Evening star., 1928-05-06
CALDWELL SPEECH
MAY BRING REPLY.
Charges of Politics in Radio
Situation Expected TO
Cause Protest.

RepcrcuSSionS are bound to be heard
from the Stinging speech delivered by
Commissioner o. H. Caldwell before
Purdue University's senior engineering
class. Commissioner Caldwell's remark
that radio has become 1.-The foot ball of
politicians" is not likely to go unnoticed
among members Of Congress, upon
whose vote-getting proclivities he
blamed the "SophistrieS" being passed
regarding the radio situation.
Mr.. Caldwell. a 1908 Purdue grad
uate and the only engineering member
of the Federal Radio Commission, was
confirmed by the Senate recently by
only the narrowest of margins in re-
taliation for his attack upon the pend
ing equalization amendment to the
radio law In the bitter wrangle over
the amendment, which Is now law, but
which then was opposed by nearly the
entire radio industry. Mr.. Caldwell was
charged with being friendly toward the
alleged radio trust" Opposition TO
, him was outSpokenly vigorous.
The New York commissioner. repre-
senting the zone with the greatest ar
ray of radio talent and the highest
powered broadcasting stations. accepted
the law as written and proposes now
to solve the radio along engineering
principles. Equalization. he argues.
must be brought about mathematically
by the very wording of the law He
stanchly advocates high-power broad
casting. and with the engineers plan
for equalization now before the COM
mission, he vigorously supports the pro-
posal to clear maximum number Of
channels for a maximum number of
stations using high wattage.
His arguments before the Purdue en-
gineers were along that line, and his
remarks regarding the arguing law
yers" and debating politicians" were
rather incidental Yet they are the re-
marks that will rouse the ire of mem
bers of Congress who are daily making
representations to the commission in
favor of their constituent stations. The
high-power problem is one of the sorest
spots. for high power necessarily means
curtailment of power for many home
town" stations.
Representative Davis of Tennessee.
has declared against power above TO-
900 watts for any station. Other
Southern members Of Congress have
taken a similar stand, largely because
there are no superpower stations in
the South and because until recently
there has been virtually no demand for
them. MFR. Caldwell claims that high
power Is absolutely necessary for the
reception Of undistorted programs in
rural and isolated communities, and
he states that fully so per cent of the
population of the country resides 100
miles or more from a broadcasting sta
ton.
In his power arguments. Mr.. Cald-
well has the backing generally OF all
the engineers with whom the commits
sion has consulted. He is not even
disputed by the committee OF broad
casters, manufacturers and distributors
the so-cailed industry committee
toward whose ALLEGATION plan he is
lukewarm It's plan contemplateS
power increases. IL not station reduc-
tions. Apparently every element in
the radio industry Is favorable 10 the
principle of provided all
the high power assignments are not
passed to the dozen or so stations in
the country commonly referred to as
the trust" group.
Commissioner Caldwell wants the
superpower assignments made to the
stations showing best merit by their
records. He absolutely disclaims any
partiality to the trust" group of sta
tionS. He points out that acceptance
of the Superpower idea will mean more
such statlons-tl1ere are only three So
kilowatt stations now operating-and
that the trust" will not necessarily
get the powers. Moreover, 1t will con-
duce to better program quality and
better Selectivity II the high power is
confined to cleared channels.