Climbing the Pedestal

Since the Federal Communications Commission was set up to look after the public interest as affected by the broadcasting business, how could all those rivers of payola flood the land without provoking so much as a "tut, tut" from the commissioners? Scoring the FCC (and the Federal Trade Commission as well), the New York Herald Tribune's Washington Columnist Roscoe Drummond wrote: "They were supposed to be watching, and it wasn't until after they began to be scorched by public opinion that they showed any evidence that they thought they had much to do about it." As FCC finally got ready for limited action last week, one commissioner admitted: "Our senses were dulled."

To the U.S.'s 5,236 radio and TV stations, FCC sent a demand for complete "verified statements" reporting payola, schlockmeistering. bribes, undercover plugs and similar activities that have gone on during the past 13 months. The commission had found its authority in a section of the Communications Act of 1934, which requires that stations name on the air all people who in any manner pay to have material broadcast. The FCC poll will probably not reflect anything like the amount of bread that has actually changed hands, since many breadwinners can be expected to deny that they have ever been on the take.

Table Talk. The Federal Trade Commission also got moving last week, filed complaints against nine record companies --including mighty RCA--charging payola and other "unfair and deceptive acts." Same day, five FTC commissioners sat down at a long, dark mahogany table, solemnly exchanged views on phony advertising with the broadcasting varsity: CBS's Dr. Frank Stanton, NBC's Robert Kintner, ABC's Oliver Treyz, Mutual's Robert F. Hurleigh. Smooth talk flew back and forth as everyone tried to outdo everyone else in deploring the subject at hand. Only a few admen were guilty of malpractice, of course ("There are also statesmen in advertising," said Treyz), but where evil exists, it must be stamped out.

"We have responsibility for what is on the air," said CBS's Dr. Stanton. "May I interrupt here, Frank?" said Bob Kintner. "At NBC we accept responsibility for what is on the air, too." Not to be outdone, FTC Chairman Earl Kintner (no kin to NBC's Bob) announced: "This commission is determined to take the responsibility to keep the spigots open. We hope there's a trickle down to the stations that make up the industry." As for Mutual, it had already eliminated one offensive word from all ad copy broadcasts on the network. The word: diarrhea.

Although NBC announced the appointment of a "vice president in charge of standards and practices,'' it was still CBS that talked most loudly and earnestly about reforms. Frank Stanton explicitly forbade his flock to accept payola.* CBS top brass also issued a decree to its staff that seemed to guillotine giveaway shows. The ruling forbids mention of brand names of products other than the sponsor's, also prohibits any other form of plug. NBC continued the practice of getting prizes in exchange for plugs, but announced that the schlock operation would henceforth be supervised by the network, rather than by independent producers, and that no bribes would be accepted from suppliers for the use of their merchandise.

Truth Shows. Even on CBS, the giveaways still had a fighting chance, all tucked into a clause that said schlock was taboo "except where reasonably necessary and natural." Art Linkletter, whose CBS show House Party gives away about $3,000 worth of prizes a week, promptly announced: "If we can't qualify for the 'except' rule, somebody will have to pay for the prizes."

One good result of the television scandals came to light: a growing demand for news and public affairs programs, dubbed "truth shows." NBC announced a weekly public affairs program in prime evening time on topics ranging from alcoholism to the summit. Plans were jelling for TV Critic John Crosby to appear on a new CBS show devoted to books, arts, entertainment. Edward R. Murrow's longtime associate, Fred W. Friendly, told New York Herald Tribune Columnist Marie Torre: "Even the elevator operators here at CBS look at us differently. It's as if we've been put on a pedestal."

* It may be a lean year for newsmen, too. Both NBC and CBS have decided that this year there would be no Christmas gifts to the press.

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