The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-10-25
BIC PROBLEM OF
RADIO PROVIDED
BY WAVELENGTH
Experts\- Tackle TangIe-
Grading of BroadcasterS
Suggested.
By Israel Klein
Radio Editor, NEA Service

Now that the enthralling problem,
who's going to pay for broadcast
ing?! has settled itself In - natural
way. another problem hobs up.
It's-how is this rangle OF so many
broadcasting stations on so few wave
lengths going to be solved?
And, as likely as not this question,
too, will answer itself just as natur
ally. Time, competition, improve
ments will participate in the ultimate
solution.
Meantime, experts of one grade or
another are-busying themselves. At
one time even the present writer had
an idea he could contribute to the
cause.
He graded the stations as to power,
made survey Of all stations in the
United States and Canada to dis
cover the average as well as the long
est distance Of transmission, and
then tried to come to some conclu-
sion showing the relationship Of
power to distance.
No Way Out
There wasn't any. A station of
1900 watts power would report it's
average transmitting distance as only
$50 milessswhile one of ten watts re-
ported itself heard regularly as far
as 1000 miles.
The writer had the idea one wave
length could be distributed in three
or even four distinct areas, among
stations Of varying power, without
causing confusion. But the United
States was too small for that; loca-
tions of stations had a great deal to
do with the success Of their trans
mission.
Fortunately. the writer hadn't the
temerity even to propose his plan in
public before he tested it. The test
proved negative, so the plan is dead.
Now, however, comes one with
perhaps a much more plausible solu
ton and, certainly. with the boldness
the writer lacked. Hes Carl Dreher,
who offers his idea in an article in
the November issue of Radio Broad
cast magazine.
Dreher is a student of broadcast
ing, He knows the business and the
engineering sides of this industry.
So there is weight to his ideas.
Quality Put First
His solution to the wavelength
problem is to grade broadcasters so
per cent according to their pro-
grams, % per cent according to their
power, and rs per cent according to
their clearness of transmission or
l. IL; -
station to get good program ma
terial and therefore places those sta
tions in large areas above others in
Importance for they can get the bet
ter entertainers.
After classifying the stations, Dire
her would divide hours of broadcast
ing according to their popularity.
He would then furnish one wave
length to an average city, and let
the stations in that area divide the al
lotted time among themselves, ac-
cording to their grades. The highest
grade station would get first choice,
and so on.
All this division and classification
would be made by suitable Federal
commission. under supervision of a
higher authority, or the courts, and
would last a year. For then new
stations might arise. with higher
power or better facilities to broad
cast good programs, and these should
therefore be graded accordingly.
All this sounds interesting and
plausible. Put difficulties arise which
might be hard to meet.
A Big Job Ahead
For Instance, no commission could
grade a new sta ton for it's programs,