Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-08
NEW RADIO GROUP
FACES MUCH WORK
All Stations Will Be Forced to
Get New Licenses from
Commission.

Of the oon-to-be-appointed Nationa
Radio Commission of five may be
gained when it is realized that every
one of over 700 existing broadcastlne
stations, as we'll as all commercial
amateur and special transmitting sta
tions, will have to apply for new
licenses as soon as the new radio bill
becomes n law.
The chief trouble will be with broad
casting stations, and what percentage
of the present stations will be licensed
depends upon the policy of the com
mission and the ability of the appli-
cantS to show why in the interests OF
the public they should be relicensed
In contested centerS it appears doubt
full if more than half or third of the
old stations Will be permitted to re-
main on the air: consultations may
be made, but it may not be held
practical or beneficial to permit more
than 10 or perhaps Is stations to
operate within so or 90 miles of a
given point. This, Of course, means
that the established stations will have
10 show the commission their value
10 the community and the country.
The Oldest and most popular stations
able to show reliable service, good
transmission and high-class programs
will be the first relicensed. Those
interests whose STATIONS dI0 IOL
licensed will have to buy time on the
air from a local recognized station,
seek a combination with one which
does qualify. move their transmitters
to less congested localities or just drop
out entirely.
Besides the present active stations,
l65 stations are reported as being
built and 32S more are contemplated.
Applications from these 493 proSpec-
tive broadcasters also may have to be
considered by the commissioners des
ignated to bring broadcasting out Of
chaos and into a state Of cosmos
again. Some of the new applicants,
who have never been on the air, may
be granted licenses, while many of the
old-timers may be denied the priv
ilege. The reasons may be that new
communities will thus be served.
hitherto unavailable talent guaranteed
the listeners or that represented
organizations and interests warrant
recognition and the right to broad
cast.
At any rate. a general Shake-up in
the established order, or lack of order,
during the past seven months may be
anticipated. The entrance of all who
choose to broadcast on self-selected
channels with unlimited power will
cease Immediately and the systematic
licensing of limited number Of sta
tons on carefully allocated non-lnter-
fering channels will begin. Fans and
all interests viii benefit thereby.
The past seven months has been a
hectic period in broadcasting, in that
FOG new stations were licensed, LOG
shifted their channels. 169 increased
their power and ~ are planning to do
50.
Tho 0raotnc% n of;vitU 1xyo c Shoup ~,
the ninth, or Chicago district, where
so new stations went on the air, as
many more are being erected and 81
are proposed. Twenty stations in this
section shifted their channels and Sc
increased power, all of which goes to
show that the greatest point of unrest
lies in the broadcast district center
around Chicago.
The other Great Lakes district with
headquarters at Detroit, also was very
active during this period; 35 new sta
lions were licensed, IS are being built,
104 more are contemplated, while "a
Increased power and eight changed
their channels.
Considerable agitation of the ether
waves in the seventh district and
around Seattle also was noted; %
newcomers We're licensed, Is more
were under construction and % were
reported as contemplating filing ap-
plications to broadcast.
Other disturbances were reported in
the sixth, or San Francisco district,
in which 10 new stations opened, IS
were reported being erected and SO
as contemplated, besides II which
changed their wave lengths. New
Orleans reports 16 licensed, 20 being
built and 81 as having indefinite plans.
The only other activities of Importance
were announced as in New York sec
ton, where % stations were licensed,
five are under construction and 80
are ambitious to broadcast.
The major portion of WRC's pro-
gram tonight will come from New
York through WEAF. The New York
attractions include the Eveready
Hour, the jolly Buckeye Bakers, the
seventeenth of the series of auction
bridge games and dance program by
Jenssen's Hofbrau Orchestra.
Chief among the features of local
origin on WRC's bill are the weekly
entertainment of the Star Radio
Twins, another operalogue by Stanley
Olmstead and dinner music by the
Raleigh Orchestra.
The Jolly Bakers have arranged a
program of old favorites, which in
ciude Loves Old, Sweet Song" Ken
lucky Babe" and How Can / Leave
Thee"
Phil HAYDEN and Les" Colvin. the
popular radio entertainers, are again
billed among the features on the pro-
gram of WMAL. Their program will
be made up entirely of request num-
bers.
Other attractions listed by WMAL
include a concert by the Army Band
and the weekly Radio Movie Club,
which will bring before the micro
phone Wendell Hall. "the red-headed
music maker" and pioneer radio
minstrel, and the Lido Club Orchestra.
A mixture of static, fading and
heterodyne whistling tended to mar
the reception of distant stations last
night. Some fans are inclined to
blame this condition on the new moon,
which is just about TO round into its
first quarter. Whatever the cause,
fair results could be obtained by care
full and patient tuning as the signal
strength Of the high-p0wered stations
overcame much of the interference.
The atmOSphcricS seemed to be more
pronounced on the signals from the
Middle West. And for the benefit of
those who believe that the rays Of the
moon have some effect on the carrier
waves we will also record that the
orb was glowing brightly in the west
ern sky.
Static was most severe with the
transmissions of WOS, jefferson City;
KNOX. st. Louis; WSAI, Cincinnati,
and WIKI, Cleveland. WSMB, New
Orleans, also was slightly affected by
this disturbance But the signals Of
stations to the north, among them
WEMC, Berrien Springs, Mich.
CNRO. Ottawa. and WWJ, Detroit,
came through unbIemished.