New Radio Code Outlaws Racial, Religious Attacks

Racial and religious attacks on the radio are outlawed under the new code of standards adopted yesterday by the National Association of Broadcasters at its seventeenth annual convention in Atlantic City.

The code also prohibits selling of radio time for the presentation of controversial issues with the exception of political broadcasts. Impartial presentation of controversial topics, the code contends, is a duty of broadcasting and should be undertaken without pay.

Majority opinion among the association’s 425 members appeared to be, according to the New York Times, that “radio priest” Charles E. Coughlin and other speakers would not be automatically barred from the air under this provision, “as they do not always touch on controversial matters,” although there was the possibility that a breach of the code would necessitate their submitting copy before broadcasting.

The provision on religious broadcasts reads as follows: “Radio, which reaches men of all creeds and races simultaneously, may not be used to convey attacks upon another’s race or religion. Rather it should be the purpose of the religious broadcast to promote the spiritual harmony and understanding of mankind and to administer broadly to the varied religious needs of the community.”