Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-20
CHICAGO TO VOTE
ON RADIO SILENCE
City Stations Would Drop
Night for Distance;
Fans to Decide.

by the Associated Hfess
CHICAGO, March 19.--Air silence.
maintained each Monday night by
Chicago district broadcasters only
through the persistence of radio
listeners, has been threatened anew.
A movement has been started to do
away with the evening that is the
delight of distance fans so that local
broadcasting may be a seven-night
affair.
To decide. a vote of the listeners is
to be taken by broadcasting stations
and newspapers. The ballot will be
used by the mayors radio commits
sion, prime mover in the establish
ment of silent night several years ago,
in determining if there is to be a
change. In "a newspaper poll con-
Quoted year ago listeners voted to
continue silent night
Station Threatened.
The plan for new expression
comes upon the recent withdrawal by
Station KYW of it's decision to re-
main on the air until 1880 on Monday
nights to participate in New York
chain program. The silent hours
open at 7 o'clock. A protest from
another local station, WBBM, in
which it stated it would ask that
kIW be ousted from the Chicago
Broadcasters' Association, preceded
he change in KYW's plans.
Arguments in favor of adjustment
OF the silent hours have been CEN
tered around the improvements made
In receivers and the prospect of a
lessening in the number of local
broadcasters through the new Fed
eral radio law. Also it has been
pointed out that the National Broad
casting Co. is anxious to bring it's
MONDAY night programs into Chicago
with the coming of Summer and
an accompanying lessening in the
range of receivers, those in favor of
broadcasting have expressed the be-
lief that Monday nights will be
radloless for some set owners. On
the other hand, attention was called
to the fact that the Summer of 1926
was much better for distance recep-
ton than the preceding Winter
Issue Much Discussed.
Originating with the mayors radio
commission in the days when only
two wave lengths. $50 and 400 meters,
were used for broadcasting, silent
night has been subjected to a more
Or less animated discussion since.
Through an original "gentlemen's
agreement" all stations within the
city limits of Chicago accepted the
commissions idea of standing by one
night week.
With the spread of broadcasting.
stations began to spring up outside
the city. They came on the air Mon
day nights, contending that the
agreement did not affect them be-
cause of their locality, although thew
were considered by most listeners to
be local" stations.
the number of suburban stations
grew. and fans began to worry.
onder the guidance of the Broad
cast Listeners Association, a '1is-
teners' strike" was started. The
strikers" refused to listen at any
time to stations which broadcast on
Monday nights. CHASING them as "un-
fair." Finally peace came through
the adherence of all Chicago district
stations to the "gentlemens agree
ment."
Hold Usefulness Passed.
Since the strike two years ago. an
occasional effort has been made to
sound out listeners anew, until now
the contention has been advanced that
silent night has outgrown it's useful
ness.
In statement in connection with
the latest activity, Chairman J. M.
Avery of the mayors radio commits.
sion said:
Large broadcasting chains con-
nected with local stations believe that
they have the right to sell time to
their advertising customers and de-
liver advertising over the air in
Chicago on Monday nights. Many
local fans believe that silent night
should be continued.
The commission believes that this
question should be decided by the lis
teners and we ask that every Chicago
listener send in his vote.
II might add that one of the chief
reasons for silent night is the fact
that broadcast station employees feel
that they are entitled to rest one night
a week.
Possibility that the new Federal
Radio Commission may take cogni.
zance of the silent night question was
being discussed. A few cities besides
Chicago observe such periods, and it
was thought that the listeners vote
here would play a large part in the
commissions decision on the matter.