Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-12-26
AIR FREEDOM TO
come UP BEFORE
NEXT CONGRESS
Secretary Hoover Urges
Waiting Further De-
v~elopments Before Ac-
ton Is Taken

Va WV ~ Ihto WINCH
The question, Of paramount interest
10. the ten to twenty million radio fans
in the nation, may not be decided, but
one conflict has occurred on tie cues
ton already and others are in the max
ing.
Secretary of Commerce He bert
Hoover, whose department holds nomi-
nal CO. troll of the ether, withdrew his
support of the bill introduced last
spring by Congressman Wallace II.
White of Maine, which would impose
extensive regulations on the Industry.
The bill is now pending before tie
rouse marine and fishe les committee,
Of which White is chairman.
Another year is necessary for further
development of the radio art" before
congress can formulate a program TO
regulate it properly, Hoover believes.
Hoover, who Endorsed the White bill
last spring, proposed a short bill which
would merely affirm the right of the
people to the ether, and give his de-
partment the regulation of wave lengths,
character of apparatus and time Of
transmission Of programs from regular
- NSAo bIOoOOdoIAIS ohdLlOIS.
The department of commerce now
controls the radio industry BY virtue
of 4 law passed in 1912 on the basis Of
the radio-telegraphic development at
that time. The radio-telephone had not
yet been developed.
SCI Broadcasting Stations
Now there are Sol broadcasting sta
tons in the country each sending out
six 20 twenty programs a week. The
fans tune in and out of speeches, jazz
and classical music, humor and adver-
Using. Some complain of Interference
because of the large number Of broad
casting stations, some kick because Of
the large number Of broadcasting sta
tions, some want larger and fewer sta
tons and others want more local sta
tions.
The crush Of proposed legislation in
the present session, which ends next
March, is so great that it is unlikely
and final action can be taken on any
radio proposal, even the short bill por-
posed by Hoover" But when the Six
t~y-ninth congress meets next Deem
Der Hoover will be ready with q pro-
gram to cover all emergencies.
A final and complete national policy
on the radio questions must be adopt
ed, Hoover believes, and congress must
do it instead Of leaving it to an adj
ministration officer.
The radio industry contains no
monopoly at present, the secretary
holds, as no one corporation possesses
more than four stations.
The problems of radio which have
come up so far, which must be solved
in formulating the governmental policy
toward the art" Hoover outlines as
follows:
With only 81 wave-lengths avail
able and the number Of stations APP
preaching 600 and rapidly increasing,
we are forced to certain duplication Of
waves and to the division Of time be-
tween stations. If there were enough
wave-lengths for all the matter would
be much simpler. Any attempt TO give
nee il the allotment of wave
lengths on the basis of quality of pro-
:. however, raises the question of
censorship, the implications of which
1 cannot at present accept.
Another is the inte%rconnection of
~sations by which a single voice may
be broadcast from all parts Of the
United States. This interconnection
has been most successfully carried out
by the use Of wire systems between
hroadcasting stations, but other meth
DDS of interconnection are in process
of development. 1t is difficult to see
as yet what the public implications of
interconnection will be.
During the last year there have
been discoveries in the use Of higher
power and therefore larger areas Of
broadcasting, which may result in a,
single station being able to cover q
large portion if not all Of the country.
This raises the rights Of local stations
and the rights Of local listeners.
Still another development has been.
the fact that it. has been found possible
by indirect advertising to turn b-oad-
casting to highly profitable use. Be
cause of this situation there is grow
ng up a demand for the limitation Of
the numeb of stations in a given area
and that such limitation be based on
the service needs Of the community.
just as public utilities are generally.
limited by the rule Of public ccnyen-
fence and necessity. Again this enters
the dangerous field of recognizing
monopoly and implied censorship.
Craze May Abate
"On the other hand, we may be in a
rush to broadcasting, which may die
down and cut down the numher of
stations. Improvement of tie art may
increase the number of available wave
lengths, and no priorities need then be
contemplated.
We may nave to come to the con-
~clusion that many station owners must
be considered as having left the fielc
of private enterprise and entered that
of public service, and in view of these
changes now going on we may have 20
reconsider the regulation of the whole
art from the point of view of the listen
err.
Interest in radio is increasing rapid
~. Entertainment and amusement
have ceased to be its principal pur-
poses. The public, especially our peo-
pie on farms and in isolated
ties, are coming to rely on it for the
information necessary to the conduc'
Of their daily affairs. It is rapidly Pc
coming a necessity. and the people lee