Evening star., 1927-05-18
STATIONS MOVING
OUTSIDE Of CITIES
Policy of Commission Puts
Premium on Removal to
Open Areas.

BY its policy of holding down power
in congested portions of cities, the
Federal Radio Commission places a
premium on the removal of broad
casting stations TO the sparsely. settled
fringes Of communities or outside Of
citirz altogether. The commission is
avowedly encouraging the locating OF
transmitters in suburban or more re
mote sections, and many broadcasters
are finding it to their own advantage
to do so.
The hegira of radio stations will
never perhaps assume great proper
tions, but it is already perceptible in
New York, Chicago and centers of
population farther West. Plans Of
New York stations indicate that within
q short time there will be no more
than two transmitting stations on all
of Manhattan Island. Station WEAF',
for example, is constructing new
transmitter at Bellmore. out on Long
Island, while maintaining its studio
in New York, as does WIZ, whose
transmitter is over at Bound Brook,
Il. J.
While il entails great expense. both
the broadcaster and listener gain by
removals of stations, especially the
gains in that the field signal strength
of his transmitter is not absorbed by
adjacent steel structures, an absOrp-
ton which in large cities is calcu.
lated to amount to so per cent Of the
power input. The nearby listener
gains by being able to obtain clearer
reception of the stations program and
by finding his receiving set at the
same time capable of being tuned in
on other waves.
Thus one finds the leading stations.
or more particularly the higher pow
cred ones, located as far out of the
absorption range of tall buildings as
possible, though 1t has been difficult
to convince them they ought also TO
move out of residential sections where
frame and brick structures predomi-
nate. The highest powered station in
the country, WGY, is situated in
remote part of Schenectady. 1t uses
Sc kilowatts. or $4,000 watts. Station
KDKA, using so kilowatts, is located
in East Pittsburgh, or outside the city
proper.
1t is this kind of movement among
the broadcasters that is receiving the
whole e-hearted encouragement of the
commission. In fact, the higher pow
ers are not being doled out except to
such stations. Where stations are sit
uated in the heart of city they
have smaller chance of obtaining au-
thority to heighten their output, al
though the commission has made
known its intention of measuring
power in terms of input rather than
output. Just the same, most of the
power changes in the forthcoming H.
cenSe issues will represent reductions,
in some cases quite drastic.
David Lawrence, author and news.
paper editor. will start new series
OF talks on Our Government" tonight
through WRC and other stations of
the "red" network of the National
Broadcasting Co The talks will be
given every Wednesday night and
will be somewhat different from those
which were broadcast on Saturday
nights in that Mr.. Lawrence plans to
devote his discussions to a specific
topic in illustration of governmental
activity.
Chief among WRC's musical attrac-
tions will be concerts by the Ipana
Troubadours, the Hi-lo Hawaiians, and
q tabloid version of the Bohemian
Girl" by the National Light Opera Co.
Other features include the entertain
fnent Of the Perfect Diamond Enter.
tainers." Moments Musicale" and a
dance program by Eddie Elkins and
his orchestra
The ether shook itself free Of static
and other signal barriers last night
and permitted DIX dialers to roam at
will over the wavelengths. Incoming
signals, in most cases. were clear and
strong, especially those from the North
and Midwest.
The Midwest stations seemed to
dominate the wave channels. WLW,
Cincinnati and WTAM, Cleveland,
could not be avoided. The Southern
stations, however, were not quite as
responsive as they have been in the
past week, ana their signals were in.
clined to be weak in comparison with
those from other sections.