The Washington times., 1924-04-08
ROMPING AROUND
RADIO ) DIAL
BY Listener.In-

We still have a hangover this
morning from an awful crouch con-
tracted last night. Reaching home
at 1890 we had good program for
romping all figured out and sat
down to enjoy an hour or so OF
travel and when we turned on the
old set there was the worst growl-
ing ever heard. 1t sounded like
someone in the next house had a
strong spark gap transmitter and
would hold it down from three
seconds out Of every five.
Knowing that no netghbor has
such apparatus we are at loss to
explain the disturbance, but who
ever it was we would just like to
get our hands on him once. It
completely ruined every program
on the dial because wherever we
turned the same disturbance was
there. Thinking it might be our
batteries we investigated them but
found no trouble so made up our
mind that it was some disturhAer Of
the peace.
Disturbers OF Peace.
Such people. If it is possible to
locate them, should be prosecuted
" TIC VI II1C law AOH
turbance Of the peace.
We were successful in getting
the Domino Novelty Orchestra in
Troy and some community singing
in Cincinnati, and two or three
other stations, but the disturbance
was so great that although these
stations came in like locals the pro-
gram was entirely ruined and 1t
was just luck when we even got
the call letters.
After playing around with it for
about half an hour, trying every
combination and every part Of the
dial for some peace, we gave UP in
disgust. We are still sore and hope
the fellow who caused the trouble
reads this.
Chicago Stations.
Up in Chicago they seem to be
having q hard time getting settled.
WJAZ has recently changed own
ership and is now on another wave
length and call letter. They are
now WGN, $40 meters. The new
station WBBX has announced a
rumored that there will soon be
another class B broadcaster on the
448-meter length. ....
Radio fans in Chicago at first
thought the change Of WGN from
448 to $40 was an intentional effort
to crowd WDAP, the Drake Hotel,
onto $50 meters where she couldn' t
be heard. That is the length Off
cially assigned to WDAP but they
have usually varied from that a
little to get out OF the terrific con.
glomeration of stations at that
length.
However the Department of Com
merce has promised to see that
WDAP is given a square deal and
not crowded off the map. Many
fans throughout the East, who lis
ten to WDAP every evening are
said to have used their influence to
see that WDAP got fair deal,
Two Hearings.
Big radio days are coming this
week in Washington. Wednesday
the hearing before the Senate Pat.
emit Committee on the copyright law
will be inaugurated. Thursday the
hearing before the Interstate Com
merce Commission on the monopoly
charge will be given an airing.
At Bottom of War.
Both Of the hearings get at this
bottom Of the radio war. Each is 9
sore point in the broadcasting situa
ton today. One Of our own loca
stations is handicapped tire
mendously by the copyright law. II
can not broadcast some Of the or
chestras it would like to because
most of the pieces played by these
orchestras are forbidden to then
for broadcasting purposes.
Both Of the local studios are OF
| the inside of the so.called monopoly
It is charged that the Telephone
| Company, the Radio Corporation
the Westinghouse Electric, the Gen
eral Electric, and the Western Elec
trio Companies maintain monopol!
with such interlicensing Of paten
rights that no other concern cal
compete with them.
Stealing Programs.
One Of the most interesting pos
sibilities of radio, but one which
has caused no trouble yet, Is tn
possibility of stealing programs. Re
Gently 1t was demonstrated that on
station can pick UP the program o
another station and successfully re
broadcast It. This was done abou
q month ago, when seven station
were connected and Transmitted tn
same program without any wire
y connections.
Radio students predict, as a re