First Code

From Washington, U.S. Censor Byron Price and his assistant for radio, stocky J. Harold Ryan of Toledo, sent out radio's first wartime "Code of Practices." Because a few powerful domestic stations (such as Salt Lake City's 50-kw. KSL) have been heard across the Pacific, they told radiomen to be careful even in the use of already censored press news. They warned against references to the weather during sports broadcasts. They also detailed the topics upon which only official information can be given.

The radio code called for particular caution in quiz programs, interviews, and forums, lest enemy agents broadcast information disguised in innocent-seeming phrases. Most such programs on the big networks had already been modified; e.g., for several weeks, questions from the floor in America's Town Meeting of the Air have had to be submitted before being allowed on the air. But there were still plenty of pluggable holes in local programs.

Most absolute veto handed out was on musical-request programs. No telephoned or telegraphed requests are to be accepted. Requests received by mail are to be held "for an unspecified length of time." The censor remembered, perhaps, that during Prohibition bootleggers were supposed to have sent messages to Rum Row by getting "platter turners" on all-night stations to play their prearranged tunes.

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