Evening star., 1923-01-28
WOULDL|NK RADIO
BROADCAST WORK
National Chamber Seeks to
Consolidate Various Sta
tions in New System.
MESSAGES ARE CONFUSED
Many Evils Now Existing Could
Be Eliminated, Says Commit
tee Report.
MESSAGES ARE CONFUSED

Sweeping reorganization of the
National Radio Cham Der of Commerce,
linking up, as active workers in
nationwide plan to wipe out the
evils of broadcasting and to solve
other radio problems. every major in
terest of the radio industry and the
public, was announced yesterday by
President William II. Davis. follow
ing a meeting of the board of gov
ernors at the chambers headquarters.
In New York city.
The governors adopted a new con-
stitution providing for the admission
to membership, either directly or
through regional, chambers of com
merce, Of individuals. including the
audience or the listener; manufac-
turers. jobbers. dealers. bToadcasters.
amateurs. the press and organizations
and institutions interested in radio,
comprising educational. scientific, re-
ligious. civic, political and other
bodies.
Radio a Public Utility.
Interference and the broadcasting
injured the business. and unless
remedied may ruin It," it was declared
in report of special committee ap-
pointed to conduct a survey of the
changes IN the organic structure of
the chamber. whose membership at
the outset consisted of manufacturers.
The committee was composed Of
Henry T. Hunt, general counsel of the
chamber and late member of the Rail
road Labor Board; George Lewis.
secretary of the chamber. and Ralph
c. Watrous. former lieutenant gov
eTnor of Rhode Island. Support and
improvement Of broadcasting in CO.
operation with the United States gov
ernment and other agencies was said
to be a main object of the chamber.
"The main factors in the situa-
tiop." continued the report, "are: The
government Of the United States is
interested in radio from the stand.
welfare. Furthermore. radio is a
public utility Of interstate commerce.
Congress has before it the White
bill. which gives the Secretary OF
Commerce power to make regulations
controlling broadcasting. This bill
months. When the Secretary shall
have placed proper regulations in ef-
feet interference will doubtless be re-
duced. However, neither the bill nor
the regulations contemplated provide
any support for broadcastfng on any
measures to improve it's quality"
The committee found that there
were many classes of activity in the
radio industry. Broadcasters were
ranged between the profit seekers
both" in the report which added:
Not Well Organized.
The broadcasting class comprises
manufacturing companies broadcast
ing to support and extend their sales
OF apparatus, department. stores. broad
casting for advertisement. newspapers
broadcasting for advertising and
news purposes, schools, colleges and
universities broadcasting for educa-
tional purposes, churches co-operat-
ing with broadcasting stations, indi-
amusement, and the broadcasting ac-
tiyities of the American Telephone
] and Telegraph Company carried on
primarily as research and in prepara-
tion for whatever the future may
develop. - -t
There are at present ineffective
organisations " of broadcasters, os-
Etensibly national in scope, but not in
cluding the principal broadcasters
for socieaR Of Kdo Wbisb
cludes some thirteen or more small
broadcasters. In this field some sort
OF cooperation is compulsory in the
nature of things Further co-opera-
ton mas Deen Drought ABOUT Dy the
Department Of Commerce.
Under the new constitution. both
the membership and the aims of the
chamber, now organized to function
as a great central force in radio
control and regulation. are broadened,
according to a statement issued
"It must be obvious that radio is
to become a public service of the
highest Importance to the nation,
both in peace and war. Therefore, an
organization designed ito further its
be democratic. inclusive Of all
branches. and representative of each
section Of the United States"
A vital element in the chambers 8
plans Is the establishment of regional
principal cities Of the countries to
be co-ordfnated with the national
chamber in New York and with local
chambers. -
Plan to Cooperate.
Kenneth P. Gregg. one of the en-
gineers and managers Of the cham
Der, reported that steps had already
been taken to organize chambers In
terests in national radio organization
was developed, particularly in Chi
cago. Milwaukee, Minneapolis and st.
Louis.
Many groups interested in radio,
including colleges and universities
and the churches. he, said, were study
ing plans for cooperation with the
chamber, which, he asserted, els des-
tined to be tremendous force in
promoting the general welfare of the
radio industry and through it that of
the radio public" =, -
The chamber. Mr.. Gregg said,
was cooperating closely with Sec
retary Hoover in the Department of
.Commerce's efforts to. rationalize the
radio industry and with the move
ment sponsored by the conference on
radio Standardization. = -