Evening star., 1927-05-15
BY WALTER r. McCALLUM.

Locked behind closed doors. seeing
no visitors but employees of the COM
mission itself, the Federal Radio COM
mission has rolled up it's sleeves, un-
limbered the artillery Of its authority,
and plunged deep into the major part
Of its program-the fitting together
of a picture puzzle OF radio broad
casters that will meet alike the needs
OF the radio industry and the ex-
pressed will of the static millions 1t is
serving and must in the first instance
serve. Within the week a picture Of
the broadcasting map of the future
will be laid before the eyes of the
American radio public--a finished
product, virtually, and one that the
commission believes will stand the test
of the counts and the more important
test of time.
All the preliminary work of the
commission. which began early in
March. has led up to the present
moment. All the details of issuing
temporary licenses, taking testimony
at a radio conference, acting on sta
ton applications, wading through
many thousands of letters, sugges-
tions, wild eyed and practical ideas,
have come down to the crucial test
whose result will be laid before the
Nation this week. Out of the tumble,
we are assured, will come not more
than 375 transmitters, operating
through probably 500 more stations
whose call letters will be the same
as those which have been on the air
in the past The old mess OF some
thing more than 730 separate trans
mitters, jumbling up the air output
with a heterogeneity OF programs, Will
be no more in a fortnight. And the
real task Of the commission Will be
we'll under way. After the job or
national re-allocation is completed,
the commission can sit back and wait
for the kicks to come In.
Drastic Cuts Planned.
For it is no Utopia these five serious
minded gentlemen promise. Some one
has to suffer. In this case it will be
several hundred some ones, for drastic
cuts in the number Of stations trans
mitting simultaneously are promised,
and even more drastic cuts in power
output are predicted. No more is the
big sc, 900 waiter going to blanket the
little 500-watter operating at his door
step. The big fellow, so to speak, Is
going to take one on the nose from
the little David-all in the name OF
democracy and free and equal rights.
Autocracy, some may call it, and will
call it in court, for the commission
does not believe the big fellows and
some of the little chaps are going to
sit back supinely and see what
they believe to be their vested rights
taken away from them without a
struggle.
There will be something in the
neiehborhood Of $50 stations eligible
10 take the air" after the commits
sion announces its national ALLEGATION
Job completed, but they cannot all be
on the air at the same time. That
in effect and in fact, Is the nub OF the
proposition as the commission sees 1t.
Seven hundred broadcasters can't be
on the air at the same time, whether
some have big power and others have
little power. 1t simply can't be done
on 80 wave lengths, even though the
United States Is a big country and
the waves OF some of the little fellows
don't travel much more than 30O or
400 miles.
So the commission has told the
Notwithstanding and little. old and
young--to get together in the pubic
interest and in their own interest
They've gotten a little bit hard-boileo
in the last six weeks--these members
of the Federal Radio Commission
| who have gathered in Washington
without salary and without money tf
pay Office administration, to take over
| q big Job and a thankless one. They've
listened to so many compfalnts--~se
many Whines and so many threats