Evening star., 1925-12-07
WIZ TO BEGIN USE
Of SUPERPOWER
Goes on Air Today as First
Station in United States
So Equipped.
BY CARL III. BUTMAN.

station WIZ goes on the air as the
hrst regular Superpower broadcaStin
station today.
To be sure. the final tests will con
unue for two weeks, but the regular
programs from the Radio Corporation
studio at Aeolian Hall in New York
VIII now be broadcast through the
new 5O-kilowatt transmitter located at
Bound Brook, \. j.
During the next two weeks ensi-
neerS of the Westinghouse Co, build
erS or the station, and the operators
or the Radio Corporation will make
the final adjustments and tests pend
ing the transfer of the big transmitter
to the Radio Corporation. 1t is under.
STOOD that the operating personnel
from VIZ in New York will be
transferred to the New Jersey site. but
that the old studio will be retained.
The old transmitting station will, of
course, be shut down permanently.
Among Oldest Broadcasters.
WIZ, as many old fans will recall
is over four years old. and one of the
oldest broadCasters in the country.
This call was first assigned TO "A New
ark station. licensed September g.
1921, to the Westinghouse Co. In 1928
1t was transferred 10 New York City
and taken over by the Radio Corpora
ton, which still owns and operates II
together with WY.
WIZ will transmit on its usual
schedule and wave length. 455 meters.
but with power varying between 40
and 80 kilOWatts. Announcements Will
state that VIZ is operating through
Bound Brook, y. J., under expert
mental call signal 2NAR. This will
serve as sort of introduction to
fans, who have not already tuned in
after broadcast hours and heard
2XAR testing.
After these concluding tests, if the
station appears to function properly,
the experimental call will be aban-
doned and WIZ will assume the full
dignity of its position as the first
American superpowered station.
Promised TO Fans Year Ago.
It may be recalled that David
Sarnoff, vice president of the Radio
Corporation, promised the fans this
station a little more than a year ago
at the third radio conference. His
announcement was met with many
protests that such a station would
blanket many existing broadcasters
and put some of them out of business.
Since that conference 1t has been
found that superpower is nothing to
be dreaded, but rather something
of advantage in national broadcast
ing, since IL carries satisfactorily to
longer distances than low power, and
apparently does not create undue in
reference, even with neighboring
stations.
The chief radio supervisor of the
Department of Commerce has ap-
proved the application of the Radio
Corporation for operating its high
power tranSmitter after several weeks
of late testing, during which time it
appears to have functioned satisfac-
torily, although most Eastern sta
tionS were closed down. The current
tests in regular broadcasting time will
prove what, if any. effect VIZ will
have on other stations, but its
licensing as a regular broadcaster is
practically assured.
Regular Schedule Announced.
In terming WIZ the first regular
superstation, the writer realizes that
he may be criticized, since WGY at
Schenectady has been on the air With
around so killoWatts for some time. That
station, however. IS still experiment
ing, broadCaSting special programs
with high power only on Saturday
and Sunday evenings. whereas WIZ
starts its regular schedule this week.
They are both high-poWer stations, al
ready established on the air with
considerable prestige, and may, if you
choose, be termed the first super
broadcast twins.
Japan continues to rank first in
combined volume of its export and