Evening star., 1923-12-16

By the first Of the new year there ,
will be, less than 500 broadcasting
stations in operation, officials of the
Department of Commerce predict.
These stations will be the best and
most popular in the country, and
will be more than enough to serve
their communities; in some instances
there will still be several in a. single
city.
The deletion of broadcasting sta
tions during the past six months has
been quite rapid; the total reaching
l49, whereas only 107 opened, show
ing a loss of forty-two stations.
During the past month thirty-three
stations fell by the wayside, so to
speak. and only fifteen new ones en-
tered the field.
Apparently, as in many lines Of
endeavor, it is to be a survival-of-
the-fittest race. On December /.
there were 54s broadcasting stations
still serving the public; a were
the more powerful class B stations.
2sI were in class A. 2ls in class c
and two were listed as class ID. or
development stations. Officials hope
that the 219 class G stations, all or
which are operating on the single
wave length of $50 meters, Will
qualify as class b stations, transfer
to class A, or quit, thus eliminating
considerable existing interference
chiefly among themselves. The result
would be g. group of about 100 big
stations with distinctive wave lengths.
and approximately $50 smaller sta
tions with exclusive district waves.
The broadcasting service In this
country, which is, OF course, privately
owned and operated. and also leads
the world in number Of stations, is
stil holding public interest. the De-
partment Of Commerce believes
Moreover. It's permanency Is assured.
Its real value, however. has not yet
been fully realized, and will not be
tribution of receiving sets suitable
for the reception of varied programs
from several stations, permitting the
listener to select at will the class
OF service of greatest interest and
value.
The recent changes In wave lengths
grouped weaker stations between 220
and ESQ meters and gave the more
powerful stations the wave lengths
between 2S0 and 546 meters. In this
assigned to the more popular sta
tions. 1t Is only natural that the
more powerful stations are the most
popular. since listeners-in naturally
where they get the big stations with
no Interference. These stations all
broadcast good programs and have
transmitting power which cannot be
approached by class A or c stations.
When fans try for smaller stations
on the lower wave lengths. unless
they have very selective receivers.
they Immediately get interference
from the larger stations. and the VOL
ume Is appreciably less.
The weaker stations are "out OF
luck" so to speak. in another line.
They find that the larger stations
come into their territory. IL not their
actual stations. and get the best
talent, together with their following.
The cost of maintenance is tre-
mendous, besides the initial cost,
averaging about s125.00o. and few
small operating companies can keep
up the pace The big electric manu-
featuring companies are exempt, OF
course, as well as some other in
terests which got of with an early
start, expecting no return. These
include some big department stores.
large municipal daily papers. some
national organizations and manufao-
turing companies. such as comprise
the present forty-seven class sta
tions. For the small concerns. the
maintenance for good operation Is a
steady drain on the eXchequer which
they cannot meet and the advertising
is not of sufficient value.
Students of the situation today