UNWIRED!
Network Radio listening peaked during World War II and with good reason. Listeners depended on radio for up to the minute reports of the war from its shocking beginning on December 7, 1941, through its highly anticipated conclusion on August 14, 1945.
But what if newspapers had their way and 1933’s Biltmore Agreement between publishers and major broadcasters had still been in effect? Would the American public have tolerated a system that allowed participating radio stations only two five minute newscasts a day?
Impossible, you say? Well, it happened.
This audio post, abridged from Network Radio Ratings, 1932-1953, tells how the news wire services - Associated Press, United Press and International News Service - cancelled transmission to radio stations in 1933 at the urging of the American Newspaper Publishers Association, (ANPA).
This denial of service was among the events that led to The Biltmore Agreement which created a mockery known as the Press Radio Bureau in 1934. The Biltmore pact called for the dismantling of network news departments and the establishment of the Press Radio Bureau as broadcasters’ sole source of news, providing its subscribers with just one short newscast at mid-morning and another at night.
What would have happened in the cases of Pearl Harbor, D-Day, FDR's death, or the end of the wars in Europe and the Pacific? To quote the text of The Biltmore Agreement:
Occasional news bulletins of transcedent importance, as a matter of public service, will be furnished to broadcasters, as they may occur at times other than the stated periods above. These bulletins will be written and broadcast in such a manner as to stimulate public interest in the reading of newspapers.
It appears that the ANPA, a champion of the First Amendment when it came to Freedom of The Press, didn’t care much for Freedom of Speech when it came to broadcasters. But the issue was never elevated to a constitutional level because the Press Radio Bureau died a quick death for altogether different reasons that are explained in the audio post.
But newspaper publishers weren’t a stupid bunch. Although their awkward attempt at limiting radio news failed, they realized the advantages offered by radio - both in disseminating their news product and increasing their profits. So, many of them jumped on the broadcasting bandwagon and invested in radio properties.
In January, 1935, shortly after the Press Radio Bureau folded, newspapers either owned, controlled or had a financial interest in 112 radio stations around the United States. Just five years later, that number had more than doubled to 269, representing 35% of the licensed commercial stations. The figure remained at that level throughout World War II.
Network Radio Ratings, 1932-1953, details how newspapers and magazines were handicapped during the war because of paper rationing while radio had a field day in advertising revenue. But publishers from coast to coast made money from both media.
It didn‘t stop there. Newspapers were also in the forefront in applying for television station construction permits after the war ended. Billboard reported in November, 1946, that newspapers had been granted 75% of the permits issued by the FCC in the previous six months. Cities slated for newspaper controlled TV stations included Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Detroit (2), Louisville, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Philadelphia (2), St. Louis and San Francisco.
In the dozen years since their attempt to squelch broadcast news, newspaper publishers had obviously determined, “If you can’t beat them, buy them!”
Copyright © 2015 Jim Ramsburg, Estero FL Email: tojimramsburg@gmail.com
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