Evening star., 1940-03-31
lengthyF. {. {. Probe
On Radio Monopoly
Is Due 10 Drag On
Report May Be Months
Getting to Congress, if
Ii Comes Out at All
BY WILLIAM J. WHEATLEY.


A report on the lengthy investi-
cation by Federal Communica-
tions Commission committee into al
legged radio broadcasting monopoly
may be months in getting to Con-
gress and the public, if it comes
out at all, it was learned last night.
Although the report has been hack
and forth between the committee
which conducted the inquiry and
members of the F. c. G. staff several
times in the last few months. it
is again before the committee. and
1t will be at least a month before
the committee can meet on the
matter again, it was said. The COM
missioners are not inclined to dis
cuss even the possible time of it's
completion. Both Committee Chair
man Thad H. Brown and Commits
sioner Frederick l. Thompson put it
In the very indefinite future
AS originally written. it was learn
ed. the report had a number of
recommendations for obtaining con-
troll over operation of the broad
casting chains now outside the COM
missions jurisdiction. One, it was
learned, dealt with control Of con-
tracts between chains and their
affiliate stations by requiring F.. C..
c. approval.
The original draft of the staff re-
port has been rewritten several
times, 1t was said, and one of the
drafts has even been to the White
House, and now is back with Chair
man James Lawrence Fly. the only
other F. G. G. member to get copy
aside from committee members.
One Explanation.
One explanation of the delay on
the report is that many collateral
matters are being developed before
the commission, and results of these
inquiries will give the report strength
if and when it is presented. Former
Chairman Frank R. McNinch prom
!sed it to Congress months before
he resigned, and Mr.. FLY. in the
course of questioning before the Sem
ate Appropriations Committee in
January promised it in a few weeks
Mr.. Fly said yesterday, however,
that many conditions had arisen
which have prevented committee
consideration of the report One was
that matters requiring attention of
the commission had kept the COM
mittee from meeting. and the other
was that commissioners had to be
out of town on various other matters.
There have been changes in the
committee since the investigation,
which included six months of public
hearings, was started. The original
committee consisted of Chairman
McNinch. Commissioners Brown,
Eugene o. Sykes and Paul Walker.
Commissioners McNinch and Sykes
resigned, and only one place on the
committee was filled, that Of Judge
Sykes, whose place was taken by
Frederick I. Thompson.
The staff work was completed
early last fall. Because of the rather
broad recommendation for con-
trolling big business, it was said
there have been wide differences in
the committee, with the majority,
favoring broad control of the chains.
Walker Out of Town.
Commissioner Walker left Friday
for the Pacific Coast where he is
to conduct hearings on telephone
rate cases, and it was said it will
be month before he returns during
which time there will be no con-
sideration of the report. 1t was said
the members are not disposed to
consider such a drastic measure
without having the full committee
present.
The original staff report was
fact-lnding paper. but this was
referred back for tentative recon-
mendations, and even these. have
been revised either by the staff
or the legal department several
times since.
Without considerable revision of
the Communications Act by Con-
gress, it was asserted, the Com
mission is without authority to put
into effect any reforms it might
deem desirable to get control of the
broadcasting chains. And this was
emphasized in the Supreme Court
last week, in an opinion in the
Saunders Bros. case in which
Justice Roberts drew a rather close
line as to the jurisdiction Of the
Commission, when he said:
But the act Communications