Evening star., 1942-05-06
Columbia Head Sees
Real Danger ofF.C.C.
Broadcasting Seizure
Urges House Committee
To Limit Regulation
To Traffic ChunneIs
Ey the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
The Columbia BroadcaSting
System maintained today that a
"resourceful" Federal Communi-
cations Commission so minded
might we'll devise ways to seize
control of every phase OF radio
broadcasting" regardless of pres
ent prohibitions.
This is a danger and very real
one" William S. Paley, the organ
ization's president, told the House
Interstate Commerce Committee in
urging limitation on Federal reg
ulation of radio broadcasting to traf-
fic regulation necessary to prevent
broadcasting on different channels
from interfering with each other.
The committee is studying pro-
posed legislation to amend the Com
munications Act, and change the
F. G. C.s administrative organiza-
ton, its procedure for handling ap-
plications, and its appellate rights
and remedies.
Half Slave and Half Free"
With the argument that radio
cannot exist half slave and half
free Mr.. Paley declared that ito
me the first and fundamental re-
quirement for radio broadcasting is
that it shall be kept completely free
by this, I mean that Congress
should specify legislative frame
work for radio which Is in harmony
with the constitutional guaranty of
free speech -
= He told the committee that To
day freedom of the air is at least
as important to the American peo-
pie as freedom of the press"
r John T. Cahill. counsel for the
National Broadcasting Co., replying
to questions, said that there should
be no discrimination against news
paper operation of radio stations.
= Just as it would be undesirable
to discriminate against some other
type of enterprise" he added.
Operation in Public Interest.
Representative Sanders. Demo-
--crat, of Louisiana had commented
that I'VE all recognize the danger
Of any one agency lfnonopolizing all
forms of publicity. That's the trou-
BILE with the Nazi system.
But" he continued, where are
you going to draw the line
Mr.. Cahill expressed belief that
the situation could best be handled
by leaving support of radio Ito the
good sense of the American people"
He advocated a ''reafflrmation'
Of the principle laid down in the
act that radio stations should be
operated in public interest, con-
venience and necessity.
Mr.. Cahill said the functions OF
z the F. c. C. now were built on its
licensing pewer-"a power Of life
or death"-but declared that the
broadcasting field now was open to
any one, provided a frequency was
available and provided the appli-
cant was equipped to use the chan
mel.
He maintained that if there is
to be licensing of networks, 1t should
be carried out by congressional ac-
ton rather than left to the F. c. c.
Control Over Business.
Mr.. Cahill declared that the
'reaffirmation" should make it clear
that Congress did not intend to give
the F. C. C. control over business
practices, which. he contended,
should be left in the hands of the
Attorney Generals department.
Representative Wolverton, Re-
publican, of New Jersey, a commit
tee member, argued that a license
to use frequency gave station a
monopoly and that the public in
terest is so vitally interested that
Congress is justified in regulatory
action to protect public rights"
Mr.. Cahill countered with the as
sertion that the air was open TO any
one, and that existence Of more than
one station and more than one net
work with comparable coverage,
prevented a monopoly.
In presenting Columbia's views,
Mr.. Paley compared the freedom OF
the air with the freedom of the
press. and said that should the ra-
tioning of newsprint become neces-
sary because of the war and COM
mission be appointed to carry it
out. the press would become sub
servient overnight if it wanted to
survive"
A commission allocating wave
lengths, Mr.. Paley said. was not un-
like such hypothetical commission
rationing newsprint.