Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-20
new license HAS
WAvE-LENGTH CURB
Single Clause in Reprinted
Broadcasting Permit May
Avert Chaos.

Tucked away in the newly reprinted
forms by means OF which the United
States Government IL 0fflcially hcens-
ing broadcasting station is a brief
clause of two lines that IL expected to
prevent at least some of the chaos
that has been predicted since the De-
partment of Justice held the ether to
be free to all who desired to broad
cast through it,
The clause is a. gentle reminder to
the license holder that 1.-The employer
of the station shall not willfully or
naliciously interfere with any radio
communication from another station"
A search into the radio law OF 1917
reveals further the fact that any such
"willful or malicious interference" is
to be construed as a misdemeanor and
punished by a fine of not more than
$500, Imprisonment for not more than
q year, or both.
Thus, it was explained today, not
all of the power thought to be vested
in the Department Of Commerce has
been done away with. On the other
hand 1t was suggested that to prove
"willful or malicious" interference
might be exceedingly difnculf. To
date. no test case to determine the
extent of the authority has been
brought into court.
Basis Of Stations Hope.
1t is through the means of this
clause in the new license forms, how
ever, that the station owners now on
the air are expected to fight for some
vested" rights In the broadcast wave
lengths on which they have been
operating for a year or more.
In the event that q station now
operating on low wave length
should decide to change to a higher
frequency, and one that is already In
use at a nearby station, there Is the
added point of dispute as to which OF
the stations is the interfering enc.
Priority in the use Of a wave length
in such cases might be expected to
settle the issue.
To date all of the changes In wave
lengths that have been effected az
result of the Justice Departments
ruling have been judicious ones. ana
changes at least until Winter are
not expected to cause any undue
amount of interference. Notice has
BEEN given, however, by one station
WGBS. New York-that prompt court
action will be taken in the event that
any station assumes the right. to
broadcast on the wave length which
1t has been authorized to use.
Further Suits Indefinite.
Whether the Department of Com
merce would again ask the Depart
ment of Justice to bring suit against
a station that, through jumping its
wave length, provokes interference
with the programs of another station
remains to be seen.
Also, comment was refused on the
hypothetical case in which a station
announces to the department that 1t
plans to broadcast on the wave
length already used by station only
a few miles distant. Under the rul-
ing Of 10 days ago, the Department
is required to issue licenses for oper-
alton on whatever wave length Is
desired.
Aside from the clause cautioning
stations against interference, the new
license forms are brief, matter of fact
docuenents of g. single page, and con-
tain the bare facts pointing out the
call letters, owner, wave length and
other data, with the notice that In the
event of war or a national emergency
the President may assume the priv
ilege Of diaposing OF all radio stations.
as he sees ft.