Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-23
EXPANDING WAVE
I LENGTHS OPPOSED
Editor in Protest Against
Broadcasting Below
200 Meters.

stations was voiced last week nN
Willis X. Wing, editor Of popular
radio magazine. In specially pre-
pared article. Mr.. Wing declared that
the proponents of the plan do not
have the real development of radio
lat heart
"Considerabl attention has been
directed recently" he said, Ito pro
posal coming from several different
sources, that the band Of frequencles
allowed to broadcasting he wldened.
There are a great number ut appil-
cants for broadca sting licenses and
what could he a simpler solution 10
what is admittedly a very difficult
situation, than to provide more wave
channels.
IF we open up the wave lengths
below 200 meters. more stations can
accommodated. Short waves, il is said
by those who favor this scheme
should make their contribution to
broadcasting since such remarkable
feats have been credited to this means
of transmission. 1t is contended that
the short wave bands are not extern
sively used now and that hr0adCasting
would benefit by the entry of many
programs on bands below 200 meters.
DIX fans could always find pro-
gram on short waves. II is claimed.
and this fact would bring back many
TO the radio fold who have been dis
appointed in DIX fishing on the
present broadcast bands.
Charges Lack of Interest.
ITO put 1t boldly. those who pro
pose widening the broadcast band do
not have the real development of radio
al heart. The last radio conference
the Fourth Annual Conference. called
by Secretary Hoover-reviewed the
whole subjecs and, in addition to max
ing recomme Adations which have sub
seuuently beSa approved by the De
partment Of Commerce, went dis
tinctly on record as opposing any
extension of the boadcast band below
200 meters. The reason for this was
a sound one. There are many SER
vices which radio performs besides
that of broadcasting. In order for
these various services TO develop
properly some assignments had to be
made for each type of service to avoid
disorder.
1.-THE bands below 200 meters have
been assigned to amateur communica-
ton, point-to-point commercial serv-
ice, rebroadcasting work. airplane
communication, and military and naval
work. The amateurs have their
allotted sections of these bands on
which they stay and offer no inter-
ference to any other radio work.
Experiments with long -distance short
wave broadcaSting take place on the
30 and so meter bands, commercial
long-diStance short wave communica-
ton is found on IL and % meters and
on several other waves, naval ships
and Army posts are found below 200
meters. All these services are of
great Importance and they cannot
ha G1g H@ll Il
For broadcasting to go below 200
meters would mean that the amateurs
would have a slice cut from their
assignment and they would either be
moved farther down in the scale. dis
placing all other assignments from
that point on, or they would simply
be removed from this band altogether.
Would Mean Great Loss.
II stations were to start broad
casting below 200 meters every stand.
ard radio receiver would at once he
come obsolete. with a tremendous loss
10 millions of set owners. And no
good purpose would be served. The
broadcast listener is the princinal
sunerer If the band is extended. To
MIN 1t means that his present re-
celver Will no longer give him the
entire range of programs. To accom-
greater range, receiving
sets must be equipped with tanned
inductances and switches maxim
them so complicated and fnef1icien1
tnat only technically inclined would
enjoy their use.
II american stations of anv ar.
count begin broadcasting on the
shorter waves, the broadcast listener
VIII nave ample reason to compla-n
GItner ne must deny himself the pleas
ure or listening to them or substitute
.1r ms receiver one Of annoying COM
gieAItS' recently magazine made
survey OF its readers in every mart IF
the United States and Canada This
survey showed that the listeners were
uhaiteraoly opposed to more broad
casting stations. Why should we in
VIE hundreds more in by oneninp
new ether routes? i''iis
by Tar the greater number of cor.
respondents indicated in no uncertain
terms that they favored a slashing chi
IN the present number of stations
we could get along with half the
nunloer OF stations now broadcasting
programs, wrote many readers of the
puollcaton. Others added: If the
new oroadcasters only knew that no.
oooy listens to their offerings, thew
might not be so keen to spend their
money. we listen to the long.estah.
hshed stations, who know how IN
broadcast.
FavOrs Limitations.
There are more important reasons
Tor conserving the higher freuuencies
Inese bands are best adapted for
point-to.point communication because
little power carries here for greater
distances. The higher freouencies
alone are adapted to beam transmits.
sion and high speed automatic com
municauon. The transmission of pho.
tographs and motion pictures. the
coming Of which is as certain as com.
mercial aviation, will be seriously han.
oicapped If the numerous Podunk ra-
olo companies of Four Corners seek
ing wave lengths have their wav.
When one examines the list of appii.
cants desiring TO broadcast and real.
azes the remoteness of any chance that
they VIII contribute to the good of
cfoadcastlns, one hopes a way will be
round to disregard their clamorings
utterly
incidentally, there are technical
dlf1culties found in broadcasting on
the shorter wave lengths which
should be overcome before we venture
to use them practically. Broadcasters
on new channels become pioneers in
that field, and it is questionable il
many expert and skilled engineers or
operators would undertake this prac
tice, particularly when the audience
= IS so limited, if one exists at all below
200 meters Although many inexperi
enced newcomers might rush in or
new lower channels. the relief would
be but temporary. If the band proved
popular, it would soon be as crowded
as are the present channels.
Conserving the bands available foi
radio transmission is a problem calline
for the same foresight as the con