Evening star., 1939-03-08
President S Son Urges
Pressure on Mexico
To Ratify Radio Pact
High-Power Stations
There Hurt Those in
U. S., He Testifies

There is definite moral and 50.
cial obligation on the part Of the
Government to make forceful repre-.
sentations to the Mexican govern.
ment for approval Of the Havana
radio treaty, Elliott Roosevelt to-
day told the Federal Communica-
tions Commission Committee In
vestigating broadcasting. The Pres.
ident's son testified that high-pow-
cred and superpowered Mexican
stations with antennas directed to-
ward the United States, are def
nitely lowering the tastes for radio
programs Of the type being pre-
sented by the American stations.
The witness said he regarded the
use Of superpower in broadcast
ing as an economic monstrosity."
He added that he thought power Of
$4,000 watts should be the limit for
commercially sponsored programs.
Mr.. Roosevelt, president of the
Texas State Network, Inc, suggested
stations authorized to use $4,000
watts commercially might be re-
quired to have available power Of
100000 watts for use by the Govern
ment in case of a national emer.
gency.
Research Bureau Opposed.
Answering questions of commits.
sion counsel, S. King Funkhouser,
Mr.. Roosevelt told the investigators
he believed this Government would
be going trif1e too far in setting
up a bureau of standards to test
listener reactions to programs. He
said 1t would be an impractical
thing for the commission to enter
into, as the only way to test such
results Is for the broadcasters to
do the job themselves.
(The McNinch administration bill
provides for setting up such a re-
search bureau)
Mr.. Roosevelt told the F. c. C..
committee the current inquiry
should be followed up with definite
recommendations to Congress for
an immediate revision of the Radio
Act with view to putting broad
casting on more stable foundation
so the broadcasters would know just
what they can do.
Questioned concerning his testi-
mony of yesterday concerning the
Temptation" on the part of the
Government to influence licensees,
the witness said he wanted to make
it clear he felt that while the temp
otjoy, uroc thoro bo J;J mt bo1;op.
any one in the Government had
allowed that to be abused as yet.
He said he was merely looking into
the future. The state of the law
is such, he added, that it is so hazy
that it might be circumvented, and
any change in this respect would be
welcomed by the broadcasters.
Opposes Program Standards.
The Presidents son expressed the
belief that transcription recording
and artist bureaus should be sep
arated from the broadcasting com.
panies. He told the committee the
networks were making move to
control the transcription business.
Broadcasting, he asserted. had now
reached the point where the ad-
vertiser must take his time almost
on a yearly basis in order to keep
his place on the air.
MIR. Roosevelt said that he was
heartily in favor Of establishment
within the commission of a bureau
that would keep in touch with the
technical and sales operation in this
field and to advise broadcasters as
to what would be considered stand
ard practices. However, he stood
firmly against any bureau which
would have for its purpose estab-
lishment of program standards.
He concluded his testimony short-
ly before noon and the committee
adjourned until next Tuesday.