Evening star., 1928-11-17
CHICAGO RIVALS
IN RADIO BATTLE
Senators Charge Giant Sta
ton Is Promoted for UtiIi-
ties Propaganda.
BY MARTIN CODEI..

All the pent-up antagonism toward
authorizing certain public utility in
terests to engage in radio broadcasting
was loosed yesterday at the hearing be-
fore the Federal Radio Commission, in
volving the conflicting demands of sta
tions WENR, operated by the Samuel
insult group in Chicago, and WIS,
owned by farm magazine and largely
controlled by leading mail-order
house, for rights to use one of the Chi
oago zones cleared broadcast channels
Three United States Senators ap-
peared in opposition to the application
of the giant Chicago station, owned by
ceven public utility companies, the larg-
est of them the Commonwealth Edison,
for full time on the air with $4,000
watts of power. Senators Norris of
Nebraska, Walsh of Montana and
Brookhart of Iowa all based their posi-
ton on an assertion that "it is against
the public interest to give these people
another avenue to spread their propa-
ganda."
The tenseness that surrounded this
phase of the hearing of three days and
three nights on the counterclaims of
the two stations was aggravated by
remark by John E. Wing, counsel for
WENR, at the conclusion of Senator
Radio Commission:
"I would like to ask the Senator. :"
said Mr.. Wing after listening to the
Montanan's recital of shocking" dis
closures in the Federal Trade Commits
sicn's public utility inquiry, "if in the
recent elections the people of the United
States have not expressed an opinion
on attacks upon public utilities?"
Nnf Ak4. nx~ ryAn.x.~-
The question seemed to surprise Sem
ator Walsh for moment.
Il don't think So" he replied to Mr..
Wing
Then he went on to explain that he
of the Federal Trade Commission as an
attack upon the utilities.
His opposition to permitting WENR
to go on the air in preference to a sta
ton said to be devoting it's time largely
to agricultural interests he said was
due to careful study he has made of
the propaganda methods" employed by
the utility companies as revealed in the
Governments investigation
The broad policy of enabling public
utilities to utilize the ether for such an
avowed purpose as that of the Chicago
group, creating good WILL" was stren-
uously opposed by both Senators Norris
and Brookhart. The Iowa Senator de-
clare1 that he had supported Mr.
Hoover in the last election on account
of his stand on the farm problem.
"On the question of public utilities"
it was decided at all by this election"
Mr.. Norris and Mr.. Brookhart both
vigorously scored the alleged propa-
ganda against the principle of public
ownership, which, they declared, was
being carried on by underground meth
odS by the so-called power trust" The
Radio Commission, n tening to the sen-
atorial witnesses on behalf of WIS,
heard a complete summarization of rev.
elationS in its sister commissions power
inquiry of last Spring and Summer.
Air Control Is Charged.
Senator Norris charged the utilities
with trying Ito control the air we
breathe" at the expense of agriculture,
while Senator Brookhart declared an
attempt was being made to monopolize
the Chicago broadcasting situation with
the highest power in that region.
1T seems to me-" said Senator Norris,
that the power trust has controlled a.
good share of the earth, and ought to
let us have the air I don't see why
the public utilities should be allowed to
engage in broadcasting. They are not
connected with 1t even indirectly, unless
1t is for propaganda purposes"
The broadcasting channels sought by
the two stations is now utilized five-
sevenths of the time by WIS and two
sevenths by WENR. The latter seeks
more time in order to make its opera
ton commercially feasible, and wants
the maximum power in order to serve
a large rural audience in the surround
ing territory. It's counsel charges WIS
with being controlled by Sears -Roebuck
Co. whose contractual arrangement
with the station is said to discriminate
against its use by any rival mail-order
house.
The hearing brought into the open an
issue which has been brewing within
the Federal Radio Commission for some
time, sporadic outbursts until now alone
indicating the nature of the contro-
versy that must now be settled. Chair
nm Robinson was absent from this
hearing, but has made it plain that he
absolutely opposes WENR's right to be
on the air. He has several times u,les-
toned the right of a public utility un-
der its charter to expend funds drawn
from rate revenues on such a medium
as broadcasting.
fCcpyright. 1928, by North American
Newspaper Alliance)