Evening star., 1928-12-05
SUPERPOWER HIT
BY SENATOR DILL
Co-Author of Radio Act De-
clareS EIigh-Watt Stations
Rule Air.
BY MARTIN CODEL.

Besides considering the fate of the
Federal Radio Commission the present
short session of Congress will hear re-
newed attacks upon high powered
broadcasting. An effort will be made
to limit by specific legislation the
amount of power a station may employ.
Very little criticism against the re-
allocation project as whole has been
voiced by returning members to Con-
gress, but several of the leaders IN
radio legislation say they have found
the use of Superpower on the cleared
channels highly Objectionable. Their
complaint is that the SuperpoWer sta
tons are making it impossible for many
listeners at Substation distances away
to tune out their programs over ex-
Ceedingly wide dial ranges.
Senator Dill. co-author of the radio
act. declares he has concrete evidence
that the radio commission has erred
iT granting high power. Tuning in
F1LW. Cincinnati, while in Ohio last
week. he found its 5O.00o-watt trans
glitter emitting SignaR that covered
1.alf the dial of standard high priced
receiving set Two friends dialing the
same station on two other makes OF
receiver experienced the same trouble.
Station WLW did not shut out
other stations altogether" said Senator
Dill, but its programs could be heard
in the background wnenew another
station was tuned" The Senator from
the State of Washington also asserted
that his experience with the most re-
cent entrant into the high power ranks
is the same that it is reported to him
from competent observers near other
spperpower stations or within their
normal listening ranges.
Something will have to be done to
curb this use of high power, Senator
Dill maintains. If special legislation is
necessary to reduce powers he declares
he will back it. The co-author of the
radio law is severe in his criticism of
the Federal Radio Commission for
granting high power to many more sta
tons. He said he has learned that
certain members of the commission
have urged certain stations to seek
such power. The leading high-power
advocate on the commission is o. H.
Caldwell, and Senator Dill declared that
his opposition to Commissioner Caldwell
had not abated since he fought the
New Workers. confirmation as men,
Der of the radio board last session.
In his opposition to high-power
broadcasting. Senator Dill is joined by
ISSpIcocllbdIIfc GWGIl 0dNS VI 1SIlIl6S"
see, author of the equalization amend
ment. Mr.. Davis describes the "blan-
keting" effects of high power as one
of the defects in the present broadcast
ing structure. He states that adequate
service can be furnished by a sufficient
number of relatively low powered sta
tions properly situated throughout the
country.
Like Senator Dill, Mr.. Davis believes
that radio listeners addicted to the
ok" habit are in the minority. After
the first thrill of distance hunting
wears of, most listeners become accus-
toned to the local or nearby stations
they can readily tune in, according to
Senator Dill. Then they regularly scan
the programs of those stations. make
their selections and fix their dials at
the usual point.
(Copyright. 1928. by North American News
paper Alliance.)