Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-07
'libera|ized Radio
Licensing Provisions
Urged byF.
Report Warns Against
Destruction of Other
Advertising Media

Advertising Media
Suggested liberalization Of pres
ent licensing provisions and
warning that the radio industry
must not be allowed to destroy
other competitive advertising me-
dia were coupled in 500-page re-
port released today by special
committee OF the Federal Commu-
nications Commission.
Acknowledging, in part at least,
the validity of complaints against
present requirements for station Ii
cense renewal each six months, the
three commissioners recommended
that this period be increased to one
year. The industry has petitioned
In the past for three-year licenses,
and Elliott Roosevelt, son of the
President and head Of Texas
broadcasting company, recently told
the commission the present Short
term arrangement imposes cen
sorship of fear" over the industry.
Recommending continuance of the
present power limit of $4,000 watts
Cor standard broadcasting stations,
the committee also proposed estab-
lishment of four general classes OF
standard broadcast stations, three
classes of standard broadcast chan
nels, extension of the broadcast
band from $50 to 1900 kilocycles,
instead of $50 to $500 as at present;
permission for increase in the power
of stations where needed and where
technically feasible, and the set
ting of definite requirements for
applicants for new stations.
Exertion of Influence.
In it's discussion of the relation OF
the radio industry to other advertiS-
Ing media, the committee said:
1T cannot be concluded safely
that if radio competition with other
media should be highly successful
the public interest would be served
by permitting the economic ami
hilation of these other media. Con-
sequently, it may be possible that
influence might be exerted to stem
an economic trend having adverse
social effects. Such movement has
been attempted, so far without sue
cess.
However, since radio is an in
dustry depending upon govern
mental license to use the public
domain, it cannot safely be ar
gued that Congtess will always per-
NIT radio licensees unlimited oppor-
tunity to secure all advertising bust
ness to the serious detriment of the
economic structure of important and
necessary services rendered to the
public by the unlicensed media.
The latter have a far greater
capital investment and affect the
employment of many more thou
sands of people than radio. Labor
displacement resulting from tech
biological development is one of the
social problems of the modern age
and. consequently, this is signiti-
cant economic factor to be con-
sidered in the future of radio ad-
vertising business"
On the matter of investment in
the radio industry itself, the COM
missioners pointed out that the
greatest single item is that spent by
listeners for their receiving SETS
Domestic radio set sales from 1922
to 1887, inclusive, have numbered
53,7O0,OO0, with a total retail value
Of $3,724,000,000.
S47,000,OO0 Investment.
At the end of 1887, SAB of the
678 licensed stations in the CONT
mental United States had an aggre-
gate investment of $47,00O,000, of
technical equipment.
No national standard of program
service can be established or found,
the committee said, because of di-
verse social, economic and cultural
Interests demand different standards
of broadcast service, adding that
geographical sectional interests and
industries create different demands
on program service. It said that
the broadcaster has the obligation
to provide a program service inclu-
sive of all features of general public
interest.
In supporting the past position of
the commission against super
stations, the committee devoted some
20 pages and an entire section of its
report to the subject.
Concluding, the observation is
made that the committee deems 1t
unwise to conclude that the existing
data are sufficient to warrant con-
clusion in favor of super-power
The several considerations govern
ing the interest of the public in gen.
eral broadcasting structure are too
great to warrant taking speculative
risks, unsupported by adequate data,
even though it be true from tech
meal standpoint that 500 kilowatt
power Is one of the methods to i'm
prove service in rural areas"
Thos signing the report were
Commissioners Norman S. Case, T.
A. M. Craven and George Henry
Payne. The industry is given 80
days in which to file exceptions,
after which the full commission will
entertain oral arguments before TAX
ing any action.
Town Honors Humorist
PADUCAH, KY, April PA
ducahanS remember Irving 6 Cohh