The Washington times., 1925-10-22

AIR So Badly damned Now
Some Stations Must Be
Eliminated
By ROBERT s. THORNBURGH

Eliminated
By ROBERT S. THORNBURGH
Radio officially will be placed
In the classification of a public
utility next year, If recommends
tions Of the Department of Com
merce are followed by the Sixty
Ninth Congress, officials declared
today.
Preparation of a general founda-
ton for the new radio bill is being
completed by Secretary Of Com
merce Hoover, who will explain
his program at the National Ra-
dio conference opening here No
vember 9.
The entire radio industry, de-
partment officials said, agree that
there must be Federal regulation
If broadcasting is to survive with
any degree of service to the pub
lie.
All Is Interstate
without regulation we should
have complete chaos in the air.
Hoover pointed out. And as every
word by radio is an interstate per-
Torrance we cannot avoid Federal
legislation"
Officials admitted, however, that
any attempt to regulate rigidly by
law without cooperation OF the in
dustry and the public would stifle
progress.
The major question to be settled
IA coming legislation is whether the
Government viii permit every new
broadcasting station access to radio
paths or whether every applicant
entering must first show a legiti-
mate and a valuable purpose to the
listener before he is permitted to
further congest overcrowded lanes.
Must Limit Permits
Hoover, while holding out against
censorship of programsf virtually
: has decided that ISSUANCE Of broad
casting permits must be limited.
The new legislation is expected to
contain provisions for regulating
the number of radio stations that
can be operated simultaneously in
the same area.
Although a fight on limitation Of
stations may arise at the national
conference officials said that
Hoover's policy will receive the
hacking of the radio public.
In spite of the vast Improvement
In broadcasting devices and OF re-
caiving sets reception with the
arrival of cool radio" weather is
highly unsatisfactory. The condi-
zion il directly attributable to the
fact that too many stations are
on the air at the same time. Tne
communication channels between
$50 and 400 meters particularly are
oyercrowded.
Getting wild Walls
So many stations are operating
On a number of important wave
lengths that where the listener on
a selective set formerly pulled in"
his favorite stations, all he gets
now is a wild, uncanny wall.
Some of the best broadcasting
stations in the country are blotted
out by this interference, according
to complaints made to the Depart
ment of Commerce.
Il - 60 to-
stations on the air several hundred
applications for new broadcast!ng
permits are tossed in the hands
of Chief Radio Inspector w. D. Ter.
fell.
q A temporary halt in issuance OF
licenses has been called until Con-
gress has a chance to lay down a
schedule Of requirements for the
broadcasters.
Officials feel that it will be neces-
sary to eliminate many Of the
stations now on the air or force
them TO remain silent at certain
periods.
Stations whose programs are OF
inferior quality would be barred
from the air by some authorities.
Canada, it was learned today, will
be officially represented at the
conference here next month.
1t was expected that the Cana
dian government would extend it's
cooperative arrangement with Unit
ed States to prevent Information IN.
reference.
Already Canada has agreed TO
limitation of code broadcasting on
Canadian ships near American
shores.