Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-18
FUTURE Of RADIO
UP TO STATIONS
Their Running Wild Now
], Would Break Up Well Es-
tabIished Service.
BY CARL H. BUTMAN.

Whether the great broadcasting
service of this country goes to pieces,
CARRYING with it a large section of the
radio manufacturing industry, or con-
tinues to operate in public interest,
now rests solely with the broadcast
station owners and those who propose
entering this field.
1t is a critical situation, to be sure,
Z but not one which should lead to
chaos in the ether due to unregulated
broadcasting. with its attendant maxi
mum interference. Fans need not
scrap their sets yet, because, after all,
the very fact that the ether is now
literally free probably will bring
about some semblance of the order
which existed until recently under the
a almost perfect, voluntary cooperation
extended Secretary Hoover by the
broadcasting stations. The most popu-
lar stations will carry on in their
present channels. Existing broadcast
stations have discovered their value
to the public and in many instances,
that it pays to broadcast.
Hoover Held Powerless.
According to the recent opinion of
Acting Attorney General Donovan,
Secretary Hoover has no authority
over radio broadcasting except to is
sue licenses, which he must do to all
applicants, for an indeterminate pc
Rod, permitting them to choose their
own radio channels, time of opera.
ton and power.
Owners of stations which have es-
tablished themselves, with large cli-
entele of listeners, will be the last to
change their channels in the ether,
since the fans know them by the dial
readings on their sets, It would be
foolish to change their routes through
the ether. miss the old patronage and
make call books useless. Some of
the smaller or disconnected stations,
with nothing to lose, may try out
some new wave lengths before they
settle down. A number of those six
hundred odd applicants, who have the
money to buy transmitting equip
ment. may, start broadcasting and
feel around among the channels be-
tween 200 and 545 meters for some
wave length not already jammed
They will not go below or above these
limits, for then they would be out of
reach of the present broadcast receiv-
ing sets. A number of present broad
casters. no doubt will increase their
power Immediately. but this, it is
pointed out, will cause no harm this
Summer, and new laws may be more
effective soon after Congress reas-
sembles.
1t is believed that not many new
stations will go on the air, trusting
. to securing q wave length and enough
listeners to warrant the great ex-
pense. 1t is rumored that the radio
industry, which controls the trans
uniting sets, might protect itself by
denying prospective broadcasters. suit
able apparatus and equipment. fear.
ing further jamming of the ether
channels which so many stations
owned directly or Indirectly by the
radio interests are using New sta
tons would have difficulty establish.
Ing themselves on wave channels now
in use-and all SO channels in the
! broadcast band now are used by two
or more stations. Newcomers would
cause interference to existing sta
tions, making themselves disagree
able to the fans, who would show lit
tie sympathy for unknown entertain
ers which began tanning their ia.
vorite stations.
Counting on Fair Play"
Following the success of a couple of
outlaw stations which seized one of
the six channels used by Canadian
broadcasters, some few American sta
tons may usurp Canadian wave
lengths, but this. Secretary Hoover
hopes, the sense of fair play" viii
prevent.
At present the situation may look
hopeless, as apparently Secretary
Hoover is left absolutely fiat through
lack of legislation. the legal interpre-
tations of two courts of law and the
Department of Justice. It remains
to be seen what the broadcasters
themselves will do. and 1t is safe to
say they will not run wild, for selfish.
If for no other reasons For almost
flve years they have agreed voIun
tarily and almost unanimously,
through the national radio confer
ences, to abide by the resolutions of
these representative sessions and sub
init to regulation by the Secretary of
Commerce. The situation is the same
as 1t would be in a city where the au-
thority of the public utility commits.
sion suddenly was nuInfied, uncondi.
tional franchises might be secured by
all applicants, without regard to,
routes, type of carriers or any limita-
ton to operation. The result would
not furnish very satisfactory public
service. Auto buses, taxicabs. street
cars and steam engines probably
would crowd the chief public high
way until it was impossible.
Like Great Party Line.
Another comparison of what may
occur, If indiscriminate broadcasting
{ is undertaken. is to imagine our teIe.
phone systems confined to party lines
only, with the assumption that each
subscriber would demand a right to
talk all the time.
These situations, Of course most pes
slnltstic, would result only in com.
nleta brnakfnf doyx-u re %I,a vn,,,1o
tons accepted and followed for near.
~ four years.
Two things will happen-either the
broadcast industry will maintain
something like an operating system
this Summer or Secretary Hoover will
call another conference to devise some
means of keeping the ether traffic In
motion to serve the listening public.
In any event, 1t is felt certain that
early in the next session Congress will
take up the radio legislation, left in
the hands of the Senate and I9ni,Sn