Evening star., 1926-03-07
419SEEkPERM|T
FOR RADIO STATION
Although No Licenses Are Be-
ing Given, Applications Con-
j., tinue to Arrive.
BY CARL III. BUTMAN.

Applications for new broadcasting
station licenses from practically every
State continue to flood the radio sec
ton of the Department of Commerce.
To date there are on file 419 requests
for permits to construct broadcaSting
stations, together with applications
for the use of wave lengths or share
of the time on some channel through
the ether.
Although the IS. r. o." sign was
put out, following the decision OF the
Fourth National Radio Conference
that seats in the air were all hlled,
potential owners of broadcasters seem
more anxious than ever to get on the
air. There are now 533 active stations
and yet from almost every large city
the daily mail to the Commerce De
partment brings requests for permits
TO build stations and to broadcast.
Instead of dying out, the interest in
broadcaSting, or perhaps the desire to
get on the air for some particular
reason, seems to be increasing rapidly.
During the past 10 days over 90 new
applications have come to Secretary
Hoover's office. All that can be done
is to list these requests, after telling
these projectors of new stations that
the air is saturated, and that there
are no more broadcast channels avail
able, for use either exclusively or by
splitting time. There have been too
many stations and there are still too
many to suit the department and the
fans.
Seek Higher Power.
Pending the enactment of radio
legislation, which is expected soon,
the department rs sitting on the lid
of the license box; even after the
law is amended it is doubtful if the
lid will ever be lifted unless a large
number of the present licensees sign
off for good. Few stations are quit
ting the ether; they seem TO like
the game, and those which do close
down are mostly small stations. un-
likely to be replaced unless the i'm
mediate community is not served
with broadcastS and the public de-
mands a replacement station.
Among the individuals and organi-
cations seeking broadcast licenses
many desire high power; two want
to use 5000 watts, one wants $500
watts, another 1900 watts, and
IS request | 900 watts If they
are licensed. Besides these appli-
cants, 33 existing stations have re
the past six weeks. Demands for
high power also seem to be increas-
ing. although there are about 40 with
900 watts or over now in existence,
16 of them using 5000 or more watts.
The geograp phical distribution OF
the 4t9 new requests for permits TO
broadcast are interesting: Numerlcal-
ly the ninth, or Middle North, sec
tion Of the country leads with 147
applications. Out of these Chlcagoans
seek 10 new stations; one in ILLINOIS
demands a 5,000-watter, another asks
for $500 watts and four want 1000
watts. Needless to say, Chicago Is
already one of the most congested
cities as far as the ether traffic is
concerned.
New Stations Asked Here.
The New England territory. desig-
mated as the first radio district, fur
nished AZ applications, including
potential 900 waiter at Boston ana
another at Portland, Maine.
The fourth. or Southeastern section,
asks for is new stations. many of the
applications coming from Florloa'
GAINESVILLE desiring the second o,00o-
watt station. The sixth district, IN
cluding most Of California, and the
Pl&ntn, Win IlcdItlb bitLi INI - a. - - ~
each desires 4 new stations. Los An
celes requests IL and San Francisco
; licenses A thUuSand-Watt station Is
wanted in each district. The fifth or
Southern district wants 80; the sec
ond. covering chiefly New York and
New Jersey, asks for %, about a dozen
to be located in New York City and its
environs. From Baltimore, in the
Eastern section, II applications have
been filed, requesting among them
new stations in Philadelphia, Balti-
more and Washington. The seventh
or Northwestern district asks for II
new rightsof- way in the ether.
While not asked by the department
to do so, the writer is disposed to urge
potential broadCaSterS to become inter-
ested in existing stations, either buy
ing one outright or arranging for
space on the air occasionally, rather
than waiting in the long line of appli-
CantS in an effort to secure Il new per-
NIT to start operations. 1t is almost
hopeless to get on the air now, except
in certain localities unServed by the
present broadcasterS. and such loca-
tiOnS are hard to find If they exist.