Evening star., 1939-07-13

Idulo lOT lHe discussion OF con-
troversial" issues on paid time is
certainly novel departure and
takes the radio completely away
from the press. For the press per-
mits anybody to buy space to ex-
press his or her views or the views
of a public organization irrespective
of whether or not the issues are con-
troversial.
The radio broadcasters defend
their action on this interesting
premise:
If time be sold for the discussion
of controversial public issues and for
the propagation of the views of in
dividuals or groups, powerful pub
lie forum would inevitably gravitate
almost wholly into the hands of
those with the greater means to
buy it."
In other words, radio time may be
sold to certain commercial COM
panies which have more capital re-
sources than others, if the purpose is
to sell products but ideas cannot be
distributed or unfair attacks over
come by the use of paid time on the
air. If the same theory were ap-
piled to commercial companies with
respect to products, it would mean
that the use of powerful medium
already has gravitated into the
hands of those with greater means
as compared with their weaker COM
petitors.
Invites Argument.
If the broadcasting rule under
takes to equalize the financial con-
dition that exists as between those
who would use the radio for paid
time, it lays itself open to the argu-
ment that it would be in the public
interest to limit the use of the radio
for commercial sales with respect to
companies financially strong be-
cause their competitors didn't have
the money to do likewise.
The contention is made that the
broadcasting companies will furnish
free time for the answering of at
tacks or for the propagation of in
formation on controversial questions.
But this is what the newspaper and
magazine do anyway and they do
not forbid the sale, moreover, of
their white space to anybody un-
less it is sought to print something
tainted with fraud or obscenity or
SANDER.
In many community the radio
Is the sole means of communication
with the public in the evening hours
because many communities, especi-
ally in rural areas. do not have
afternoon papers. The opportunity
to utilize the radio openly and
frankly on paid program where the
sponsorship is clearly stated and un-
derstood is one that has important
social implications. For any ma
tional organization to set in motion
a series of rules denying the use of
its facilities for special groups may
some day be tested in the courts as
a discriminatory action, and it is
certainly open to question whether
any trade association can legally
advise it's members to take concerted
action to refuse to sell one set of
citizens whilst furnishing facilities to
another set of citizens.
Open to Legal Test.
The argument would be made, of
course, that controversial issues
. are injurious to the listener audi
ence's relationship to the stations.
and that to bar controversial
broadcasting when paid for is to
establish legitimate classification,
but it will certainly open up de-
bate as to whether such a differen-
tiation can legally be made.
Clearly radio station might re-
fuse to sell any time at all to any,
body and be within its rights, but
to say that it will allow a vendor of
toothpaste, for example, to use the
radio virtually without limit and
to bar the same manufacturer of
toothpaste if he feel his company
aggrieved by arbitrary action by a
government bureau might furnish an
interesting bit of litigation.
Looking at the problem from the
viewpoint of the broadcasters who
have banded themselves together
in trade association, even the new
rule does not meet the situation
which is sought to be cured namely,
the removal of paid propaganda
from the air. For it is we'll known
that national propaganda organiza-
tions, possessed of money and talent.
furnish free programs to the local
radio stations which are widely
used. To even matters up, the
broadcasting association could, of
course, offer to bear the expense of
labor organizations, for instance.
which wish to meet on even terms
the propaganda of their wealthier
rivals.
The rule which the radio COM
panies may ultimately find the
safest is to sell time to all comers
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