Evening star., 1927-11-05
POLITICAL BATTLE
OVER RADIO LOOMS
Progressive Bloc in Senate
Opens War, Using mike"
to Offer Ideas.

First rumblinCs of political battle
TO be fought with the use of the radio
are now being heard in Washington,
They presage a stormy season, with
members of the Republican Progress
sive bloc in the United States Senate
taking the lead in employing the mi
crophone for political purposes. Back
ing for Western legislation during the
forthcoming session of Congress Will
probably he sought with Vigor through
the medium of broadcast appeals to
the public.
Tentative plans Of this bloc of Sena-
tors. which includes Borah of Idaho.
Hrookhart of Iowa. NNe and Frazier
cf North Dakota and Norris of Ne
hraska. look TO the utilization or STA
tion KTNT. Muscatine, Iowa, Tor car
rVing its speeches to the country.
They have conferred with Norman 7.
Baker. operator of the station, and ap-
near to look favorably on the idea of
having a broadcasting station devoted
10 their interests.
Offers Station to Senators.
Mr.. Baker successful this week in
defending the right TO his present
wave length, challenged by kSCJ,
Sioux City. offered TO turn over his
facilities TO the use Of these senators
il he can obtain higher power Tor
KTNT. The station recently was re
d,cad from 3 500 10 ,. 600 watts by or
der Of the Federal Radio Commission
on charges of deviating from its as
signed wave, 4 cardinal sin in broad
casting. It now has applied for lo,00V
watts on its present frequency OF l,lto
kilocycleS 256.3 meters), power II
once employed.
Other stations now on that wave
length are expected to oppose the plea
for heightened power output because
they fear interference from the Iowa
station. Stations WBBR, WEBB ana
With. all in the New York metro,
roIitan area. have already complained
of heterodvning from KTNT'S signals,
and other stations now operating on
the same wave length are: WASH.
Grand Rapids. Mich: WCSO, Spring
field. Ohio: KFUS. Oakland. Calf, and
KRE. Berkeley, Calf.
Move Against KTNT Failed.
The effort to dislodge KTNT from
its present channel proved a fiasco
when KSCJ failed to present proper |
evidence and had its case summarily |
dismissed bv the commission. 1mme' |
6iatelv thereafter Mr. Baker went be |
fore the Progressive bloc with plan |
whereby they would erect a short |
wave station in Washington which |
would transmit their speeches regu- |
larlv. Since short waves are not heard !
in ordinary sets, the plan is to have |
KTNT pluck the Washington speeches |
out of the ether and rebroadcast them |
on its own wave length. With power |
of 10000 watts KTNT would have a |
listening range that would reach far |
beyond the Corn Belt.
Internal relay broadcasting has not |
haen greatly favored. and it is ques-
tionable whether the commission would /
assign a short wave to new station |
in Washington in view of its policy not |
TO license any more stations. The
Baker plan could be worked out by /
remote control from Muscatine to |
Washington via telephona line. This, |
however, would be exceedingly ex-
pensive.
At the recent KTNT hearing Sena
tors Brookhart and Nye were present |
with Senator McMaster of South Da-
kota. Mr.. Baker charged political OPP |
preston, and Senator Brookhart was |
there to support him. Later the Pro |
Eressive bloc gave out the news of It's |
intention to use KTNT during the |
next session of Congress and probably |
through the next presidential cam
paign. Financial support is expected
from farm groups and others interest
ed in the Progressive movement, they
said.
A radio version Of Victor Herbert's
"The Wizard of the Nile" starring |
Frank Daniels, who created the part
about 90 years ago. will he presented
as the Philco Hour tonight over WRC
and its associates in the National
Broadcasting Co. This hour, and the
Kit Hour Of Music. are listed among
the principal musical attractions. The
latter. broadcas ST heretofore on Thurs
dav nights, will introduce tonight two
popular Washington soloisfs, Hazel
Arth, contralto, and Henry Smidt-
Gregor. pianist.
A talk by Senator Watson of In
diana on Laws and Loud-spealiers
will bs one Of WRC's late attractions.
The teR will be broadcast during an
interrn!s 5i,,r in the dance program of |
the st. tfs.k's Orchestra. The weekly |
Bible talk and a dinner concert by the |
Mayfower Orchestra, are among |
wRC's other features.
Vocal and intrumental music pre-
dominates tonight on the program of !
W NAL. Inefs VIII re tStioi DoiJo I
solos by Sophocles P. Pspas, vocal .
solos hv Harvey T. Townsend, tenor. |
and Ethel NJ. White. contralto, in
addition to selections by the Imperial |
Male Quartet.
Among the other attractions are the
weekly "at home" program. dance
music and a talk by Lieut.. Col. Ed |
rnund Bulls on "Outposts OF the
Orient"
The Ku Klux Khan Kavalier Band
of Fairfax County. Va, and the
Daniel Breeskiu Trio will provide the
rrircinal musical attractions tonight
- WIFE. The station also has sched- |
u cd selections by the Fellowship
Forum Quartet and duet numbers by
its members.
The excellent radio reception con-
dtjons of the last several days CON
,inued To remain last night and dialing
for the distant stations was produc-
tive and satisfactory pastime. The
signals of most of the stations that
were tunable, particularly those in the
South. responded with tremendous
volume, and there was just enough
static in the atmosphere TO add zest
10 dialing.
.