Evening star., 1948-08-22
For Radio Listeners
By Harry Macarthur

The radio broadcasters are indulg.
ing themselves in some curiously
contradictory behavior these days
Over in Baltimore they are standing
to the battlements to defend freedom
OF the speech and the press Five
Baltimore radio stations are facing
contempt t-of-court charges for broad.
casting crime news in alleged viola
tion Of 1889 court rule in the
Maryland city and the radio people
are not the only ones viewing with
alarm.
Justin Miller, president of the
National Association of Broadcasters
put the associations general counsel
on the job Immediately and declared
firmly, THE Supreme Court of the
United States already has indicated
in several decisions that the old
English rule with regard to con-
tempt, as practiced in Baltimore
does not have proper application
under the Constitution of the United
States"
The American Newspaper Pub
fishers Association has joined the
broadcasters in their stand against
what appears to many an abridg-
ment of freedom of speech and the
press. So, at least in spirit If not
actively, must any one else who
cherishes the basic freedoms of the
Bill of Rights.
At the same time, the broadcast
ing industry is showing a strange
unconcern in another quarter, when
it might have been expected to howl
that those same rights were being
hacked away The Federal Com
munications Commission has hinted
that some of those uninhibited give
away shows might be considered
lotteries and may be told to get off
the air. Instead of charging the
FEC with overzealousness. which
they often feel called upon to do,
the broadcasters are just nodding
their heads in solemn agreement.
1t has been suggested that lot
teries, If that's what the programs
actually are under law, are the con-
cern of the Department of Justice
and the Federal courts, rather than
the FEC. The House Select Com
mittee to investigate the FEC yes
terday turned out to be a sup
porter of this point of view Before
this the industry's reaction seemed
to be one of grudging welcome of the
threatened FEC action. They'd be
happy to give radio back to the en-
tertainers and be rid of the give
away shows, the broadcasters say
Nothing could please them more
than to have the FEC tell them
10 do just that.
For an industry jealous of it's right
to speak freely without censorship,
this is strange state of mind, in
deed The movie industry once
cleaned itself up when that needed
doing, without waiting for some out
side agency to step in and do the
job. If the fabulous give-aways
should be dispensed with, the broad
casters could look better by assum-
Ing some OF their own responsibility.
Better, that is, than they will look
by waiting for the FEC, or the De-
partment of Justice as the case may
be, to stop the music.
Televiews:
Gene Archer, the local minstrel
who already has proved himself at
home on theater stages. in the bet
ter night clubs and as a featured
entertainer at all the towns better
banquets, turns out to be equally at
ease before the video cameras. No
body needs to be told that he can
sing, OF course, since every one
around here must have gained first
hand knowledge of that at one time
or another. The additional word on
Mr.. Archer is that his personality
manages the trip through icono-
scope, coaxial cable and television
receiver without diminishing. He is
welcome visitor in the living room
"Gene Archers Music Shop"
(WNBW, Tuesday, $50 PM, when
we have seen it, has proved an ex-
cellent example of the way a brief
musical program can be fitted to the
new visual medium. Written, pro-
duced and directed by Vance Hal
lack, it shows the evidence of some
care in the planning. The singing
star and Pianist Ed Mcintyre work
easily together and altogether "Mu-
sic Shop" is pleasant interlude.
other than the newsreel for pre-
senting news of the day is a con-
tinulng one. 1t has resulted, among