Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-29
WIDENING Of RADIO
BAND IS OPPOSED
Witnesses at Hearing See
Higher-Priced Radio Sets, if
Lower Channels Are Used.

nearing on general CaulO pTODlefllS US
fore the Federal Radio Commission tC
the proposal of the commission that
the broadcasting band be widened by
taking over part of the territory now
used by radio amateurs, from 100 &c
200 meters. Although the commission
had previously received many letters
commencing the suggestion that the
amateur field be invaded to permit ex
tension of the present broadcastine
limits below 200 meters, not one OF
the 10 witnesses who spoke at the
opening session of the conference ia
vored the extension downward. Among
them were several prominent radio
| engineers and men who have beer
| closely identified with the development
of radio, manufacturers of receiving
| sets, amateurs and broadcast an
| nouncerS.
| Fifty new broadcasting channels
| would be made available If the band
| between $50 and 200 meters were
| opened up to broadcasting, r. Fl
| Langley, an engineer of the Crosley
| Radio Corporation of Cincinnati said
But certain technical problems would
so jeopardiZe reception and increase
| interference due to harmonies that
/ the listener would receive little bene.
| fit. Radio listeners, Mr. Langley said
! broadcast band. but find good pro
| gram, calibrate their sets to receive
| it, and remain there.
| Give Ample Choice.
| The present band, with 96 available
/ ether channels, he said, furnished suf-
| ticient variety of entertainment to
/ give ample choice to any listener.
| With a widening of the band. Mr.
Langley said would come Immediately
/ new demands for licenses, together
with an increase in the primary cost
of receiving sets, which he estimated
| at so per cent.
| "a receiver to take in the suggested
broadcast band from $50 to $50 me-
ters could not be built as cheaply as
at present" Mr.. Langley pointed out.
| Any change would Immediately make
| obsolete all present-day receivers,
| those in use, on dealers shelves and
| those in process of manufacture. An
! appalling situation for the listener
and the manufacturer alike would be
presented if the broadcast band We're
widened, with little benefit to accrue
to the listening public.
Scott Is Counsel.
| Mr.. Langley was introduced by
| former Representative Frank ID. Scott
I of Michigan, appearing as counsel for
| the National Broadcasters' Associa-
| ton and the Radio Manufacturers
| Association. Mr.. Scott presented
| Jack Binns, treasurer of the l.. A.
| Hazeltine Corporation; DIR. r A. Kol-
ster, prominent radio engineer, and
DR.. Alfred n Goldsmith, consulting
engineer for the National Broadcast
| ing Co. All spoke in favor of retain
| ing the present broadcasting limits
and against widening the broadcast
| band
| DIR. Goldsmith declared that recep-
| ton on the lower wave band between
| $50 ard 200 meters would probably
! not be as satisfactory as that in the
present broadcasting limits between
200 and $50 meters.
Reliable service on the lower
| bands has not been demonstrated
technically feasible" he said. He
! urged that everything be done TO fos-
| ter development sof the art of radio,
| and added that 1t is virtually impos-
sible to usurp the band above 500
/ meters because service to ships at
sea is indispensable" The band from
| 600 meters up is at present reserved
/ by international agreement for dis
tress signals. Dr. Goldsmith agreed
| that congestion at present with more
| than 730 broadcasters on the air sis
| severe"
/ Radio Vision Injury.
Mr.. Binns, the first witness intro
duced, and the first man to utilize
| radio at sea to rescue passengers of
a sinking ship, declared that any
widening Of the broadcast band in
| either direction would either reduce
the performance Of present receiving
sets or make them vastly more ex-
| pensiye, and might have both results. .
*. b. Warner of Hartford, Conn.
representing the American Radio
Relay League, told the commission
tnat there are ample channels in
| the present broadcasting range to
give service to the public.
Radio vision, the new science to
| be placed before the public within
d few months. by which still and
! even motion pictures can be project
ed through the ether. and received
would suffer irreparable loss were
! the broadcast band to be extended
| downward below 200 meters. G..
/ Francis Jenkins, Washington in
| ventor, told the commission. He
! CO. operation with the Navy Depart
| ment and the Weather Bureau for
/ broadcasting weather maps to ships
/ at sea, and said that while the art
! is still IN its infancy, everything
| should be done to aid 1t.
| William T. Pierson, announcer for
| the Washington broadcasting station
| WMAL, said his station had changed
its wave length from 212 meters to
! 294 meters because many present
day receiving sets could not receive
on the lower wave length. A. III.
F! Grebe, radio manufacturer of Rich.
| mond Hill. ". Y, said the band be-
tween 200 and 230 meters is now
virtually unoccupied.
Railroads Experiment.
Landon Kay, announcer for Station
| WSB, Atlanta, Ga, said his station
had not wavered during the period
| when many Jumped" other wave
lengths, and th4a only dynamite
would get us out of it unless the
commission tells us to-
I'VE are going to sit tight" he said
I A plea that the railroads be permitted
TO further experiment with broadcast.
ing below 200 meters was made by
George D. stanton, representing the
American Railway Association.
Commissioner Bellows, who pre-
sided at the opening meeting, said
that the question of widening the
band should be decided by the data
obtained at the conference and by
written suggestions "once and fol
all" Acting Chairman Sykes, In the
opening statement, asked the co-opera
ton of all branches of the industry
| in solving the problem now before tn,
| commission.