Evening star., 1925-11-29
RADIO OFFICIALS
WORKING ON PLANS
Removal of Congestion and
Serving of Public Chief
Aims of Hoover.
Bl ARL III. BUTMA\.

RlIlS VI IlUUVCts
BI CARL III. BUTMA\.
For the past two weeks radio Off
cia1s of the Department of Commerce
includiu- all the District radio super
,-iSore have been in conference almost
continuously. working out the practi
cal applications Of the very definite
resolutions of the recent national radio
coufercu. a. some. Of these resolutions
IL will be recalled. we're rather drastic
and far reaching but Secretary oi
Commerce Hoover is opposed to the
creation at regulations or the cStab
Ifshment of rigid requirements which
might in any way tend to retarG
,adio progress and development. t't
has said that the future OF radio
hroadcas< development, At least
should lie solely in the interest OF
the public and consequently there are
phases in the regulation of broad
casting which must he determined hN
The public that listens in
one thing is already determined
that there will be few now broadcast
Ing stations on the air. unless 1t be
in districts as Vet unSerNed hN radio
phone hroadCasts or in sections oi
the country which are not suffering
from the general congestion in the
ether. No stations We're licensed dur
ing the past week an innovation. in.
deed 1t was not because applications
were not plentiful. Five organization,
flied requests for medium and smal
broadcast station licenses. il may he
recalled there are about lI5 appllrI
tiuua and requests pending in the
department files.
No Signals Reserved.
30 call signals for proposed broad
casters are being reserved. which Is
another indication that the voice OF
the Representatives conference has
reached the ears of Secretary Hoover
II" is adauant with regard t. clut
tcrn- up the either with additiOna
and uune, cSSary brOadCaSters. over
SO hruadcaStcrS are too many. Only
when deletiunS begin to come in fast
Will the department radio uttiCia l.
begin To smile. However, they do not
expect any great number Of stations
10 shut down. Some of the smaller
ones may do a hut few of those until
recently designated in Class viii
80 off the air-broadcastinG privileges
far too valuable to he released with
on the air must maintain service ot
value to the public if they want 10
remain in operation.
40 general shake up in wave As
signments is anticipated, except in
very few instances perhaps, where
efforts viii he made to improve trans
mission and eliminate present inter
ference
New regulations. with regard to
licensing, relicensing, location, time,
and fees are being prepared. They
will not probably be announced or en-
forced until congressional legislation
is forthcoming. Close cooperation
With Representative White of Maine
indicates that the department will
work with him on suitable and
remediable radio bill. giving the Secre-
tary of Commerce at least most of the
authority requested for him by the
general conference, but providing for
court Of appeals.
To Aid All Concerned.
It is Secretary Hoover's idea to
carry out the obligations imposed
upon the department by the confer.
ence, but he will not break faith with
hackers Of pending licenses. He will
keep in mind the fact that preliminary
ARA ugementS with several stations
already constructed were made before
the conference acted. Where il is
possible or practical he will direct the
issuance of licenses to those prom.
ised, providing, of course. that i'll
reference is not Increased. No more
stations will he forced to divide time,
and it = possible that with reductions
in the ranks. some may eventually ac-
uulre exclusive channels or those
used by only one other distant sta
ton. Some high powered station
owners may be required TO move their
il'HnSnItters out OF COngeSted dis
lr1ctS, but in general the larger sta
tons are already complying with this
ideal
How the radio public is to help Mr.
Hoover in the future remains to he
seen: hut some time after legislation
is enacted and licenses begin to expire
there will undoubtedly arise questions
as to the comparative value between
established stations and proposed sta.
tionS in the same vicinity. 1t would
require considerable work to de
termine how To render justice IL the
stations and the fans in such In
stances. In some constructive WAY
tiltH ldllS must dIt vi. iltpNti, OF illS
successor, when these situations arise
1t would be Impractical and dangerous
to expect any Individual to make such
decisions justly at long range. Loca
or district interests should cooperate
Additional appropriations will ht
asked uf Congress this year for the
administration of matters radio and il
the interests of better transmission
which affects every set owner in tho
country. An amount estimated at be
tween Sl25.DO and $50. 900 will bt
the figure requested. but it remains tC
be seen what the Bureau Of the Budg
et and the congressional committees
will pare off this amount. believed
requisite for proper handling of the
increasing radio supervision necessary
to keep the ether lanes clear for com
merCial, marine, amateur and, o.
course, broadcast traffic.
Testing Tools Obsolete.
Establishment of stations on then
assigned wave lengths has now come
to be SO essential. due to interference
that most of the testing instruments
~ the hands of the department in
~pectors in the field are practically
obsolete. New ones having great eN
actncss are required to- check trans
missions. power, etc, to replace them
Greater travel expenses are needed
for the nine districts covered by the
supervisors include many more sta
tiuuS than ever before. For the same
reason increased personnel is needed
There are 81 men in the radio fielC
force today, but an increase to 10T i:
TO he urgently requested. This woulC
mean about ten men to radio dis
trict, although in some of the large
ftIS necessary
inspections, especially at the port: