Evening star., 1927-04-04
PLANS STANDARD
BROADCAST SYSTEM
Federal Commission Working
Out Classification of Sta
lions According TO Service.

Members OF the Federal Radio Com.
mission settled downt oday to working
out = standard and practical method
Of sllocating the broadcast frequencies,
a means Of classifying stations ac-
cording TO service rendered the public,
and perhaps 10 eliminate some real
black sheep from the broadcast flock.
Four commissioners have the benefit
radio engineers, experts, manufac-
turers and listeners, who spent four
very fun days in presenting what they
believed the salient points to be con-
Sidered in clearing the broadcast band
of interference. A mass OF testimony
from every angle OF broadcasting and
covering the views of all radio inter
ests was presented and must now he
digested, while applications from broad
casters and the arrival of the chair
man. Admiral Bullard, are awaited.
Doubt Band Will Be Widened.
II is very doubtful IL the broadcast
hand is widened for several reasons.
hut chiefly because it would tend TO
make obsolete many receivers, inter
fere with the amateurs and dedicate
an additional band to broadcasting
which will probably be required later
for some other necessary service. AL
though the recommendation was al
most unanimous that the 1873 broad
cast stations be reduced materially,
It is practically certain that the COM
nlisslonerS will take no drastic steps
hastily. One of them pointed out
that. while the testimony was request
ed and needed by the commission, it
was not considered as instruction, and
that no votes We're taken on any sub
1ect discussed. The commissioners
held the hearing solely to secure a
public expression of recommendation
and suggestions for their guidance.
Therefore, it is believed that the
reallocation OF broadcast frequencies
VIII be made gradually. without a gen.
eral clearing of the chess board" and
the setting up of the pieces anew.
with the receipt of a majority OF
broadcast applications-and they are
beginning TO come in rapidly now--the
commissioners will commence classify
Ing them according TO the desires Of
station owners as to channels.
Time Required for Work in Hand.
Considerable time will have to be
put on these applications to ascertain
what the relative values of the sta
tons are, what service they give, the
geographical localities served, the re-
lation TO the whole system and the
number of stations calling for the
same channel. A few may be thrown
out; many will be shifted to less de-
slrable wave lengths or frequencies
and reduced in power while others
VIII nave TO share time or consolidate
their stations or programs. One thing
is certain, the new ALLEGATIONS will
make for better public service; that
Is for those possessing standard and
modern receivers, but not necessarily
Tor the fans who expect perfect re-
ception on sets FIVE years old.
1t seems probable that the alloca.
tion plan presented by Edgar H. Felix
OF New York, and most favorably re-
ceived by the general conference will
form the basis or ideal scheme to be
reached eventually. This plan pro.
vides adequate service for listeners in
each of IL divisions from 45 stations.
There could be room for II high
power transmitterss in the country:
SO of about 5000 watts power; 81 of
500 watts. and $50 of so watts each,
or, by sharing time. about 100 more
local stations OF so watts. This would
give an ideal total of 437 non-inter-
fering stations, or a maximum of 537.
about the number on the air on July
j. 1926, when the general wave length
and power scramble began.
Special Hearings to Be Given.
Special hearings by ographical
sections or by groups of applicants
desiring TO use the same channels may
have to be held before some phases
Of the problem of reallocation can
he completed. But once a general
tentative assignment of channels is
established the commissioners will
refer the most difficult tasks TO the
specific centers affected. In a CITY
where five independent stations are
now on the air and only one good
channel can be assigned the commits
sion Will probably ask the local in
terests 10 work out their own saliva
tlon by sharing time and the channel
from all five stations. consolidating to
one station, with perhaps their identi.
Tying call letters, or letting the best
station carry on, while the four Others
accept less desirable low channels with
low power.
Another scheme for clearing the de-
Hifable channels, advocated by George
Furniss Of the National Carbon Co.
and indorsed by many. may result in
the establishment of 'purgatory" for
the less desirable stations Rather
than drive many unnecessary and
some useless broadcasters from the
ether, several witnesses suggested his
hnsl resting place. sort of potters'
held Tor obsolescent broadcast sta
tions IN low broadcast wave band.
around 200 TO 2l0 meters, where they
might either live or die, but might
prove their public worth.
Limitations Proposed.
These would not necessarily include
many useful local or low-power sta.
tions, which it was generally believed
caused very little interference Many
present highpowered stations which
interfere on the same or adjacent
channels, even though six or ten hun.
dred miles apart. will not he permitted
10 use in excess of 900 watts. al.
though those over 500 miles apart
or on opposite coasts NAV be hermit
ted a maximum Of 2.00O watts Real
nigh power over five kilowatts will
be reserved for q selected number of
national broadcas sters, it is believed
Tho sociological angle in broadcast
Ing has impressed some OF the com.
missloners, particularly the rights of
individuals to free speech, so that
means viii be sought to leave some
channel or stations open TO all, and
not have the ether and all stations
closed TO certain interests desiring the
right 10 speak.
Roxy and His Gang" Hires Har-
vesters, the A. & p Gypsies and
tabloid version of Leoncavallo's fam.
Gus opera, "Pagiacci" are the out.
standing attractions on the program
OF WRC tonight. The Roxy" pro-
gram will not begin until 7.30 O'Clock,
haif hn1nA. lna