The People's Voice

PROPOSED FCC INVESTIGATION SCARES PRESS

Newspaper Owners Frightened by Proposal by FCC to Investigate Radio Stations; One-Third Identified With Newspaper Ownership.

WASHINGTON.-(FP)-Newspaper owners haven't said much about it yet in the columns of their papers but they are scared stiff over the proposal of the Federal Communications Commission to investigate newspaper ownership of radio stations.

The commission's order for an investigation of the tie between radio stations and newspapers was adopted March 19 and was prompted, it appeared, by the large number of applications for frequency modulation permits coming from newspapers.

Frequency modulation is a new technical development in broadcasting threatening to upset present broadcast stations and methods.

Commission records showed that about one-fourth of all commercial applications for frequency modulation were filed on behalf of newspaper interests.

In the standard field, it was pointed out, more than one-third of the radio stations are identified with newspaper ownership.

Of these approximately 100 are owned by publishers with more than one radio station and more than one newspaper while another 100 cases show the only newspaper and only radio station in the area is owned by the same person.

Investigation of the newspaper-radio connections, it was believed, will show the degree to which there is a monopoly in the field of communication of news in some localities.

The FCC order was directed to finding out what policy should be applied by the commission in handling applications for frequency modulation stations by newspaper interests.

At the same time it ordered that work on those stations owned by newspapers for which frequency modulation permits have already been issued be held up pending the completion of the commission's investigation.