The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1946-05-03

The lines will provide service
$50 families in Saltwater and Carbo
, Counties, Montana, and Park Count
Wyoming.
| PRESS AND RADIO OF MONTAN
SHOULD TAKE HEED.
Mr.. Ernst, in his book, gives cred
to Senator Wheeler for a recent II
port on what is wrong with radio
made as chairman of the ice in COZ
nection with the FEC. The report i
as follows:
Industry "DoIIar Hungry"
Generally speaking, the industry:
l. Is dollar hungry" too much O
what it does or fails to do is measure
by the amount of money in it, or tn
amount of money it will cost.
2. Is run by men who have littl
or no conception of the public welfare
and the responsibility to the public
that is involved in managing an enter
prise affected with great public inter
est.
3. Insists on regarding itself as "pri
vate enterprise" in the same sense
that gasoline filling station is pri
vate industry; it insists on regard
ing its federaIly granted license as {
permanent private property right t.
be used as the licensee pleases.
4. Is dominated and substantially
controlled by absentee owners. The
large and high-powered stations are
located in the metropolitan areas, ant
the bulk of programming is motivated
by what a relatively small part of the
population of the country desires.
5. Is largely at the mercy of so
called network organizations which
although responsible for the bulk OF
nationally known programs, have the
power of life and death over the ma
jority of stations by reason of their
economic control over the stations in
come.
6. Has warded off any suggestion
for elevating program standards as
being an interference with free en-
terprise.
T. Has made little attempt or prog
ress in eliminating programs of ques-
tionable taste or value, or in reducing
the amount of commercial advertising
per program.
Who Pays For Speakers Opinions?
equality of access of radio facilities
to varying views and opinions; to
guarantee factual presentation of
news; to balance presentation of OPP
posite views on public questions or
issues; to identify properly speakers
and commentators, to make public
who pays for them, who pays for their
radio time-so that listeners will have
an honest opportunity to appraise the
speakers motivation
8. Has not been diligent in making
available an adequate portion of broad
casting time on a free unsponsored
basis for the presentation of forums,
and similar programs de-
signed to give the listener a greater
insight into our nations social, re-
ligious, economic, political, and gen.
eral problems.
10. Has suffered from political pres
sures from within government which
has led it to exercise Partially for
party is in power or for
particular individuals or for particu-
lar social or political policies.
Mr.. Ernst suggests, "the senator's
should be debated over the
air"
Montanans can testify from expert
snce that radio in Montana bears out
Ill these points. What should puzzle
, Montanan is why, since the senator
ienounces these practices, they are
particularly true of his home state
where his Influence in such matters |
S we'll known. Mr.. Ernst would have |
'eason indeed to give the senator cred |
t, if he lived up to his own words by
positive and public condemnation of
existing conditions on the Montana
'adio, particularly with regard to
2, 8, 4, 8, 9 and 10 of his
'eport.
TlOW GOnS WIN TCOplC
The people of the United States will |
light to the death any infringement
Ipon the first freedom" by govern
nent Since the government of the
United States is the people of the
United States, they would, if neces-
airy, fight themselves. Does any man,
II any group of men have hopes that
he people of the United States will |
ong endure infringement upon the |
first freedom" by handful of greedy |
who, draped in togas of
ed, white and blue, chant the con-
iderably shop-worn chorus that they
re the chosen, holy defenders of
free enterprise?"
The citizens of this country, in
ormed and articulate will say to them,
See here, friends, P. IT, Barnum has /
cen dead long time. Your free en-
erprise" can never be FREE enter
rise SO long as it is at the same time
ur exploitation through monopoly
ractices."