Radio: Pledge Allegiance

With President Truman’s proclamation of a national emergency, CBS last week was hiring armed guards to patrol its transmitters and master control rooms as it did in World War II. The international situation led CBS to a further step, and one never taken during the last war: more than 2,500 CBS employees were asked to sign “loyalty oaths” such as those required by the federal Civil Service.

Like all networks, CBS had received complaints about the political background of some of its entertainers, writers and producers. CBS Executive Vice President Joseph Ream, though he insisted that most of the complaints are “absolutely silly,” decided that it is “important that the true facts—based on the statement of each employee—be established.”

The other major networks had the matter of loyalty oaths “under advisement.” NBC let it be known that for the last six years it has required loyalty statements from all new employees, while making spot checks on old employees. Said one executive: “In the eight years I’ve been at NBC, I’ve been investigated five times.”