Evening star., 1927-04-08
RADIO "P|RATES"
MUST QUIT CHAOS
Commission Orders Cana
dian FrequenCieS Vacated
by April "a.

The Federal Radio Commission to-
day began welding the big stick"
over United States broadcasters who
have 'pirated" wave lengths assigned
to Canadian stations operators by in
ternational agreement.
A general order issued this after
noon by the commission informed
those stations which have jumped to
frequencies assigned to Canadian
broadcasters that they can no longer
broadcast on those frequencies: and
that they cannot use other frequencies
suggested by them as alternatives,
because further interference in an
admittedly chaotic situation may be
caused by such action.
At the same time the commission
suggested that the only frequencies
where permits are likely to be
granted are those from 1899 to 1904
meters, a range which is now COM
paratively little used and which be-
comes in fact the "penitentiary' for
the comission last week as a penalty
to those who have usurped waves as
signed by pirating broadcasters sug-
gested by international agreement.
Noted Stations Involved.
Many of the prominent stations of
the country, including WJAZ, oper-
ated by the Zenith Radio Corpora
Iion of Chicago, which instituted the
test case resulting in elimination of
Government control of the air prior
TO passage of the present radio ad-
S minstration law, fall into the class
who must find channels in which
they will not interfere with estab-
+ lished broadcasters, or go below 220.4
meters. The order is the first puni-
. tive measure taken by the commits
+ sion and is effective April "a. Failure
to comply with the order will mean
prosecution in the Federal courts,
according to Commissioner Bellows.
The text of the statement issued by
the commission follows:
Carrying out it's policy of dealing
with applications on their individual
merits, the Federal Radio Commission
has already received applications from
number of broadcasting stations
which have been using frequencies
allocated to Canada. None of these
stations have asked permission to use
the - Canadian frequencies. but have
suggested other frequencies which
they would like to use.
WRC Not Affected.
In each of these cases, the com
mission has notified the station that
il cannot permit the use of the fire.
Quencies suggested by the station, as
such use would create interference
with stations already operating on
such frequencies. 1t has indicated
that each station which has been
using a Canadian frequency must find
a place for itself which will not cause
serious interference, and has sug-
gested that the only frequencies
where permits are likely to be granted
are those above 1850 kilocycles, in the
w-aveband between 1898 and 220.4. /
meters.
Station WRC here will not be af-
fected by the order. Station WMAL,
operated by the NJ. A. Leese Co., may
be affected, although it does not in
terfere with any Canadian broadcast
er. The original wave length of
WMAL was 212.6. Several months
ago it moved up to 2939, thereby
conflicting with WAIU at Columbus,
Ohio. WMAL operates with $50
watts, while WAIU operates with
s 900 watts.
WRC, operating on wave length
OF 1855, conflicts with KFI in Los
Angeles to Middle West listeners, but
as between those stations interference
means comparatively little to listeners
in the East. WRC has never jumped
any other wave length.
Rear Admiral w. Fl. G.. Bullard, !
chairman of the commission, will be