1960 (With Notation Or Subsequent Important Developments)
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26th ANNUAL REPORT FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 1960 (With notation or subsequent important developments) UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE· WASHINGTON· 1960 For teI'e by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Govemment Printing Office Washington 25, D.C. Price 45 cents (paper cover) COMMISSIONERS Members of the Federal Communications Commission (As of June 30, 1960) FREDERICK 'V. FORD, OlUlirman (Term expires June 30, 1964) ROSEL H. HYDE (Term expires June 3D, 19(6) ROBERT T. BARTLEY (Term expires J nne 30, 1965) ROBERT E. LEE (Term expires June 30, 1967) T. A. M. CRAVEN (Term expires June 30, 1963) JOHN S. CROSS (Term expires June 30, 19(2) (vacancy) 1 1 Filled by Charles H. King on July 19, 1960, for term expiring June 30, 1961. A list of present and past Commissioners appears on page IV. II LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL FEDERAL COMMUNICATIO~S COMMISSION, WMhington 25, D.O. 1'0 the Oongress of the United States: The Federal Commnnications Commission herewith transmits its 26th annnal report. In addition to covering the fiscal year 1960, snb sequent important developments are noted ·for mOre timely reference. The report furnishes information and data specifically required by the Congress in section 4(k) of the Commnnications Act of 1934, as amended, including amendments to section 315 relating to political broadcasts; also material pursuant to recommendations made in a re port by the House Legislative Oversight Subcommittee. In general, the report endeavors to point ont the tremendous growth of radio services, the expansion of both domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities, and the Commission's policies and problems in dealing with them. The Congress in 1960 relieved the Commission of including certain biographical and other data concerning employees as part of its annual reports. Respectfully, FREDERICK tV. FORD, Ohairman. III PAST AND PRESENT COMMISSIONIlRS C'ommi88ioner" Palitiu State Term, of Iter~jee *Eugene O. Sykes .____ Dem____ Miss July 11,1934-Apr. 5,1939 Chairman July 11,1934-Mar. 8,1935 .Thad H. Browll Rep Ohio July 11, 1934-June 30,1940 Paul A. WalkeL Dem____ Okla July 11, 1934-June 30,1953 Acting Chairman______________________ Nov. 3,1947-Dec. 28,1947 Chairman Feh. 28,1952-Apr. 17,1953 Norman S. Oa86 Rep R.L July 11, 1934-June 30,1945 Irvin Stewart___________ Dern Texas July 11, 1934-June 30,1937 "'George Henry Payne Rep____ N.Y July 11, 1934-June 30, 1943 "'Hampson Gary__________ Dem ~ TexaB___ July 11,1934-Jan. 1,1935 .Anning S. PraIL Dem N.y Jan. 17, 1935-July 23,1937 Chairman____________________________ Mar. 9,1935-July 23,1937 T. A. M. Craven Dem D.C Aug. 25, 1937-June 30,1944 "'Frank R. McNinch Dem____ N.C____ Oct. 1, 1937-Aug. 31,1939 Chairrnan Oct. 1, 1937-Aug. 31,1939 ·Frederick I. Thompson_._ Dem____ Ala_____ Apr. 13, 1939-June 30,1941 James Lawrence Fly______ Dem____ Texas___ Sept. 1, J939--Nov. 13, 1944 Chairman Sept. 1, 1939--Nov. 13,1944 .Ray C. Wakefield Rep Calif Mar. 22, 1941-June 30, 1947 Clifford J. Durr Dern Ala Nov. 1, 1941-June 30,1948 Ewell K. Jelt Ind Md Feb. 15,1944-Dec. 31,1947 Interim Chairman_____________________ Nov. 16, 1944-Dec. 20,1944 Paul A. Porter Dem Ky Dee. 21,1944-Feb. 25,1946 Chairman____________________________ Dec. 21,1944-Feb. 25,1946 Charles R. Denny_______ Dem____ D.C__ _ Mar. 30, 1945-0ct. 31,1947 Acting Chairman______________________ Feb. 26,1946-Dec. 3,1946 Chairman Dec. 4,1946-0ct. 31,1947 .William H. Wills________ Rep Vt July 23,1945-Mar. 6,1946 Rosel H. Hyde Rcp_. Idaho Apr. 17,1946- Chairman Apr. 18,1953-Apr. 18,1954 Acting Chairman . Apr. 19,1954-0ct. 3,1954 Edward M. Wehster Ind D.C Apr. 10, 1947-June 30, 1956 Rohert F. Jones Rep Ohio Sept. 5, 1947-Sept.19, 1952 .Wayne Coy Dem Ind Dee. 29,1947-Feh. 21,1952 Chairman :. Dec. 29,1947-Feb. 21,1952 George E. Sterling Rep . Maine Jan. 2, 1948-Sept. 30,1954 .Frieda B. Hennock Dem N.Y July 6, 1948-June 30,1955 Robert T. Bartley Dem Texas Mar. 6,1952- Eugene H. MerrilL Dem Utah Oct. 6,1952-Apr. 14,1953 John C. Doerfer Rep Wis Apr. 15, 1953-Mar. 10,1960 Chairman July 1, 1957-Mar. 10, 1960 Rohert E. Lee Rep IlL Oct. 6,1953- George C. McConnaughey_ Rep Ohio Oct. 4, 1954-June 30,1957 Chairman Oct. 4, 1954-June 30,1957 Richard A. Mack Dem Fla July 7,1955-Mar. 3,1958 T. A. M. Craven Dem Va July 2,1956- Frederick W. Ford Rep . W. Va Aug. 29,1957- Chairman Mar. 15, 1960- John S. Cross Dem__ . __ Ala May 23,1958- Charles H. King Rep Mich July 19,1960- ·Deceased. IV Table of Contents PagS" REPORT SUMMARY_- -- ---- -________ ___ _ 1 GENERAL- _____ ____ __ _______ __ ________ ______ ____ 11 Organization chart______ __ __ ___ ___ __ ___ __ _____ __ 10 Communications AcL_____ __ ___ __ ______ __ ___ __ __ ___ __ __ __ J 1 RegulatioD____________________________________________________ 11 General___________________________________________________ 11 Common carrier ~_ ___ 12 Broadeast__ ~_____________________________________________ 13 ~onbroadcast_____________________________________________ 14 Commissioners_ __ ______ ___ __ _____ ___ __ ___ __ ___ __ ___ ___ __ 14 Commission staff ~ .__ __ 15 Automatic dp,ta processing study_____ __ __ ___ __ ___ _ 16 Personnel ~__ __ ___ __ _____ __ __ __ 16 Appropriations and expenditures ~ ~__ __ 11 IlocketB______________________________________________________ 17 Special cases ~ ~_ 18 AuthorizauoDS ~____ 18 Applications_ _______ ______ __ _____ __ __ __ __ 18 Correspondence_______________________________________________ 19 Releases and publioations ~ • __ __ 19 Foreign technical assistance___ _ ____ __ ____ __ _ 20 LITIGATION AND LEGISLATION_________________________ 21 Litigation_. ~___ _ 21 Court of Appeals decisions of special significance______________ 21 Bendix Aviation 088e___________________________________ 21 American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres case__________ 22 Deep South C888_______________________________________ 22 Plains case_____ _____ ________ _____ __ ___ __ __ __ ____ 23 ~orton Borrowcase___________________________________ 23 Other court CS8eS___ ___ __ __ ___ __ __ __ __ __ _ __ __ _ __ __ 23 Court case statistics ~______________ 25 Legislation_____ ___ ___ __ __ _____ _ __ ___ __ _ 26 Enactedla~_____________________________________________ 26 FCC legislative program______ ________ ____ ___ __ __ ___ __ ___ __ _ 27 Other legislative proposals affecting the FCC ... 28 Congressional committee work______________________________ 29 NATIONAL DEFENSE___ __ ___________ ______ _____ ____ _____ 30 Emergency authority______ __ __ _____ ___ __ ___ __ __ 30 CONELRAIl_ ____ ___ __ ___ _________ _______ __ __ __ 30 Peacetime CONELRAD use________________________________ 31 State defense FM networks_____________________________________ 31 Industry advisory committees ~ _____ __ ___ __ __ 31 National Defense Executive Reserve_____________________________ 32 Operation Alert 1960 ~ ~ • __ ~2 V VI TABLE OF CONTENTS NATIONAL DEFENSE-Continued Page FCC emergency communicatioll ~. __ ~ _ 33 FCC defense coordinatioll ~ _ 33 BROADCAST SERVICES _ 35 PrograIns _ 35 General ~ _ 35 Programming inquiry _ 35 Other programming actiollS _ 36 Complaints and Compliance Division created _ 37 License terms and suspensions _ 37 Political broadcasts _ 37 License rcnewals _ 40 Disciplinary actions _ 40 Transfers and assjgnments _ 41 Television (TV) broadcast service _ 4:1 General • _ 43 TV allocation problems _ 43 Long-range program _ 43 Short-range program w _ 44 National spot sales representation by networks _ 45 Option time • _ 46 Noncommercial educational TV _ 46 Authorizations and allocation _ 46 Networks ~ _ 47 Airborne educational TV _ 4S VHF translators and repeaters _ 48 UHF translators _ 49 UHF boosters _ 49 Idle UHF permittees ~ _ 50 Subscription TV _ .\0 Frequency modulation (F:M) broadcast service _ 51 Commercial FM _ 51 SUbsidiary FM _ 51 Stereophonic FM _ 52 K oncommercial educational FM _ sa Standard (AM) broadcast servicc _ 53 Authorizations _ 53 Application backlog _ 053 NARBA and other agreements ~ _ 0505 Clear channels ~ _ 056 Daytime broadcast hours _ 57 Maximum power for Class III stations _ 57 Single sideband modulation _ 57 International broadcast stations _ 58 Experimental brOl\dcast scrvices _ 58 Experimental TV _ 058 Experiluental aural _ 58 Statistics _ 59 Current broadcast authorization~ _ .59 Status of broadcast authorizations _ 59 Broadcasting since 1949_ ~ ~ _ 60 Broadcast applications _ 61 Broadcast industry financial data _ 62 TABLE OF CONTENTS VII PagE!' SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES____________________ 67 General . 67 Legal and regulatory problems ._ __ ___ _______ __ ___________ _ 67 Microwave inquiry_____ __ _ ___ ___ 67 Applications involving Bell contracts_________________________ 68 Marine radio services_ ____ ______ ______ __ _______ ___ __ __ _________ 69 Safety at 8ea___ ___________________ ___ _________ ____________ 69 Safety of Life at Sea Conference, 1960___________________ 69 Proposed safety at sea legislation________________________ 69 Exemptions from compulsory radio requirements__________ 70 Distress studies_ _______________ ____ _____ ________ ______ 70 Technical developments and studies ~___ 71 Radio Technical Commission for Marine Services___ _____ __ 71 Single sideband_____ __ ______ ____________________ __ _____ 71 Marine radio communication systems_ 71 Proposed rule changes__________________________________ 71 Geneva conference maritime requirements_ _______________ 71 VHF radiotelephony for navigational communication_ __ ___ 72 Coast stations____ ______ ______ __ ___ _____ __ _____________ 72 Shore