Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-11-06
Challenge to Integrity

Weeks ago 1t became quite
clear to those Of us responsible
for the management Of Column
bia BroadcaSting System that
the cheap and irresponsible be-
hind-the-scenes practices in
the production of quiz shows
have had profound effects far
beyond the shows themselves.
The integrity of all broadcast
ing has been challenged
Unpalatable though it is. this
is a fact we have had to face.
We cannot brush of these
criticisms by saying that these
quiz shows were produced and
owned by outside companies.
We are not looking for a scape-
goat on which to brush off our
own shortcomings. Whether it
is a quiz program, or an adver-
tising commercial. or a news
broadcast, or whatever, we are
held responsible for what APP
pears on CHS. We accept that
responsibility. and the quiz
show scandal has led us to re-
examine the whole area Of our
responsibility.
In this reappraisal of what
people are entitled to expect of
us, we started with the matter
in hand. the quiz shows.
With full realization that we
had not done all we should have
done. we explored with care the
possibility of so policing the
production of these big-money
shows that we could be quite
certain that the kind of thing
you have exposed could never
happen again. We were forced
to the conclusion that we
could never be sure about these
programs as presently con-
eeived.
Legislation Inadequate
After all, with stakes so high,
there is always the danger that
these programs may be rugged
in one way or another-despite
o whole squad of investigators
in the studio. Penalties for vio-
lation may be legislated. but
not even legislation and the
power Of subpoena can assure
the prevention of Violations
as is proven by the continual
ton of crime despite stringent
criminal laws. :.
Our only course was to re-
move from our schedule all |
quiz shows whose major appeal
is the winning by contestants
of large sums Of money or Law
ishly expensive prizes. Our. de-
cision to do exactly that was
made and announced three
weeks ago. on October 16. j
We propose to be more GER
tain in the future that it is we
and we alone who decide not
only what is to appear on the
CHS television network but how
it is to appear. We accept the
responsibility for content and
quality and for assurance to the
American people that what they
see and hear on CHS programs
is exactly what it purports to
be =.
The test in every case must
be whether any substantial
number of the viewing audience
is likely, in the given circum-
stances. to be deceived or misled
as to the true nature of the
program being offered 49,.
Will Draft Code
We are now preparing to
move another step forward and
to issue general rules covering
all program areas in order to
assure that programs will be
exactly what they appear to be.
I should say also that we are
giving much thought to that
very important problem-the
advertisers commercial.
Discomfort with commercials
springs from the feeling that
there are too many of them,
or that some of them harshly
intrude upon the mood of the
program, or that they are too
often blatant, or that they are
sometimes in bad taste.,
We are now exploring with
the National Association of
Broadcasters ways by which.
through it's Code Committee,
general agreement might be
reached among these three
groups on a new code which
will recognize and eliminate
legitimate complaints. We have
great confidence that with the
cooperation of those whose
interests are involved. we may.
before too long, come to some
satisfactory answer to this i'm
portant problem. 80.
Opposes Censorship
It might be desirable for Con-
greSs to pass a law making it
a crime to use deceitful prac-
tices in any game or contest
on or in any advertising me-
dunn. It might also be de-
sirable to expand or clarity
the authority of the Federal
Trade Commission to issue
cease and desist orders when
such deceitful practices are
proven. If this committee de-
cides that new laws along these
lines are called for, we are pre-
pared to help in any way we
can in the, development and
drafting of such proposed legis-