Evening star., 1934-11-04
BY THE RADIO EDITOR.


( squabbles gingerly side
stepped by the old Federal
~ Radio Commission-that of
announcing of electrical
transcriptions as such-has arisen to
haunt the new Federal Communica-
tions Commission.
The F. c. c., when it took over
the functions of its predecessor last
Summer, found this issue on its door,
step, but it was so engrossed in other
more important matters that 1t gave
the matter no attention Now, how
ever, three formal steps have been
taken which bring the matter forcibly
before it.
The first was the adoption by the
annual convention of the National
Association of BroadcaSters last Sep
tember of resolution petitioning the
F. c. c. to eliminate the requirements
that electrically Transcribed programs
be announced as such and that they
be treated in the same fashion as
network or other live talent" fea-
lures. Promptly came the opposition
of the American Federation of Mu-
sicianS, perennial objector to past
efforts along this line. 1t charged the
broadcaSterS with trying to deceive
listeners" into believing that living
rather than canned" music was being
performed.
The third action was the filing of
a formal petition by the World
Broadcasting System, largest unit in
the transcription production field
seeking clariflcation of the existing
regulations to accommodate an en-
tirely new departure in transcript
ton rendition. The existing regula-
ton, it contends, is ambiguously
worded and does not adequately cover
this latest development. Conceivably,
1t Is pointed out, 1t could be inter-
preted to imply that the announce
ment This is an electrical transcript
ton" might have to be made after the
performance of every musical num-
ber in a transcription series, or about
every two or three minutes, whereas
the order itself says the announce
ment shall be made each Is minutes.
The upshot is that the broadcast
division of the F. G. c. sooner or later
will have to decide both of these ques-
tions. BY far the most important is
that having to do with total elimina-
ton of the announcement. More and
more of these transcribed programs
are being employed on stations. They
sdiffer from ordinary photograph rec
ords, first, because they are produced
exclusively for broadcast purposes.
Secondly, they utilize system of re-
Cording that makes it impossible to
reproduce them on home monographs.
Finally, the quality of the recording
is declared to equal and even surpass
the tonal quality of the most efficient
receiving set.
The primary reason for the use of
transcriptions by program sponsors
is that Of flexibility in "spotting" pro-
grams on stations throughout the
country at desired hours. In other
words, network program must be
broadcast simultaneously over all sta
tions at fixed period, and in some
cases the time zone differential is a
most important factor. With tran
scription, however, the same program
can be spotted on a hundred sta
tions from coast to coast at varying
times. The broadcasters and the
transcription producers maintain that
the transcription method of broad
casting is generally accepted by both
stations and listeners. They assert
also that the only difference between
network feature and transcription
feature is that of the medium used
for distributions, the one being by
wire lines into the affiliated stations
from key station. and the other be-
ing by mail or express.
The musicians, in a petition Just
filed with the commission, argue that
the plea of the broadcasters and
manufacturers is motivated by their
''avid desire for profits with no re-
gard for the public interest" They
contend further that if the transcript
tions are so good and so acceptable
the broadcasters should not obpject to
their Identification as such. Finally
it is argued that elimination of the
announcement would mean that the
Government would aid in further sub
stituting "mechanized sounds for liv-
ing music" and would tend to bring
about further unemployment among
American musicians.
vNHILE the radio wave lengths bris-
w tie with politics on the eve of
State and local elections 1t is
interesting to recall that a political
event that took place IA years ago,
almost to the day, impelled American
radio scientists and amateurs to turn
away for while from the dots and
dashes of autobiography and focus
their genius on the transmission of
voice and music through the inde-
fnable ether.
''Broadcasting for mass communi-