Fuss and Fiddlesticks

By the U. S. Communications Act of 1934 and by international agreement it is illegal, without proper authorization: 1) to intercept radio communications not intended for the general use of the public, and 2) to discuss them in print, on the air, or any other way. In the last few weeks the air has fairly crackled with important, and usually coded, admiralty radio messages--Germany calling all ships home but its submarines; Britain ordering a Mediterranean blockade; U. S. Navy telling its personnel the score. These and others appeared in the U. S. press, incurred no Federal crackdown. But one of them was also broadcast by at least one radio station, Manhattan's WMCA, and last week there was an official fuss, with apparently more bark than bite.

As the crisis progressed, WMCA got a big hand from Manhattan columnists. One reported: "Several weeks ago the station hired an expert of naval code who stationed himself near the shortwave receiver of a local morning newspaper. As secret orders from shore to ship were flashed from England and Germany he quickly decoded them and rushed his findings to the microphone."

WMCA's ardent promotion department photostated two such puff-items, crayoned a big "SCOOP!" across the layout, ran it as an ad in the trade press. Week later from the Federal Communications Commission (James Lawrence Fly, chairman) came a curt order to WMCA to show cause, within 72 hours, why its license should not be revoked.

WMCA's frightened answer gave its show away. It had employed no code expert or anybody else to eavesdrop on admiralty communications; it bought all its ruff from the International News Service, from the Mirror, from the Herald Tribune; all it knew was what the papers said. As far as the trade press ads went, they had just seemed like a good idea at the time.

At week's end, WMCA seemed to be damned if it did, damned if it didn't. For if the FCC decided not to chastise the station, the Federal Trade Commission might do so for misleading advertising.

While repentant WMCA was still standing in the corner, NBC last week also had a transgression to worry over. It had broadcast word of the departure (also blazoned in the press) of the French liner "Champlain, and had sent the news out over international short-wave in several languages, including one which might be understood by any submariner now in business. At week's end the Champlain was reported to have reached an unrevealed haven, and NBC mightily relieved, resolved henceforth to keep such marine intelligence off the air entirely, regardless of how the press treated it.

Meanwhile, with the fear of government in their hearts, radio networks, after a week of fiddling, put a code of self-censorship of war news in writing, had it blessed by the National Association of Broadcasters and FCC's Chairman Fly. Main provisions:

P:"Every effort consistent with the news itself is to be made to avoid horror, suspense and undue excitement. . . . For example, news of air-raid alarms should not be broadcast until we actually learn whether or not there has been an air raid."

P:If broadcasts become available from scenes of battle, bombed areas, air-raid shelters, refugee camps, etc., etc., broadcasters will use "taste and judgment to prevent such broadcasts from being unduly harrowing . . . avoid undue shock to the radio audience, without taking upon ourselves an unjustifiable responsibility for concealing how bad war really is."

P:To help the radio audience "evaluate news," censored news reports and propaganda reports will be clearly labeled, and appraised as such.

P:Commentators (referred to as "news analysts") may not in the future "say anything in an effort to influence action or opinion of others. . . ."

P:"In order not to keep the public unduly disturbed and alarmed [and to keep down rebate costs], each broadcaster, exercising his own news judgment, will endeavor to interrupt programs for news bulletins as little as seems consistent with good operations."

P:No propaganda in connection with the war will be permitted in either commercial announcements or the context of commercial programs.

There is no way that the industry can force broadcasters to be pollyannas about war, but radiomen--long cowed by Federal attitudes which do not permit them to say things which others say in public as well as private--took it meekly. Last week the networks urged all to obey the rules as a "responsibility to the industry as a whole," pointed out that any deviation might involve all other broadcasters in "the consequences of their acts."

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