Evening star., 1935-07-07

master cOnLrOl wnlcn again SenuS IL
over the Nationwide chain.
p Ado censorship which has been
more or less Of Q political foot
ball for many months. may be booted
into the midst of the next presidential
campaign as q salient issue, in the
opinion Of the Standing Committee
on Radio Law of the American Bar
Association.
In its report to the association, to
be delivered at its annual convention
in Los Angeles July 1919. the COM
mittee's chairman, John w. Guider,
Washington attorney. predicts such
an eventuality, based on rumblings
on Capitol Hill during recent months.
Actions of the Federal Communica-
tions Commission dealing with pro-
gram content, when the law specifi-
cally states it cannot censor programs,
are pointed to by the committee to
support its belief.
In the field of radio" states the
committees report, mo sweeping
changes of method of ALLEGATION are
at present indicated, and the most
important question for immediate con-
sideration is that of the extent to
which the statutory provision OF pub
lie interest. convenience or necessity
shall be interpreted to authorize Gov
ernment interference. direct or in
dirct, with program content. This
question is likely to become increas-
ingly important as the time for the
presidential election draws nearer"
A MONG other things, the commit
tee advocates the F. c. c. pro-
posal now pending in Congress. for
repeal Of the so-called Davis amend
ment. which rigidly restricts the as
signment of broadcasting station ia
cilities to certain sections OF the
country because Of sparse population.
In place of 1t, the F. c. c. recon-
mended a general provision which
would allow it to assign stations on
an equitable basis, without artificial
restrictions. Should this amendment
eventually be adopted. it would prob
ably result in the addition of many
stations in the wide-open spaces OF
the West.
Strong opposition to another F. c.
C. proposal, which would empower it
to suspend the licenses Of wayward
stations for limited periods, without
taking the extreme action Of remov-
ing them from the air, Is voiced by
the committee. While it is true that
the stations would be punished If
they were ordered silent for 80 days
or so, the committee points out that
it is also true that listeners to the
station would suffer through loss of
service, while employees would be laid
of. Instead, it urged a fine in these
middle ground cases rather than
outright suspension.
The degree to which States are
seeking to acquire increased regu
latory power of broadcasting is en-
phasized in the report. Eager to re-
plenish depleted exchequers, many
States are proposing tax measures
affecting broadcasting station reve-
nues. Some 80 bills, of which one
third were tax measures. were intro
duced in State Legislatures up to last
May, it is stated, but in most in
stances were withdrawn after it had
been pointed out that the courts
have been almost unanimous In hold
ing that broadcasting. as interstate
commerce, is subject only to Federal
regulation.
In addition to Guider. members OF
the committee include Albert L. Rabb,
Indianapolis; Judge Walter A. Ly-
brand, Oklahoma City; Bruce w. San
born, St. Paul, and Douglas Arant,
Birmingham. An open meeting to
consider and discuss the report Is
planned during the Bar Association
convention