asserting that
live" talent is scarce and that the
ban simply constitutes discrimination
In favor Of the wire companies that
profit by network broadcasting.
The final recommendation states
that, pending complete nationaiiza-
ton, more corporation should be Sc
cured between private and govern
ment stations Much Of the evidence
taken by the committee is highly
critical of the commission, especially
in so far as it is at once the regu-
lator Of radio and the operator OF
stations. In the latter respect ID is
said to be a competitor of the private
stations, since its stations carry
gDOng0rpd nroOTans