The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-08
Alabama Power Co. InstaHs Big Radio Broadcasting Station
 Covering Southeastern States
Station Built by Company'S Own Engineers and En-
 braces Many New Features

A federal license permitting 1t to broadcast radiophone news through out the immediate section of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia. Tennessee and the Carolinas. has been granted to the Alabama Power company, which claims to be the pioneer in the de- velopment of the new science in this section of the country. The license permits the local company to broad cast both news and entertaining fea- lures, over a wave length of S60 meters, between the evening hours of seven and ten, and designates the companys call letters as WSY.
 1t was announced yesterday by of ficials of the Power company that the broadcasting service will begin within the next few days.
 In addition to plans for concerts and other matters the company will broadcast by wireless educational ln formation regarding the affairs Of the company, which it is said will be the first use of wireless for this pur- pose by public service corporation
 Builds own Transmitter
 large transmitting set with a capacity of 200 miles under most un- favorable weather and atmospheric conditions has been constructed by the companys own mechanical and electrical staffs and will be installed at once.
 Receiving sets are now being i'm stalled at every point where the com pany's employees are located and these will be used as an adjunct to the present system of communication be- tween the company's general offices in Birmingham and all substations, generating plants and construction camps; the service being similar to that inaugurated several months ago by the police department of Chicago. and which. it is said, has proven very successful.
 Temporary Service Begun
 The company inaugurated last night an experimental service, us- ing a smaller transmitting set and operating under an experiment license granted several weeks ago.
 This temporary or experimental service is being sent out three nights in each week-Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and the wave length is 275 meters, and the call letters are EXC.
 The small transmitting set placed in service Friday night has a carrying capacity of approximately 20 miles and covers territory in and near Birmingham in which there are, 1t Is estimated, 250 receiving sets.
 Boosts Auburn Drive
 One of the first uses to which the power company's "experimental" ser vice was put was to add impetus to the Greater Auburn Drive. which is scheduled to end Saturday night.
 A short and appealing talk to the radio fans to lend their moral and financial support to the drive was re- ceiyed over every local radiophone listening in" on the company's inl- tial program.
 Operating under the broadcasting license and with the large transmit ting set. the company will begin soon series of entertainment programs, intended exclusively for the enjoy ment and entertainment of it's hun dreds of employees, many of whom are stationed in construction camps in remote and isolated sections of the state.
 The Alabama Power companys en- gineerir.g staff has been experiment. ing with radiotelephony for more than nine months and was among the first in the south to see the possl- bilities, both from commercial, economical and entertaining stand point, in the new science.
 In their research and experimental work, the power company's electrical men made some rather remarkable discoveries. some of which will very likely play important parts in the future development of radiotelephony Among the experiments which have so far attained some success, and the complete success of which will aI- most completely revolutionize the new science, is the elimination of the storage battery system now in vogue among receiving stations and the adoption of the domestic electric ser vice used nowadays in house lighting