Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-31
ETHER TO Be KEPT
/ FREE FROM CASTE
Will Be as Open to One Class
as AnOther-PIea of Spe-
CiaI Groups Fail.

There will be no class distinction in
The ether if the desires of the Depart
llent Of Commerce officials who super
wise radio are considered in the enact
ment of regulatory legislation. Inc
ether is free to everybody and all
interests should have equal rights In
utilizing it for the transmission OF
radio signals, according to the present
radio administration.
Therefore. although representatives
of some agricultural and educatloHal
interests have appealed for special con-
Sideration to the congressional COM
mittee, now drawing up amendments
10 the White radio bill. it Is not be-
Iieved any specific channels Will be re-
served for broadcasting the agricul-
ruralists, or, assigned to educational,
religious or other interests
Entertainment First.
The channels available for broad
casting are assigned to stations which
broadcast whatever and for whom
they choose, but usually the matter
transmitted is diversified, covering a
very large field. Entertainment comes
first in the demands of the pubic,
most authorities believe, general in
struction is next and special agricul-
tural information follows. This Is. OF
course, a general classification, IN
mentioned, for example. religion al
though it might be Classed with in
formation. Considered by itself, how
ever, religious matter Is beleved 10
stand fourth on the schedules OF most
broadca sting stations, although II Is
neglected by some. On the other hanu,
there are many church stations and
some which specialize on religious
topics, music and correlated church
work at least on sundays.
The Department of Commerce
cschews anything which might ap-
proach censorship of subjects handled
ar the time devoted to any class OF
the broadcaStS.
The officials hold that all listeners
are entitled to receive everything that
is broadcast: that the farmer should
have available just as good selections
rs the denizens of the metropolis. TINS
is raCtically the situation, depending
necessarily upon whether or not the
sets used by the rural listeners are
good for distance and as SelectlFe as
those of the urban fan.
City Fan Has Handicap.
OF course, the metropolitan listener
can pick up more stations than the
farmer, although he uses less pre-
1entiouS and expensive set, but on the
other hand, the city fan suffers under
The handicapS of local interference to
q far greater extent. 1t would seem
that with "A fairly good set the farmer
has the advantage over his urban
contemporary, which is another rea-
son why the rural interests do not
iced exclusive channels for bringing
them the special information they
desire The general increase of power
l,v broadcaSterS is also benefitlng the
out-of-town listener.
Besides the many churches now on
the air, a large number of independent
stations cooperate with religious in
stitutions on Sundays, broadcaSting
services and music Religious interests
which do not own transmitters might
be aided materially, if 1t il found
necessary, by assigning them wave
lengths not used by other stations on
Sundays or through additional CO.
operation between local stations and
churches. This class of broadcastinS
does not seem to require special con-
sideration any more than the farming
interests. Neither do educational in
situations, since many are now operat-
ing their own radio stations. while
most independent or general stations
are glad to include educational talks,
discussions or actual instruction in
their programs, as a contrast to the
entertainment features, if for no bet
ter reason.
These are some of the rea sons why
special class considerations do not
seem desirable in the ether any more
than on the ground, and it is not be-
lieved the pending radio legislation
will make specific wave ALLEGATIONS
to any interests, although they will
deny the right to broadcast and listen
10 none.