Evening star., 1927-05-14
RADIO CALL NAMES
HELD UNNECESSARY
Commission Disapproves of
Suggestion to- Replace
Station Letters.


by Federal radio officials at the sug-
gestion that comes from the eXecu-
tive secretary of the National Asso-
citation of BroadcasterS, l.. S. Baker,
that radio call letters be abolished ana
suppIanted by distinct station names.
The belief that such change is un-
necessary was generally expressed.
Mr.. Baker is polling the opinion of
stations throughout the country, in
Guiding the 200 to 80 stations
which belong to his own organi-
cation. His thought is that by naming
stations instead of labelling them
with call letters, which are often
confused, broadcasting vii be "hu-
manized" more and stations brought
I'm closer relation with their audiences.
At the Radio Division Of the Depart
ment of Commerce, which under the
law designates call letters, Supervisor
William ID. Terrell said that this mode
of identifying stations was originally
Instituted by the London International
Radio-Telegrap Conference, to
which he was a delegate in 1912. Its
service regulations provided that call
letters be formed of a group of three
letters, distinguished from each other.
Each country was assigned letters
which might be used as the first letter
of the group, the United States get
ting \. X and w.
Call letters assigned in the United
States are all three and four letter
combinations beginning with these
letters. All combinations beginning
with Y are reserved for Government
stations. while the combinations from
VIVA to WV and VIVA to WIZ are
reserved for the Army.
This system was inevitably followed
when program hroadcasting spranS
up, and is the official way by which
the Department of Commerce stiii
Identifies and catalogues stations for
the Federal Radio Commission. Doubt
has arisen in the minds of some mem
bers of that body whether the com
mission has power to do away with
call letters. A section of the radio act
of 1927 specifically provides that call
letters shall be designated and pub
lshed, although it does not stipulate
what they shall be.
There is a feeling that an amend
ment to the radio law would be re-
ouired to bring about a change such
as Mr.. Baker suggests. The change
is regarded as unnecessary at this
time, particularly inasmuch as most
stations not only announce their call
letters but invariably make their iden-
titles completely known by mention
ing their proper names in all an
nouncements.
The new alignment of stations un-
der the short-term license plan. the
Federal Radio Commission announced
today, is expected to become effective
June j. Changes in conditions of
operation of each station under the |
60-day licenses to be issued will be
made known to the broadcasters at
h0fnYa thew must he |
made. No further statement regard |
ing the plan was made, except that 1t |
involves radical power reductions In |
many cases.
The outstanding feature of WRC's |
program tonight viii be the twentieth |
concert Of the Interstate Male Chorus, |
assisted by prominent Washington |
soloists, which will be broadcast from |
Pierce Hall of the All Souls Unitarian |
Church. The program in its entirety |
will be made up of the compositions |
of Sir Arthur Sullivan.
The soloists include Helen Howison, |
soprano; Charlotte Hartman. con- |
traIto: Ross Farrar, tenor, and Charles |
r. Tittman, bass. The accompanies |
will be Robert l.. Feurestein. pianist. |
and Thomas Moss. organist. Clyde |
Aitchison will direct the concert, a |
half an hour of which will be sent to |
New York and broadcast by WEAF.
Another WRC feature is prince |
ton program" which will bring be- |
fore the microphone "Bill'' Roper. |
famous foot ball coach. the Princeton |
Triangle Orchestra and the Glee Club
Quartet.
A dinner concert by the Burlington
Orchestra and dance program from
New York are WRCs other attrac-
tions.
The Har1monius Quartet and Bell
and Christie, popular entertainers, are
featured on the program tonight of
WMAL The quartet will give half
hour program. beginning at 9 O'Clock.
Other musical attractions include a
supper dance program and recital
by Katherine Bowers, contralto. There
also will be a talk by Will P. Ken
nedy, political writer for The Star.
Radio reception last night was char
acterized by an unusual condition.
The signals We're plentiful, could be
tuned easily, but failed to respond
with sufficient volume for loud-speaker
reproduction.
The weakness of the signals was
the only adverse feature to dialing.
There were occasional static rum
blings, however, but they We're not
severe enough to interfere with the
broadcast DrOgramS