Evening star., 1941-05-16
Two Men Run Show
In Radio Industry,
Fly Charges
AssuiIs Ethridee;
N. A. B. Asks Senate
Probe of Broodcusting
py the Associated Press.

sy the Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS. May 16.-The head
of the National Association of
Broadcasters declared last night
nothing offered by Chairman James
L. Fly of the Federal Communica-
tions Commission to change their
belief the very freedom OF radio
was being endangered" Mr.. Fly
charged earlier at press conference
the N. A. B. was dominated by a
small monopolistic group and chal-
1enged their right to speak for the
entire radio industry.
Two men run the show" Mr..
Fly asserted, "and a couple of
others do the chores"
Although he did not mention
names, his remarks admittedly were
directly at officials of the National
Broadcasting Co, the Columbia
Broadcasting System and the N. A.
B. organization.
Mr.. Fly said the N. A. BIS type OF
management reminded him "of
dead mackerel in the moonlight
it both shines and stinks."
Sees Punitive Control.
Previously Mr.. Fly had criticized
the two networks for their control
of Sc per cent of radios nighttime
power and wattaee.
Neville Miller. N. A. B. president,
who is leading the fight against the
F. c. C.'s recent anti-monopoly re-
port ordering drastic changes in the
radio networks setup, replied curt
" that actions at the associations
convention here this week prove
Eve have made up our minds"
1--WE believe that Government
regulation is now in danger OF be-
coming punitive and arbitrary Gov
ernment control" he said.
The convention adopted a resolu-
ton urging the Senate to give
prompt consideration to a resolu-
ton introduced by Senator White.
Republican. of Maine seeking an in
vestigation of the whole radio struc-
ture with a view to the enactment
of a new radio law. The F. c. c.
also was requested to suspend oper-
alton of its new ruling pending the
inquiry.
Fly Rejects Bid.
There is a serious question as to
whether or not the National Asso-
citation of Broadcasters exists as an
effective vehicle for the exchange OF
ideas and the formulation and ex-
preston of member station opin-
ion" Mr.. Fly said shortly before he
left for Washington.
His sharply worded statement was
partly occasioned by the f1are-up on
the convention floor wednesday
when he was denied an opportunity
of personally answering blistering
attack on the F. C. C. by Mark
Ethridge, Louisville radio and news
paper executive.
Mr.. Fly confirmed he was invited
later to address the convention
again-he spoke Tuesday-but said
he rejected it after learning the
convention already had passed the
White resolution.
The radios monopoly's function
of free speech had been served"
he declared. They had their own |
discussion on their own side of the
case. They had their final decision
and I had an invitation"
"So-C Called Associate
Referring to the Ethridge speech,
Mr. Fly said:
1T is with an admirable degree
of mental and moral fleXibility that
in one speech one man can make
the rafters ring with condemna-
ton of other peoples political in
fuence and at the same time call
on his fellow of the two
big networks to turn on the po-
litical steam to force the Congress
TO upset a decision of an inde-
pendent agency of the Government
affecting those two big network
organizations.
I'm that manner the Nations /.
mechanism of free speech is to func- /
ton in the hands of radios mo-
nopoly and its so-called aSsocia- |
ton"
Mr. Fly asserted the whole eff
fort of the F. c. C. is ito return |
to the radio industry its freedom and /
to make it truly American sys-
tenn"
Other new directors elected at the
10th annual convention are: James
s. House, WLW, Cincinnati; Joe
Maland, WHO, Des Moines, Iowa;
John Elmer, WCBM, Baltimore,
Md; James w. Woodruff, jr.,
WRBL, Columbus, Ca; Don S.
Elias, WWNC, Asheville, N. c.. and .
c. w. Myers, KOIN, Portland, Greg.
One of three cities-New York, |
New Orleans or Cleveland-will be
selected by the Executive Board as
the site of next years convention.
NJ. B. S. Left Out of Board.
The Board of Directors of the N. |
A. B. was reorganized last night .
without representation of the Mu-
tual Broadcasting System.
Fred Weber, Mutual general man.
sger, withdrew his name as can
didate for reelection when three |
of the principal Mutual stockhold- |
ers bolted the N. A. B. ranks Tues
day in split over organization !
policy.
Edward Klauber, C. B. S., New
York, and Frank M. Russell N. B.
C., Washington, D. c., we're re-
elected directors at large of the
other networks.