Evening star., 1939-11-26
F. T.. T.. Is Pressed
To Act on Special
1eIevision Report
Part Of Industry Seeks
More Liberal Rules
On Sale of Time
By WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY.


What to do about television will
receive the attention of the Federal
Communications Commission next
week, and it is expected that that
body will keep at the problem until
1t has acted on the report of its
special Television Committee, head
ed by Comdr. T. A. M. Craven, with
Commissioners Norman S. Case and
Thad H. Brown as members.
The industry is pressing for COM
mission action on the report, and
the F. G. G. is anxious to settle the
problem involved, in order that the
manufacturers may get clear pic
ture OF just where they stand.
Members of the commission have
been besieged during the week by
representatives of various branches
OF the industry pleading for and
against the report. Not all of the
industry is convinced that television
is ready for the public, and some
have urged the commission not to
give its approval of this phase of
communications at this time, in the
belief that it will hurt the industry
later.
On the other hand, in other
branches of the industry, it was said
at the commissions Offices, there is
a belief that the art has reached
such stage where it should be pre-
sented to the public, not only to get
public reaction, but also to give those
who have spent millions in expert
ments an opportunity to capitalize,
at least to some extent, on their ex-
penditures.
Sale of Time Sought.
The right to sell program time on
a commercial basis is what is being
sought by one group in the industry,
as this is the only way in which any
income may be expected to provide
funds with which to continue ex-
perlments without continually delv-
ing into capital and earnings from
other branches of the industry, it
was asserted. However, the COM
mittee, which has made thorough
study of the whole problem cover
ing a period of many months, has
recommended against this CONNER
cialization, but has made provision
IN its proposed new rules accom-
panying the report providing for
sponsored programs
But the restriction is that any
funds contributed by the sponsors
must be used primarily for the pur-
pose of experimental program de-
velopment. The intent of the rules
should be, it was explained, to pre-
vent commercial exploitation of
television as service to the public
prior to demonstrated proof of its
readiness for regular operation in
accord with public interest, con-
venlence and necessity.
Programming is Problem.
AS matter of fact, programming
Tor televiSion broadcasts is one of
the serious problems which has con-
fronted the committee. Such broad
casts Will require an entirely new
and most expensive technique, and
members of the body believe that,
II sponsors are available, their con-
tributions at this time should be
devoted to experiments with pro-
grams to find out just what part
television is to play in the broad
cast spectrum. When experimental
ton passes through this stage, then,
the committee informed the COM
mission the body should be ready
to consider a commercialization
plan.
1t is the belief of those who have
studied the problem that further
progress does not rest on experiment
tatlon with the technical phases.
but rather on the development of
public interest in it as a broadcast
service. This is borne out not only
by the fact that television has not
gained the public acclaim expected
of it in New York where, it was
said, there are less than a thou
sand receivers, but on the public
reaction to it in England and France.
While representations have been
made to the commission that failure
to give television a boost by pro-
viding commercializatio may end
progress at this time, members of
the commission are inclined not to
take this too seriously, since the
industry is by no means unanimous
on this point.