Evening star., 1923-02-11
Broadcaster.' Meeting.

oFOduc1utekp "cetInBs
The meeting of the Washington
Radio Broadcasters' Association. twice
postponed on account of illness Of
some Of the members, probably will
be held this week, according to c. O..
Fischer, manager OF the radio depart
ment OF Woodward & Lothrop and
president of the organization. Action
Will be taken at the meeting on the
proposed silent night for the local
broadcasting stations.
Pick Up Los Angeles.
southeast, has entered the long-dis-
tance reception contest. reporting
that he picks up regularly the fol-
lowing stations: PWX, Havana, Cuba;
WDAF. Kansas City; WBAP, Fort
WHAT. Guthrie, Okla; WLAG. Min
neapolis. Mimi; KSD. st. Louis; Voc.
Davenport. Iowa, and KFT, Los An
geles, Calf Mr.. Simmons said he
does not hear the latter station reg
| ularly. His set consists of one u :
volt WD-11 tube, with no amplifica-
| tion: 4 loose coupler, two variable
condensers (43 plate). grid condenser
and leak, and 3,00o-ohm phones. His
aerial is seventy-flve feet long and
about thirty feet high.
II receive n dozen stations between
! these and Washington every night"
| said Mr.. Simmons. II heard station
| XII, at Los Angeles, between 1880
and 2:30 Thursday morning
Fewer station. susse.ted.
Fewer stations will go a long way
| toward wiping out the evils Of radio
| according to opinion gathered in ali
parts OF the country by the National
Radio Chamber Of Commerce. The
chamber .as a part OF its plan to find
a solution of the problem Of broad
| casting. called the one outstanding
difficulty of the radio industry. sen,
a questionable to persons represent
| ing all phases of the art.
The results were made known yes,
| terday In statement by Ralph c.
Watrous, a member of the special COM
mittee appointed to make nation
wide study of the broadcasting situ-
| alton, and former lieutenant gov
eer,sd erner Of Rhode s, Island tThe inquiry
for better programs.
"The response" said Mr.. Watrous
pointed the way in several direc.
tions very clearly. Most prominen,
OF all was tn eidea of fewer broad.
grams No exact number of sta.
tions was generally recommended
and this could not well be, as the
range of stations is so rapidly
changing, both as to their efficiency
and also as to the steadily increasing
1
ceiving sets. But that progress.
would be more rapid when we real
lie the necessity for fewer station,
seems a perfectly safe deduction
from the answers to the question.
naire.
Question OF Expense.
THE matter of better programs
seems to be very naturally related II
, the minds of those answering to the
- s-t,
programs, but 1t does not seem tc
| matter who pays for it or how. The
| more people who can be served by 6
single station the less, Of course, the
expense per listener. This economic
question is very serious one and, ir
| the interests of the general radio
public. must be dealt with very care
fully. However. of course, the peo,
pie as whole interested in radio
must finally in some way pay the bill
Another matter clearly brough
out by the questionable was tina
proper legislation should be enacte,
| III Congress that would not only safe
guard our federal departments. bu
give TO Secretary Hoovers depart
ment the power to so regulate radio
ana broadcasting In particular, tina
the greatest service shall be realize,
Dy the greatest number.
III would seem that the question
naire also clearly indicates q line sep
arat1on between public broadcastin,
stations from the stations operate,
largely In experimental work by ou
| amateurs. who served such a usefu
| purpose during the war and who hay
done much constructive work. The,
must have place. but their powe
and range must not be allowed to in
terfere with the public's use Of thi
new means of communication to a.
unreasonable extent.
! Wave Ienufh prnhI~n,
The question of wave lengths wa
dealt with in the QUESTIONABLE, bu
: this is Il matter that will have t
have much thorough study, and an
solution of this problem can only b
J covered temporarily, as changing con
ditions will make necessary frequen
! changes in any provision inserted 4
the new law.
THE White bill now pending in Con
gress provides for a radio council, an
the selection Of this council made In
way to really represent the whole ra
dio public. is about as important
matter as confronts us. We freQuentl