Church of the Air

Fortnight ago Columbia Broadcasting System Inc. announced a change of policy in its religious programs. No longer would Columbia sell time to religious bodies or individuals. Instead, Columbia would put on a Sunday schedule of its own. to be known as "Church of the Air," beginning Sept. 13. Two half-hour services would be broadcast nationally: one for Protestants at 10 a. m., one for Catholics and Jews on alternate Sundays at 2:30 p. m. Superintended by religious leaders cooperating with Columbia, the services would approximate church or synagog devotions as closely as possible. The Rt. Rev. Irving Peake Johnson will open for the Protestant period, Cardinal O'Connell for the Catholic, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise for the Jewish.

Columbia's black-haired young President William S. Paley gave as his reason for the change, which will deprive Colum bia of revenue estimated at more than $10,000 per week, the desire to avoid "re sponsibility ... of allotting time on a commercial basis to different religions and different preachers." But another reason was imputed to Columbia last week by Rev. Charles E. Coughlin, Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Detroit, whose weekly talk over a 16-station hook-up was a Columbia religious feature last year. Father Coughlin several years ago began to be heard over the radio on time bought with money given him by worshippers at his Royal Oak. Mich, shrine to Ste. Therese, the Little Flower of Jesus. Contributions from wealthy Detroit Catholics later enabled him to buy an hour a week from Columbia. He used this time at first to praise Ste. Therese, later to denounce Communism, unemployment, employers and finally specific employers. Embarrassed by his zeal, which offended many listeners-in, Columbia remonstrated with Father Coughlin. Last week, when in formed that a change of policy would make it impossible for him to go on broadcasting over a Columbia hookup, Father Coughlin angrily charged that Columbia's real reason for its new policy was to avoid leasing time to him. He complained of being censored, barred, throttled. Said he:

"I also wonder why all this has happened. Is it because of the so-called 'inflammatory bomb' which I incorporated in my discourses of last year which the Columbia Broadcasting System wanted me to omit from the 'Prosperity Sermon.' ... I wonder if any outside pressure has been brought to bear upon the Columbia Broadcasting System by a few bigots whose minority organization figures to bulldoze the people of America and who now hope to tamper with free speech? . . . The fact still remains that they will not accept my money or my contract. . . ." Father Coughlin announced that he would continue to broadcast from Detroit over an independent hookup, thus far comprising eleven stations.

While the Coughlin incident may well have illustrated to Columbia officials the difficulties to be encountered in selling time for religious broadcasting, their new policy closely corresponds to the one followed by National Broadcasting Co. since its formation in 1926. NBC donates about 32 hours a week to religious broadcasts. The Federal Council of Churches selects the speakers in programs intended for Protestant audiences, notably Dr. Samuel Parkes Cadman. The Laymen's Committee of the National Catholic Welfare Council selects Catholic speakers, notably Rev. John A. McClorey, who conducts Sunday services at 6 p. m. followed by questions & answers by Dr. Edward L. Curran. An NBC program for Jews is now under consideration.

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