Evening star., 1939-01-24
Revomping ofF.C.C.
Asked by Roosevelt;
.Setup Is Assoi|ed
Congress Members
Told Legislation
Is Needed
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Set up in 1884, ,Dhen control OF
radio DdS ren1oDed from the
Commerce Department, the Fed
eral Communications Commits
sion has had turbulent career,
Uith internal warfare playing no
small part in its difficulties. In
1887, 1phen the commission 1DdS
being accused by Republican
Congressman of tdDoritism in
handling cases and encouraging
monopoly, Frank r. McNinch,
Federal PoDer Commission chair
man, Das shifted to communi-
cations in an effort to Straighten
out affairs.
President Roosevelt called today
for new legislation Ito effect salts
factory reorganization" of the Fed
eral Communications Commission.
In letters to Chairmen Wheeler
and Lea of the Senate and House
Interstate Commerce Committees
the President asserted he was
thoroughly dissatisfied with the
present legal framework and adj
ministrative machinery of the COM
mission"
The text of the letter, made public
by Senator Wheeler, follows:
Although considerable progress
has been made as result of efforts
to reorganize the work of the Fed
eral Communications Commission
under existing law, I am thoroughly
dissatisfied with the present legal
framework and administrative ma
chinery of the commission. I have
come to the definite conclusion that
new legislation is necessary to ef-
fectuate satisfactory reorganiza-
ton of the commission
New legislation is also needed to
lay down clear congressional poll
r~cies on the substantive side-so
clear that the new administrative
body will have no difficulty in in
terpreting or administering them.
Il very much hope that your COM
mittee will consider the advisability
of such new legislation.
II have sent a duplicate of this
letter to Chairman Lea of the
House Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce, and I have
asked Chairman McNinch of the
commission to discuss this problem
with you and give you his recon-
n1endations.
Sympathetic With Proposal.
Chairman McNinch confined his
comment on the Presidents letter
to the following brief formal state
ment which he gave out this after
noon:
. 4 am wholly sympathetic with
the Presidents proposal for a re-
organization of the commission. I
recommended to the President some
time ago that the commission be
reorganized. I shall have no fur
ther statement to make, at least
until after I have conferred with
Chairman Wheeler and Chairman
Lea, pursuant to the suggestion in
the Presidents letter to them"
1t has been known for some months
that Chairman McNinch favored a
smaller commission than the seven
man body now constituting it.
There has been wide breach
between the chairman and certain
of the commissioners over various
administrative matters, particularly
as they relate to broadcasting. In
most of the differences that have
come to light the commission has
been divided, four to three.
Purge Last Fall.
One OF the outstanding disagree
mentS was over changes in the
administrative setup which resulted
last fall in purge" of officials
long connected with the commits
sion and a change in the method
of handling cases.
First came the custer of Hampson
Gary as general counsel and his
replacement by William j. Demp-
sey, who was with the Federal
Power Commission while Mr.. Nc
Ninch was at the head of that
agency.
The commission next. by a vote of
.4-3, changed the method of han
ding cases by abolishing the exam
liners division. which left Davis G.
Arnold, its head, out of a position.
Cases now are heard by any indi-
vidual designated by the chairman,
with the full commission issuing a
preliminary report before taking
final action. This is understood
to have stirred many protests from
broadcasters and others.
Wisner Dismissed.
Another move was the shake-up
In the press section and dismissal
of G. Franklin Wisner, in charge
OF publicity This was followed by
appointment of three other persons
to the department at increased
salaries, placing the publicity sec
lion directly under the chair
mans Office. That was viewed as
an effort to stop members of the
commission and other officials from
giving out information.
One of the first things Mr.. Nc
Ninch did on reporting at the COM
mission was to abolish the three
main divisions into which the work
was then divided-telephone, tele-
graph and radio broadcasting
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