Evening star., 1939-03-02
Prospects Heightened
For Early Congress
Probe Of &c. T..
Craven and McNinch
Swap Charges in
Dispute
By WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY.

Prospects of an early congress
sional investigation into the Fed
eral Communications Commission
were heightened today as a result
Of the latest outbreak of personal
bitterness among commission men,
bers.
Precipitated in this instance by
critical statement of Commis-
sioner T. A. M. Craven, the internal
strife was continued last night in
an angry reply by Chairman Frank
r. McNinch.
Later, Representative Wiggles-
worth, Republican, of Massachu-
sets, in a radio speech. assailed
Mr.. McNinch's administration of
the F. c. c. and the McNinch bill
to reduce the size of the commits
sion. He renewed his proposal for
a thorough investigation as the
only means of reaching solution
of the problems concerning radio
regulation.
Followed Criticism.
Mr.. McNinch fired his blast at
Commissioner Craven through the
medium of criticism of a press as
sociation article which appeared in
one Washington newspaper. The
story was based on two reports
concerning complaints against
broadcasting stations. The story
gave considerable space to the mi
nority report, because Of the COM
ment on censorship.
The chairman charged in his
statement that the publications are
partly explained by the gratuitous,
alarmist statements by Commission
er T. A. M. Craven in a one-man
minority report" He added that
Commissioner Craven, by implica-
ton, attacked the intelligence, in
tegrity and motives OF the other
six commissioners, to execute a
grandstand play of devotion to free
speech and opposition to censor
ship"
Mr.. McNinch said the commits
sion had adopted a report Clarity
ing and formulating the staff pro-
cedure for handling informal COM
plants and presenting them to the
commission. The report, he as
serted, also listed the types of pro-
grams regarding which complaints
are frequently made.
Frivolous Letters.
The report made it plain, the
chairman said, that go per cent of
the complaint letters handled by
the law department are frivolous" !"
and about 80 per cent non-informa-
tive or non-specif1c. Provision is
made for staff investigation of the
remaining 10 per cent without the
making of "unreaonable demands"
on stations. The report, he said,
also pointed out that stations would
not be subjected to the disadvan-
tage of temporary license. as a gen.
eral policy, pending investigation of
complaints.
Nowhere" Chairman McNich's
statement continued, lis there any
color of the commissions widening
its field of censorship It Is badly
untrue that Commissioner Craven
refused to sign the report and sub
mitted minority report charging
that the procedure recommended
would invade freedom Of speech
The minority report which he made
by himself says in its very opening
sentence, II agree In principle with
the, majority report Of the Com
plant Committee insofar as it
goes -
1T is true that Commissioner
Craven goes further-miles further
than was asked or expected in the
commissions direction to the COM
mittee, which was recommending
procedure to be followed In the
handling of informal complaints
against radio broadcast stations.
The commission recognized this
overstepping Monday In adopting
the report of Commissioners Sykes
and Payne instead of Commissioner
Cravens report. No one voted for
Commissioner Craven's report but
himself.
Commissioner Craven has much
to say of the dangers of censor
ship. What If any actions of the
commission could he refer to? In
the only two cases which have even
been conspicuously attacked on this
alleged ground-Mae West and
Beyond the Horizon'-Commis-
sioner Craven was a part to the