Evening star., 1927-06-03
RADIO commission
SEES COURT TESTS
EntangIements Over Changes
in Air Expected to End
in Appeals.

tanglements with the broadcasters
members of the Federal Radio Com
mission frankly assert that it will be
surprising circumstance if they
emerge from their first year OF func
tioning without a contest in the
courts.
While conducting its public hear
ings for dissatisfied stations, the com
mission is being besieged with advice
of all sorts On the one hand
clamors for further postponement of
the June l ALLEGATIONS, already de-
ferred to June Is, are heard. On the
other, many stations satisfied with
their assignments are irked at the
stay that has been ordered. claiming
that they had arranged contracts and
scheduled programs with the new con-
ditions of operation in view.
Some hackers of the commissions
original plan say it revealed weakness
in deferring the June l plan. which
at worst was to be a test scheme
probably only temporarily effective
under the 6O-day licenses. Yet the
commission palpably is making good
use of the intervening days between
now and June IS by conducting the
| hearings.
No little amount of acrimony has
| developed at the hearings. The re.
| port is heard here that Station
| WDWM of Newark, like Station
WJAZ, Chicago. has been prepared
to go to court if it does not get what
| it wants, namely, better frequency.
| The commission has just heard the
case Of WDWM for a shift to 1910
kilocycles (2S0.2 meters) in lieu of its
assignment of 1870 (236.1 meters,
| and has it under advisement along
with the cases Of WJAZ. which wants
a channel anywhere between 800 and
425 meters, and VIGIL, New York.
which now wants to change to 72O
kilocycles 416.4 meters).
The latest station to seek hearing
is WFIW, Hopkinsville. Ky. which
was a Canadian wave usurper during
the period of broken down control,
and which now wants to stay on its
present temporary fire quency of $50
kilocycles (361.2 meters) instead Of
shifting June Is to 1920 (245.S
meters). It's case will be heard June
3, when stations on $50 must defend
themselves: these. namely, are WCSH,
Portland. Me-, 500 watts; WSAI, Gin
cinnati, 5000; WDAY, Fargo, n. Oak,
$50 watts, and KFWB, Los Angeles,
500 watts.
The former two probably will ap-
pear to defend their retention of their
assignment: the latter stations are too
far away to be materially affected. 1t
is this procedure of the commission
the defense by satisfied broadcasters
of assignments against any and all
comers-that is causing considerable
irritation.
Supplementary changes in the
radio log effective June Is were an
nounced by the commission today as
follows:
WNRC, Greensboro, n. c. Power
increased from $50 to 500 watts.
WABI, Bangor. Me-. will not divide
time with WGBX. Orono. Me-, which
is deleted from list.
WSSH. Boston, will not divide time
with WASH, Allentown, Pa.
The Goldman Band will close it's
present series of concerts, under the
sponsorship of the Cities Service Co.,
tonight with a special program, which
WRC will broadcast in conjunction
with other stations of the "red" net
work of the National Broadcasting
Co. An attractive Summer feature.
it is announced. will replace the band
concerts.
Edwin Franko Goldman, director of
the band, in arranging the final pro-
gram of the series, has acceded to the
requests of the radio audience and
has included the overture "Mignon"
and excerpts from "Lohengrin."
Chief among WRC's attractions Of
local origin are the weekly concerts
Of the Lord Calvert Orchestra and the
W., b. & A. Quartet. From New York
the station will draw the program
of ''The Dreamers" and the feature
known as "Stardom OF Broadway"
A little excursion over the wave
lengths last night was productive Of
fair results. While static rumbled
and in most instances signals were
able to penetrate the disturbance.
Signals were obtainable from all
directions. Those from the South,
however, seemed to have better vol.
ume. Among the stations heard were
WWNC, Asheville, n. c.; WRVA,
Richmond, Va: WITH, Clearwater.
Fla; WIP. Philadelphia; WOR, New.
ark; WMCA, New York, and KYW,
Chicago.
The Federal Trade Commission an.
nounces that with two new licenses is.
sued today the total Of broadcast trans
mitters on the air is now 691, although
there are more calls. Several stations
are operating with two calls-for ex.
ample, WJR and WICK, at Pontiac,
Mich; WDWF and WLSI, Cranston,
K. l., and WQAO and WPAP, at Cliff
side, N. j. A count Of the stations on
the lists by a fan might therefore
prove confusing.
Ihe TWO new stations issued 60-day
licenses, effective June Is, are KFVN,
owned by Charles Bagley of Fairmont,
Minn., to operate with 100 watts on
1,310 kilocycles or 228.9 meters, and
WNBT. the Elgin Watch Co. of Elgin,
Ill. This is really special station
and not a broadcaster, since it relays
time signals to other broadcast sta
tions on the 8,950-kilocycle or 33.5-
meter channel. 1t is rated at 500
watts.
Station WTAG. the Worcester
(Mass.) Telegram, has been authorized
to try out the 580.kiloeycle, 1853
Memphis. and WCAE, Pittsburgh,
both 5OO-watt stations. WTAG's reg.
ular assignment is 1,O40 kilocycles or
288 meters, a channel also used by
two Chicago and two Philadelphia sta
tions. This experiment is interesting,
but it is questionable whether this
station will encounter less interfer-
ence on the 580-kilocycle frequency
than it found on that OF 1,040. Pitts
burgh and Chicago also operate fairly
high powered stations, and listeners
between these cities and Worcester
may get heterodyne whistles.
Admits Cecret Marriage.