Evening star., 1927-11-13
INSURGENTS RADIO
/. STATION OPPOSED
Commission FroWns on Plan
of Senate Group for
Broadcasting Plant.

There is considerable possibility that
the Senate insureent Republicans
win not secure the consent of the
Federal Radio Commission to their
nlau 10 establish Il short wave trans
n,jttinc Statlon i'll Washington, from
which addresses on farm relief ana
otner issues would be sent to 4 high
power station in the Middle West ard
broadcast from that point.
Members of the commission so tar
have rcfralned from comment regard
.u2 the project, which Is NOT yet
',nrnallv before them, but il has been
indicated that there are apparently
irSllYnouniable obstacles in the way
Of the proposed plan and that 1t
might be very unwise 10 grant per-
mission for the establishment of the
Washington station.
II This particular group is permit
led to carry ont its plan for broadcast
ing. it has been asked, what IS to pre-
vent every other group. lactloh'
ism" and aGitator from descending
upou the commission with similar
.iemanu" Ii Il station is authorized
tnr the d;sse mination of argument on
one side Of the farm rciet question:
how can the commission refuse SIM
liar privileges 10 members Of the
-uppoSing side" Ii farm relief is made
lhe subject of such broadcastlnS
iian, hoW could the commission say
No" TO The same request from per
>.}ns interested in other issues before
congress" And. granting such pefmls-
sion almost indiscriminately, what
would happen 20 the brOadCating plan
which the commission has labored
long and painfully to evolve?
Plan ShOrt-Wave Station.
f.. The plan of the Senate insurgents.
10 whom, it is understood, the Fed.
eral Radio Commission will shortly
he asked to give its approval, con.
templates the establishment of a
. >hort-wave station here, from which
a series of speeches could be delivered
10 Station kTNT at Muscatine, Iowa,
. for hroadcastins. The services OF the
Muscatine station were placed at the
! disposal of the group by Norman +.
Baker, the owner.
, 1t has been emphasized at the
offices of the commission that any
decision regarding such i plan would
mot be predicated upon politics, but
supon due consideration of what effect
1T might have upon the Station-alloca-
ton plan worked out by the commits
: sion. both Immediately and in the
. future. when other factions might ap-
peal for similar privileges. The COM
mission has no particular interest i'll
sthe group proposing the plan nor in
the subjects which might conclevably
l,e discussed over station kTNT, but
it does have a very definite desire to
see it's plan for clearing the air OF
Interference work out as soon as pos.
sible.
Many Speeches to Be on Air.
The ether will be freighted with
political speeches during the coming
l2 months. The broadcasting of this
matter is a question for consideration
by the individual station owner, who
may give, sell or withhold the privi-
lege of broadcasting from his station
as he may see fit, the only require.
inent in the radio law being that ii
n candidate for office is permitted to
. broadcast from a station other candi'
dates for the same office shall be
afforded the opportunity to do SO also.
. 1t is only in the event that discrimina-
. ton is practiced that the matter would
come before the commission.
But the establishment of a broad.
casting station in the National Capt.
tai for the exclusive use Of one par
ticular political group is another ques-
tion, and unless the station which has
been proposed will sbe offered freely
10 other political sfuu7ss which is not
likely. it is improbable that The COM
mission would sanction the plan. On
. the other hand, there is nothing to
prevent the Senate insurgents from
renting a telephone wire and sending
their speeches to Muscataine by 'land
line" for broadcasting.