Evening star., 1924-08-17
RADIO GOSSIP AND NEWS

A concerted campaign has been
launched throughout the country to
defeat the proposed plan to estab-
lish superbroadcasting system OF
10 high-powered stations, designed to
connect every city and town and
virtually every household as far as
reception alone Is concerned.
Details Of the gigantic scheme are
now being worked out by the De-
partment of Commerce with the CO.
operation Of the various radio inter-
ests. Those who are endeavoring to
prevent the plans from being carried
out are principally manufacturers of
radio apparatus.
George A. Pearson, president Of the
Electrical Research Laboratories in
Chicago. fears. that the proposed
superbroadcasting system will be
controlled by Il. purelyfor-profit or
ganiZation and that under such a
blanket the entire United States and
drown our practically all stations which
arc now giving such wonderful service
to the listeners"
"If the radio fan is going to be
compelled to accept just the kind Of
broadcasting that any one corporation
wishes him to have, 1t will not be
long before there will be few listen
ers," warns Mr.. Pearson. Just con-
litical speeches the listener would get
IL all these speeches were censored
by a controlling corporation which
would be seeking at all times to in
crease its own prosperity"
"The patent situation is another
one which vitality affects the listener"
adds Mr.. Pearson. $50 far no one has
been able to get monopoly on radio,
for the reason that no one has been
able to get control Of sufficient num-
bers of basic patents to give them
such control. For this reason there
has been an open market in radio,
prices have been gradually lowered
and at the same time the efficiency of
the apparatus has been increased
through experimentation and research
work. The consumer has a large va
riety of apparatus to choose from
and competition has resulted in the
consumer getting his moneys worth
THE condition can be changed by
the next national administration. The
United States Navy at the present
time owns the patents which control
the basic principles of reflex and radio
frequency. These patents were for
merly held by Germans. They were
seized during the war by the custo-
dian of enemy alien property and
sold to the Navy.
with the next administration will
rest the disposal of these patents.
They can be turned back to their
original owners, they can be licensed
for use by one American corporation
or they can be thrown open to the
general use of the people of the
United States. If they are returned
to the original patentees, they will
Immediately become the property of
the German radio trust, which in turn
will allow their use by only one
large American corporation. The
same result would be obtained if they
were turned directly by the Navy to
the same American corporation.
IF these patents are licensed by
the Navy for the free use Of all
Americans, this action would have
the effect of preventing monopoly, in
keeping down prices by stimulating
legitimate competition. and would re-
dound to the benefit Of the consumer.
Now is a good time for the mil
lions of radio listeners to begin to
find out just how the candidates for
President and for the Senate and
House of Representatives stand on
these questions. Unless the radio
consumer protects himself, it is not
likely that he is going to get much
protection. Any candidate who stands
for monopoly and high prices should
not get far, and there are enough